Ponyo (2008)
Movie · 2008 · Animation, Fantasy, Family · 1h 40m · G · Japanese
Curator score: 9.0/10 (1.4M ratings)
Tagline: Welcome to a world where anything is possible.
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 9.0/10
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Letterboxd: 4.12/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Metacritic: 86
- TMDB: 7.8/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Production: Studio Ghibli, TOHO, Nippon Television Network Corporation, dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, The Walt Disney Company (Japan)
Cast: Yuria Kozuki, Hiroki Doi, George Tokoro, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Yuki Amami, Kazushige Nagashima, Akiko Yano, Shin'ichi Hatori, Tokie Hidari, Rumi Hiiragi, Tomoko Naraoka, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Eimi Hiraoka, Nozomi Ōhashi, Akiko Takeguchi, Eiko Kanazawa, Akihiko Ishizumi, Tomie Kataoka, Shirou Saitou, Mutsumi Sasaki
Where to watch: Max
Curator Review
Verdict: A buoyant, hand-drawn fantasy that turns a simple rescue story into a tidal wave of wonder, comedy, and childhood sincerity. It’s one of Miyazaki’s most accessible films: visually lush, emotionally gentle, and powered by pure imagination rather than plot complexity.
Best for: families looking for a warm all-ages adventure; viewers who love whimsical animation and sea-bound fantasy; fans of tender childhood friendships and magical realism; people who prefer charm and atmosphere over tight plotting
Skip if: you want a dark or high-stakes fantasy; you need a tightly structured story with clear rules; you dislike very young-child perspective storytelling; you’re looking for action-heavy adventure rather than mood and wonder
Overview: Ponyo is a movie that runs on delight. Miyazaki takes a fairy-tale premise and treats it with total sincerity, letting the film swell and ripple with color, motion, and childlike emotion. The result is less a conventional adventure than an ecstatic mood piece about love, trust, and the wildness of nature.
Worth noting: What makes it work is how completely it sees the world through children. Sosuke and Ponyo’s bond is simple, direct, and moving without ever becoming sentimental in a heavy-handed way. Around them, the ocean feels alive, unpredictable, and enormous, while the domestic scenes are full of warmth and comic detail.
Bottom line: It’s not the most intricate Miyazaki film, and some viewers may find its logic loose or its emotional register intentionally naive. But that openness is the point. Ponyo is a celebration of wonder, and when it clicks, it feels like being swept up in a wave of pure animation joy.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- Holli: me: :(
ponyo: splish splash i want ham
me: :)
- James (Schaffrillas): Sosuke's mother is the most irresponsible driver I've ever seen lmao
- theshrillest: I DO have a girlfriend she just... lives in another ecosystem OKAY
- oleff: ponyo causes a mass extinction event and everyone’s kinda cool with it
- David Sims: "She loves ham and she can do magic"
Recommended similar titles:
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988 · Fantasy, Animation, Family · 1h 26m · G · Curator 9.2/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
Shares the same gentle, child-centered wonder and everyday magic, with a similarly comforting tone.
- Howl's Moving Castle (2004 · Fantasy, Animation, Adventure · 1h 59m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
Another lush Miyazaki fantasy that blends romance, whimsy, and visual invention.
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984 · Adventure, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 57m · PG · Curator 9.1/10 (631.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For the ecological imagination and reverence for living nature, though in a more serious register.
- The Secret World of Arrietty (2010 · Fantasy, Animation, Family · 1h 34m · G · Curator 8.0/10 (641.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A small-scale, beautifully observed story about children, curiosity, and fragile connection.
- When Marnie Was There (2014 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 43m · PG · Curator 7.6/10 (358.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A quiet, emotional fantasy with an intimate, child’s-eye sense of mystery.
- The Red Turtle (2016 · Animation, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 21m · PG · Curator 8.0/10 (131.6K ratings))
For viewers drawn to wordless, ocean-inflected animation and elemental storytelling.
- Song of the Sea (2014 · Family, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 34m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (205.3K ratings))
A lyrical family fantasy rooted in folklore, water imagery, and sibling tenderness.
- The Boy and the Heron (2023 · Animation, Fantasy, Drama · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 8.2/10 (1.4M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A later Miyazaki film that also treats fantasy as a deeply personal, dreamlike journey.
- The Iron Giant (1999 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 26m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (886K ratings))
A heartfelt friendship story where a child connects with something extraordinary and misunderstood.
- My Life as a Zucchini (2016 · Animation, Comedy, Drama · 1h 6m · PG-13 · Curator 9.3/10 (277.9K ratings))
Not fantasy, but it shares the same emotional directness, warmth, and child perspective.
- The Cat Returns (2002 · Adventure, Fantasy, Animation · 1h 15m · G · Curator 6.1/10 (371.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A playful, light fantasy with a breezy sense of transformation and adventure.
- The Little Prince (2015 · Adventure, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 46m · PG · Curator 7.7/10 (247.5K ratings))
For its childlike philosophy, visual imagination, and gentle emotional resonance.
