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| Ponyo | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 崖の上のポニョ | ||||
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| Directed by | Hayao Miyazaki | ||||
| Written by | Hayao Miyazaki | ||||
| Produced by | Toshio Suzuki | ||||
| Starring | |||||
| Cinematography | Atsushi Okui | ||||
| Edited by | Takeshi Seyama | ||||
| Music by | Joe Hisaishi | ||||
Production company | |||||
| Distributed by | Toho | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes[1] | ||||
| Country | Japan | ||||
| Language | Japanese | ||||
| Budget | ¥3.4 billion (US$34 million) | ||||
| Box office | US$205.9 million[2] | ||||
Ponyo[a][b] is a 2008Japanese animatedfantasy film written and directed byHayao Miyazaki. It was animated byStudio Ghibli for theNippon Television Network,Dentsu,Hakuhodo DY Media Partners,Buena Vista Home Entertainment,Mitsubishi, and distributed byToho. The film stars Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi,Tomoko Yamaguchi,Kazushige Nagashima,Yūki Amami,George Tokoro,Rumi Hiiragi,Akiko Yano,Kazuko Yoshiyuki andTomoko Naraoka. It is the eighth film Miyazaki directed for Studio Ghibli, and his tenth overall.
The film tells the story of Ponyo, agoldfish-like creature who escapes from the ocean and is helped by a five-year-old human boy named Sōsuke, after she is washed ashore while trapped in a glass jar. As they bond with each other, Ponyo desires to become a human girl, against the devastating circumstances brought about by her acquisition and use of magic.
The film was originally released in Japan on July 19, 2008, by distributor Toho. It was a major commercial success, grossing over $204 million worldwide and becoming theeighth-highest-grossing anime film of all time. It received critical acclaim for its uplifting themes, visual design, and simultaneous appeal towards young children and all audiences.
An English-language version of the film was released on August 14, 2009, to 927 theatres across the U.S., the widest opening for a Studio Ghibli film in the U.S. It was produced byThe Kennedy/Marshall Company and released byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through theirWalt Disney Pictures banner.
Fujimoto, amisanthropicwizard who was once a human, lives underwater with his daughter Brunhilde and her numerous smaller sisters, who are goldfish-like creatures with human faces. While she and her siblings are on an outing with their father in his four-flipperedsubmarine, Brunhilde sneaks off and floats away on the back of ajellyfish. After an encounter with afishing trawler, she becomes trapped in a glass jar and drifts to the shore of a small fishing town where she is rescued by a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke. While shattering the jar with a rock, Sōsuke cuts his finger. Brunhilde licks his blood, healing the wound 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 and confused by what happened.
Ponyo refuses to let her father call her by her birth name, declaring her desire to be a human named Ponyo. She magically begins changing into a human, a power granted to her by Sōsuke's human blood that she licked. Fujimoto forces her back into her true form and leaves to summon Ponyo's mother, Gran Mamare. Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father and inadvertently uses his magic to make herself human. The huge amount of magic that she releases into the ocean causes an imbalance in nature, resulting in atsunami. Ponyo goes back to Sōsuke, who is amazed and overjoyed to see her. His mother, Lisa, allows her to stay at their house. Lisa leaves after the tsunami subsides to check up on the residents of the nursing home where she works, promising Sōsuke that she will return home as soon as possible.
Gran Mamare arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. Sōsuke's father, Kōichi, sees her traveling and recognizes her as theGoddess of Mercy. Fujimoto notices the moon appears to be falling out of its orbit andsatellites are falling like shooting stars, symptoms of the dangerous imbalance of nature that now exists. Gran Mamare reassures him, and declares that if Sōsuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and thebalance of nature will be restored. Fujimoto, still worried, reminds her that if Sōsuke fails the test, Ponyo will turn into sea foam.
The next day, Sōsuke and Ponyo 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 decide to find her. With Ponyo's magic, they make Sōsuke'spop-pop boat bigger to traverse the waters, seeing marine life from the LateDevonian period and more people on boats. When they reach the forest, however, Ponyo tires and falls asleep, and the boat slowly reverts to its original size. Sōsuke drags Ponyo to the shore, where he finds Lisa's abandoned car. As they continue walking, Ponyo mysteriously reverts to her fish form. Meanwhile, Gran Mamare grants Lisa and the residents of the nursing home the temporary ability to breathe in water. Ponyo and Sōsuke encounter Fujimoto, who warns the boy about the imbalance of nature and begs him to return Ponyo to him. Despite their attempt to escape, Fujimoto captures them and transports them to the protected nursing home.
