The ULTIMATE Ponyo site Christmas 2016
Ponyo: That endearing little fish-baby on the cliff by the sea
Ponyo: The 2008 Japanese animated film by Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Ponyo is the story of a "fish-baby" who wishes to see the world outside of her fish existence. Early in the story, she runs away from her father on the back of a jellyfish to explore. After a taste of this new world and befriending Sosuke, Ponyo decides she is more interested in being human than fish. However, her father, who loves her very much, wants her to stay with him as a fish. He doesn't understand her desires to be human or her relationship with Sosuke.
Realizing that Ponyo will only be truly happy as a human, her mother, Granmamare, tells Sosuke that Ponyo can remain a human if Sosuke can love her in either fish or human form. Sosuke replies that he "loves all Ponyos". Granmamare allows Ponyo to become human and the movie ends with Ponyo jumping out of the water and kissing Sosuke, turning into a human in midair.
This is a really beautiful film that entertains people of all ages. The music and scenery intertwine almost magically. But mostly, it was a nice contrast to the typical Disney films. I am a true lover of Disney films, however the morals are generally the same and the characters somewhat predictable and politically correct. In Ponyo, you will notice that the characters seem more real and "human". As an example, Sosuke's mother Lisa is shown being unreasonably angry at her husband when he is gone for long periods of time. Why would you want to teach your children this, you ask? It's not about teaching them to respond a certain way. It's exposing children to realistic human relationships that are not always merry, and sometimes the parents can be unreasonable. Sometimes, parents DO make mistakes and they are not perfect. No one is. I think this fits in well with Ponyo's father. Though he loves Ponyo very much, his overwhelming desire to have Ponyo remain a fish is misguided because of Ponyo's strong feelings of self identity. She identifies herself better as human than she does fish, and this makes her truly happy. The father, thinking only he knows what is best, tries to stop her. His mistake is in not recognizing his daughters happiness when she can be "free". But it still needs to be pointed out that he is doing it out of love for her. Human relationships are quite complex; they can't always be explained, they don't always meet expectations and people (even parents) sometimes make mistakes.
Where to find Ponyo Merchandise?
Oh where oh where is all of the Ponyo Merchandise?? I have found it quite difficult to locate. Some people on Etsy have handmade items. There are maybe a handful of items on Amazon. Look below for some of them.
Ponyo Book
Hardcover book. A little pricey.
"A wonderful book full of beautiful illustrations that any child who has fallen in love with the "Ponyo" film, its main characters and their stories will cherish. The page layouts are fun and easy to follow. The book design falls somewhere in between a young readers chapter book and a japanese manga. Both of my children, 2 and 5 years of age, repeatedly requests that we read them this book which has quickly become one of their favorite bedtime stories. A must-have book if you're a Ghibli Studios fan and if your child loves the "Ponyo" characters and their story." ~ines_rio
Ponyo's Playhouse
This is super cute. It's a tiny little playhouse of Ponyo's home. You put it together yourself. It's tiny so I highly doubt a child could do it on their own. But it's a great craft to do together. Yes, it's a little pricey at around $50 but really, with the limited items available, and the quality time with the kids putting it together, I think it's worth it.
Ponyo Lunchbox
Ponyo Lunch Box: Bento Box
Microwaveable Lunchbox
Difficult to find. Currently unavailable :-( UPDATE: Still unavailable as of 10/6/2016
Ponyo Movie
From the Academy Awardr-winning director and world-renowned Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki comes PONYO, a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid.
How well do you know Ponyo?
view quiz statisticsPonyo Opinion
Is Ponyo the best childrens film you have ever seen?
Dysfunctional mother or only human? Crazed father or loving dad? What did you think the moral of the story was?