Ponyo : A Hit from the Creator of Spirited Away ?

Does Japan's movie master have his first U.S. hit?

Disney Enterprises

The red-haired Ponyo bonds with her savior — or abductor — Sosuke, in the film by anime master Hayao Miyazaki

An exhibition of the most rapturous watercolors is currently on display at U.S. movie theaters. Ponyo , the latest film from anime master Hayao Miyazaki — Academy Award winner for his 2001 film, Spirited Away — begins deep in the sea near a Japanese coastal village, and the underwater vision is both subtle and spectacular. Instead of relying on the usual cartoon bubbles and wisecracking fish, Miyazaki waves a wand and establishes his location with a pastel palette, the gentle undulating of flora and anemones, and Joe Hisaishi's haunting score. You're treated, aurally and visually, to a subterranean...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!