Sōsuke reunites with Lisa and meets Gran Mamare, with whom Lisa has just had a long private conversation. Gran Mamare asks him if he can love Ponyo whether she is a fish or human; Sōsuke confirms that he does. She then informs her daughter that she must relinquish her magical powers if she decides to permanently transform into a human. Ponyo agrees, and she is encased in a bubble given to Sōsuke, who is instructed to kiss it to complete Ponyo's transformation, as the balance of nature is restored. The previously stranded ships head back to port. Fujimoto respects his daughter's choice, having decided he can trust Sōsuke. Ponyo then joyfully jumps high in the air and kisses Sōsuke, completing her transformation into a human.
| Character name | Japanese voice actor[5] | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Ponyo (ポニョ) | Yuuri Nara [ja] | Noah Cyrus |
| Sōsuke (宗介) | Hiroki Doi [ja] | Frankie Jonas |
| Lisa (リサ,Risa) | Tomoko Yamaguchi | Tina Fey |
| Kōichi (耕一) | Kazushige Nagashima | Matt Damon |
| Gran Mamare (グランマンマーレ) | Yūki Amami | Cate Blanchett |
| Fujimoto (フジモト) | George Tokoro | Liam Neeson |
| Ponyo's sisters | Akiko Yano | |
| Toki (トキ) | Kazuko Yoshiyuki | Lily Tomlin |
| Yoshie (ヨシエ) | Tomoko Naraoka | Betty White |
| Noriko (ノリコ) | Tokie Hidari | Cloris Leachman |
| Kumiko (クミコ) | Emi Hiraoka | Jennessa Rose |
Hayao Miyazaki, the film's director and writer, was prompted to createPonyo after producerToshio Suzuki suggested he make a film aimed at children, noting the success ofHowl's Moving Castle (2004).[6] The film would be 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 in a feature-length film.[7] In 2004 and 2005, Miyazaki spent time inTomonoura, a seaside town inSetonaikai National Park, where he familiarised himself with its community and environment. His experience in Tomonoura established the kind of setting he wanted for his next film.[8][9] During his time there, he read the complete works ofNatsume Sōseki. He took particular interest inThe 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.[10] 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 anonomatopoeia of what "soft, squishy softness" feels like when touched.[11] Miyazaki recalled that as a nine-year-old he borrowed a copy ofHans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" from his neighbour, and that while he was reading it, he had difficulty accepting its premise that its protagonist did not have a soul.[12]
When preparing pre-production materials, Miyazaki hit a creative block before visiting theTate Britain art museum, where he found himself startled by an 1852 painting namedOphelia done by English painterJohn Everett Millais and its attention to detail. He remarked, "I thought, my work is shoddy compared to those artists. I was just astonished. At that point, it became clear to me. Our animation style could not go on as before."[13] At the timeKatsuya Kondō, Miyazaki's colleague, had been the animation director ofHouse Hunting (2006), a 12-minute short film made for screening at theGhibli Museum. The short used solid and simple lines, and largely used hand-drawn animation. During the production of the short, Kondō had discussed the possibility of producing a feature-length film like this. Kondō accepted an offer to work on the next Studio Ghibli feature film soon after completing the short, identifying an opportunity to progress the ideas behindHouse Hunting with more consideration to story.[14]
Production ofPonyo began in May 2006. Kondō was given the role of animation supervisor, and worked closely with Miyazaki in outlining a set of goals that defined the direction of the project, including the use oftraditional animation throughout production.[7] Borrowing from Kondō's experience in animatingHouse Hunting,Ponyo would use solid and simple lines; in isolating basic animation elements, the film would aim to demonstrate the advantages of hand drawn animation through the depiction of motion that cannot be reproduced in any other medium.[7][14] An example of the simple style is when Miyazaki painted a picture of Ponyo riding on a flock of fish, called "Ponyo is Here", which was inspired by him listening to "Ride of the Valkyries" while writing a letter to his staff about going with a more elemental style. This would later become a scene in the film.[15] In normal productions, animating a sailingship would usually involve drawing one cel and sliding it across the frame, which would fix it in a predefined perspective and direction. Miyazaki, however, wanted the ships that appeared inPonyo to be drawn frame-by-frame.[16] A few previous Studio Ghibli films usedcomputer-generated imagery (CGI), the earliest beingPrincess Mononoke (1997).[17] For the production ofPonyo however, the computer graphics section at the studio was closed to prioritize hand-drawn animation.[18]
Some elements of the film were inspired byRichard Wagner's operaDie Walküre.[19] Ponyo's birth name, Brunhilde, is a deliberate reference to the eldest of the nine legendary Valkyrie and Wagner's Brünnhilde. The music also makes reference to Wagner's opera. The character of Sōsuke is based on Miyazaki's sonGorō Miyazaki when he was five.[20]
Miyazaki wanted his next film to be a sequel toPonyo, but producerToshio Suzuki convinced him to makeThe Wind Rises instead.[21]
