“Porco Rosso(Official Studio Ghibli Website)” is a 1992 animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
This time, I’d like to reflect on the characters and voice actors of “Porco Rosso,” considering their individual charms and stories. What kind of people were the characters in “Porco Rosso”?
Please be aware that the following text contains unexpected spoilers.
*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “【紅の豚】登場人物＆声優一覧とキャラクター考察そして人物相関図“
Let an AI walk you through the highlights of this post in a simple, conversational style.
Main Characters & Voice Actors of “Porco Rosso”
| Name | Age | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
 Porco Rosso | 36 | Michael Keaton |
 Madame Gina | ? | Susan Egan |
 Fio Piccolo | 17 | Kimberly Williams-Paisley |
 Mr. Piccolo | ? | David Ogden Stiers |
 Boss | ? | Brad Garrett |
 Donald Curtis | ? | Cary Elwes |
Character Details and Analysis
Porco Rosso | Voice Actor: Michael Keaton
Porco Rosso’s Basic Information
The protagonist of “Porco Rosso.” He is 36 years old.
He was an ace pilot during World War I, but has since retired and now works as a bounty hunter, fighting off air pirates.
Despite having a background that embodies manly romance, at the beginning of the story, Porco’s attempt to save beautiful young ladies ends with him rescuing a group of energetic children instead, a rather anticlimactic outcome.
“Porco Rosso” from Porco’s Perspective
Porco is, of course, the protagonist of “Porco Rosso,” but how does he change from the beginning of the story to the end?
In conclusion, his fundamental approach to life doesn’t change at all. And it seems that “Porco Rosso” is that kind of story.
Of course, some things have clearly changed. It seems he has developed a good relationship with Gina (they probably got married). This is indicated by Porco’s seaplane being docked at the Hotel Adriano just before the final scene (a fact that has become well-known now).
However, even in that situation, Porco stubbornly continues to fly, probably insisting, “I won’t be tamed by domestic life!”
This is no different from Porco’s stance after World War I, where he turned his back on the changing world and stubbornly tried to remain himself.
Still, having Gina by his side must be a great happiness for him. After all, he has someone to push back against while declaring, “I won’t be tamed!”
Madame Gina | Voice Actor: Susan Egan
Madame Gina’s Basic Information
She is the owner of the Hotel Adriano and Porco’s childhood friend. According to the Mamma Aiuto boss, all the pilots in the Mediterranean are in love with Gina.
Before the events of the story, she had married three pilots, all of whom she outlived (she received news of the third’s death after the story began).
Did she have a thing for pilots, or did she just find them within her small social circle? One would think she might have learned something after losing two husbands, but the third must have been quite a catch.
Having run out of options, Gina finally seems to turn her attention to Porco, making a rather condescending “bet” that “if Porco comes down to my garden, this time I will love him.”
As for her bet, as mentioned earlier, Porco’s seaplane can be seen docked behind the “Hotel Adriano” just before the final scene, so it’s safe to say she “won the bet” (you can see Porco’s seaplane in the red circle in the image below).
A Deeper Look into Gina’s Three Marriages
While it’s possible to think lightly of Gina’s three marriages as mentioned in the story, it’s also possible to delve much deeper.
The fact that all three of her marriages were to seaplane pilots feels a bit extreme, but what’s even more extreme is that the fourth candidate, Porco, is also a seaplane pilot. One would normally think she should choose a different profession next time.
And yet, she easily dismisses Curtis, another skilled pilot. Porco may be the protagonist of the story, but since she only decided to marry him as her fourth choice, wouldn’t Curtis have been a fine option as well?
When you start to consider Gina’s inner thoughts regarding these matters, you somehow end up at Saint-Exupéry (the author of “The Little Prince”). I’ve summarized this in the following article:
Why do you think Gina married three pilots?
Fio Piccolo | Voice Actor: Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Fio Piccolo’s Basic Information
A 17-year-old who works at “Piccolo S.P.A.,” the seaplane manufacturing company run by her grandfather. Though very young, she is a talented youth, and in the film, she is entrusted with redesigning Porco’s seaplane.
When I watched “Porco Rosso” as a child, I was quite irritated by Fio’s pushiness in following Porco around. If her posterior had been a little smaller and there had been no need to reduce the seaplane’s equipment, perhaps I wouldn’t have felt that way, but at the time, I just couldn’t bring myself to like her.
However, now that I’m older, it’s less about “not liking her” and more about feeling a sense of “unease.”
Of course, I understand that she wanted to check the condition of the plane after her “new mechanisms” were installed, thanks to her talent. And being only 17, she lacked “confidence based on experience.” It’s understandable that she wanted to see the plane’s condition for herself.
Furthermore, if we imagine Fio’s true feelings, there’s no doubt she was interested in the journey with Porco itself, and taking that leap of action is a privilege of youth. It’s a feeling we should never forget.
So where does the “unease” come from?
It stems from the fact that if you consider Fio’s work from a “professional ethics” perspective, it would have been much cooler if she hadn’t gone with him.
Fio will probably develop countless “new things” in her life. Will she follow every single one after it leaves her hands? That’s not how a true artisan should be. In any job, once your work leaves your hands, you can’t usually touch it anymore. Of course, since nothing in this world is “perfect,” you probably move on to the next job while thinking, “Oops, I messed up.”
But that’s what work is, and Director Miyazaki, who has been endlessly creating animation, knows this better than anyone.
If that’s the case, then precisely because she knows it will eventually leave her hands, it would have been much cooler to create something that didn’t need following, to hold back, and to see Porco off.
