Hello, my name is You Been (Grace) Hong. I'm originally from South Korea and Southern California. I am currently a Sophomore in Boston University studying graphic design and minoring in computer science.s
While I love every Studio Ghibli film as I have watched and enjoyed them all multiple times, one of my favorites out of the films is Ponyo.
Ponyo is a film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli released in 2008. The plot centers on a goldfish named Ponyo who desperately wants to be a human. In pursuing her goal, she befriends a five-year-old human boy, Sōsuke.
The plot centers on a goldfish named Brunhilde and a boy named Sōsuke who renames her Ponyo. Fujimoto, a once-human wizard/scientist, lives underwater along with his daughter, Brunhilde, and her numerous smaller sisters. While she and her siblings are on an outing with their father in his four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde sneaks off and floats away on the back of a jellyfish. After an encounter with a fishing trawler, she drifts to the shore of a small fishing town in a glass jar where she is rescued by a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke. Shattering the jar open with a rock, Sōsuke cuts his finger in the process. Brunhilde licks his wound causing it to heal almost instantly. Meanwhile, Fujimoto is looking for her and his waves tell him, he believes she has been kidnapped.
Ponyo and Fujimoto have an argument, during which Ponyo refuses to let her father call her by her birth name. She declares her desire to be known as 'Ponyo' and to become human. Even though her father warns her about the dark side of humans and he gave up his human life to serve the planet but she won't listen. Using her magic, she forces herself to grow leg- and arm-like appendages and start changing into a human, a power granted to her by the human blood she ingested when she licked Sōsuke's finger. Her alarmed father forces her to change back into her true form as being a human and having magic would be dangerous. Realizing that she can't stay much longer he leaves to summon Ponyo's mother, Granmamare for help.
Sōsuke and Ponyo wake up to find that most of the land around the house has been covered by the ocean. Since it is impossible for Lisa to come home, the two children decide to find her. With the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sōsuke's toy pop pop boat life-size and set out across the swollen ocean. Along they way they see many fish and a family who knows Sōsuke and his family. Ponyo gives some soup for the baby but since he can only drink milk at his age Ponyo let's the mother drink it. Soon enough the whole town comes on boats and tells everyone to come to a nearby hotel for safety. The two friends hurry on their way to find the seniors who might be at the park.
Sōsuke is reunited with Lisa and meets Granmamare, with whom Lisa has just had a long private conversation. Granmamare asks Sōsuke if he can love Ponyo whether she is a fish or human. Sōsuke replies that he "loves all the Ponyos." Granmamare then tells her daughter that if she chooses to become human once and for all, she will have to give up her magical powers. Ponyo agrees to this, so Granmamare encases her in a bubble and gives her to Sōsuke. She tells him that kissing the bubble will complete Ponyo's transformation. The balance of nature is thus restored and the previously stranded ships head back to port. Fujimoto respects his daughter's choice to become a human, having decided he can trust Sōsuke with Ponyo's welfare. Lisa and Sōsuke go to meet Koichi whose ship has arrived. Ponyo then joyfully jumps high in the air and kisses Sōsuke, completing her transformation as a human.
For more information about Ponyo, visit the Ghibli Wiki for Ponyo.