Gake no Ue no Ponyo
Summary: A goldfish sneaks away from home and floats off on the back of a jellyfish. After getting stuck in a glass jar, she drifts to the shore where she is freed by Sousuke, a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother Lisa in a house by the sea while his father Koichi works on a fishing boat. After healing a cut on Sousuke's finger by licking it, the goldfish is named Ponyo by her new friend.
Unknown to Sousuke, Ponyo already has a name and a family. Her father Fujimoto, a sorcerer who forsook his humanity to live underwater, searches frantically for his daughter Brunhilde. When found and captured, Ponyo rejects her birth name and declares that she wants to become a human. Using the power received from Sousuke's blood, she grows arms and legs and escapes to the surface once more. But the magic released into the ocean causes an imbalance in nature, causing the Moon to start falling out of orbit and the tides to grow dangerously stronger. Reunited with Ponyo, Sousuke must pass an ancient test to restore order in the world and let his companion live on as a human.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Description
A goldfish sneaks away from home and floats off on the back of a jellyfish. After getting stuck in a glass jar, she drifts to the shore where she is freed by Sousuke, a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother Lisa in a house by the sea while his father Koichi works on a fishing boat. After healing a cut on Sousuke's finger by licking it, the goldfish is named Ponyo by her new friend.
Unknown to Sousuke, Ponyo already has a name and a family. Her father Fujimoto, a sorcerer who forsook his humanity to live underwater, searches frantically for his daughter Brunhilde. When found and captured, Ponyo rejects her birth name and declares that she wants to become a human. Using the power received from Sousuke's blood, she grows arms and legs and escapes to the surface once more. But the magic released into the ocean causes an imbalance in nature, causing the Moon to start falling out of orbit and the tides to grow dangerously stronger. Reunited with Ponyo, Sousuke must pass an ancient test to restore order in the world and let his companion live on as a human.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Available At
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Gake no Ue no Ponyo Review
Gake no Ue no Ponyo — A goldfish sneaks away from home and floats off on the back of a jellyfish. This overview is intentionally spoiler-free and focuses on tone and intent rather than plot specifics.
Thematically, It sits firmly within Adventure, Award Winning, Fantasy conventions as a Movie work and has garnered attention (MAL score: 7.96). This work explores character dynamics, tonal shifts, and the interplay between narrative ambition and execution. The story's pacing and tonal choices are crafted to complement the central ideas, often emphasizing atmosphere and emotional truth over explicit exposition. The show's ability to evoke a consistent mood — whether melancholic, exuberant, or contemplative — is a recurring strength, and the scenes are constructed so viewers can infer stakes without needing explicit spoilers.
Characterization is a core pillar here. Protagonists and supporting figures are written with distinct motivations and narrative roles; even when archetypal, the series invests in small behavioral details that make choices feel earned. Character arcs are handled with an eye for gradualism: development often arrives through incremental beats rather than abrupt, expository shifts. The interactions between characters create texture, and relationships are used to illuminate both personal flaws and larger thematic concerns.
On the visual front, production values play a significant role. The animation quality varies by sequence but frequently showcases thoughtful direction and composition. Background art, framing, and color palettes are used deliberately to support tone — quieter scenes favor muted palettes while action or heightened emotional beats employ brighter, more kinetic visuals. Direction choices, such as camera movement and shot selection, often elevate scenes beyond their raw script, creating moments that linger in the viewer's mind.
The soundscape — score, incidental music, and sound design — complements the visual language. Music cues are placed to maximize emotional resonance without manipulating the audience with melodrama; this restraint often leads to more authentic emotional payoff. Sound design punctuates key moments, and when the series leans on silence, those quieter moments are given weight by measured audio choices.
Pacing and structure are handled with craft. Episodes are arranged to build tension and release methodically, and the narrative rarely rushes through important emotional beats. That said, the deliberate pacing may feel slow to viewers who prefer faster plot turnover; the reward is greater nuance and an accumulation of meaning across the series. Accessibility is generally good — one can appreciate surface-level pleasures, while repeat or attentive viewing reveals additional layers.
No title is without flaws. Occasional unevenness in subplots or variable animation across episodes can be distracting. Some tonal shifts might feel abrupt if you expect uniformity; others will argue that those shifts are purposeful. These are worth noting, but they seldom undercut the larger achievements of the work.
In sum, Gake no Ue no Ponyo offers a rich experience for viewers who value character-driven storytelling, considered visual design, and a soundtrack that supports rather than overwhelms. For fans of Adventure, Award Winning, Fantasy, this is an especially rewarding watch. It's recommended for those who appreciate layered narratives and artistry in animation, and best approached with patience and attention to nuance.
Characters & Voice Actors
Ponyo
Main
Kouzuki, Yuria
Japanese
Ponyo
Main
Cyrus, Noah
English
Ponyo
Main
Gómez, Lucila
Spanish
Ponyo
Main
Park, Seon Yeong
Korean
Ponyo
Main
Alencar, Bianca
Portuguese (BR)
Ponyo
Main
Marteddu, Agnese
Italian
Ponyo
Main
Rodrigues, Pamella
Portuguese (BR)
Ponyo
Main
Freund, Alina
German
Ponyo
Main
Foubert, Ambre
French
Ponyo
Main
Aragón, Denisse
Spanish
Ponyo
Main
Alborg, Ana Esther
Spanish
Sousuke
Main
Jonas, Frankie
English
Sousuke
Main
Kim, Seo Yeong
Korean
Sousuke
Main
Doi, Hiroki
Japanese
Sousuke
Main
Ferreira, Matheus
Portuguese (BR)
Sousuke
Main
Valli, Ruggero
Italian
Sousuke
Main
Martín, Pilar
Spanish
Sousuke
Main
Trouffier, Tom
French
Sousuke
Main
Teixeira, João Pedro
Portuguese (BR)
Sousuke
Main
Guedes, Mari
Portuguese (BR)
Staff
Suzuki, Toshio
Producer
Miyazaki, Hayao
Director, Script, Animation Director, Executive Producer, Screenplay
Kimura, Eriko
Sound Director
Hisaishi, Joe
Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement, Music
Oohashi, Nozomi
Theme Song Performance
Awata, Tsutomu
Key Animation
Furuya, Shougo
Key Animation
Futaki, Makiko
Key Animation
García, Gerardo
ADR Director
Hamasu, Hideki
Key Animation
Hashimoto, Takashi
Key Animation
Hernández, Ramón
ADR Director
Hirota, Shunsuke
Key Animation
Honda, Takeshi
Key Animation
Imai, Fumie
Key Animation
Imura, Kenji
Assistant Director
Ina, Ryoko
Background Art
Inamura, Takeshi
Assistant Animation Director
Kagawa, Megumi
Assistant Animation Director
Kasamatsu, Kouji
Sound Effects