As always, this’ll contain spoilers and is subjective. You’ve been warned.
Anyway, let’s start with the…
Story:
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Despite having similar setups, these films go entirely different routes.
The Little Mermaid’s so ubiquitous by now that you can summarize it without having seen it: a mermaid princess (Ariel) falls in-love with a human prince (Eric) against her father’s wishes (King Triton). After a falling out, she makes a deal with a witch (Ursula) to become a human and win his affections. Along the way, this witch secretly undermines her at every turn, forcing her to realize the burden that goes into love and humanity. It’s a simple story that’s endured for over 30 years, and it’s easy to see why.
In Ponyo, a fish with magical powers (Brunhilde) escapes the clutches of her overbearing father (Fujimoto) and travels to the surface, where she’s trapped in a glass jar and gets rescued by a 5 year-old boy (Sōsuke). After travelling with him to preschool, said fish is retrieved by her father and taken into solitary. But the fish has become enamoured with the human world, so, using her magical powers, she escapes and causes a tsunami. With the natural order now out of balance, the fish’s father has to make a difficult decision: give up his daughter and save the planet, or take her back and risk her despising him forever? It’s a more “out there” premise than The Little Mermaid, but it’s endearing.
Both movies have had their share of detractors and defenders. In the case of The Little Mermaid, critics point out how reckless and irresponsible Ariel is, putting herself in danger over a man she barely knows. Additionally, Ariel’s lambasted for never really learning anything, instead getting what she wants. The backlash is understandable, but I think it mistakes the forest for the trees. And it does so in a condescending manner.
See, The Little Mermaid was overseen by the late-Howard Ashman. Ashman, a gay man, left his mark through Ariel, such that the subtext of her journey could be read as a dysphoria narrative. Considering the movie came out during the height of the neoconservatism ushered in by the Reagan/Bush eras, when queer people’s lifestyles were frequently derided, Ariel feeling like her world isn’t right for her could be seen as a metaphor for the queer experience. The fact that Ariel has since become championed by LGBTQ+ Disney fans as an icon only proves that thesis.
Ponyo’s routinely attacked for being too childish and nonsensical. It’s especially scrutinized for putting its lead, a fish coded as a preschooler, in a situation that’s too adult to fully-comprehend. Additionally, the laid-back attitude of its side characters is cited as jarring, as is its rushed ending. While I understand these complaints, I feel they overthink what’s, ultimately, a fun story for children. Also, director Hayao Miyazaki has asked his audience to accept stranger…
It’s a tough one to pick a winner for. On the one hand, while not as strong as the Disney movies that succeeded it, The Little Mermaid was a trailblazer for the company and helped resuscitate their reputation. On the other hand, Ponyo’s much tighter and holds up better narratively, even updating its source’s premise, but it’s more-farfetched and isn’t as profound as some of Miyazaki’s other films. I like Ponyo more, but The Little Mermaid’s much more accessible to general audiences. So I guess, with everything being equal, that The Little Mermaid slightly edges out.
Winner:
But a story’s only as good as its cast, leading me to…
Cast:
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With The Little Mermaid, the main cast consists of Ariel, King Triton, Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, Prince Eric and Ursula. In the case of Ponyo, there’s Brunhilde/Ponyo, Sōsuke, Lisa and Fujimoto. Both, essentially, fill their roles nicely. And while I’ve heard that Ariel and Ponyo are whiny/annoying, they’re a teenager and a little girl respectively. You kinda expect that.
Sadly, the secondary characters aren’t as interesting. In the case of The Little Mermaid, some of them, like the chef who tries to cook Sebastian, are actually annoying. Ponyo’s secondary cast might be largely uninteresting too, but they’re at least memorable. Ponyo’s mother, for example, feels majestic, while the old ladies at the Himawari Elderly Home are really quirky. Even the couple that Ponyo and Sōsuke encounter in the second-half are fun in their own way.
