“Ponyo(Studio Ghibli Official)” is an animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released on July 19, 2008. After “Princess Mononoke,” Director Miyazaki hadn’t made a film with a so-called “for children” atmosphere, but “Ponyo” conveyed his enthusiasm for creating a work aimed squarely at children.
For that reason, I had drifted away from the movie theater, but I managed to go see it, thinking, “It’s a citizen’s duty to watch a Miyazaki film.” However, I also remember not being able to form much of a distinct impression at the time.
Now, this time, I’d like to look back at the synopsis of “Ponyo” and consider what makes it so interesting. However, when I say synopsis, I’m going to spoil everything, so if you don’t like spoilers, please read only partway and then watch the movie itself.
*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “「崖の上のポニョ」のネタバレあらすじと考察ポイント-人物相関図付きでラストまで解説-“
Let an AI walk you through the highlights of this post in a simple, conversational style.
- Detailed Synopsis
To summarize the plot: “A five-year-old boy named Sosuke finds a goldfish he names ‘Ponyo’ on the shore. Ponyo is actually a being with the magical power of the sea, and as her bond with Sosuke deepens, she wishes to become human. Through their adventure, it becomes clear that for her to become human, Sosuke’s deep love is necessary. The story ends with the two sharing a kiss.” This article provides a more detailed synopsis and an explanation of the story. - Various Points for Analysis
We will delve into points for analysis such as “A Woman’s Obsession,” “Sosuke Calling His Mother by Her First Name,” and “The Truth About Granmamare,” and introduce more detailed articles (within this blog).
“Ponyo” Synopsis (Spoilers Ahead)
Quick Summary and Character Relationship Chart
A brief summary of the key points of “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” is as follows:
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The Story Begins with Running Away
Ponyo, a curious little fish living in the sea, has a strong interest in the human world and attempts to run away from home. -
Ponyo and Sosuke’s Meeting
Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy living in a seaside town, finds and rescues Ponyo, who is trapped in a glass jar on the shore. -
Ponyo’s Longing to Become Human
Through her interaction with Sosuke, Ponyo’s desire to become human grows even stronger. -
Father Fujimoto’s Concerns and Intervention
Ponyo’s father, the sorcerer Fujimoto, sees his daughter’s fascination with humans as dangerous and forcibly brings Ponyo back to the sea. -
Ponyo’s Transformation and Escape
Ponyo escapes from Fujimoto and, using powerful magic, transforms into a human girl to return to Sosuke. -
The Collapse of the Sea’s Balance
Ponyo becoming human disrupts the balance of nature, causing the town to be hit by a storm and floods. -
The Deepening Bond Between Sosuke and Ponyo
In the midst of the storm, Ponyo and Sosuke protect and help each other, further strengthening their bond. -
Mother Granmamare’s Compassion
Ponyo’s mother, the sea goddess Granmamare, understands her daughter’s wish and decides to test her true love with Sosuke. -
Sosuke’s Trial
As a trial for Ponyo to become human, Sosuke must show his unconditional love for her. -
Harmony with the Human World and a New Future
Sosuke brilliantly passes the trial, Ponyo is officially allowed to become human, and harmony between the human world and the sea is restored.
Explanation of the Story
If you were to sum up the story of “Ponyo” in one phrase, it would be “a love story between a boy and a girl.” At the same time, it is clear that the story is based on “The Little Mermaid.”
In fact, in the documentary “How Ponyo Was Born,” Director Miyazaki himself mentions “The Little Mermaid” and states that he was dissatisfied with its ending. The outcome of “Ponyo” can be seen as Miyazaki’s own retelling and critique of “The Little Mermaid.”
The same documentary also shows Director Miyazaki struggling with the storyboards for the final scenes. While there were likely various reasons, it seems he had particular difficulty with how to portray the elderly people using the daycare service, especially how to draw Toki, who had been constantly cantankerous.
During Miyazaki’s childhood, his mother was bedridden, and he couldn’t be as doted on as he might have been. As a result, the men in the Miyazaki family became skilled at cooking, a trait reflected in the character of Satsuki in “My Neighbor Totoro.”
For Director Miyazaki, it might have been an act equivalent to directly depicting his own mother.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who shed a tear for some reason upon seeing the elderly people running around energetically inside the giant jellyfish underwater dome. I can’t help but feel that this scene reflects his wish to have seen his own mother run around in good health.
With that in mind, let’s take a more detailed look at the synopsis of “Ponyo.”
