Is Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea better than my neighbor Totoro?
`Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea` is utter nonsense 01.10.2008 · by Patrick W. Galbraith Audiences the world over are highly anticipating “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” (Gake no ue no Ponyo), the first new film in four years by renowned animation director Miyazaki Hayao. After a string of films employing digital techniques, Miyazaki, who has vocally criticized mechanization of animation, Studio Ghibli delivers a fully hand-drawn, visual tour de force. Funding was abundant and the frame count is high, another hallmark of Miyazaki’s crusade against the often fragmented, still “limited anime” pioneered for Japan television. Movement is even more fluid than “Spirited Away.” As is by Ghibli standard, the environments and backgrounds are sumptuous and the animal designs breathtaking. Composer Joe Hisaishi even returns with an all-new cinematic score. All things considered, Miyazaki is sure to have another global hit on his hands. An original story, “Ponyo” has already made a strong showing at
