Porco Rosso(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a feature-length animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released on July 18, 1992. Its Japanese tagline is “This is what it means to be cool.” I think Porco may be the least handsome protagonist in Miyazaki’s films. Perhaps that is why, five years later, we got the impossibly handsome Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. (Well, probably not.)
A pig-faced protagonist can still be cool. Here, I’ll go through the story of Porco Rosso and consider what makes the film so appealing. Please note: this synopsis covers the story from beginning to end. If you want to avoid spoilers, watch the film before reading on.
*This is a translated version. The original (Japanese) is available here.
- Detailed Plot Summary & Character Map
Porco, a World War I flying ace who now has the face of a pig, earns his living as a bounty hunter over the Adriatic. After Curtis shoots him down, he takes his damaged plane to Milan, where 17-year-old Fio rebuilds it. He then returns for a rematch that ends in a narrow victory. Gina’s bet, meanwhile, remains a secret. Below, I’ll follow the story in detail, with a character map. - The Humor and Fun of Porco Rosso
Above all, Porco Rosso is a fun film. The Mamma Aiuto Gang, Curtis’s dramatic reappearance, and the fistfight between two gifted pilots are all memorable examples of its humor. - The Pig’s Stubborn Pride
It is natural to wonder why Porco became a pig, but I am more interested in why he remains one. I read his pig’s face as a symbol of his stubborn refusal to surrender what he believes is right—or to be easily captured by Gina. - The Mystery of Gina’s Bet
Gina has married three pilots and lost all three. Yet her next choice is Porco, another pilot, while she turns down Curtis. I’ll consider why her choice seems puzzling and what might draw her to these men.
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Porco Rosso (1992): Full Synopsis (Spoilers)
The synopsis follows Porco from his work over the Adriatic through the rebuilding of his plane and the rematch with Curtis.
Quick Summary: The 9 Core Plot Points
Here are nine key points in the story of Porco Rosso:
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The Bounty Hunter
Porco Rosso, a World War I flying ace with the face of a pig, earns his living as a bounty hunter over the Adriatic. -
The Hotel Adriano
Gina, Porco’s childhood friend, runs the hotel where pirates and bounty hunters alike gather. -
The American Challenger
The pirates hire the American pilot Donald Curtis to take on Porco. -
Porco Is Shot Down
On his way to Milan for repairs, Porco runs into Curtis. His plane is not working properly, and Curtis shoots him down. -
The Journey to Milan
Porco survives and takes his wrecked plane to Piccolo’s workshop in Milan. -
Fio Rebuilds the Plane
Piccolo’s 17-year-old granddaughter Fio takes charge of the repairs and improves the plane. -
The Rematch
Porco returns to the Adriatic and agrees to fight Curtis again. -
From Dogfight to Fistfight
When their guns stop working, the two pilots settle the contest with a boxing match. -
Porco’s Narrow Victory
Porco gets up just before Curtis and wins. The outcome of Gina’s bet remains a secret.
Complete Character Map
Why a Pig—and What About Gina’s Bet?
The question that first comes to mind in Porco Rosso is why the hero is a pig. But that can mean two different things: how he became a pig within the story, or why this film presents him as one.
The film does not explain the transformation, and I do not know of a source that settles it. As for why Miyazaki chose a pig, we could jokingly say, “Because he magically turned him into one.” But I think the more interesting question is why Porco remains a pig.
I read the pig’s face as a symbol of his stubborn determination to protect his own sense of right and wrong. He refuses to be swept along by the world around him or by the resignation that can come with middle age.
In that sense, his appearance is a rebellion against the world. It can also be a matter of pride: he is not going to let Gina capture him so easily.
Gina’s line, “I wonder how I can break the spell that was cast on you,” makes it natural to look for an explanation within the story. It encourages us to wonder whether some particular spell caused the transformation, but the film leaves that question unanswered.
Without that line, perhaps we would simply accept the pig as part of this film’s world. That is one way of looking at the question, rather than an explanation the film confirms.
What about the ending of Porco Rosso, and Gina’s bet? Fio leaves the result a secret, but the final view of the Hotel Adriano gives us a clue: Porco’s red plane is parked beside Gina’s garden in daylight. I have circled it in red in the image below.
To me, that is a clear sign that Gina won her bet. Her promise to let herself love him if he came to the garden sounds a little condescending, though.
With those questions in mind, let’s follow the story in detail.
