Ponyo

Ponyo
Japanese theatrical poster
Directed by	Hayao Miyazaki
Produced by	Toshio Suzuki
Written by	Hayao Miyazaki
Starring	Japanese version Yuria Nara Hiroki Doi Tomoko Yamaguchi George Tokoro Kazushige Nagashima English version Cate Blanchett Noah Cyrus Matt Damon Frankie Jonas Tina Fey Liam Neeson Cloris Leachman Lily Tomlin Betty White
Music by	Joe Hisaishi
Cinematography	Atsushi Okui
Editing by	Takeshi Seyama
Studio	Studio Ghibli
Distributed by	Toho (Japan) Walt Disney Pictures Optimum Releasing (UK) Madman Entertainment (Australia and New Zealand)
Release date(s)	July 19, 2008 (2008-07-19)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	¥3.4 billion (US$34 million)
Gross revenue	US$200,820,152[1]

Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ, Gake no Ue no Ponyo^?, literally "Ponyo on the Cliff"), initially titled in English as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is a 2008 Japanese animated film by Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is Miyazaki's eighth film for Ghibli, and his tenth overall. The plot centers on a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year-old human boy, Sōsuke, and wants to become a human girl.

The film has won several awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.^[2] It was released in Japan on July 19, 2008, August 14, 2009 in the US and Canada and February 12, 2010 in the UK.^[3] The film reached #9 in the U.S. box office charts for its opening weekend.^[4]

Plot

The plot centers on a fish-girl who lives in an aquarium in her father's underwater castle with numerous smaller sisters. When her father takes her and her siblings on an outing in his four-flippered submarine, Ponyo is driven by a desire to see even more of the world and floats away on the back of a jellyfish. She ends up stranded on the shore of a small fishing town and is rescued by a boy named Sōsuke, who cuts his finger in the process. She licks his wound when he picks her up, and the wound heals almost instantly. After taking a great liking to her, Sōsuke names her Ponyo and promises to protect her forever. Meanwhile, her father, Fujimoto, is looking for his daughter. Upset that she ran away, he believes the humans have now kidnapped her, and he calls his wave spirits to return Ponyo to him. Sōsuke is heartbroken by this and goes home with his mother, Lisa, who tries to cheer him up to no avail.

Ponyo and her father have a confrontation, during which Ponyo refuses to let her father call her by her birthname, "Brunhilde." She declares her name to be Ponyo and voices her desire to become human because she has started to fall in love with Sōsuke. Suddenly she starts to grow legs and turn into a human, a consequence of the human blood she swallowed when she licked Sōsuke's finger. Her father turns her back with difficulty and goes to summon Ponyo's mother. Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father and releases his magic to make herself human. The huge amount of magic released into the ocean causes an imbalance in the world, resulting in a huge storm. Riding on the waves of the storm, Ponyo goes back to visit Sōsuke. Lisa, Sōsuke, and Ponyo wait out the storm at Sōsuke's house, and the next morning Lisa leaves to check up on the residents of the nursing home where she works.

Granmamare, Ponyo's mother, arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. On her way there, Sōsuke's father has seen and recognized her as the Goddess of Mercy. Fujimoto notices the moon has come out of its orbit and satellites are falling like shooting stars. Granmamare declares that if Sōsuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and the world order will be restored. If he fails, 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. Lisa has not come home yet, so with the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sōsuke's toy boat life-size and set out to find Lisa. While traveling they see prehistoric fish swimming beneath them. After landing and finding Lisa's empty car, Ponyo and Sōsuke go through a tunnel. There Ponyo loses her human form and reverts into a fish. Sōsuke and Ponyo are taken by Fujimoto into the ocean and down to the protected nursing home where they are reunited with Lisa and meet Granmamare, both of whom have 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 allows Ponyo to become human once Sōsuke kisses her on the surface. The film ends with Ponyo jumping up and kissing Sosuke, transforming into a little girl in mid-air.

