★★★★½

 Watched 12 Apr, 2020

The one word I would use to describe this movie is – Joy. I can’t believe it took me this long to watch a Studio Ghibli movie but I finally did and I am not disappointed at all. The animation is amazing; It’s some of the best I’ve ever seen. Paralleled only by the likes of Pixar but that’s not really a fair comparison. The color palette of this film is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It was an eye-gasm and a pure delight from a visual perspective. The direction from the supposed G.O.A.T of Anime direction Miyazaki, lives up to his reputation as this one of the most incredibly directed animated films I’ve ever seen. The heart and charm of this film is really what sets it apart in my mind. The characterization is extremely authentic and quite fleshed out. You fall in love with these characters. The only flaw I found in this movie is the lack of an arc. There’s nothing that the main characters learn or improve upon, which definitely does retract from the emotional impact in the end. But from an experience standpoint, this is a very feel-good movie. If you’re down in the dumps like I was before I watched this, it is sure to lighten up your mood. Ponyo is an excellent film and it’s on Netflix, so I highly recommend it.