Ponyo

When Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, the first (and only, so far) non-English animated film to win, it was a huge breakthrough for anime in the United States. Since then, the animated films of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have gained widespread acclaim. I just watched Ponyo a few days ago, and though I really enjoyed it, I don’t think it was quite up to par with the other Ghibli films I have seen. Granted, I haven’t seen their whole library, but my absolute favorite films have been Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies.

Ponyo was a beautifully animated film (like a Ghibli film wouldn’t be), and the story was very cute. It is about a young fish who hopes desperately to become a human. She falls into the hands of the young Sosuke, and her love for him allows her to become human.

Grave of the Fireflies was the most moving animated film I have ever seen, hands down. If you have not see it, I urge you to–I would consider it even more moving than most live action films as well. Spirited Away was just a great story all around. In terms of story and emotional investment, I felt Ponyo lacked both–but I also feel that it was meant for a much younger audience, so I can’t complain too much. It was still a great film, and still much better than most American animated films.

If you’re looking for a great introduction into Studio Ghibli’s works, I would suggest watching Spirited Away first. And if you’re up to watching one of the most depressing and moving films ever created, watch Grave of the Fireflies. If you’re in the mood for something cute, Ponyo.