Cast

• Yuria Nara (Noah Cyrus in the English adaption) as Ponyo,^[5][6] the daughter of Fujimoto and Granmammare.
• Hiroki Doi (Frankie Jonas in the English adaption) as Sōsuke,^[5][6] five-year-old attendant of Himawari Nursery School ("Himawari" is the Japanese word for sunflower).
• Tomoko Yamaguchi (Tina Fey in the English adaption) as Lisa,^[5][6] Sōsuke's mother.
• Kazushige Nagashima (Matt Damon in the English adaption) as Kōichi,^[5][6] Sōsuke's father.
• George Tokoro (Liam Neeson in the English adaption) as Fujimoto,^[5][6] Ponyo's father. Fujimoto is described as not being a villain, but rather as an overly protective and xenophobic father for whom the more he tried to intervene the more he pushed his daughter away. The director considered this to be common among Japanese fathers in this day and age.
  • Tokoro also voices Suigyo, a goblin controlled by Fujimoto.
• Yuki Amami (Cate Blanchett in the English adaption) as Granmamare,^[5][6] Ponyo's mother.
• Akiko Yano as Ponyo's younger sisters,^[5] children of Fujimoto and Gran Mamare.
• Kazuko Yoshiyuki (Lily Tomlin in the English adaption) as Toki,^[5] a powerchair-using resident of the Himawari House. While she complains frequently and is a bit grumpy, she occasionally shows her independent-minded, heroic nature.
• Tomoko Naraoka (Betty White in the English adaption) as Yoshie,^[5] a resident of the Himawari House. She uses a manual wheelchair.
• Tokie Hidari (Cloris Leachman in the English adaption) as Kayo,^[5] a resident of the Himawari House who does numerous things with Yoshie. She was formerly a career woman in her younger days. She also uses a manual wheelchair.
• Rumi Hiiragi as the Young Mother,^[5] a woman in her 30s who Ponyo and Sōsuke run into during their journey to find Sōsuke's mother.
• Shinichi Hatori (Kurt Knuttson in the English adaption) as The Announcer, a television news reporter who relays information about the hurricane.
• Emi Hiraoka (Jenessa Rose in the English adaption) as Kumiko, an attendant of Himawari Nursery School and a friend of Sōsuke.
• Nozomi Ōhashi as Karen, an attendant of Himawari Nursery School.

Additional voices in the Japanese-language version of the film are provided by Akiko Takeguchi, Yoshie Yamamoto, Tomie Kataoka, Mutsumi Sasaki, Michiko Yamamoto, Eiko Kanazawa, Shirō Saitō, Akihiko Ishizumi, Keiko Tsukamoto, Ikuko Yamamoto and Yūsuke Tezuka. Additional voices in the English adaption are provided by Carlos Alazraqui, Bob Bergen, Johanna Braddy, Marsha Clark, John Cygan, Jennifer Darling, Madison Davenport, Courtnee Draper, Crispin Freeman, Jess Harnell, Ella Dale Lewis, Sherry Lynn, Danny Mann, Mona Marshall, Mickie McGowan, Laraine Newman, Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Jan Rabson.

Production

The film was written, directed, and animated by Hayao Miyazaki, who said his inspiration was the Hans Christian Andersen story, "The Little Mermaid".^[7][8] Production on Ponyo started October 2006.^[9]

Miyazaki was intimately involved with the hand-drawn animation in Ponyo. He preferred to draw the sea and waves himself, and enjoyed experimenting with how to express this important part of the film.^[9] This level of detailed drawing resulted in 170,000 separate images—a record for a Miyazaki film.^[10]

Ponyo's name is an onomatopoeia, based on Miyazaki's idea of what a "soft, squishy softness" sounds like when touched.^[11]

The seaside village where the story takes place is inspired by Tomonoura, a real town in Setonaikai National Park in Japan, where Miyazaki stayed in 2005.^[12] Some of the setting and story was affected by Richard Wagner's opera Die Walküre.^[13] The music also makes reference to Wagner's opera. The character of Sōsuke is based on Miyazaki's son Gorō Miyazaki when he was five.^[14] Sōsuke 's name is taken from the hero in the famous novel The Gate.^[13]

The name of the ship on which Sōsuke's father works is Koganeimaru, a reference to Studio Ghibli's location in Koganei, Tokyo.^[15] Maru (丸^?) is a common ending for ship names.

