Ponyo is the first Studio Ghibli movie that I didn’t instantly love.

Story

Ponyo tells the story of Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who wishes to become human after meeting Sōsuke.

The story is a fairly simple one, Ponyo and Sōsuke meet, and they go on this epic adventure after where Ponyo wants to become human.

Unlike other Studio Ghibli movies, there isn’t much underneath the surface and I wasn’t expecting the movie to be as simple as it was. And while simplicity is not a negative, I expected a but….more.

Voice Acting

Even though they are animated characters, Ponyo and Sōsuke have great chemistry and this comes from the talent of the actors playing them, Yuria Nara and Hiroki Doi both of which were children at the time they recorded their performances. They both bring across a sense of childlike wonder and joy to their characters.

There are so many recognizable names in the English cast and even though I watched the movie subbed, it is worth mentioning that it includes, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Betty White.

Writing/Direction

In every Studio Ghibli review that I do, I mention the themes of the movie and the message that it conveys and in this movie, the central theme is not as…