Style: Classical, orchestral film score
Primary Emotions/Themes: Joy captured in audio form
Thoughts: It's interesting how different cultures interpret the same source material. Ponyo is essentially the story of the little mermaid, however it's told quite differently than the Disney version or really any other version that I can think of.
From all of Miyazaki's movies that I've seen this is probably my least favorite. Even if that's the case it's still a phenomenal foray into a joyful fishing village for a couple of hours. What really makes the movie though is the music. This may be one of the few times where I outright enjoy the music more than I do the movie with a Ghibli film.
Gone are the serious undertones of Mononoke. Gone are the mysterious lands of Spirited Away. The magic of Howl is greatly subdued here. This is just the story of a young girl who wants to see outside... and go visit a boy.
What Ponyo does have is a carefree spirit. The music is filled with hope, joy, and life unlike any other I've heard from Hisaishi. This is accomplished largely through a full orchestra, but there are moments on here where we are graced with some wonderful operatic singing. It's simply wonderful.
Much like so many of Hisaishi's other works leitmotif's are present throughout. Here they are used to represent Ponyo's innocence, curiosity, and thirst for knowledge. It's the kind of music to put on when you are having a rough day and need something to turn it around.
Ponyo may not be my favorite film from Ghibli, but the soundtrack is way up there. I've listened to this thing more times than I can count, and I'm still not tired of it. A worthy addition to Joe Hisaishi's epic scores.
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