(L) Gake no ue no Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki's 2008 Movie)

[Sonhex]

At last, Miyazaki'a next movie has been announced - Gake no ue no Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) in English that's Ponyo On A Cliff. This is very exciting news as it's an original story, which revolves around a 5 year old boy Sosuke and the Princess goldfish Ponyo who wants to become human. The story is set in a seaside town (based on Tomo-no-Ura in Okayama prefecture) and keywords for the film are "father", "mother" and "cliff". Goro Miyazaki (aged 5) is the model for Sosuke (lol, father/son bonding after the fallout over Gedo Senki perhaps?)

Toshio Suzuki (Ghibli uber-producer and all-round Miyazaki foil) mentioned that the film will have a watercolour look and, "Almost 70 to 80% of the film takes stage on sea. It will be a director’s challenge on how they will express the sea and its waves with freehand drawing." Joe Hisaishi will be scoring the soundtrack again (as if anyone else would or could). Other key points known:

- The theme will be "Little Mermaid" with a thick Japanese twist.
- The story is halfway completed presently.
- Ghibli will return return to their "zero point" with no CG to be used in animation process (yay!).
- The illustrations will be "drawn simply like those of a child".

Exciting stuff, especially as Miyazaki has been exploring new storytelling methods through animation with short movies he produced for the Ghibli Musuem (using words as sound effects ala manga, no spoken voices etc...).

The theme sounds very much like a whimsical folk tale and I hope this is a return to Miyazaki's more effective fantasies like Totoro or Kiki, rather than the darker, bizarre avenues explored in Spirited Away or the slightly unconvincing fairy-tale world in Howl's Moving Castle.

EDIT: First image of Ponyo (big thanks to Manuloz).



Sources: Ghibli World | Nausicaa.net | ANS

[MrProphet]

Rather sad, if you ask me.

From Nausicaa, the most badass heroine in anime, to a talking goldfish.

But, whatever floats his boat...

[7Th]

In a way, it sounds pretty promising. I really like to see Miyazaki finally doing something more visually creative, both in design and depiction, than just rehashing his usual animation style with sharper technology year after year. Nasu 2 deserved a similar treatment and not the usual Ghibli style, but whatever.

Originally Posted by MrProphet

Rather sad, if you ask me.

From Nausicaa, the most badass heroine in anime, to a talking goldfish.

But, whatever floats his boat...

[Sonhex]

Here's a bit more info - the ekonte (storyboard) was done entirely in watercolour by Miyazaki (this is apparently highly unusual and emphasizes the importance of colour in the movie). Production started in October 2006 and will be 20 months long, much longer than Spirited Away don't ya know.

Joe Hisaishi is also confirmed as doing the soundtrack

[Kaioshin Sama]

Longest Retirement EVER! Like EVER Period! He's been retired for ten years and yet has directed nine things since his "retirement". Quite an impressive feat.

Jones Quincy is doing the soundtrack, impressive. The guys pretty good, but I thought he was dead for some reason.

[Xcomp]

It's sounding like the little mermaid but, I'm sure it should be good somehow...

[Sonhex]

Seems Ponyo is already causing some sort of controversy, gossip on 2chan is suggesting that Miyazaki found 'inspiration' for Ponyo from ex-Ghibli animator Yasuhiro Nakura's book 'The world of Nakura Yasuhiro' which featured, amongst other things, a goldfish princess who wants to become human. Hmm.

Now I'm willing to give Miyazaki the benefit of the doubt over this, but it's interesting that this gossip surfaced so quickly. I think since the whole Goro/Gedo fiasco there's been cracks in the hallowed Ghibli facade and this seems to add to that. But I really can't see Miyazaki pilfering such a simple idea...

[Honey_and_Cleaver]

Not a big fan of Miyazaki. Im a much more a fan of Katsuhiro Otomo than Miyazaki. His works like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke impressed me a lot. His artwork amazing, but like all people. This guy is getting senile.

I had enoughed of his ego, and later howls moving castle killed his tracks, there and there.

[wao]

I don't see anything wrong with Miyazaki not having to do "badass" heriones all the time - a talking goldfish or whatever doesn't have to make for a bad movie, heck Night of the Galactic Railroad (OH NO, TALKING CATS) was impossibly better than a lot of highly-regarded "badass" anime out there, IMO, but I guess that's just IMO.

If Miyazaki was pilfering from Nakura, though, there'll definitely be a big hoohah about it. I think Sonhex is right, there's been cracks developing since, I think, Howl and then Gedo Senki. I wouldn't think he'd do such a thing, though...


