Continuing on with 2016′s Ponyo Crossover Event, I’m very excited to share the story of fish girl turned engineer and mechanic.
That was a somewhat misleading opening sentence as while watching Porco Rosso Charlie did not change his original declaration from that of Mr. Piccolo to Fio - Ponyo is definitely Mr. Piccolo as far as Charlie is concerned. I know that much.
As for how much I know or understand of this chapter in the crossover I’ll be upfront and say it’s very possible I know or understand close to nothing. But I still gave it a really solid go and I can report back the few facts I have.
This was the most difficult viewing to date and entirely because Charlie actually really likes Porco Rosso. Even through the slower bits, Porco’s piggy face keeps Chu enthralled. The pig is shopping! The pig is looking forlornly out a window! The pig is taking a nap! The pig is standing on a dock smoking! Loves it. Eats it up. Charlie really likes pigs.
When Mr. Piccolo showed up Chu gave a quick “It Ponyo!” and let it rest, so I followed suit and let the film run it’s course a little longer. When all the lady relatives showed up to help build Porco’s plane Charlie told me those were Ponyo’s sisters. Feeling a opening for conversation I led with my go to “How do you know that’s Ponyo?”
Charlie looked at me. “Whose Ponyo?”
May day! May day!
“Didn’t you say Piccolo is Ponyo?”
“Who?”
We’re in a nose dive!
“Th-that guy, the short one with glasses”
“That not Ponyo!”
Pull up! Pull up!
“Oh, sorry.”
Solid recovery.
Alright, that’s cool - but then who is Ponyo? Time passes. The plane is built. Mr. Piccolo and Porco say their goodbyes. Charlie points to Mr. Piccolo:
I closed my mouth and enjoyed watching my son watch a movie with a pig man.
After, Charlie made a plane out of legos and said he was Ponyo fixing the plane. As a form of self indulgence I asked if the plane was going to go to the castle in the sky (as Captain Dola was also Ponyo) and he said “Yeah Mom! Gonna see the big robot!”
