In comparison to Studio Ghibli's other works, Ponyo is a relatively overlooked animation of theirs in terms of its popularity, yet it stands among their best works with its unique style and yet again heart-warming narrative.
Released in 2008, Ponyo follows Studio Ghibli's familiar methods of storytelling through childhood innocence in a world of disconnection, simplicity, and the struggles of everyday life. In Ponyo, this childhood innocence is displayed in the character's blooming friendship with the goldfish princess, and the disconnection of life and nature sits in the fact that those in the sea are forbidden to see life above.
The two characters grow a friendship that results in Ponyo constantly evolving throughout the film into a more human form, as she longs to enjoy life above the sea, exploring an entirely new world; but as a goldfish princess, there are people looking for her, wanting to bring her back without revealing themselves to the oblivious people on land.
For what many would assume is a film similar to Disney Pixar's entries, Ponyo contains its own elements of Japanese culture through its features of wildlife, up to the hardships of life in the country's culture and past. Its attempts to remain independent of computer animation and true to its genre's origins are also visible through its art and highly detailed hand-drawn backgrounds and use of colours. Its narrative may be more simplistic, void of a serious and dark tone, but it sends a message to the viewer in other ways.
Ponyo doesn't feel like a full-length feature, but it's certainly a fun experience throughout. Especially if you're attempting to connect elements of the film to meanings thought of by the artists and writers themselves.