Topics: hand-drawn animation, whimsical fantasy, family adventure, oceanic imagery, childhood wonder, magical realism, gentle comedy, ecological themes, coming-of-age, all-ages
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/ponyo/12429
Ponyo (2008)
Movie · 2008 · Animation, Fantasy, Family · 1h 40m · G · Japanese
Curator score: 9.0/10 (1.4M ratings)
Welcome to a world where anything is possible.
Overview When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
Ratings
Curator score: 9.0/10
IMDb: 7.6/10
Letterboxd: 4.12/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Metacritic: 86
TMDB: 7.8/10
Production Studio Ghibli, TOHO, Nippon Television Network Corporation, dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, The Walt Disney Company (Japan)
Cast Yuria Kozuki, Hiroki Doi, George Tokoro, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Yuki Amami, Kazushige Nagashima, Akiko Yano, Shin'ichi Hatori, Tokie Hidari, Rumi Hiiragi, Tomoko Naraoka, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Eimi Hiraoka, Nozomi Ōhashi, Akiko Takeguchi, Eiko Kanazawa, Akihiko Ishizumi, Tomie Kataoka, Shirou Saitou, Mutsumi Sasaki
Curator Review
Verdict
A buoyant, hand-drawn fantasy that turns a simple rescue story into a tidal wave of wonder, comedy, and childhood sincerity. It’s one of Miyazaki’s most accessible films: visually lush, emotionally gentle, and powered by pure imagination rather than plot complexity.
Best for
families looking for a warm all-ages adventure
viewers who love whimsical animation and sea-bound fantasy
fans of tender childhood friendships and magical realism
people who prefer charm and atmosphere over tight plotting
Skip if
you want a dark or high-stakes fantasy
you need a tightly structured story with clear rules
you dislike very young-child perspective storytelling
you’re looking for action-heavy adventure rather than mood and wonder
Overview
Ponyo is a movie that runs on delight. Miyazaki takes a fairy-tale premise and treats it with total sincerity, letting the film swell and ripple with color, motion, and childlike emotion. The result is less a conventional adventure than an ecstatic mood piece about love, trust, and the wildness of nature.
Worth noting
What makes it work is how completely it sees the world through children. Sosuke and Ponyo’s bond is simple, direct, and moving without ever becoming sentimental in a heavy-handed way. Around them, the ocean feels alive, unpredictable, and enormous, while the domestic scenes are full of warmth and comic detail.
Bottom line
It’s not the most intricate Miyazaki film, and some viewers may find its logic loose or its emotional register intentionally naive. But that openness is the point. Ponyo is a celebration of wonder, and when it clicks, it feels like being swept up in a wave of pure animation joy.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Holli (4★) · 14385 likes
me: :(
ponyo: splish splash i want ham
me: :)
James (Schaffrillas) (3.5★) · 14298 likes
Sosuke's mother is the most irresponsible driver I've ever seen lmao
theshrillest (4★) · 13346 likes
I DO have a girlfriend she just... lives in another ecosystem OKAY
oleff (3.5★) · 10040 likes
ponyo causes a mass extinction event and everyone’s kinda cool with it
David Sims (5★) · 7822 likes
"She loves ham and she can do magic"
Recommended similar titles
1988 · Fantasy, Animation, Family · 1h 26m · G · Curator 9.2/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Shares the same gentle, child-centered wonder and everyday magic, with a similarly comforting tone.
2004 · Fantasy, Animation, Adventure · 1h 59m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Another lush Miyazaki fantasy that blends romance, whimsy, and visual invention.
1984 · Adventure, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 57m · PG · Curator 9.1/10 (631.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For the ecological imagination and reverence for living nature, though in a more serious register.
2010 · Fantasy, Animation, Family · 1h 34m · G · Curator 8.0/10 (641.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A small-scale, beautifully observed story about children, curiosity, and fragile connection.
2014 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 43m · PG · Curator 7.6/10 (358.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A quiet, emotional fantasy with an intimate, child’s-eye sense of mystery.
2016 · Animation, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 21m · PG · Curator 8.0/10 (131.6K ratings)
For viewers drawn to wordless, ocean-inflected animation and elemental storytelling.
2014 · Family, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 34m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (205.3K ratings)
A lyrical family fantasy rooted in folklore, water imagery, and sibling tenderness.
2023 · Animation, Fantasy, Drama · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 8.2/10 (1.4M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A later Miyazaki film that also treats fantasy as a deeply personal, dreamlike journey.
1999 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 26m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (886K ratings)
A heartfelt friendship story where a child connects with something extraordinary and misunderstood.
2016 · Animation, Comedy, Drama · 1h 6m · PG-13 · Curator 9.3/10 (277.9K ratings)
Not fantasy, but it shares the same emotional directness, warmth, and child perspective.
2002 · Adventure, Fantasy, Animation · 1h 15m · G · Curator 6.1/10 (371.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A playful, light fantasy with a breezy sense of transformation and adventure.
2015 · Adventure, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 46m · PG · Curator 7.7/10 (247.5K ratings)
For its childlike philosophy, visual imagination, and gentle emotional resonance.
Topics
hand-drawn animation, whimsical fantasy, family adventure, oceanic imagery, childhood wonder, magical realism, gentle comedy, ecological themes, coming-of-age, all-ages
Open Ponyo (2008) on Curator TV