Ponyo

Ponyo simply is a story of a girl from another setting running away to find comfort and love In another existence that seems new and exciting. Its got references about the little mermaid, global warming, current state of our eco system all packed into this family friendly movie. Ponyo seems much simpler than many of Miyaazaki’s other works, both in terms of style and story. I see it as appealing to both adults and kids, but the story is simple enough for a child to take in without any problems. There are no overt metaphorical ideas or deep character interactivity, but its got a simple charm to it. Scott Mcloud talks about how simplicity let people relate more to a subject than something far more specific. Here I get the idea of a girl running away from her living situation to another setting that is magical to her but normal to the immediate population around her. I also get the idea of how fishing, and human intervention is hurting the ocean and ecosystem. On occasion they talk about, or show humans fishing, and its effects on the ocean. The film emphasizes more on the little things, like family, friends, interactions between people, than on an overall concept.