Completed
“Magical goldfish Ponyo befriends boy Sousuke, transforming into human as sea and land boundaries dissolve.”
Ponyo
崖の上のポニョ
7.96
777 rank · 649,047 viewers · 5,056 favorites
Adventure
Award Winning
Fantasy
Watch on
Netflix
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Magical goldfish Ponyo befriends boy Sousuke, transforming into human as sea and land boundaries dissolve.
A curious goldfish escapes from her underwater home and finds herself carried by ocean currents to the shore, where she is rescued by Sousuke, a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother in a house overlooking the sea. The boy names his new friend Ponyo after she demonstrates an unusual ability to heal a small wound. Ponyo is no ordinary fish - she comes from a mysterious underwater realm and possesses magical qualities that become apparent as she spends time with Sousuke. As their friendship blossoms, Ponyo begins to manifest increasingly human characteristics, leading to extraordinary changes in both her form and the world around them. The story follows the magical bond between Ponyo and Sousuke as they navigate the wonders and challenges that arise when the boundary between land and sea begins to blur, setting in motion events that will test the very nature of love and transformation.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 79 sampled reviews
8.0
/10
What 79 viewers settled on.
94%
recommend
Score distribution
median 8
mode 10
σ 1.73
Agreement
Mostly aligned
σ 1.73 · some divergence
The polarity gap
5.1 pts
Recommenders 8.6 · others 3.5
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 0.97
Running avg · Jul 2008 → Sep 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 10 “THIS WAS AMAZING. It doesn't take a lot to make me cry in real life, but movie-wise its much harder. This film is absolutely one of the best I have ever seen. When I'm crying in this movie, its not...”
- 10 “An absolutely amazing film that instantly lifts your spirits and leaves you smiling. The plotline is loved for its Little Mermaid vibe, the characters are adorable, and the artwork is unmistakably...”
- 7 “Ponyo’s gentle story of a magic fish befriending a five-year-old boy delivers charming character designs and beautifully animated water that made me care about the cast. Yet the film lacks a proper...”
Verbosity
Short · 44%
Medium · 29%
Long · 27%
Watch Order & Related
Explore the Ponyo universe
Cast
See all →Trailers & videos
See all →Gallery
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See all →Made by
See all credits →Production slate
- Format 1 × 100′ eps × min
- Total runtime 1h 40m all episodes
- Aired Jul 2008 – ongoing
- Source Movie media type
- Rated G All Ages
- Ref. BS-2638 catalog
Licensed by
- Disney Platform Distribution Licensor
- GKIDS Licensor