My own enjoyment of Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 begins with “Ponyo”; a childhood classic for many. Last year I celebrated Ghibli fest with a rewatch of the fantastic “Spirited Away,” and the year before with “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
Ghibli Fest brings Studio Ghibli’s most celebrated films back to theaters, and this year the festival has a rather extensive catalog of the studio’s classics compared to last year’s iteration. The festival is having its self proclaimed biggest year yet with all of the classics one could expect from the year long event.
Two movies — “The Wind Rises” and “Porco Rosso” — were left off the slate of 16 this year, but the rest of the 2023 catalog has made or is making a reappearance. In years past, Ghibli fest has run only through the summer and early fall; last year saw the company branch out into a more extended run spanning late March to November. This year, the festival began a little later, so if you’re chronically late to the party like me, the good news is you have until December to catch the studio’s works on the big screen.
“Ponyo” is the quintessential Ghibli and a staple in the fest. It’s family friendly and portrays a classic story of man versus nature, making the audience feel compassionate for the nature side of the conflict like only Miyazaki can. The story, to me at least, is about the inherent good nature of children. The film follows the five-year-old boy Sosuke and his adventure with his new goldfish-human friend Ponyo on an epic quest only the two of them could complete.
Like many other Studio Ghibli films, “Ponyo” centers around the relationship between humans and nature as well as humans and the mystical. Others like “Princess Mononoke” do so in a conflict driven manner, while Ponyo feels like the two sides are simply having a harder time understanding each other than anything else. The big bad wolf of the film isn’t so bad at all, and really only has Ponyo’s best interest at heart.
But perhaps what draws so many western audiences into the many worlds of Ghibli is the stunning animation. Ponyo is no exception to this, as the scenery of the small coastal town in Japan feels both grounded in reality and the otherworldly as violent storms envelope the lands. The landscapes of the pre-flooded society and the society following the flood are distinctly different, while still feeling like they remain in the same town. The fluid and chaotic car driving of Sosuke’s mom, physics defying occurrences and of course the delicious-looking food give Ghibli a distinct style that’s hard to emulate.
“Ponyo” is hopefully not the last Ghibli movie I watch at this fest, but it will get a little harder to justify the tickets, popcorn and drinks that make going to the movies so much more enjoyable. I plan on catching a showing of “Whisper of the Heart” late in August. For next year’s Ghibli fest, I hope “Grave of the Fireflies” makes a return as it has not been available on United States streaming services for quite some time. But for those just starting out on their Ghibli journey, “Ponyo” is a wholesome start.