Ponyo: Milk With Honey and the Magic Within
by Sydney Reyes
Milk with honey has been a favorite toasty treat of mine for a few years now, especially in the cold nights of winter that I never had growing up. Before gearing up for a recent rewatch of the classic Studio Ghibli film Ponyo (2008), I unconsciously made this warm delicacy. I revisited the port town and the life of Sosuke, one of the two main characters of this film. When the infamous food scene came up, I jumped in delight seeing the same drink I just had, on screen. Other than introducing me to milk with honey, Ponyo has cemented itself in my heart as my favorite Studio Ghibli film of all time with its witty, endearing, and magical story.
Though most of us know Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo takes inspiration from the classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid (1837) by Hans Christian Andersen. After Sosuke kindly saves Ponyo from being entrapped in a glass jar, she chases after him, willing to give up her fish nature to be with Sosuke. While all three stories feature a sea creature wanting to become human, each of them offer a unique take. Andersen’s original tale is tragic, displaying the hefty price of love and selling your soul for immortality, while Disney gives the characters the most fairy tale-like ending. Miyazaki’s more nuanced approach is a profound interpretation that factors in a fresh perspective of youthfulness, nature and its interconnectedness, and a whimsicality that earlier versions don’t have.
Like the Disney version, Ponyo is also lighthearted compared to Andersen’s story. But unlike Disney’s and Andersen’s, Ponyo puts value on the stories and perspectives of kids. It contains the supernatural adventure you crave when you think of fairy tales, but doesn’t follow the dreamy, romantic fairy tale formula that Disney is notorious for. Instead, we see the world through the eyes of two 5-year-olds. Every object they touch is too big for them, the adults are the supporting characters, and the duo’s intentions are simple and unjaded. Sosuke’s kindness toward Ponyo has no ulterior motive and Ponyo’s innocent zest for life is clear in her every move. This is tenderly expressed when Ponyo is taken inside Sosuke’s home. Only having been a human for a few minutes, it must be her first time in a space like this. She beams at the light emitted by the torch Lisa hands her, bumps into the glass door thinking there was no barrier, and is taken by surprise with the tasty hot food Lisa provides.
These moments briefly take us away from the magic yet introduce us to another form of it: childlike wonder. The film values a youthful exploration of the plot instead of a happily-ever-after with the love of your life. The main characters being young presents a genuine desire to become human, one that is not jaded by the true reality of humanity that we discover (and is briefly shown in the film) once we grow up. And that’s okay, this experience lays a firm foundation for Ponyo and Sosuke to be different, showing a pure and innocent version of this story that still contains nuance.
Perhaps one of the most standout features of Ponyo is the film’s faithfulness to nature and its interconnectedness. Studio Ghibli is known for incorporating nature into its stories. We’re not just taken to a magical place in each film, but also hit with the reality that we take the earth for granted. Ponyo is no different. The film begins by showing the intense pollution on the seabed that Ponyo gets stuck in, jumpstarting the plot of the film. People’s impact on the sea is a big part of what makes Ponyo a deeper retelling of The Little Mermaid. Pollution is used as leverage to create tension between humans and the sea, causing Ponyo’s father, Fujimoto, to dislike the idea of his daughter becoming one of them.
The visual conflict of land and sea colliding also signifies the turmoil of Ponyo leaving home for a new one. The water splashes into the coast, reaching its peak when Ponyo finally becomes a human and looks for Sosuke. She brings forth a large tsunami over the town, using water as a means of transportation in her search for the boy. Highlighting the interconnectedness of nature, Ponyo’s actions bore consequences on the people of the town: their homes were submerged and they had to stay in boats for some time. Through films like Ponyo, Director Miyazaki highlights the impact of nature on us and vice versa as an important lesson on how we treat our home. This aspect is something that Disney and Andersen fail to touch on, a change as big as transforming to another life form is bound to have consequences on the environments involved. It is commendable that Ponyo deliberately includes this narrative, providing depth on how the main characters’ actions don’t only affect themselves, but everything around them.
My favorite reason Ponyo stands out among its fellow adaptations is its wholesome humor and wit. Despite the characters being children, the film’s jokes are not just funny, but natural. These smile-inducing moments are intricately entwined in the everyday life of Sosuke and his family in their little coastal town. Sosuke refers to his parents on a first-name basis: Lisa and Koichi. It’s disorienting yet adorable, mirroring kids’ tendency to imitate other people—the members of the town must call Sosuke’s parents by their first names, making him want to emulate them. One of the grandmas in the aged care home Lisa works at, Toki, expresses her fear of seeing a little fish with a face for the first time. Ponyo takes offense and sprays the poor grandma with water in true child-like fashion.
Some of the humor involves children’s simplified understanding of the world. Ponyo can lick injuries to heal them. When she first encounters an infant who has a cold, she willingly licks the baby’s entire face, trying to cure him. And lastly, an overarching character trait in the townspeople is their full acceptance of whatever situation arises. A strange man pulls up to your house? No problem, just don’t use weed killer on the grass. A tsunami graces the town? All good, no frustration whatsoever. A lively kid with red hair barrels into your child? Welcome in, stay warm with ham ramen and milk with honey. This comical characteristic of the film keeps it lighthearted while pulling the plot forward. It’s easy to get a laugh out of audiences, but pulling a laugh that makes your heart melt at the same time is Ponyo’s magic.
Lisa’s character was also a source of humor, yet Miyazaki does not reduce her to comic relief. When Koichi calls home to say that he’ll be out late sailing, Lisa lets him know how she feels: As Koichi’s vessel passes their home, Lisa uses lights to unapologetically signal the word “baka” or idiot in morse code over and over. It’s easily the funniest scene in the movie, yet Ponyo doesn’t fail to show her deeper side as a loving mother. It’s common for Studio Ghibli films to show us uplifting female heroines. Lisa and her quirks, and even Ponyo and her determination, are no different. These funny and heartwarming moments contribute to Ponyo’s well-rounded and entertaining take on the classic story.
While the film deviates from a lot of the classic tropes of this fairy tale, it’s still faithful to the overall message of both Disney and Andersen’s versions. They spotlight a young girl with a dream, drawn to the land and eager to achieve. It’s like a love letter to humanity, that we are beautiful despite all our nasty imperfections. Hayao Miyazaki’s angle is perfect for all ages, providing insight and depth on our human world. Ponyo is a delightful film that reveals more to us after every watch, and presents something new to viewers at every stage of life.