Ponyo's eponymous theme song, "Gake no Ue no Ponyo", was released ahead of the film on December 5, 2007, performed byFujioka Fujimaki (a duo consisting of Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki who are known for their underground bandMarichans from the 1970s) and eight-year-oldNozomi Ōhashi.[22] It entered the top 100 on theOricon 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 on August 4.[23] 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 the59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, beatingCute'sMai Hagiwara's record at age 11. Afterward, Ōhashi announced her unit with Fujioka Fujimaki was disbanding.[24]
An English-translated pop version of the theme was recorded by Jonas and Cyrus 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 a translated version of the theme rather than a remix.[25]
The film score ofPonyo was composed byJoe Hisaishi, Miyazaki's regular collaborator. The score album, published on compact disc in Japan byTokuma Japan Communications,[26] in South Korea byPony Canyon Korea[27] and throughout Europe by Germany-based label Colosseum,[28] received a great deal of press in the West, including positive reviews from several veteran film music reviewers.[26][29]
The film was released byToho on July 19, 2008, in theatres across Japan on 481 screens—a record for a domestic film.[30][31][32][33] As it had beatenPokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior (which had opened on the same day). It grossed ¥10 billion ($91 million) in its first month of release,[34] and a total of ¥15.0 billion ($153.1 million) as of November 9, 2008.[35][36]
Tokyo Anime Fair chosePonyo as Animation of the Year of 2008, as revealed in a press release byAnime News Network.
The film was released onVHS andDVD byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on July 3, 2009, and onBlu-ray on December 8, 2009.[37]Ponyo was the last Studio Ghibli film and last anime as a whole to be released on VHS, and the first Studio Ghibli film to be released on Blu-ray, although several Ghibli documentaries had been released on the format by Disney Japan prior to the release.[38]
Ponyo was released in the U.S. and Canada on August 14, 2009, byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through theirWalt Disney Pictures banner andThe Kennedy/Marshall Company, 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, andPrincess Mononoke opened in 38 theaters).[39]
The film's English dub was directed byJohn Lasseter,Brad Lewis andPeter Sohn ofPixar and produced byFrank Marshall,Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter,Steve Alpert, andKathleen Kennedy; the English script was written byMelissa Mathison.[40][41] In July 2009, there were multiple pre-screenings of the film in California. Miyazaki traveled to America to promote this film by speaking at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, andSan Diego Comic-Con.[42]
Ponyo was released in Southeast Asia on January 1, 2009.[4]
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on March 2, 2010, as the first film produced by Ghibli or directed by either Miyazaki or Takahata to be released on Blu-ray in America.[43][44]GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on October 17, 2017, under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.[45] The film was re-released from March 25 to 28, 2018, for its 10th anniversary.[46]
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. It also opened at number nine at the United States and Canada box office. The film made a total of $15,743,471 in the United States and Canada and $187,461,411 in other countries for a worldwide total of $203,204,882.[2] It was released on DVD andBlu-ray, as well as a DVD/Plush Toy pack, on March 2, 2010.
Ponyo received critical acclaim.[c]Rotten Tomatoes compiled 174 reviews and determined that 91% were positive, with an average score of 7.6/10. The critics consensus on the website states, "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."[53] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on 29 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[54]
The Japan Times gave the film four out of five stars, praised its simple thematic elements and its visual scheme, and compared the film to Miyazaki's classic animationMy Neighbor Totoro.[55]
Critics at the Venice International Film Festival generally had high praise.[56][57] Wendy Ide ofThe Times saidPonyo "is as chaotic and exuberant as a story told by a hyperactive toddler," and gave it 4 stars out of 5.[58]Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, stating that, "There is a word to describePonyo, 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."[59]
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The film was rated #2 onDentsu's list of "2008 Hit Products in Japan", after theWii console.[60]
Ponyo was an entrant in the65th Venice International Film Festival.[61] It received a special mention in the BolognaFuture Film Festival, for "the high artistic and expressive quality of animation able to give form to wonderful imagination of the worldwide cinema master".[62]
In 2009,Ponyo won five awards at the 8th annualTokyo 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.[63]
The film won the awards forAnimation of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Music at the32nd Japan Academy Prize.[64]
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