Encounter of the Third Kind
One day, a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke, who attends the “Himawari Nursery School,” discovers a mysterious creature inside a glass jar on the beach near his house.
He breaks the glass jar to check on what’s inside, but there’s no reaction. The next moment, however, the creature begins to tremble and, seeking water, licks the blood from a cut on Sosuke’s thumb made when he broke the jar.
Relieved that the “goldfish” is alive, Sosuke decides to put it in a bucket and take it to his nursery school.
As he’s about to head to the “Himawari Nursery School” in his mother Lisa’s car, another suspicious man appears.
Lisa, showing overt caution towards the man who approaches while sprinkling water at his feet, drives away as if to escape.
This exceedingly suspicious man is, in fact, the “goldfish’s father,” who has come from the bottom of the sea in pursuit of his runaway daughter.
Unaware that her father is chasing her, Sosuke names the puffy-looking goldfish “Ponyo.”
Upon arriving at the nursery, Sosuke hides the bucket in the shade of some plants to keep Ponyo from being found, but his friends discover her, and he takes refuge in the adjacent “Himawari House.”
Sosuke, who was very close with the elderly residents of “Himawari House” where his mother Lisa works, introduces Ponyo to them. However, one resident, Toki, calls Ponyo a “human-faced fish” and shows a blatant rejection of her.
Toki insisted without hesitation that “when a human-faced fish comes ashore, a tsunami will follow,” but those around her just thought it was her usual “cynicism.”
Ponyo then shoots a jet of water from her mouth at Toki. Panicked by the situation, Sosuke flees the scene and hides again in the shadow of the rocks on the shore.
However, Ponyo’s father appears there and, using his magical powers, takes Ponyo back to the bottom of the sea.
Sosuke, who had repeatedly told Ponyo, “I’ll protect you,” feels a deep sense of disappointment at having lost her.
Return of Ponyo
That evening, his sailor father, Koichi, was scheduled to come home for the first time in a while, but… the usual call came from his father on the ship, saying he “couldn’t make it back.”
His mother, Lisa, who had been preparing an elaborate meal, was heartbroken, a mix of sadness and anger.
Sosuke wasn’t as dejected and, in another familiar pattern, sent a Morse code message to his father as his ship passed by their house.
His father replied, “Sorry,” and “I love you, Lisa,” but Lisa satisfied her desire for revenge by repeatedly flashing “BAKA” (Idiot).
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the sea, her father Fujimoto was struggling with Ponyo (real name Brunhilde), who couldn’t forget the taste of the “ham” she had been given by Sosuke on the surface. Ponyo not only showed no interest in the food Fujimoto offered but also wanted to be called “Ponyo” rather than the beautiful name “Brunhilde” her parents had given her.
Furthermore, Ponyo innocently declared, “I want to be human.”
At that moment, as she wished to be like Sosuke, Ponyo suddenly sprouted arms and legs. It seemed that licking Sosuke’s blood had awakened her father Fujimoto’s genes, but Fujimoto managed to suppress the situation and temporarily put Ponyo to sleep.
However, knowing that his own power was only a temporary solution, Fujimoto decided to borrow the power of “that person.”
Despite thinking he could buy some time, Ponyo’s desire to see Sosuke, combined with her little sisters’ wish to help their older sister, allowed Ponyo to succeed in escaping again.
The sight of Ponyo, innocently sprinting with thoughts of Sosuke, was like a great wave itself.
And, as if in response to Ponyo’s actions, a “super-small but ferocious typhoon” suddenly formed. A typhoon is already a disaster for Sosuke and his family living in a coastal town, but returning home in the storm created by this ferocious typhoon was a life-threatening ordeal for Lisa and Sosuke.
However, this typhoon disappeared as soon as Ponyo’s determined pursuit ended. A blue sky returned, but the sea remained rough.
Sosuke immediately realized that this Ponyo was the goldfish he had rescued the other day, but to Lisa, she was just a lost child. Lisa decided to take Ponyo in at their home for the time being.
A fluffy towel and warm ramen with ham. Ponyo was content with her brief time at Sosuke’s house and drifted off to sleep.
Confirming that the waves had calmed as Ponyo slept, Lisa decided to go check on the elderly people who had been forced to wait at “Himawari House.” Sosuke wanted to go with her, but Lisa told him to protect their clifftop home, which served as a landmark for people, and Ponyo, and then she headed to her workplace.
