Ponyo

Sink or Swim?!?

When it comes to Anime’ the extent of my knowledge is only as vast as Pokemon. I’ve heard of Yugioh, Sailor Moon, and even Spirited Away… but I haven’t seen enough of them to call myself proficient in ANY sense of the word. Oh, and there’s always that episode of Home Star Runner about Anime too. Even though I don’t have much to back up my opinions of the genre, I realized that I was pretty skeptical about watching Ponyo.

I remember seeing the trailer quite some time ago and laughing about it because it just seemed so weird. To be completely honest I was pretty confused at the beginning of the movie. Just a few minutes into it I said right out loud “Ok… I’m totally confused. WHAT is going on?!?” to which my brother wisely said “You’ve got to completely let go of your Western point of view.” Oh…wow. Ok!?! Why didn’t I think of that?!? But I did. I stopped assuming and complaining and just watched. I loved it.

Ponyo was cute and fun. There’s a small hint of The Little Mermaid to it… but other than that, it was quite a refreshingly different little film. I found myself smiling at the simplicity of the 5yr old stars and just letting myself enjoy this fantasy. One of my favorite parts was the sweet voices they used for the two main characters (Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus) and I was surprised at how many big actors were cast (Liam Nieson, Lily Tomlin, Tina Fey, Matt Damon and Betty White to name a few).

Motherly Advice: Ponyo is great for kids and adults alike. There are a couple of mean words like “freak show” and “jerk”. Some kids could be confused by the cultural differences (there’s a Water Goddess that shows up towards the end) and other magical moments and references but I think it could be enjoyed by all. This would make a nice family movie choice so parents can help kids enjoy and understand what they’re watching.

*LyndiLou* - Movie Mom and Newest Anime Fanclub Member