Ponyo
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The Story
When a special fish sneaks away from her sorcerer father (voiced by Liam Neeson), she meets and makes a connection with a human boy named Sosuke (Frankie Jonas). Sosuke lives on a seaside cliff with his mom (Tina Fey) and his rarely home ship captain dad (Matt Damon). Sosuke knows the fish is special and names her Ponyo (Noah Lindsey Cyrus), but soon loses her when Ponyo’s formerly human dad finds and recaptures her.
Determined to live as a human, Ponyo uses her own magic to sprout arms and legs and escape once more to land. In doing so, though, she unleashes a powerful amount of magic, enough to wipe out humanity and restore the ancient order of the ocean. Ponyo’s mom, the goddess of the sea (Cate Blanchett), must return to help set things right.
In the meantime, Ponyo and Sosuke are forming a powerful bond while navigating the rising ocean tides and a facing a cosmic test that will decide, once and for all, if Ponyo will be allowed to become a normal human girl.
Content Issues
“Ponyo” is rated G, though some parents of little kids will be concerned about “scary parts” (like the rushing flood and the children being left alone and crying for mom). Others might be concerned about the spiritual implications of all the magic and Eastern religious influences.
Worldview Talking Points
Master animator Hayao Miyazaki built his latest film on the structure of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic story “The Little Mermaid.” But the story exists within a world uniquely Miyazaki’s, complete with wild, breathtaking, organic animation and large doses of spirituality and magic (though not nearly as dark as in his other films).
Very much intended for children, “Ponyo” is a fantastical ride—both in its look and in the tale of these two star-crossed children who really, really want to be together. There’s no questioning Miyazaki’s sense of spectacle or storytelling, but some of the elements of the film are a little hard to digest. And those will be worth talking over with your kid(s) if they end up seeing the film.
We hope a few of the following questions will help.
- Did you like “Ponyo”? What was your favorite scene, in terms of the animation and artwork? Who was your favorite character?
- Have you seen any of the other animated films by this director? Did you like those more or less than this one?
- Have you ever read Hans Christian Anderson’s story? Have you seen the old Disney movie called “The Little Mermaid”? How did this compare to those stories?
- Ponyo seemed to know right away that she wanted to be human and that she wanted to be with Sosuke. Have you ever been so convinced about a big decision like that so quickly? Can you imagine being that confident about something life-changing?
- What are the pro’s and cons of making quick decisions about big things?
- Ponyo is the daughter of a sorcerer and a goddess, and the whole film is built on a worldview of magic and Eastern religious ideas. How do those worldview ideas about spirituality compare to what the Bible teaches about spirituality and supernatural power?
- What, specifically, does the Bible tell us about gods and goddesses?
- Does it bother you when kids’ movies include lots of magic and supernatural elements? Is there a line somewhere between a movie using magic and goddesses as a storytelling element and using them in a way that’s deceptive or unhealthy?
- What did you think about the relationship between Sosuke’s mom and dad? Did that ring true to you? Do you think they really care for each other?
- Sosuke (and his mom) both accept the idea that Ponyo is a magical fish girl almost without blinking an eye. How do you think that would go in real life?
- Ponyo is ready to give up everything she has ever known and all her magical power to be a human girl and be with Sosuke. Do you know anyone who has ever made a huge, dramatic commitment like that that cost them everything? Do you think that’s a good idea sometimes?
- How is what Ponyo does kind of like what Jesus did for us? What did He have to give up to become human? What did He NOT give up? What was the result for us?
- When would it be foolish for you or me to leave everything we’ve ever known behind to jump into a huge new commitment? When would it be wise? How can you know the difference?
- What are some of your other favorite animated films? How big of a fan are you of Japanese animation, in general? What are some of your favorite shows?