The visual style looks like My Neighbours the Yamadas, doesn't it.

[Veritas]

Originally Posted by wao

I don't see anything wrong with Miyazaki not having to do "badass" heriones all the time - a talking goldfish or whatever doesn't have to make for a bad movie, heck Night of the Galactic Railroad (OH NO, TALKING CATS) was impossibly better than a lot of highly-regarded "badass" anime out there, IMO, but I guess that's just IMO.

If Miyazaki was pilfering from Nakura, though, there'll definitely be a big hoohah about it. I think Sonhex is right, there's been cracks developing since, I think, Howl and then Gedo Senki. I wouldn't think he'd do such a thing, though...


The visual style looks like My Neighbours the Yamadas, doesn't it.

wao, your opinion is usually right. Instead of harshing on Miyazaki for telling a fairy tale, how about demanding that perhaps some other studio/director/mangaka/throngs of nebbish pusses should feature something besides 6 or so cutesy gum drops who look and act like toddlers? Miyazaki is doing fine. It's the rest of the masses who need to elevate themselves.

[WanderingKnight]

Originally Posted by Veritas

Miyazaki is doing fine. It's the rest of the masses who need to elevate themselves.

Whoa, talk about self-centered elitism

I haven't seen much of Miyazaki, though I've enjoyed the little I've seen. Thing is, the movie looks so far away in the distance... who knows where I'll be in a year? Maybe not alive anymore...

[wao]

If anyone interested in this hasn't read it yet, perhaps a check of this article is in order. Quite interesting...

"J-Cast on the new Ghibli movie: A chance to "re-educate" Goro"

...and also worrying.

This is unrelated: I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't like Suzuki very much. I don't like the way he thinks from whatever quotes I've read about him and from his supposed actions. And I think he's not good news for Ghibli...
...but it's just unfounded opinion, anyway.

[MrProphet]

Gedo Senki was amateurish, but not bad at all. Certainly, not bad enough to warrant "reeducating" a 40-year old man!

This is just sad... The more I hear about this film, the less enthused I am about the whole notion of Miyazaki creating something.

Papa has got to learn to respect his son. I don't see that and that means less respect from me for Papa himself.

[JediNight]

What whole fiasco happened? Or can someone point me to a link? Never even heard of the Goro Senki thing ...

[wao]

I admit to not being completely aware of the full details myself, but in short Hayao was very much against his son directing Gedo Senki. I think this is mentioned to an extent in the linked article as well. They didn't attempt hiding this whole tiff between the two, having it posted on a blog and all...

I actually haven't seen Gedo Senki either because of its mediocre critical reception (and well I have the attention span of a fly), but otherwise I agree with MrProphet here: there's got to be a limit to how far the elder Miyazaki wants to impress his opinion on others.

And so the neverending question continues... what is Ghibli going to do when elder Miyazaki finally does kick the bucket? Oh, Yoshifumi Kondo...

[Nightengale]

But didn't the father-son reconcile at the premiere screening of Gedo Senki which he came to? Elder Miyazaki even gave it a mediocre praise as an honest piece of work. Granted, he didn't shower his son with a thumbs-up of flying colours for his directional debut, but I thought the whole father-son charade ended long ago.

And now there's this reeducation thing. Maybe I'm reading it wrongly or something, but that article, obligatory politeness removed seems to spell "lol goro u r a bad boy, but it's okayyyy, it's not ur fault, it's mine for being a bad daddy for 35 YEARS n i m making this to show my forgiveness n regret."

Yup, it sounds sad, but who knows. Maybe Miyazaki's really sincere in it.

[Leo_Otaku]

I actually liked Gedo Senki it was not that bad as people are making it out to be. It does help to have read the books.

As for Howl, I agree the movie wasn't so great. But honestly the book is awesome and really well written.

I don't know what to think about this movie.

[Quajafrie]

Sorry, but Hayao seems like a jerk to me. Your son is 40 years old, dammit!

[Same_Shark]

I actually read an interview and Hayao stated that there was no problems between them and that he's tired of the media trying to make it out like there was. Sounds like a rumor that was blown out of proportion.

[wao]

Well it seems like J-Cast isn't apparently the best of news sources out there from a few things I've heard here and there (didn't bother really checking it out).

At any rate I was of the impression that Howl was probably the worst Miyazaki film I've ever watched, so I'm hoping he can only improve from there on (and I have a feeling this would turn out better.)