I never thought I'd dislike a Studio Ghibli movie, but Ponyo just didn't work for me. I love most of their films Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke but this one felt like a rare miss.
The story felt messy and random. I get that it's supposed to be a simple fairy tale, but there was barely any real tension or depth. Things just kind of happen without much explanation, and by the end, I didn't feel like anything truly meaningful had happened.
And I have to be honest Ponyo herself got on my nerves. I usually love Ghibli's magical creatures, but her constant yelling of "Sosuke!" every two seconds was grating. She didn't have the same charm or emotional pull as other Ghibli characters.
Visually, the animation is still beautiful (it's Ghibli, after all), but the art style felt a little too simplistic compared to their other films. The backgrounds, which are usually breathtaking, felt kind of flat. It just didn't have that same immersive magic I expect from them.
The story felt all over the place. I know it's supposed to be a simple fairy tale, but it just didn't have much depth. Things just sort of happened without any real buildup or explanation, and by the time it was over, I couldn't help but wonder, was that it?
I still have massive respect for Studio Ghibli they've made some of my favorite films ever but Ponyo is one of the very few that I just didn't like. It's a rare miss from an otherwise incredible studio.
