A cute but stubborn little girl named Brunhilde escapes from her father's protective clutches to see more of the world— but because this is a Miyazaki film, Brunhilde is actually a goldfish and her father used to be a human wizard who now lives beneath the sea. Brunhilde is rescued by a human boy named Sosuke who renames her Ponyo (which she starts using immediately, referring to herself in the third person). The two start to form a close bond when her dad arrives on the scene and takes her back to the ocean. But Ponyo wants a sea change and in an effort to become human, causes a massive tsunami which threatens not only Sosuke's small fishing village but the entire cosmos.

Studio Ghibli work rarely looks less than beautiful, but Ponyo is a marvel to behold, deservedly winning the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in 2009. Legendary character designer Katsuya Kondō was the animation director and the film was all hand-drawn, with Ghibli animators using traditional ink and paint cels for the first time since Princess Mononoke to create a uniquely vivid world of constantly shifting perspectives. Miyazaki has long held a fascination with ocean life and his concept for the film was influenced by the story of The Little Mermaid and his time in the picturesque fishing town of Tomonoura. Amidst the beauty and wonder of the sea lies the classic Ghibli themes: fragility of the environment and the delicate balance of nature.