I saw this wonderful, beautifully crafted animated film when it was first released in Australia in the second half of 2009 and urge everyone to see it; whether or not you are fans of animated movies or director Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli films.

The story is simple – Sosuke, a young boy, and his mother live alone in their home on a cliff top while the boy’s father is away at sea. Ponyo is the goldfish daughter of a magician and a sea-goddess who can transform herself into a pretty young girl, and who longs to be human. They meet when she is accidentally trapped in her fishy form, when Sosuke frees her and takes her home in his bucket. She turns into a girl, and from that point on they embark upon many adventures and get into a lot of mischief along the way.

Ponyo does have its underlying serious themes as it touches on the pollution and destruction that man is wreaking upon the world, as well as on the importance of family, love, loyalty and friendship. All of these themes are developed as the two children embark on an urgent quest to save the world and fulfil Ponyo’s dreams of becoming human.

This is an enthralling and delightful film, definitely one not to be missed.