{"id":641011,"date":"2026-03-08T13:26:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T13:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/641011\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T13:26:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T13:26:19","slug":"dive-into-the-wondrous-underwater-world-of-ponyo-in-l-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/641011\/","title":{"rendered":"Dive Into the Wondrous Underwater World of \u2018Ponyo\u2019 in L.A."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

In 2002, Hayao Miyazaki\u2019s beloved Spirited Away<\/a> won the second-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Since the category\u2019s launch some 25 years ago, Miyazaki has directed five Studio Ghibli<\/a> films, four of which were nominated for an Academy Award and two of which ultimately won. One specific film, however, didn\u2019t make the cut: Ponyo. But now, nearly two decades after its release in 2008, L.A.\u2019s Academy Museum<\/a> is revisiting the movie through an immersive exhibition.<\/p>\n

Open through next January, Studio Ghibli\u2019s \u201cPonyo\u201d<\/a> offers a remarkable glimpse into its eponymous film. The exhibition gathers more than 100 items hand-picked by the animation studio, ranging from art boards, posters, and Miyazaki\u2019s original hand drawings, to an animation desk that was used during the film\u2019s production. Also included are interactive installations, including an animation table where guests can create their own animated sequences with sea creature cut-outs designed by Studio Ghibli; a room whose walls are covered with billowing waves and a moveable Ponyo figure; and a replica of Sosuke\u2019s green bucket, perfect for children to crawl inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe film has these moments of slowing down, contemplative, mesmerizing moments,\u201d Jessica Niebel, the exhibition\u2019s curator, said in an interview with Hyperallergic<\/a>, noting that the oversized bucket mimics the film\u2019s imaginative, idyllic world<\/a>. \u201cOriginally, we wanted to make [the bucket] a little smaller, and then our director Amy Homma asked, \u2018What if adults want to crawl in, too?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

That the exhibition accommodates younger guests is no coincidence. After all, Ponyo is one of Studio Ghibli\u2019s most child-friendly films, focusing on five-year-old S\u014dsuke\u2019s friendship with Ponyo, a goldfish-like girl whose desire to leave her underwater kingdom and transform into a human risks the fragile balance of nature. This premise may sound familiar\u2014Miyazaki drew inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen\u2019s fairy tale The Little Mermaid, adding to the film\u2019s fantastical atmosphere. Taken in its entirety, Ponyo marked a return to themes of curiosity, courage, and childlike wonder, complete with enchanting, nautical scenery and vibrant characters.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The] exhibition is all about this character\u2019s perseverance, and the joyful nature and triumph through ups and downs, [being] willing to explore a new world,\u201d Shraddha Aryal, the Academy Museum\u2019s EVP of exhibitions, told LAist<\/a>. \u201cAnd it\u2019s such a beautiful love story about friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Above all, though, the exhibition celebrates the craft of hand-drawn animation. After experimenting with computer animation in previous Ghibli films, the studio opted to exclusively hand-draw every frame of Ponyo. Miyazaki also abandoned straight lines throughout the film, preferring fluid, organic forms that complemented Ponyo\u2019s underwater landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet rid of straight lines. Use gently warped lines that allow the possibility of magic to exist, liberating us from the curse of perspective drawing,\u201d Miyazaki once said of the film. \u201cA world where even the horizon swells, dips, and sways.\u201d<\/p>\n

The emphasis on the film\u2019s hand-drawn character is reflected in the exhibition\u2019s various objects, including animation cells and other artworks that have never been shown outside of Japan. \u201cI get caught up in how beautiful [Ponyo] looks as the final film,\u201d Emily Rauber Rodriguez, an assistant curator at the museum, told io9<\/a>. \u201cBut when you look at these animation drawings, especially the revisions by Miyazaki, the minute changes that he makes to a line, or a dot, or a smudge, completely changes the whole character, the whole moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Studio Ghibli\u2019s \u201cPonyo\u201d is on view at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures through January 10, 2027.\n<\/p>\n

At the Academy Museum in L.A., guests can now dive into the world of Hayao Miyazaki\u2019s 2008 feature film Ponyo, complete with immersive installations, original hand-drawn art, and other archival materials.
\n\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u201cStudio Ghibli\u2019s PONYO\u201d at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy Museum)<\/p>\n

Exhibition Information:
Studio Ghibli\u2019s \u201cPonyo\u201d
February 14, 2026\u2013January 10, 2027
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
\nThe Academy Museum: <\/b>Website<\/b><\/a> | <\/b>Instagram<\/b><\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by the Academy Museum.
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