I guess I just am on a bit of an anime kick right now, not really surprising since I've been getting more into graphic novels lately, and that includes manga. It may also be that I really wanted something comforting to watch, and you can't really get more comforting that Studio Ghibli. One of the most recognizable animation studios in Japan, Studio Ghibli is probably what most American audiences think of when they think of "Anime Movie", and it's easy to see why, these stories are cute, charming, resonant, powerful, exciting, creative, Studio Ghibli is a unique brand of animated movie that I don't think we really have an equivalent to in the west, nor does there need to be one. I haven't talked much about Studio Ghibli, mostly because I want to really explore animated movies and find things I wouldn't normally watch on my own, but I did take a look at Whisper of the Heart as my fiftieth movie review, and I thought, it's been a while so maybe I should take a look at another Studio Ghibli movie, and why not make it the first Studio Ghibli movie I ever watched, Ponyo.
At it's core, Ponyo is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, in that it's about a girl from the sea who falls in love with a human boy and wants to become human herself. Ponyo, or Brunhilde, is one of the daughters of Fujimoto, a formerly human sea wizard, yep this is definitely a Studio Ghibli movie. Anyway, Brunhilde swims off and comes across Sōsuke, a five-year old boy who lives on a Cliff by the sea. This is where she gets the name Ponyo, and wishes to become human, and she does, she begins to turn into a human. The problem is, something about the sea world and the human world never being able to fully cross, so either Ponyo has to give up her powers to fully become human, or the world ends. The plot moves along, kind of at it's own pace, there are a lot of scenes that don't really advance the main plot in anyway, but they still work because they serve to show Ponyo learning about and interacting with the human world, and as far as Ghibli movies go, Ponyo is actually not that slow. You can still tell this is a Ghibli movie, it has the pacing and editing, but it's not to the same extent of Whisper of the Heart or My Neighbor Totoro.
It may also not feel slow-paced because Ponyo herself is a highly energetic character. She's usually always running around and laughing, and it never gets too annoying, it also helps that she is just super cute too. The rest of the characters are pretty good, Sōsuke is a good kid, kind, hopeful, I think he's just well developed for the story being told. I think the only character I have some issue with is Lisa, Sōsuke's mother, she does clearly love her son and she's not unlikable, but I do think she can be a bit of an irresponsible parent, like leaving two kids alone during a flood is not something a responsible parent would be doing. Honestly, the characters aren't too complex or deep, pardon the pun, but they work, besides, this story is about Ponyo, and she's a fun and charming character. I also watched the Japanese version available on Netflix, and not the Disney dub this time, and I will say the voice acting was quite excellent, though Fujimoto's voice actor was a bit... I mean when he says the world is gonna end, he doesn't say it with a lot of weight.
Where the movie really shines is in the animation, and yeah, this is a Studio Ghibli movie and they have high quality animation. Not only is it really bright and colourful, but the way they make the water look, with flat colours and different shades of blue is incredible, and the backgrounds are just filled with tiny details, like Ponyo's wet footprints on the concrete, all kinds of creatures moving around. None of which is wholly necessary, but it's all appreciated, it makes each scene come alive, while it also doesn't overstuff each scene with things. When a scene needs to be empty, the scene is empty, like Sōsuke and Ponyo finding Lisa's car on the road, there is only Sōsuke and Ponyo in that scene, and it works so much better because of that. Really, this is kind of a standard for Ghibli movies, what else can I really add about the animation?
And really, what is there more to say about Ponyo? It's just a good movie, solid and likeable characters, a good story, wonderful and detailed animation. Honestly, there is not much else to say about Ponyo, it's a cute, charming, enjoyable watch, and I think this is a great starting place for anyone who wants to get into Studio Ghibli's features. Like, people will always bring up stuff like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, but if you want something that is more accessible, I think Ponyo is a good place to start. This and Castle in the Sky would be my picks for starting points if you want to get into Studio Ghibli, in fact I should consider doing a review of Castle in the Sky as well. I can't say Ponyo is their best movie, but that is a really high bar to reach considering, and regardless it is a good movie and I definitely recommend it to anyone, consider this one of those "Almost High" recommendations.
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