Film Review: Ponyo (Japan)

(Fig 1: Movie Poster)

'Ponyo' (2008) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a story that follows a young goldfish in her journey to become a human. A small goldfish goes to explore the surface world without permission from her father. There she meets a young boy named Sosuke, who saves the goldfish from being trapped in a jar. Sosuke names the goldfish Ponyo, but her father finds her and returns her home. After experiencing life with Sosuke her love over comes her father and she is forced to make a choice.  

(Fig 2, Movie Still)

In this film there are references to Japanese culture which maybe hard for western audiences to pick up on, however some are very easy to see. For example, Ponyo maybe a reference to Japanese myth 'Ningyo' this is a mermaid like creature, however there is no known tale of one of these mermaids turning into a human nor having the ability to do so. One of the easier references if you have seen a Studio Ghibli film before would to Miyazaki's previous films such as Hawls moving castle, more, this is commonly seen in the character design. This one is common knowledge no matter the culture, but plays a big role in the film, respecting elders. In the film quite a lot of it is around the nursing home that Sosuke's mother works at. As mentioned in most cultures the elderly will be held in high regard, however based on the context of this film (it being Japanese) it is a common theme in some anime to show appreciation for your elders, through their tradition, wisdom and respect. 

(Fig 3, Movie Still)

This film undoubtedly takes some influence from Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'. In the past Miyazaki has been compared to Walt Disney, however Miyazaki isn't too fond of this and made sure not to see the little mermaid while making Ponyo, "I watched the video of Little Mermaid many years ago when I was first given it, but I haven't watched it recently," Miyazaki said. "On purpose I did not watch it in my making this film." However, despite this both of the films have similarities. The main character in both films are young, redheaded ocean dwelling princesses who both wish to become human so that they can stay with the person they love, both being from the surface. However, with Ponyo she is only a small child and Sosuke is 5 years old, for a film to have such serious questions as "Do you love this person?" and also handling it with a level of maturity is nice to see and is presented in a sweet way. Miyazaki was fully aware of the similarities between Ponyo and The Little Mermaid, "he would go no farther toward Disneyfication than to give the waves faces like dolphins (and even that, he noted in an interview, he feared might be too much [Ponyo, Special Features])." (Ross, 2014)

(Fig 4, Movie Still)

The film is all done using 2D hand drawn animation, this isn't uncommon for a Studio Ghibli film. The use of animation is fantastic in this film and adds a certain level of wonder to the environment shots, such as the opening. This can be applied to the rest of the film too, Ponyo for example switches between her goldfish form, half fish half human and then full human form. These transformations may lose what makes them special if they were done using CGI, the decision to keep it all 2D is a smart one. Miyazaki himself had this to say about the animation, "He insisted he still uses a pencil to draw his animated characters and backgrounds: “Currently computer graphics are used a great deal,” he noted, “but it can be excessive. I think [animation] needs the pencil, needs man’s hands drawing." Nowadays hand drawn animation is a craft that is dying out more and more as CG progresses, but with Studio Ghibli you can always grantee that you're in for some traditional animation which will amaze audiences. Bradshaw sums it up well, "The distinctive, hand-drawn animations may be a tougher sell to children or, indeed, adults who have got used to glitzier digital work and snappier scripts, but I think he will always have a place in the heart of everyone who appreciates his distinctive allure." (Bradshaw, 2010)

Illustration List:

Fig 1, Movie Poster: https://www.amazon.com/Ponyo-Cate-Blanchett/dp/B073ZYKJG9

Fig 2, Movie Still: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/482518547562630405/?lp=true

Fig 3, Movie Still: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/ponyo-on-the-cliff-by-the-sea/images/30547690/title/ponyo-screencap-photo

Fig 4, Movie Still: https://geektyrant.com/news/hayao-miyazaki-film-food-part-five-ponyo

Bibliography: 

Bradshaw, P. (2019). Film review: Ponyo. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/11/ponyo-film-review [Accessed 29 Jan. 2019].

Gritten, D. (2009). Hayao Miyazaki: drawn to perfection. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6911264/Hayao-Miyazaki-drawn-to-perfection.html [Accessed 30 Jan. 2019].

Ross, D. (2014). Miyazaki's Little Mermaid: A Goldfish Out of Water. Journal of Film and Video, 66(3), p.1.