Ponyo: When kindness is not limited to any shape and age
At the time of making Ponyo , thinking that this would be the last film of his career before his retirement, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki devoted all his heart to making a film in which, the power of of magic seemed to be endless – just like his superhuman imagination. Ponyo ‘s plot seems simple, but contains very special things. Ponyo may not be the best film in Miyazaki’s career, but it is still enough for us to feel overwhelmed with happiness when enjoying.
Ponyo tells the story between a girl named Brunhilde – the daughter of the sea god Fujimoto and a boy named Sosuke. During a sneaky walk near the beach, Brunhilde got stuck in a glass jar and couldn’t get out. The boy Sosuke accidentally saw the trapped fish and rescued it, naming the little fish Ponyo. Ponyo accidentally licks human blood, so he gradually loses his magic and becomes human. Returning to the ocean after being captured by his father, Ponyo now enlists the help of his brothers to go ashore to find Sosuke in human form. But the 5-year-old girl does not understand that it is her becoming a human and going ashore is a danger to all of humanity, bringing the moon closer to the earth. And only when this mermaid girl gets a sincere love from Sosuke, the earth will be free from danger. Further, Ponyo Merchandise has become so synonymous with Totoro that his distinctive image has developed into their mascot, utilizing their logo and promotional material.
How does Ponyo awaken the child inside us?
Many famous animated films build character personalities, incorporating messages based on adult experiences. But with Ponyo, it is different, Hayao Miyazaki chooses to exploit and build characters from the perspective of children. He put himself in the mindset of a five-year-old child. The details in the movie must be understood and enjoyed by the child before it is the adult’s turn.
There are some details in the movie that we still don’t fully understand: Why Ponyo’s landing brings the moon closer to the earth, the planet is in danger of destruction, why Fujimoto was once a human but now he became the king of the sea again… That ambiguity is of course not a flaw in the way the film is developed, but rather Miyazaki’s own intention: Just ignore the way of thinking that must be understood until the end when watching his films. an adult, this is a children’s movie, hopefully adults will also feel the movie in the most comfortable way.
This desire of the creator of Spirited Away is evident in the way he builds the character. The first is Sosuke, when he met a goldfish by the sea, Sosuke wholeheartedly loved and protected this animal. Then when he met Ponyo again in the form of a little girl, Sosuke still believed that it was the Ponyo of the past. The two children then quickly bonded and played together. Similarly, Ponyo does not hesitate to show kindness to people she meets for the first time. Perhaps any child who watches the movie will understand the behavior of Sosuke and Ponyo. Because children are different from adults. They have no doubts, no reservations when meeting strangers for the first time. That is something that perhaps when we grow up, we still wish we could be so carefree once.
Kindness is not limited to any shape and age
When working on Ponyo , director Miyazaki and the film crew added details inspired by the familiar storyline of The Little Mermaid . The mermaid must win the prince’s heart to get love. The story ends well when Sosuke also genuinely loves Ponyo, the earth is free from the danger of destruction.
The audience may wonder, Ponyo is only 5 years old now, will things change if she grows up later? Is the present Ponyo happy, but will she really adapt in the human world in the future?
But if you pay close attention to the details, you will see that Ponyo will definitely be a very nice person regardless of shape and age. Why? When meeting a baby hungry for milk, Ponyo did not hesitate to give away his bread and water. When the baby cries, Ponyo does not hesitate to return to comfort in her special way. Ponyo didn’t hesitate to give away the things she really liked – the best she had. It’s a small detail, but it’s enough for us to believe that she will definitely live a good life when she grows up.
Ponyo ‘s world has innocent children who always love everyone around unconditionally. And in that world, adults are willing to trust children, even when they say unbelievable things. Lisa’s mother is determined, somewhat stubborn. But she always believed in the seemingly crazy things that her son told her: The fact that the fish her son picked up was a magical fish, the fact that Sosuke told Ponyo to be a goldfish that has now turned into a human.
Not only that, the adults in this movie also believe in the actions of the children. If two 5-year-old children were sailing in the middle of a sea of water to find their mother, what would adults think in real life? Definitely worry and call an adult to help get the two kids to safety. But in Ponyo it’s different, people always trust and support Sosuke and Ponyo. Some people wish good luck, others give candles to the boy as fuel for a smooth trip.
The world in Ponyo also has changes. There are tsunamis in the form of giant fish that hit the town, whose father Fujimoto is initially a bit of a villain, but all turns out well in the end.
Temporarily put aside the worries and thoughts of adults to watch Ponyo , then we will realize that the old child in a moment has returned in the form of an adult.
