Studio Ghibli films have a long tradition of eschewing the typical. These are not films made for endless belly-laughs. These are not films made to show off the latest in CGI technology. These are films that rely on the surreal and the fantastic to entertain. These are films where children are the main characters, but are not necessarily the target audience. “Ponyo’s” elegant simplicity may not make it a stand-out in the Ghibli film library, but its exuberant tale will capture the hearts of children and the adults who love them.

“Ponyo” is very loosely based on “The Little Mermaid,” but its story is an original creation by master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While playing on the shore of his tiny Japanese fishing village, five-year-old Sousuke (Frankie Jonas) finds a goldfish stuck in a bottle. Sousuke decides to rescue the girl-faced fish, names her Ponyo, and takes on the big responsibility of caring for her. Ponyo (Noah Lindsey Cyrus) loves Sousuke for it, but at the moment she professes her love, she is washed back into the sea, swept away by her sorcerer father.

Ponyo’s father, Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), shunned human society to become caretaker of the sea, longing for the day where the balance between sea-life and the human world will be restored. He’s not as much of a villain as he is a curmudgeon and protective father, but he is unable to restrain Ponyo. In true little-girl fashion, she defies her father and grows up into a human, through her own powers and force of will. Fujimoto is powerless to stop Ponyo, and decides to call upon her mysterious mother to help control their unfettered daughter.

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Directed and written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Staring: Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Frankie Jonas

Ponyo makes her grand return to the human world, accompanied by Joe Hirashi’s Wagner-esque riding music. The princess of the sea brings an unnatural storm with her; wild winds and rain worry the coastal town. Sousuke’s mother hurries him home while Ponyo chases them atop the swollen sea.

At first, we think the storm may be Fujimoto’s reaction to losing Ponyo, but the storm clears when Ponyo falls asleep, and we learn her true nature. Ponyo is a dervish of a girl, devouring every new experience with a joyous ferocity. She discovers light, tears, and the wonders of ham.

The adventures of Ponyo and Sousuke are the real strength of the film. We typically look to live action films for expressive faces, but in his art, Miyazaki perfectly captures a child’s bold expressions: the stuffed sleepiness of a food coma, bright eyes brimming with tears, innocence while sleeping. Ponyo’s an animated film before all else, and through its visual medium, it’s a rainbowed spectacle to behold, whether the action takes place in an undersea palace or in a retirement home.

The story is fine-tuned for children. Instead of being an adult’s faded memoir of what it means to be a child, the story is told from a very child-like perspective. There are dangers, but precious little fear or tension, even in the adults. The supernatural exists, but the human world is quick to accept it. The resolution doesn’t necessarily move quickly, or in a straight line. There are still classic lessons of love and devotion (and even a few on preparedness and respect for elders), but they’re very gently fed. The real locus of the story is how much fun Sousuke and Ponyo have together, and how natural it is for them to love one another.

“Ponyo” will make you remember what you love about children and what you miss about being a child. The story may be aimed at the very young, but its warmth will be felt and appreciated by all.