Ponyo

Ponyo

Company type	Animated film
Industry	Animation, Film
Founded	2008 (2008)
Founder	Hayao Miyazaki
Products	Animated feature film
Parent	Studio Ghibli

is a 2008 Japanese animated fantasy feature crafted by writer and director Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli in collaboration with Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and Mitsubishi Corporation, the film was distributed by Toho. The voice cast includes talents such as Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, and Tomoko Yamaguchi. This work marks Miyazaki’s eighth collaboration with Studio Ghibli and his tenth directorial effort overall.

The story centers on Ponyo, a goldfish who escapes from the sea and is rescued by a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke after she washes ashore inside a glass jar. Their developing friendship inspires Ponyo to wish for a human life, setting off a series of magical events.

Premiering in Japan on July 19, 2008 through Toho, the film earned over $204 million globally, making it the eighth top-grossing anime film to date. It garnered acclaim for its captivating animation style, heartening narrative, and wide-ranging appeal across audiences.

The English dub premiered on August 14, 2009, across 927 theaters in the United States—marking Studio Ghibli’s most extensive U.S. release at that time. The adaptation was produced by The Kennedy/Marshall Company and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures via Walt Disney Pictures.

Plot

Fujimoto, a sorcerer who was once human, resides beneath the ocean alongside his daughter Brunhilde and her numerous smaller siblings—goldfish-like beings with human faces. While exploring in his submarine equipped with four flippers, Brunhilde sneaks away riding a jellyfish and becomes trapped inside a glass jar near a coastal fishing village. She is discovered and saved by Sōsuke, a five-year-old boy who names her Ponyo after she heals his injured finger by licking it. Fujimoto desperately searches for his missing daughter, fearing she has been abducted, and calls upon wave spirits to aid in locating her.

Rejecting her given name, Ponyo expresses her desire to become human. Empowered by Sōsuke’s blood, she begins transforming but is forcibly returned by Fujimoto, who then summons Ponyo’s mother, Gran Mamare. Defying her father’s command, Ponyo escapes with her sisters and uses Fujimoto’s magic to turn fully human. This act unleashes a powerful magical disturbance that disrupts the natural order and causes a massive tsunami. Sōsuke welcomes Ponyo into his home; his mother Lisa permits her to stay while attending to nursing home residents affected by the catastrophe.

Gran Mamare arrives at Fujimoto’s underwater dwelling, prompting Sōsuke’s father Kōichi to recognize her as the Goddess of Mercy. Fujimoto observes signs of ecological chaos—including the moon falling from orbit and satellites descending—triggered by Ponyo’s transformation. Gran Mamare declares that if Sōsuke passes a test of love and acceptance, Ponyo may remain human and restore harmony; otherwise, she must return to being sea foam.

With much of the land submerged under floodwaters, Sōsuke and Ponyo embark on a journey aboard an enlarged pop-pop boat powered by Ponyo’s magic to find Lisa. Along the way they encounter ancient marine creatures and stranded individuals; however, Ponyo grows weary and reverts to fish form. Gran Mamare grants Lisa and the nursing home residents temporary ability to breathe underwater. Fujimoto warns Sōsuke about the ongoing imbalance before capturing them both and bringing them back to the nursing home.

Sōsuke reunites with Lisa and meets Gran Mamare, who questions whether he can love Ponyo regardless of her form; he affirms this unconditionally. Ponyo consents to give up her magic to become fully human. Enclosed within a bubble given to Sōsuke, he completes her transformation with a kiss as natural balance is restored. Abandoned ships return safely to harbor, and Fujimoto accepts his daughter’s decision while placing trust in Sōsuke. Joyfully embracing her new human existence, Ponyo begins life anew.

Cast

Character name	Japanese voice actor	English voice actor
Ponyo (ポニョ)	Yuuri Nara	Noah Cyrus
Sōsuke (宗介)	Hiroki Doi	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

Development

Director and writer Hayao Miyazaki conceived Ponyo following encouragement from producer Toshio Suzuki to create a children’s movie after the success of Howl's Moving Castle (2004). The film merges elements of reality with fantasy, utilizing innovative animation techniques developed by Studio Ghibli’s team. Miyazaki drew inspiration for the film’s setting and mood from his time spent in Tomonoura, a coastal town within Setonaikai National Park. Additionally, his reading of Natsume Sōseki’s novel The Gate, which features a character named Sōsuke, influenced the creation of the characters.

Miyazaki initially aimed to depict tempestuous seas with massive waves but envisioned Ponyo as symbolizing a "soft, squishy softness." His childhood recollections of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid also played a role in shaping the concept. A creative impasse was resolved after viewing John Everett Millais’ intricate 1852 painting Ophelia, inspiring a move toward more polished animation.

Katsuya Kondō, who previously directed animation for the short film House Hunting (2006), joined as animation supervisor for Ponyo, emphasizing hand-drawn animation with strong yet simple line work. Production commenced in May 2006, prioritizing traditional animation methods to capture motion effects unattainable through other techniques. For instance, ships were illustrated frame-by-frame rather than employing sliding cels.

