Sightlines · reception
How Ponyo was received
2008 · Hayao Miyazaki · Ponyo on Sightlines
The arc
A blockbuster in Japan in 2008 and warmly reviewed abroad, it was still filed by many Western critics as 'minor Miyazaki' — one for the toddlers. It's since been reappraised as some of his purest, most joyful filmmaking, with the hand-drawn storm sequence now routinely cited as a career highlight.
What’s debated
The perennial Ghibli-ranking fight: is Ponyo slight kids' stuff near the bottom of the Miyazaki list, or is dismissing it as 'lesser' exactly the mistake — with its abrupt, low-stakes ending as the main exhibit for both sides?
Its footprint
'Ponyo loves ham!' became the film's calling card — the ham obsession is a genuine meme — and the image of Ponyo running across the tops of the waves is one of the most-referenced frames in all of Ghibli.
Where it stands
A Letterboxd comfort-movie staple: rarely anyone's #1 Miyazaki, but a fiercely beloved 'pure serotonin' pick that keeps climbing in affection if not in rankings.
Did you know? Miyazaki insisted the film be entirely hand-drawn with no CGI — a reaction against the computer work on Howl's Moving Castle — resulting in roughly 170,000 drawings, a Studio Ghibli record at the time.