I have to mention the antagonists. With The Little Mermaid, it’s obvious that Ursula’s the big baddie, and she relishes it. In contrast, Ponyo’s Fujimoto starts out villainous, but then quickly becomes a sympathetic obstacle for Sōsuke and Ponyo to deal with once his motivations are made clear. I’ve heard complaints that Fujimoto resembles a drag queen, and is, therefore, impossible to take seriously, but remember that Ursula was actually based on one herself. So the argument feels hypocritical.
I’m giving this one to Ponyo. Why? Because while The Little Mermaid might have the more-recognizable characters, it also has the weaker ones. Even the ones that are developed, like Ariel and Triton, are flatter than Sōsuke and Lisa. Not to mention, Sebastian’s Patois accent is stereotypical in hindsight, as his VA isn’t even from Jamaica.
Winner:
How do these films look visually? It’s time for…
Aesthetic:
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Again we have a hard one, as both movies look amazing.
It’d seem, initially, that The Little Mermaid would win here: it’s beautiful for 1989 standards. It’s also beautiful for 2021 standards. And it’s the last Disney movie to be entirely hand-drawn and painted. Considering the amounts of painstaking labour that went into each cell, you’d think this’d be no contest.
Well, Ponyo was also hand-drawn, largely by Miyazaki himself. And the movie has a children’s storybook aesthetic, which compliments its story well. I actually like the animation here more than some of Miyazaki’s other films, as it demonstrates that he was willing to experiment with his style after decades of working in animation. You don’t see that a lot these days. Plus, its visual style is cute, something The Little Mermaid’s isn’t.
So yeah, I’m giving this to Ponyo.
Winner:
Speaking of which, how do these movies sound? This is…
Sound:
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Again, this is difficult, but for different reasons.
The Little Mermaid and Ponyo aren’t simply animated films. No, they’re animated films by Disney and Studio Ghibli respectively. That already gives them a one-up on most other animated films. It helps that both bring their A-game with their compositions. The former features a score and songs from Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and the latter features an operatic score from Joe Hisaishi. So which do I prefer?
You’d think The Little Mermaid would win automatically, given its catchy songs. But I have a confession to make: I don’t like some of these songs. Sure, “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is excellent, as are “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl”. But then you have the ever-obnoxious “Les Poissons” and the lame opening number where King Triton’s daughters introduce themselves. Also, “Part of Your World”, while nice, is overexposed. And I don’t mean that in a good way.
Ponyo, while not Hisaishi’s best score, is far more memorable. I especially like its homages to Wagner, making the score feel epic. Plus, the movie has moments of musical silence, ones where you can hear the sound design. The Little Mermaid’s never that brave musically, hard as it may try. I appreciate what both bring to the table, but I’m giving this to Ponyo.
Winner:
We arrive at the last category with…
Entertainment factor:
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This’ll be the most-controversial part of this piece. As much as these movies have problems, I also quite like them. The Little Mermaid suffers a bit in the music department. It might not be as visually appealing as Ponyo either. And many of its secondary characters are forgettable and grating. But its main cast is exceptional, and its general story is littered with queer-positive subtext.
Conversely, Ponyo has memorable music all-around. It looks really cute as well, which works in its favour. And it has some memorable secondary characters, something The Little Mermaid doesn’t. However, its story isn’t as compelling, falling apart slightly near the end. It even ends abruptly, being one of two Miyazaki movies guilty of that.
Despite any and all misgivings I might have with both, I’m giving this win to Ponyo. Is it cutesy and childish? Yes, but that works in its favour. Is it nonsensical? Yes, but so are most of Miyazaki’s movies. And is it the strongest entry in Miyazaki’s pantheon? No, but it’s also not the weakest. It’s a cute movie all-around, and that’s what matters for its target demographic. I also see myself coming back to it more often as an adult, despite over-watching The Little Mermaid as a child.
Overall winner:
Thanks again for sticking it out with this compare-contrast piece. As always, I’ll see you next time!
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