So why did the story have Fio go with Porco? The only reason can be that “it actually makes Porco happy.”
The reason Porco was persuaded with a single blow, despite initially rejecting Fio’s company, was because it was what he wanted. His slight rejection was probably just a matter of “an old guy’s manners.”
Moreover, we, who can see the story from a somewhat objective viewpoint, know that:
- The woman he’s been in love with for a long time is trying to be with him.
- After the final battle with Curtis, Porco receives a kiss from Fio as a reward.
And it is Director Hayao Miyazaki, who has more freedom over the world of “Porco Rosso” than we do, who is telling this story.
In the end, if we were to put into words the reason Fio went with Porco, it would be “an old man’s dream.”
Still, his treating Fio like a child and trying to keep her away from him is likely an analogy to the end of “Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro.”
Even if you have a convenient “old man’s dream” in your head, not trying to realize it is “an old man’s manners.” You must not tie down a promising youth. Or rather, the very situation of feeling the possibility of “tying them down” is the “old man’s dream.”
Whether that was Hayao Miyazaki’s dream is unknown. However, everyone eventually becomes an “old man.” At that time, it’s fine to have an “old man’s dream,” but it is magnanimous to also have “an old man’s manners.” I think that is what we learned from “The Castle of Cagliostro” and “Porco Rosso.”
Mr. Piccolo | Voice Actor: David Ogden Stiers
Mr. Piccolo’s Basic Information
A man who runs the seaplane manufacturing company “Piccolo S.P.A.” in Milan, Italy. He is also Fio’s grandfather.
He is an old acquaintance of Porco, and Porco himself seems to trust his work.
In the story, with his three sons who usually handle the design work being absent, he entrusts the modification of Porco’s Savoia seaplane to Fio. This was because he recognized Fio’s talent, but it seems they were short on manpower in general, as the actual modification work on the Savoia was done entirely by “women’s hands.”
To a worried Porco, he said, “Don’t worry, women are great. They work hard, and they’re persistent.” In modern times, this expression is a bit nerve-wracking every time it’s broadcast on TV. While it seems like a compliment at first glance, its “condescending” tone is obvious, and it’s easy to imagine social media erupting over the phrase “women are great.”
Perhaps the time has come when “Porco Rosso” also needs the disclaimer: “This work contains some discriminatory expressions, but it is being broadcast as is in consideration of the historical context in which it was created.”
Boss | Voice Actor: Brad Garrett
Boss’s Basic Information
The boss of the “Mamma Aiuto” gang of air pirates based in the Adriatic Sea.
At the beginning of the story, he commits the terrible crime of “kidnapping many children and holding them hostage,” but the reason being “it’s sad for them to be alone” and the depiction of him struggling to handle the children give the impression that “although he does bad things, he is not an ‘evil person’.”
This can be said for the entire work of “Porco Rosso.” There’s an atmosphere that something serious might be happening, but thanks to the comical direction at the last minute, it remains an “enjoyable film.”
Perhaps one of the reasons we love “Porco Rosso” is this “exquisite balance.”
Donald Curtis | Voice Actor: Cary Elwes
Donald Curtis’s Basic Information
An American of Italian descent. He is a mercenary hired by the air pirate coalition after they were soundly beaten by Porco at the beginning of the story. He is depicted as the only person who can match Porco.
Despite being a top-class pilot with the title of “mercenary,” his personality is extremely comical. Whether it’s his personality or his Italian blood, he immediately starts wooing Gina and Fio upon meeting them.
However, his wooing seems to be genuine, as he “properly” proposes to both Gina and Fio. Although his feelings were not reciprocated, he doesn’t seem hurt at all (perhaps it’s that Italian blood again).
But… looking at the reality of his fight against Porco, it’s quite bloody.
At the very least, Curtis goes all out to kill Porco in their first battle, and he actually believes he has. In the second battle, although it turns into a comical fight midway, he is completely trying to kill him in the beginning (though Porco was so-called “playing around”).
However, even in such bloody scenes, Curtis’s comical personality is layered on top, diluting the seriousness. As a result, we are able to watch “Porco Rosso” as an “enjoyable movie.”
This is common to all the characters in the film, including Boss and the air pirate coalition. Despite the pile of problems that could be very serious—such as the social situation at the time, the criminal acts of the air pirates, and the dogfights in seaplanes—the film is watchable thanks to their personalities. This must be Hayao Miyazaki’s unique style of work.
Ferrarin | Voice Actor: Frank Welker
Ferrarin’s Basic Information
A major in the Italian Air Force and Porco’s comrade-in-arms during World War I.
Unlike Porco, who cynically observes the world changing on a dime after the war, he is a man who still lives life straightforwardly.
If Porco, a hero of the war, hadn’t chosen that way of life, he would have likely ended up like Ferrarin.
We can’t decide which way of life is “right,” but we should at least have an opinion on which one we “like” or “think is cool.” Our “self” will surely be reflected there.
I tend to think, one way or another, “You can be a pig because there are people who live straightforwardly, as symbolized by Ferrarin,” so if I have to choose, I prefer Ferrarin.
However, that might just be a reaction against my admiration for the “pig.”
The Air Pirates
The Air Pirates’ Basic Information
Like the Mamma Aiuto gang, they are a group of pirates who operate in the Adriatic Sea. They don’t always act together, but they team up for big jobs.
Their nemesis is the bounty hunter Porco. Although they must have felt bitter about Porco’s relationship with Gina, they somehow end up frequenting the “Hotel Adriano” until they’re old men.
The images used in this article are from the “Studio Ghibli Still Images” collection.
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