The stilled night sea had risen so much that it turned Sosuke’s house, which was supposed to be on a high cliff, into an island.
Adventure Begins
Fujimoto, having found the sleeping Ponyo, finally reunited with “that person.”
“That person” was Ponyo’s mother, Granmamare.
Fujimoto felt a deep responsibility for allowing Ponyo to escape due to his own mistake, which had caused the world’s appearance to change. Above all, he was shocked that Ponyo had taken human form and was determined to return things to how they were.
Ignoring Fujimoto, Granmamare made a shocking proposal: “Then let’s make Ponyo human.” She said that if they did, Ponyo’s magical powers would disappear, and the world would return to its original state.
The next morning, Sosuke was surprised to see a world that had turned entirely into an ocean, but he noticed that Lisa had not returned home.
Sosuke wanted to go find Lisa somehow, and seeing this, Ponyo proposed that she use her magic to enlarge Sosuke’s toy pop-pop boat so they could ride it to search for Lisa.
The two begin their adventure aboard the enlarged boat.
Although the world had suffered an extreme sea-level rise that turned what was once land into a vast ocean, Sosuke and Ponyo’s journey was not a lonely one.
The townspeople were also energetically sailing in their boats, forming a convoy heading towards a hotel on a mountain.
Although Lisa was not in the convoy, they were able to get information that the people from “Himawari House” had evacuated to Maeyama Park. Sosuke and Ponyo hurried towards Maeyama Park.
Sosuke finally found Lisa’s car, but Lisa herself was not there. Sosuke worried about her safety, calling her name out loud with no answer.
Is Lisa safe?
Amazing Engagement
The people from “Himawari House,” including staff and residents, were protected by Granmamare in an underwater dome made of jellyfish. This was a measure to have them witness the important ceremony for Ponyo and Sosuke, but since the dome was filled with water, the elderly were able to enjoy a moment of joyful running.
Meanwhile, Lisa and Granmamare were having a rather serious discussion.
Unaware of what was happening to Lisa and the people from “Himawari House,” Sosuke and Ponyo walked on, hand in hand.
However, something was strange about Ponyo.
Ponyo had been looking sleepy, likely from overusing her magic, but as they entered a tunnel on the way to Maeyama Park, she rapidly reverted to her fish form.
As Sosuke stood there, unable to grasp the situation, Fujimoto suspiciously approached. Led away by him, Sosuke finally reached the underwater dome and was reunited with Lisa.
At the same time, Sosuke was forced into a conversation with Granmamare.
Granmamare told Sosuke that Ponyo wanted to become human, and to make that wish come true, someone who knew Ponyo’s true form and still accepted her was needed.
Without hesitation, Sosuke replied that he loved all of Ponyo.
Confirming that the conditions were met, Granmamare told Ponyo that she would lose her magical powers if she became human, and then enveloped her in a bubble.
The final condition for Ponyo to become human was for Sosuke to kiss that bubble. So, was Ponyo able to become human?
Points for Analysis in “Ponyo”
A Woman’s Capturing Obsession
The driving force of this work is, without a doubt, Ponyo’s obsession.
It seems that such a blatant obsession has not been depicted in previous Miyazaki films, yet I still feel something that connects them.
In particular, I can’t help but feel that there is a common “sorrow” hidden in the line of films: “Porco Rosso,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and “Ponyo.” I have summarized the commonalities of these three works in the following series of articles:
If you’re interested, please give them a read.
Sosuke Calling His Mother by Her Name
Right at the beginning of “Ponyo,” what gives us a strong sense of strangeness is the fact that Sosuke calls his mother “Lisa.”
It’s unlikely this setting was unintentional, so there must be some reason why Sosuke is made to call his mother by her name. What could that reason be?
I have summarized my personal thoughts on this matter in the following article, so it might be interesting to compare it with your own ideas.
The Truth About Granmamare
This isn’t exactly a point for analysis, but it seems that Granmamare has a “true form.” Moreover, this has been stated by Director Hayao Miyazaki himself.
In fact, Granmamare’s true form is a certain marine creature. A whale? A dolphin? It’s nothing so gentle. I’ve summarized this matter in the following article, so please try to make a prediction before reading it. I think you’ll never guess it if you don’t already know.
“Ponyo” Trivia Collection
I compiled some trivial knowledge I learned from the materials I consulted to write various articles. It’s not necessary at all to enjoy the film, but I think it could be a bit of fun.
The images used in this article are from the “Studio Ghibli Still Images” collection.
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