Ponyo... ponyo... a little mermaid fish

PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA by Hayao Miyazaki

I wonder how many adults love this show, because some people have been only giving it a 3 stars rating.... but for me, it is a 5 STARS.

A little boy, Sosuke, found a goldfish stuck in a jar when he went to the beach to play. Little Sosuke rescued her and kept her alive in a green plastic pail filled with water. He named her Ponyo. They had a brief time together before Ponyo's dad who was a sorcerer living in the deep ocean retrieved her back from Sosuke's hands. Poor Sosuke was so upset... His innocent love for Ponyo was put to test when Ponyo escaped home (creating a tsunami after she emptied the "Water of Life" - Fujimoto's precious store of magical elixir, into the ocean) and went back to find Sosuke. By then, Ponyo has transformed into a little girl, having tasted Sosuke's blood when he first saved her.

Will this puppy love last? Will Ponyo's dad, Fujimoto, give in to their love?? Watch to find out:)

I love the animation, it's lively and comical. Excellent. In fact, I can't remember giving another film 5 stars... have I?? The everyday life and other very simple things (e.g. opening the door with both hands full of bags) are so well depicted that I find it so amazing, though some things can be quite exaggerating (but hey it's a cartoon)!! Ponyo is such a cute, lovable and bubbly character that it really engages the audience... so is Sosuke! So entertaining that I didn't even leave the seat for a toilet break during the 2 hours show! It really takes people who have done animation (in school/as a profession) to know how much hard work it takes to appreciate what is shown in front of you! Here's a link to the very original japanese homepage.

My verdict: 5/5 stars