Ponyo

**Ponyo** (Japanese: 崖の上のポニョ) is a 2008 Japanese animated English-language fantasy comedy film written and

    directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi, and Toho. It is the eighth film Hayao Miyazaki directed for Studio Ghibli and his tenth film overall.  The film was released in Japan on July 19, 2008, and was later dubbed into English by Disney in the US and Canada on August 14, 2009, and in the UK on February 12, 2010. It earned over US$201 million worldwide and won several awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.

## Plot

Fujimoto, a once-human wizard/scientist, lives underwater along with his daughter, Brunhilde, and her numerous smaller sisters. While she and her siblings are on an outing with their father in his four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde sneaks off and floats away on the back of a jellyfish. After an encounter with a fishing trawler, she drifts to the shore of a small fishing town in a glass jar where she is rescued by a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke. Shattering the jar open with a rock, Sōsuke cuts his finger in the process. Brunhilde licks his wound causing it to heal almost instantly. Sōsuke names her Ponyo and promises to protect her. Meanwhile, a distraught Fujimoto searches frantically for his lost daughter whom he believes to have been kidnapped. He calls his wave spirits to recover her, leaving Sōsuke heartbroken.

Ponyo and Fujimoto have an argument, during which Ponyo refuses to let her father call her by her birth name. She declares her desire to be known as 'Ponyo' and to become human. Using her magic, she forces herself to grow leg- and arm-like appendages and start changing into a human, a power granted to her by the human blood she ingested when she licked Sōsuke's finger. Her alarmed father forces her to change back into her true form and leaves to summon Ponyo's mother, Granmamare. Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father and inadvertently uses his magic to make herself fully human. The huge amount of magic that she releases into the ocean causes an imbalance in the world, resulting in a tsunami, leaving ships stranded at sea. Ponyo goes back to Sōsuke, who is amazed and overjoyed to see her. He tells his mother that Ponyo has returned as a little girl. Sōsuke's mother allows Ponyo to stay at their house for the time being. Lisa (Sōsuke's mother), Sōsuke, and Ponyo wait out the storm at Sōsuke's house. Worried about the residents of the nursing home where she works, Lisa leaves to check up on them and promising Sōsuke that she will return home as soon as possible.

Granmamare arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. Sōsuke's father, Kōichi, sees her traveling and recognizes her as the Goddess of Mercy. Fujimoto notices the moon appears to be falling out of its orbit and satellites are falling like shooting stars, symptoms of the dangerous imbalance of nature that now exists. Granmamare declares that if Sōsuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and that the order of the world will be restored. A still-worried Fujimoto reminds her that if Sōsuke fails the test, Ponyo will turn into sea foam.

Sōsuke and Ponyo wake up to find that most of the land around the house has been covered by the ocean. Since it is impossible for Lisa to come home, the two children decide to find her. With the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sōsuke's toy pop pop boat life-size and set out across the swollen ocean.

When Ponyo and Sōsuke make it to the forest, however, Ponyo tires and falls asleep only to be woken by Sōsuke, who implores her to ignite a second candle as the one powering their boat is about to go out. Ponyo then dozes off multiple times before concentrating enough to make the candle, which then goes out. She then passes out, and Sōsuke has to push the boat to shore, only to find that the boat, deprived of Ponyo's magic, is reverting to its toy size. Sōsuke drags Ponyo to the shore, where he finds Lisa's abandoned car. Ponyo then wakes up, and the two decide to continue looking for her.

Ponyo and Sōsuke head into a tunnel. Inside Ponyo reverts to being a fish due to overuse of her magical powers. Meanwhile, Lisa and the residents of the nursing home, who are temporarily able to breath water because of Granmamare, are waiting excitedly below the surface for Ponyo and Sōsuke to arrive. Sōsuke and Ponyo encounter Fujimoto, who warns the boy that the balance of nature is in danger and begs Sosuke to return Ponyo to him. Sōsuke doubts Fujimoto and attempts to flee, but the two children are quickly captured and Fujimoto takes them down to the protected nursing home.

Sōsuke is reunited with Lisa and meets Granmamare, with whom Lisa has just had a long private conversation. Granmamare asks Sōsuke if he can love Ponyo whether she is a fish or human. Sōsuke replies that he "loves all the Ponyos." Granmamare then tells her daughter that if she chooses to become human once and for all, she will have to give up her magical powers. Ponyo agrees to this, so Granmamare encases her in a bubble and gives her to Sōsuke. She tells him that kissing the bubble will complete Ponyo's transformation. The balance of nature is thus restored and the previously stranded ships head back to port. Fujimoto respects his daughter's choice to become a human, having decided he can trust Sōsuke with Ponyo's welfare. Ponyo then joyfully jumps high in the air and kisses Sōsuke, completing her transformation as a human.

## Why it Rocks

1. Even though the movie is based on The Little Mermaid, it expands on that differently.
2. Amazing animation, all of it being done hand drawn with no CGI in sight (It was also the first Studio Ghibli film in a while to be exclusively hand drawn).
3. Sosuke is an intelligent and happy boy for his age who shows a really good relationship with Ponyo.
4. Good voice acting, both in Japanese and English. Basically, think of comparing Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas being best friends to Ponyo and Sosuke's relationship.
5. Awesome music by composer Joe Hisaishi, especially the main theme.
6. Quite exciting and intense moments, like when Ponyo causes a tsunami.
7. Ponyo's Mom Granmamare is a beautiful piece of animation.

## Bad Qualities

1. Disney replaced the second verse of the main theme in the credits with a cheesy remix sang by Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas.
2. Miyazaki wanted to make a sequel to this film, but Toshio Suzuki convinced him to make The Wind Rises, which itself is a good movie no doubt.

## Reception

*Ponyo* has received widespread acclaim from film critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% "Certified Fresh", based on 162 reviews with an average score of 7.6/10, stating "While not Miyazaki's best film, *Ponyo* is a visually stunning fairy tale that's a sweetly poetic treat for children and Miyazaki fans of all ages."[37] Metacritic reported a Metascore of 86 based on 29 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim".[38]

On its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, it made $3,585,852 on 927 screens, which is a per screen average of $3,868.[39] It also opened at number nine at the United States and Canada box office.[39] In the United States and Canada the film made a total of $15,090,399 at the box office.[39] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as a DVD/Plush Toy pack, on March 2, 2010.

*The Japan Times* gave the film four out of five stars, and praised the film's simple thematic elements and its visual scheme, and compared the film to Miyazaki's classic animation *My Neighbor Totoro*.[40]

*Anime Diet* cited the quality of the translation, noting, "The story and the core of the film was communicated more than adequately through the professional dub and it did not get in the way of the sheer delight and joy that Miyazaki wanted to convey." Citing "slight pacing problems," it gave *Ponyo* a rating of 88%.[7] The pronunciation of Japanese names in the English cinema version varied between characters, however.

Critics at the Venice International Film Festival generally had high praise.[41][42] Wendy Ide of *The Times* said *Ponyo* "is as chaotic and exuberant as a story told by a hyperactive toddler," and gave it 4 stars out of 5.[43] Roger Ebert of the *Chicago Sun-Times* gave the film a full four stars, the highest rank on his review scale, stating that, "There is a word to describe *Ponyo*, and that word is magical. This poetic, visually breathtaking work by the greatest of all animators has such deep charm that adults and children will both be touched. It's wonderful and never even seems to try: It unfolds fantastically."[44]

The film was rated #2 on Dentsu's list of "2008 Hit Products in Japan", after the Wii console.[45]