A creepy human-faced fish hitches a ride on a jellyfish, leaving behind its equally creepy-faced siblings. Ponyo, as the free-loader comes to be called, is rescued by five-year-old Sōsuke, and so begins a magical friendship.
At least, that was the idea, but it didn't feel very magical to me for a long time. Besides a spectacular scene involving Ponyo and a storm, the first hour felt more like two. But things changed for the final third. The relationship between the two children grew deeper and it became reminiscent of My Neighbour Totoro (1988). Ponyo's 'everything is new and exciting' attitude became uplifting, and the adventure took on new life. The destructive tides and planets situation seemed a step too far, but the story redeemed itself emotionally, which is what saved it in my eyes. But I won't watch it twice.
3 nap times out of 5
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