Detailed Synopsis: A Scene-by-Scene Breakdown
The Routine of a Bounty Hunter
The story begins over the Adriatic, after World War I. Porco Rosso, once a celebrated pilot, now has the face of a pig and works as a bounty hunter.
A passenger ship is attacked by the Mamma Aiuto Gang, and Porco sets out to rescue the schoolgirls they have taken hostage.
The pirates are having a hard time with their hostages. The girls are so lively that the gang can barely keep them under control.
Porco gives the pirates a small chance to back down, but they resist. With his flying skills—and the girls adding to the confusion—he soon defeats them.
The rescue is not the end of his troubles. Porco has to manage the girls too. Where are the quiet, well-behaved schoolgirls he was expecting?
The Hotel Adriano and the American Rival
After finishing the job, Porco visits the Hotel Adriano, run by Gina, his childhood friend. Pirates and bounty hunters are all on friendly terms here; she is the person everyone comes to see.
At the hotel, Porco meets Donald Curtis, an American pilot the pirates have hired as their answer to him.
Porco has a brief conversation with Gina and then leaves.
The next day, he heads for Milan to have his plane serviced. It is not running properly, and he meets Curtis along the way. A brief mechanical failure gives Curtis the opening he needs to shoot him down.
Curtis retrieves a piece of the wreckage as proof of his victory and flies off. Porco is lucky enough to survive.
Porco lets Gina know he is alive, without telling anyone else. She warns him that he will die if he keeps flying. His answer is “A pig that doesn’t fly is just a pig.” He then takes the ruined plane to Milan by ship.
Fio Piccolo and the Milan Rebuild
At Piccolo’s workshop in Milan, Porco finds that the repairs will cost all the money he has brought with him. The bigger surprise is the person in charge: Fio, Piccolo’s 17-year-old granddaughter.
Porco is uneasy about trusting such a young woman with his plane. Fio asks which matters more to a pilot: experience or instinct. When he answers “instinct,” she persuades him to give her a chance and begins work on the design.
The men have gone away to look for work, so the women take on the repairs. Porco has his doubts, but they work efficiently and the plane steadily takes shape.
Porco’s old Air Force friend Ferrarin warns him that the authorities are after him. The accusations include refusing to cooperate with the state, crossing borders illegally, decadent ideas—and being a shamelessly lazy pig. Despite the risk to himself, Ferrarin offers him a way back into the Air Force. Porco refuses: “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.” Even so, Ferrarin’s concern reminds him that their friendship has survived.
To escape the authorities, Porco leaves that day. Fio insists on going too: this is her first design, and she wants to see how it performs. He reluctantly agrees to take her.
Oddly enough, the arrangement that turns the plane into a two-seater is already finished. How convenient.
Porco and Fio get away, and Ferrarin helps guide them safely out of Italy.
The Proposal and the Pirate Ambush
Back over the Adriatic, Porco circles the Hotel Adriano to announce that he has returned.
Meanwhile, Curtis is proposing to Gina in the garden. He tells her about his plans to become an actor and, eventually, President of the United States.
Gina tells him about her bet: if he comes to see her while she is in the garden, she will let herself love him. But the fool only visits the bar at night; he never comes during the day.
Porco’s red plane appears overhead, almost like a hero’s entrance. But he does not land. Gina has lost her bet again, and Curtis realizes who his rival is.
Porco, unaware of this little drama, lands at his hideout. The pirates—apparently summoned by Curtis—are waiting to destroy his new plane.
Fio steps in and challenges their pride as seaplane pilots. Her speech is so forceful that you could almost call it a historic address.
Then Curtis reappears, heartbroken after Gina’s rejection, striking a pose like a tokusatsu hero. Another duel is arranged: if Porco wins, Curtis pays the repair bill; if Curtis wins, Fio will marry him.
The Most Absurd Duel in Aviation History
On the day of the duel, a crowd gathers to watch. Fio’s future and the cost of the repairs are at stake.
The two gifted pilots put on a magnificent dogfight. Then their guns stop working, and the great contest turns into a boxing match.
They trade punches until both collapse. It looks as though the fight will end in a draw.
Gina arrives and calls out to Porco: “Are you going to make another girl unhappy?”
Porco gets up just before Curtis. It is a narrow victory.
Gina warns everyone that the Italian Air Force is approaching. The crowd scatters, and Porco entrusts Fio to her.
Before they leave, Fio gives Porco a farewell kiss.
