Hayao Miyazaki - Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best
11. Ponyo
Originally intended to by Miyazaki's final film, Ponyo finds the director at his most child-friendly. Sosuke is a young boy who meets the eponymous princess goldfish while playing at the waters edge near his seaside home. After tasting Sosokes blood when he cuts himself, Ponyos transition from fish to human begins, along with her desire to complete the transformation and leave her watery origins for good. One of the first things that strikes the viewer about Ponyo is its simplicity of style. Colour palettes are sparing and much of the background artwork resembles a childs crayon drawings, with crudely defined edges and shading and misjudged proportions. This style unusual for Miyazaki lends itself to the content of the film perfectly, enhancing the viewers affinity with the child protagonists and reinforcing the idea that this is a world viewed from their perspective. The immense, rolling seascapes and waves that dominate the screen nod to Japanese tradition, with Hokusais Great Wave appearing in the frame during the dramatic storm sequence. The combination of quirky, childlike visual style married with lush animation and the wide-eyed wonder of the central characters evokes a nostalgic feeling amongst adult viewers - for children its bound to be a real treat. he setting is distinctly, culturally Japanese, the use of music is subtle, moving and lyrical in the hands of Joe Hisaishi, while the characters capture the wide-eyed wonder of childhood to a tee.