Although earlier Ghibli productions incorporated CGI, the studio disbanded its computer graphics division for this project to focus on hand-drawn artistry. The narrative also draws from Richard Wagner’s opera Die Walküre, with Ponyo’s original name Brunhilde referencing the Valkyrie figure and musical themes echoing Wagner’s compositions. The character Sōsuke is based on Miyazaki’s son Gorō at age five.

While Miyazaki initially contemplated a sequel to Ponyo, producer Toshio Suzuki convinced him to pursue The Wind Rises instead.

Music

The theme tune for Ponyo, titled "Gake no Ue no Ponyo", was released on December 5, 2007. It was performed by the duo Fujioka Fujimaki alongside eight-year-old Nozomi Ōhashi. After the film premiered, the single climbed to number three on the Oricon Weekly Charts and ranked as the 14th best-selling single in 2008. Ōhashi set a record as the youngest participant at age 11 in the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen before disbanding her unit with Fujioka Fujimaki.

For the English-language version of the film, an English pop rendition was recorded by Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus and featured during the end credits.

Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki's frequent musical collaborator, composed the film's score. The soundtrack was released on CD in Japan by Tokuma Japan Communications, in South Korea through Pony Canyon Korea, and in Europe by Germany-based Colosseum. It garnered favorable reviews from critics specializing in Western film music.

Japan

In Japan, Ponyo premiered on July 19, 2008, distributed by Toho across 481 screens—a domestic record-breaking number that surpassed Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior, which opened on the same day. The film earned ¥10 billion (approximately $91 million) within its initial month and reached ¥15 billion ($153.1 million) by November 9, 2008.

At the 2008 Tokyo Anime Fair, it received the Animation of the Year award.

Home media formats were released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, with VHS and DVD versions available on July 3, 2009, followed by Blu-ray on December 8, 2009. Notably, Ponyo was Studio Ghibli’s final release—and indeed the last anime—to be issued on VHS while marking their first Blu-ray offering, signifying a shift in distribution media for the studio.

International

In North America (U.S. and Canada), Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures launched Ponyo on August 14, 2009 under the Walt Disney Pictures label and The Kennedy/Marshall Company banner. It debuted in 927 theaters—the widest release ever for a Studio Ghibli movie in this market—far exceeding previous Miyazaki films such as Spirited Away (26 theaters), Howl's Moving Castle (36 theaters), and Princess Mononoke (38 theaters).

The English dub was directed by Pixar's John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, and Peter Sohn; produced by Frank Marshall, Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Steve Alpert, and Kathleen Kennedy; with Melissa Mathison scripting the dialogue.

Several pre-screenings took place in California during July 2009. Miyazaki promoted the release through appearances at University of California, Berkeley and San Diego Comic-Con.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment issued DVD and Blu-ray versions on March 2, 2010—the first Blu-ray release of any Studio Ghibli or Miyazaki/Takahata-directed film in North America. Later, GKIDS re-released both Blu-ray and DVD editions on October 17, 2017 following a new distribution agreement with Studio Ghibli.

In Southeast Asia, the film premiered on January 1, 2009. A re-release occurred from March 25 to March 28, 2018 to commemorate its tenth anniversary.

Box office

During its opening weekend across U.S. and Canadian theaters, Ponyo earned $3,585,852 from 927 screens—an average of $3,868 per location—debuting at number nine at the box office in these territories. The domestic gross reached $15,743,471 while international markets contributed $187,461,411 for a worldwide total of $203,204,882. The home media release included a DVD/Plush Toy bundle launched on March 2, 2010.

Critical response

Critics widely praised Ponyo. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds an approval rating of 91% based on 174 reviews with an average rating of 7.6/10; its consensus reads: "Though not Miyazaki’s finest work, Ponyo is a visually enchanting fairy tale offering poetic charm that appeals to both children and adults." Metacritic assigned it a score of 86 out of 100 from 29 reviews indicating "universal acclaim."

The Japan Times awarded four out of five stars commending its straightforward themes and visuals while likening it to Miyazaki’s earlier work My Neighbor Totoro. Anime Diet rated it at 88%, praising the English dub quality despite minor pacing concerns but ultimately capturing Miyazaki’s joyful intentions.

At the Venice International Film Festival critics lauded the movie highly; Wendy Ide of The Times described it as "chaotic and exuberant," granting four stars out of five. Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun-Times gave it four out of four stars calling it "magical" with poetic qualities that resonate across generations.

Awards

Ranking second on Dentsu’s list of "2008 Hit Products in Japan," just behind the Wii console,

the film was showcased at the 65th Venice International Film Festival and received special recognition at Bologna Future Film Festival for outstanding artistic expression in animation.

In 2009 at the eighth Tokyo Anime Awards ceremony,Ponyo garnered five accolades including "Anime of the Year," "Best Domestic Feature," best director and original story awards for Miyazaki himself as well as best art direction awarded to Noboru Yoshida.

Additionally,the film won both Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Music at the prestigious 32nd Japan Academy Prize event.

Sources

• Kanazawa, Makoto (2008). "Conversation with Hayao Miyazaki" featurette. Ponyo (Blu-ray). StudioCanal. Interview conducted on June 30, 2008.
• Tsuchiya, Toshio (2008). "Discussion with Toshio Suzuki" featurette. Ponyo (Blu-ray). StudioCanal. Nippon TV "Dai2" interview dated May 21, 2008.