And then… Fio tells us that she never saw Porco again. She and Gina became good friends.
As for Gina’s bet, its outcome is a secret between the two women. But, as I mentioned above, the red plane at the hotel gives us a clue.
That is the story of Porco Rosso. What makes it so appealing?
▼ Explore the film’s memorable dialogue in Japanese and English
Many of the film’s defining moments are expressed through its stylish dialogue—from Porco insisting that a pig has to fly and Gina warning that he will end up as roast pork to Fio’s speech about the honor of seaplane pilots. Compare the original Japanese, romanization, English subtitles, literal translations, and detailed commentary in 17 Porco Rosso Quotes in Japanese and English, Explained.
Porco Rosso (1992): What Makes the Film So Appealing?
The film’s humor, Porco’s stubborn pride, and Gina’s choices offer different ways to consider its appeal.
The Unapologetic Sense of “Fun”
For me, the first thing to say about Porco Rosso is simple: it is a fun film.
From Princess Mononoke onward, Miyazaki’s films took a more serious turn. That makes it all the more important to appreciate the sheer fun of Porco Rosso.
That may sound obvious, but it matters to the analysis. Three scenes in particular show how the film makes us laugh.
“Engine Trouble!”
The Mamma Aiuto Gang may be criminals, but the way they look after their little hostages shows that they are not such bad people. That lets the audience relax.
After the dogfight, the boss’s repeated complaint about his engine turns that relief into laughter: “Engine trouble!”
There is something wonderfully funny about hearing that complaint after such an elegant display of flying.
The Hilarious Persistence of Curtis
Curtis’s return at the hideout is another example. He appears just as Fio is confronting the pirates.
His pose is so conspicuously heroic that we might be tempted to resist the joke. But why be contrary? It is funny.
It becomes even funnier if we think about how he got there. If the pirates did not know he was waiting, he must have arrived first, hidden his plane, and kept out of sight until the right moment. I find that effort oddly touching.
Perhaps “touching” is not quite the word. Either way, it makes his entrance all the more enjoyable.
Two Geniuses Resorting to a Fistfight
The climax begins as a brilliant contest between two gifted pilots and ends with them punching each other.
Why end it with a fistfight? Consider what would happen if the dogfight decided the result.
Someone would die. That would be a poor ending for the fun film I have been describing.
If Curtis died, Porco would retreat further into solitude. If Porco died, his story would simply be over. Instead, we get two fools punching each other. For me, that is a fitting conclusion to Porco Rosso.
Why Does Porco Remain a Pig?
As I noted earlier, “Why is Porco a pig?” contains two questions: how he became one within the story, and why the film presents him that way.
The film gives no answer to the first. Rather than dwell on the mechanism of the transformation, I prefer to ask why he keeps that form.
In other words, why does Porco remain a pig? I explore that question in more detail in the following article.
Read the full analysis: Why Does Porco Rosso Choose to Remain a Pig?
My reading is that the pig’s face expresses his stubborn pride. It is a refusal to abandon his own standards, and perhaps a refusal to let Gina take possession of him too easily.
Why Does Gina Choose Porco?
Gina has married three pilots, and all three have died. Now she has chosen Porco, another pilot, as the possible fourth. She does not seem to have learned much.
She also turns Curtis down. He is a fine pilot who later becomes an actor—a man with plenty going for him. Perhaps he simply is not her type.
I think there is more to it. Her earlier husbands were childhood friends, as Porco is. Perhaps she likes rogues, but only the ones she can handle. Porco, the most free-spirited and difficult of them, would naturally be the last.
That is my interpretation, not a motive the film spells out. It may also explain why she rejects Curtis: he would be difficult to keep under control. In the linked article, I consider her choices alongside the work of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a writer Miyazaki admires.
Read the full discussion: Why Did Gina Reject Curtis?
What do you think draws Gina to Porco?
Your Take: Porco’s Appearance
Porco’s appearance can suggest more than one meaning. Which interpretation comes closest to yours?
Poll results
What does Porco’s pig form mean to you?
- Holding on to his own values.0%
- Protecting himself from emotional pain.0%
- The weight of his wartime past.0%
- Several of these meanings at once.0%
- I see it differently.0%
- I’m not sure.0%
The images used in this article are from the Studio Ghibli Still Images collection.
Can you name the movie before the scene comes into focus?
Put your visual memory to the test with a blurred Studio Ghibli scene.
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