The story:
Ponyo is a simple love story at it’s heart. And I say "love" in its purest sense, because it’s not quite familial love, but it’s not quite romantic love as well. The relationship between the two kids is unique and full of life. If Sosuke is a bit disturbed by Ponyo’s fish roots, or her tendency to look like a chicken when she’s drawing upon her magical powers, he doesn’t let on at all. Conversely, Ponyo’s love is pure dedication as she literally transforms from a fish into a human and travels across the oceans to get back to Sosuke. The love story is cute, sweet and free from all the typical angsty drama.
Unfortunately, there’s also a more supernatural and dramatic element to the story which is woefully underdeveloped. There’s no backstory to why Ponyo’s father cast aside his humanity to retreat to the seas. There’s also no backstory on what Ponyo’s mother is and what she does. But more egregiously, we’re told at the end that Sosuke’s true love for Ponyo saved the world from annihilation. Why or what that annihilation was is a complete mystery. I think it had to do with the moon getting too close to Earth, but I have no clue, and it’s a curious missing piece from the story.
The Animation:
It’s beautiful. Stunningly beautiful. Maybe not as steampunk detailed like Howl’s Moving Castle, or as bizarre and otherworldly as Spirited Away, but the attention to detail is amazing. You’ll notice an interesting detail, or a flourish of movement in every scene. It’s mind-boggling to me that all this was done without CGI. The character designs are interesting, but typical Miyazaki. But I did like Ponyo in goldfish form actually. She was just so adorably cute.
The Sound:
If the story was somewhat lacking, the animation and sound more than make up for it. The opening sequence reminded me of Fantasia, with the orchestral background and the myriad of sea creatures on screen. From there, it’s just orchestral bliss throughout. It feels like there’s never a moment where there’s not at least a woodwind or a violin playing quietly in the background. You definitely notice it every step of the way, but not because it’s distracting, but because of how good it sounds, and how it always seems to complement the mood so fittingly. I didn’t recognize any of the voice actors, but the VA work is solid, and I especially liked Ponyo’s seiyuu, especially when she’s saying "I want ham!"
The Characters:
Ponyo is a movie for kids, so there’s not a whole lot of character development. Ponyo is a headstrong, high-energy, heart on her sleeve goldfish. Sosuke is the naive but bright-eyed and good natured kid. Risa is the strong backbone of her family and community. While Ponyo’s parents balance out the eccentricity scale. They are what they are, and they don’t change too much during the movie. But the chemistry between all the characters feels so natural, that the characters don’t feel like cardboard cutouts, and instead everything feels natural – even when you’re literally a fish out of water.
Final Thoughts:
It’s not really fair to compare Ponyo to Miyazaki's recent works like Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, because they’re intended for different audiences. Ponyo is a much more straightforward, "what you see is what you get" story. And like I mentioned, even some of the deeper stuff under the surface isn’t developed enough to bother thinking too deeply about. But if you level-set your expectations and you watch it for what it is – a kids story about love – I think it’d be hard to deny the feel-good, cuteness of the movie.
