Ponyo
A five-year-old boy named Sōsuke cuts his finger while shattering a glass jar on the shore of a small fishing town. A goldfish-like creature named Brunhilde licks the wound, healing it almost instantly. She refuses to let her father call her by her birth name and declares she wants to be human. Her magic begins changing her form, but the huge amount of power released into the ocean causes an imbalance in nature. A tsunami follows, covering most of the land around the house with water. Sōsuke and Ponyo decide to find her mother Lisa after the waves recede. They use Ponyo's magic to make their pop-pop boat bigger to traverse the waters. The journey takes them past marine life from the Late Devonian period. When they reach the forest, Ponyo tires and falls asleep. The boat slowly reverts to its original size as she sleeps. Sōsuke drags her to the shore where he finds Lisa's abandoned car. Ponyo mysteriously reverts back to her fish form during their walk. Gran Mamare grants Lisa and the residents of the nursing home the temporary ability to breathe underwater. Fujimoto captures them and transports them to the protected nursing home. Sōsuke reunites with Lisa and meets Gran Mamare. She asks him if he can love Ponyo whether she is a fish or human. He confirms that he does. She informs her daughter that she must relinquish her magical powers if she decides to permanently transform into a human. Ponyo agrees and is encased in a bubble given to Sōsuke. He kisses it to complete her transformation as the balance of nature is restored. Previously stranded ships head back to port. Fujimoto respects his daughter's choice having decided he can trust Sōsuke. Ponyo joyfully jumps high in the air and kisses Sōsuke completing her transformation into a human.
Hayao Miyazaki spent time in Tomonoura, a seaside town in Setonaikai National Park, during 2004 and 2005. He familiarized himself with its community and environment there. His experience established the kind of setting he wanted for his next film. During his stay, he read the complete works of Natsume Sōseki. He took particular interest in The Gate, a book involving a character named Sōsuke who lived at the bottom of a cliff. This provided him more concrete ideas for characters and settings. Initially, Miyazaki solely considered the concept of a film that would depict a stormy sea with waves higher than the house on a hillside. He later created the character Ponyo, a name he thought of as an onomatopoeia of what soft squishy softness feels like when touched. Miyazaki recalled that as a nine-year-old he borrowed a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid from his neighbor. While reading it, he had difficulty accepting its premise that its protagonist did not have a soul. Producer Toshio Suzuki suggested he make a film aimed at children after noting the success of Howl's Moving Castle in 2004. The film was created from a mixture of real-world and fictional influences combined with a desire to implement new art and animation approaches developed by other Studio Ghibli staff.
Production of Ponyo began in May 2006 under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki. Katsuya Kondō served as animation supervisor working closely with Miyazaki outlining goals defining the project direction. They prioritized traditional hand-drawn animation throughout production. Borrowing from Kondō's experience animating House Hunting, Ponyu used solid and simple lines. In isolating basic animation elements, the film demonstrated advantages of hand drawn animation through motion depiction impossible to reproduce otherwise. An example of this style appears when Miyazaki painted a picture of Ponyo riding on a flock of fish called Ponyo is Here. This scene became part of the final film inspired by him listening to Ride of the Valkyries while writing a letter to his staff about going with an elemental style. In normal productions, animating a sailing ship usually involves drawing one cel and sliding it across the frame fixing it in predefined perspective and direction. Miyazaki wanted ships appearing in Ponyo drawn frame-by-frame instead. A few previous Studio Ghibli films used computer-generated imagery starting with Princess Mononoke in 1997. For Ponyo however, the computer graphics section at the studio closed to prioritize hand-drawn animation.
Ponyos eponymous theme song titled Gake no Ue no Ponyo was released ahead of the film on the 5th of December 2007. It was performed by Fujioka Fujimaki consisting of Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki known for their underground band Marichans from the 1970s plus eight-year-old Nozomi Ohashi. The single entered the top 100 on the Oricon Weekly Charts on July 14 then rose to 24th on July 21 then 6th on July 28. After the release of the film it ranked 3rd on August 4. By end of 2008 it was ranked as the 14th highest selling single on the Oricon Yearly Charts. Ohashi became youngest participant in the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen beating Cute's Mai Hagiwara's record at age 11. Afterward Ohashi announced her unit with Fujioka Fujimaki disbanded. An English-translated pop version recorded by Jonas and Cyrus tied in with the films English release. The theme plays over second half of English versions closing credits while first half is translated rather than remixed. Film score composed by Joe Hisaishi published compact disc in Japan by Tokuma Japan Communications South Korea by Pony Canyon Korea Europe by Germany-based label Colosseum received great deal press West including positive reviews veteran film music reviewers.
