As with any Miyazaki Hayao film, the 2008 animated masterpiece Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is not only a movie, but an event in Asia. A magical tale about a young goldfish who yearns to become a human girl, the auteurs ninth Studio Ghibli film took the local box office by storm, grossing over 15 billion yen to become the highest-grossing film of 2008 by a large margin. It is also the first Japanese film to pass the 10 billion yen mark since Miyazakis previous Howls Moving Castle. Pointedly sticking to traditional animation in the age of CG, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is completely h&-drawn to fine detail, from magnificent rippling waves to magical underwater creatures to Ponyos every gesture. Dotted with the strong environmental themes & fantastical leaps of imagination signature to Miyazakis works, the film turns an endearing pint-sized love story into a visually & emotionally enchanting experience of grand proportions. A heartwarming family feature for all ages, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea inspires the kind of wide-eyed wonder only possible in a Ghibli film.
Five-year-old boy Sosuke lives on a cliff by the sea with his headstrong mother, Lisa. One day he rescues a curious-looking fish from the sea, & names her Ponyo. Sosuke vows to love & protect Ponyo forever, but little does he know, his new pet is no ordinary fish. Ponyo is actually the runaway daughter of an eccentric sea wizard who soon comes to retrieve her. Enchanted by her first taste of the world above water, Ponyo determinedly steals her fathers potions to become a human girl, & happily returns to Sosuke on the tails of a terrific storm. Her little escapade, however, releases a great destabilizing magical force into the world. When Sosuke & Ponyo wake up the next morning, they find their town is completely submerged underwater.
This edition comes with animation/storyboard comparison feature & trailer.