Distribution

Japan

The film was released by Toho on July 19, 2008, in theatres across Japan on 481 screens—a record for a domestic film.^{[16][17][18][19]} It grossed ¥10 billion ($91 million) in its first month of release,^[20] and a total of ¥15.0 billion ($153.1 million) as of November 9, 2008.^[21]

Tokyo Anime Fair chose Ponyo as Animation of the Year of 2008, as revealed in a press release by Anime News Network.

North America

American poster for Ponyo

Ponyo was released in the U.S. and Canada on August 14, 2009, opening at a wide release at 927 theaters across America, which is by far the widest release for a Studio Ghibli film ever in the U.S, as compared to other Miyazaki films (Spirited Away opened in 26 theaters, Howl's Moving Castle opened in 36 theaters, and Princess Mononoke opened in 38 theaters).^[22]

The film is produced by Frank Marshall, Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Steve Alpert and Kathleen Kennedy.^[23]

In July 2009, there were multiple pre-screenings of the film in California. Miyazaki traveled to America to promote this film by speaking at the University of California, Berkeley and the San Diego Comic-Con.

Soundtrack

Nozomi Ōhashi in January 2009.

Ponyo's eponymous theme song, "Gake no Ue no Ponyo," was released long ahead of the film on December 5, 2007, performed by Fujioka Fujimaki (a duo consisting of Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki who are known for their underground band Marichans from the 1970s) and eight year old Nozomi Ōhashi.^[24] It entered the top 100 on the Oricon Weekly Charts on July 14, then rose to 24th on (July 21), then 6th on (July 28), and after the release of the film it ranked 3rd (August 4).^[25] By the end of 2008, it was ranked as the 14th highest selling single on the Oricon Yearly Charts. Ōhashi was also the youngest participant in the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, beating C-ute's Mai Hagiwara's record at age 11. Afterward, Ōhashi announced that her unit with Fujioka Fujimaki was disbanding.^[26]

An English-translated pop version of the theme was recorded by Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus, the voices of Sōsuke and Ponyo in the North American dub, to tie in with the film's English release. The theme plays over the second half of the English version's closing credits; the first half is merely a translated version of the theme rather than remix.

The film score is by veteran composer Joe Hisaishi, his ninth composer-director collaboration with Miyazaki. The score album, published on Compact Disc in Japan by Tokuma Japan Communications,^[27] in South Korea by Pony Canyon Korea^[28] and throughout Europe by Germany-based label Colosseum,^[29] received a great deal of press in the West, including positive reviews from several veteran film music reviewers.^[30][27]

Reception

The film has received considerable critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film has a "certified fresh" rating of 92%, based on 148 reviews (136 "Fresh"; 12 "Rotten"), with an average score of 7.7 and a Top Critics' score of 88%.^[31] The consensus is that "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." Metacritic reported a metascore of 86.^[32]

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.^[1] It also opened at number nine at the United States and Canada box office.^[1] In the United States and Canada the film made a total of $15,090,399 at the box office.^[1] 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.^[33]

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%.^[6] 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.^[34][35] 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.^[36] Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of 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."^[37]

The film was rated #2 on Dentsu's list of "2008 Hit Products in Japan", after the Wii console.^[38]

Awards

Ponyo was an entrant in the 65th Venice International Film Festival.^[39] It received a special mention in the Venice Future Film Festival, for "the high artistic and expressive quality of animation able to give form to wonderful imagination of the worldwide cinema master".^[40]

In 2009, Ponyo won five awards at the 8th annual Tokyo Anime Awards. The awards included "Anime of the year" and "Best domestic feature". Miyazaki received the award for best director and best original story, and Noboru Yoshida received the award for best art direction.^[41]

The film won the awards for Animation of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Music at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize.^[2]

See also

• Tomonoura, Ponyo's home town

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Disney US official site
• Optimum UK official site
• Ponyo at Allmovie
• Ponyo at the Internet Movie Database
• Ponyo at Metacritic
• Ponyo at Box Office Mojo
• Ponyo at Rotten Tomatoes