LOS ANGELES — Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s enchanting 2008 film, Ponyo, narrates the tale of a fish-like creature yearning to become human after meeting a young boy named Sosuke, much to her wizard father’s disapproval. Now, nearly two decades later, this beloved movie is being revisited in an interactive exhibition. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, which opened in 2021 with a focus on Miyazaki, will host Studio Ghibli’s PONYO starting February 14. This exhibit not only captures the film’s whimsical spirit but also delves into its deeper themes through Miyazaki’s artwork and production insights.
Curator Jessica Niebel explained to Hyperallergic that Miyazaki aimed for a straightforward narrative suitable for children, yet Ponyo’s layers offer complexity. After films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, Ponyo marked a shift towards younger audiences, drawing inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. To align with this audience, exhibition elements are deliberately set at lower levels, according to Shraddha Aryal, executive VP of exhibitions at the Academy Museum. Interactive features include a movable Ponyo figure and a large bucket reminiscent of the one Sosuke uses for Ponyo, designed for children to explore.
Visitors will find an interactive animation table with sea-creature cut-outs crafted by Studio Ghibli. Using an app, guests can create stop-motion films with squid, crabs, sharks, and pufferfish. Miyazaki, prioritizing organic, magical forms in Ponyo, insisted on using curved lines only, eliminating straight lines to embrace whimsical animation. This philosophy is reflected in the exhibition, with circular frames surrounding watercolors and pastels by Art Director Noboru Yoshida.
Ponyo is notable for being entirely hand-drawn, a return to traditional techniques after some digital animation in previous Ghibli films. The exhibition showcases over 100 items from Studio Ghibli, including Miyazaki’s drawings, emphasizing the analog craftsmanship behind the movie. These pieces are displayed around a simple wooden desk used by Ghibli animators, highlighting the human touch often missing in today’s digital artwork. While not a comprehensive retrospective, Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo offers an immersive glimpse into the film’s enchanting world.
The exhibition captures Ponyo’s contemplative, mesmerizing moments, as Niebel notes, with the oversized bucket serving as an entry into this serene universe. Initially, the bucket was meant to be smaller, but as director Amy Homma suggested, “What if adults want to crawl in, too?”
