Ponyo (2008)

Riffing on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid", Ponyo centers upon a young sea creature who bonds with a little boy on the surface world. Their budding relationship, however, is put to the test when the fundamental balance of nature is placed in jeopardy by both magical interference and humanity's poor stewardship of the oceans. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki with care and studious attention to detail, Ponyo connected deeply with audiences and grossed more than any other Studio Ghibli production to date. Ryan is joined by Cheryl and Sylvan for a close look at this beloved film. Talking points include ecology, the revisions made to the source material, and ham.