The film released by Toho on the 19th of July 2008 in theaters across Japan on 481 screens setting a record for domestic film. It beat Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior which opened same day. Grossed ¥10 billion ($91 million) first month total ¥15.0 billion ($153.1 million) the 9th of November 2008. Released VHS DVD Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment the 3rd of July 2009 Blu-ray the 8th of December 2009. Last Studio Ghibli film last anime overall released VHS first Studio Ghibli film released Blu-ray though several Ghibli documentaries format Disney Japan prior release. International release U.S Canada the 14th of August 2009 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Walt Disney Pictures banner The Kennedy/Marshall Company opening wide at 927 theaters America widest release Studio Ghibli ever United States compared other Miyazaki films Spirited Away opened 26 theaters Howl's Moving Castle 36 theaters Princess Mononoke 38 theaters. English dub directed John Lasseter Brad Lewis Peter Sohn Pixar produced Frank Marshall Hayao Miyazaki John Lasseter Steve Alpert Kathleen Kennedy script written Melissa Mathison. Multiple pre-screenings California July 2009 Miyazaki traveled America promoting speaking University California Berkeley San Diego Comic-Con. Southeast Asia the 1st of January 2009. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released DVD Blu-ray the 2nd of March 2010 first film produced Ghibli directed either Miyazaki Takahata released Blu-ray America. GKIDS re-issued the 17th of October 2017 new deal Studio Ghibli. Re-released March 25 to 28, 2018 10th anniversary.
Ponyo received critical acclaim Rotten Tomatoes compiled 174 reviews determined 91% positive average score 7.6/10. Critics consensus states visually stunning fairy tale sweetly poetic treat children Miyazaki fans all ages. Metacritic weighted average score 86 out 100 based 29 reviews indicating universal acclaim. Japan Times gave four stars praised simple thematic elements visual scheme compared My Neighbor Totoro. Venice International Film Festival critics generally high praise Wendy Ide The Times said chaotic exuberant story told hyperactive toddler giving four stars Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times gave four stars stating word describe Ponyo magical poetic visually breathtaking work greatest animators deep charm adults children touched wonderful never seems try unfolds fantastically. Rated #2 Dentsu list 2008 Hit Products Japan after Wii console. Entrant 65th Venice International Film Festival special mention Bologna Future Film Festival high artistic expressive quality animation able give form wonderful imagination worldwide cinema master. 2009 won five awards 8th annual Tokyo Anime Awards including Anime year Best domestic feature. Miyazaki received award best director best original story Noboru Yoshida received award best art direction. Won Animation Year Outstanding Achievement Music 32nd Japan Academy Prize.
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Common questions
Who created the 2008 Japanese animated film Ponyo?
Hayao Miyazaki directed and wrote the script for the 2008 Japanese animated film Ponyo. He spent time in Tomonoura during 2004 and 2005 to establish the setting for his next film.
When did production of Ponyo begin under Hayao Miyazaki?
Production of Ponyo began in May 2006 under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki. Katsuya Kondō served as animation supervisor working closely with Miyazaki outlining goals defining the project direction.
What date was the theme song Gake no Ue no Ponyo released by Ponyo?
Ponyos eponymous theme song titled Gake no Ue no Ponyo was released ahead of the film on the 5th of December 2007. It was performed by Fujioka Fujimaki consisting of Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki plus eight-year-old Nozomi Ohashi.
On what day did Ponyo release in theaters across Japan?
The film released by Toho on the 19th of July 2008 in theaters across Japan on 481 screens setting a record for domestic film. It beat Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior which opened same day.
How many reviews determined the positive score for Ponyo on Rotten Tomatoes?
Rotten Tomatoes compiled 174 reviews determined 91% positive average score 7.6/10 for Ponyo. Critics consensus states visually stunning fairy tale sweetly poetic treat children Miyazaki fans all ages.