Mediafreaks 3D Animation Studio Blog

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is a 2008 animated film by the Japanese anime studio Studio Ghibli, it is written and directed by famed anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

According to reports Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea grossed $14.8 million over the three-day weekend of July 19-21 in Japan. Studio Ghibli’s last feature Tales from Earthsea had grossed $8.4 million in its opening frame in 2006. Ponyo’s opening box-office gross was 96.6 percent of the similar three-day holiday bow of Miyazaki’s Sprited Away in 2001. This also compares with $13.9 million for the opening weekend of Hayao Miyazaki’s previous film Howl’s Moving Castle in 2004.

The plot is centered on Brünnhilde, a fish who runs away from home on the back of a jelly fish. Upon doing so, she is swept to shore by a boat, and is rescued by S?suke, a five year old boy who lives on a cliff, and names her Ponyo. S?suke takes a great liking to her and promises to protect her forever. Meanwhile, her father, Fujimoto, is looking for his daughter, upset that she ran away. He calls his wave demons and has them take Ponyo back to him, since it seems he has an aversion to land. S?suke is heartbroken by this, and goes home crying to his mother, Risa. Risa tries to cheer him up, but to no avail.

Ponyo and her father have a confrontation, where Ponyo voices her want to become human, because she has started to fall in love with S?suke. Her father silences her with difficulty, and goes to summon Ponyo’s mother, but meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father’s barriers, and mixes herself in with his magic, becoming a human girl. By doing this, she causes an inbalance in the world, which in turn results in a tsunami. Riding on the waves of the tsunami, Ponyo goes back to visit S?suke. Risa, S?suke, and Ponyo stay the night at S?suke’s house, hoping the tsunami will be over, whereupon Risa leaves the house to check up on the residents of the nursing home she works at. S?suke and Ponyo wake up to find that the most of the lands has submerged. Risa has not yet come home, so, with the help of Ponyo’s magic, go to find her.

Meanwhile, Risa is talking with Granmammare, Ponyo’s mother. Fujimoto notices the moon is deorbited and the satellites falling like shooting stars. Granmammare declares that if S?suke and Ponyo succeed a test, Ponyo will be allowed to live as a human, and the world order will be restored.

Below are more clips of Ponyo’s behind the scenes and even one of George Lucas meeting up with Toshio Suzuki - the producer of Ponyo. It just shows you how cute cartoon characters can really sell in Japan! Enjoy!