A silver fish slips away from its bowl and rides a drifting jellyfish. Captured in a glass bottle, it is carried to the shoreline where five‑year‑old Sousuke, who lives with his mother Lisa in a seaside cottage while his father Koichi sails on a fishing vessel, frees it. After soothing a nick on Sousuke"s finger with its tongue, the fish is christened Ponyo by the boy.
Sousuke remains unaware that Ponyo already has a name and lineage, and her origins are shrouded in mystery. Her father, Fujimoto—a wizard who abandoned his human form to dwell beneath the waves—searches desperately for his daughter Brunhilde. When she is located and taken, Ponyo renounces her birth name and declares a desire to become human. She vows to bridge worlds. Drawing strength from Sousuke"s blood, she sprouts limbs and escapes back into the sea. Yet the magic unleashed disturbs nature: the moon drifts from its orbit and tides surge with perilous force. Reuniting with Ponyo, Sousuke must confront an age‑old trial to restore balance and allow his friend to remain a human. Only by mastering ancient rites can they hope to set things right.
Studio Ghibli Japan