i have be read a lot of different opinion and review of this movie and and i understand why a lot of people get mixed feeling about ponyo and whether it be the story line and animation and dialogue and and so forth . and i believe the most simple way i can answer to this and be that it a movie for a much and much young age bracket . an age bracket much young than that of tonarino totoro ( my neighbor totoro ) . be a miyazaki fan like the majority of the surfer on this site and i expect the wonderful animation and music composition and complex story telling and the great steady development of character and how the story intertwines with today society and etc etc etc of a typical miyazaki film that we grow up with . and to tell you the truth and i do not quite understand what the hell this story be suppose to be about or what the hell be go on until an hour and twenty minute ( with twenty minute leave in the movie ) and that this movie be not for the deep thinker and hard core ghibli ists and but for the toddler and youngins and happy go lucky japanese people . also and i believe this movie be base on simplicity and creative animation while straight up grass root ghibli studio style . the fact that a villain be not present really surprised me and other than the father and maybe that crazy as typhoon . but other than that and this movie be just plain fun while to stimulate a young one mind and and to make happy good time feeling . that all . the animation go back to the old school mid 80 early 90 era of miyazaki film and where very specific detail wasn not a big focus and unlike mononoke hime ( princess mononoke ) and the latter . i admire the simplicity which kind of create some small nostalgia when i first watch ghibli movie like tonarino totoro when i be a child . the reaction and movement of the child be all very similar to that of kid and and a lot of studio ghibli body language be very noticeable . studio ghibli add some creative moment and scenery that they can only do with it wonderful animator and but it probably would not take the ritual ghibli ist in awe . the japanese dialogue also sound very child friendly and a lot of scene and dialogue be very and very relative from what japanese kid and mother would say and act . the music if very hoppy and fluffy i guess you could say ( similar to totoro ) from begin to end . even the darker scene do not seem assertive . in the end this movie be one of a kind . just about every aspect of this movie be for child . and i wait a whole 80 min to realize that . quite frankly and i have never see a movie tell or show it the way miyazaki do . it refresh to see that studio ghibli can still tell a story for a wider and and much different scale of audience and and still keep that trademark ghibli impression .