571: Rewatching Ponyo

So there I was, on a plane heading to Japan, half-asleep and questioning my life choices, when I decided to rewatch Ponyo. For the uninitiated, it’s about a five-year-old boy who becomes friends with Ponyo, a goldfish princess who wants to be human because she’s in love with him. Cute, right? Well… yes and no. I mean, I like Ponyo — I watched it like 10 years ago but barely remember a thing.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Ponyo.png

But rewatching it now, there’s something mildly unsettling about toddlers having romantic plotlines. Sure, it’s sweet, but also, can we not introduce “the one” before they’ve even lost all their baby teeth?

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That said, I can’t deny it’s charming. There’s so much hidden symbolism — innocence, love, environmental awareness, the whole old-vs-young vibe, freedom, and maybe a subtle reminder that the ocean could end us all if it wanted. The visuals are still magical, and the soundtrack? Pure serotonin. It’s one of those “good feel” films that makes you smile while also making you side-eye the ocean like it’s plotting something.