…Err, sorry, the new official international title for Gake no Ue no Ponyo has been announced, and it sends me into fits of Bobby Darin. The movie, whose title has long been translated literally as “Ponyo on a Cliff” by English-speakers, will officially be called Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.

Ghibli World just posted translations of a new interview with Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki regarding Ponyo on a Cliff, in which Miyazaki says the following:

I moved the location of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid to the Japan of today and cut off the Catholic color. It will show an adventure and love of small kids.

It sounds a little weird, until you realize he just means that it’s about a water-dweller that wants to become human, and not that the main fishy character will wind up literally dying for her beloved.

This is a story about a fish kid that has a selfish wish to get along with Sousuke, a human boy, and carries out her intention. Meanwhile it is a story about the 5 year old boy Sousuke carrying out his promise.

Sounds cute, no? Also, in this article I very erroneously reported that Miyazaki’s next film would involve a Japanese lullaby; in fact, it’s actually a new Ghibli flick involving cofounder Isao Takahata. So if Miyazaki will be involved, we don’t know yet. Sorry ’bout that!

Everyone thank roryo for the following news tip, which I just got here at work: Nausicaa.net picked up on word from Variety Asia that Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s newest flick, Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo On a Cliff) has been slated to hit theaters in Japan in mid-July, probably July 19th, which would be a holiday weekend in Japan. Huzzah!

Original source: Variety Japan
Secondary source: Nausicaa.net

Not that there’s any such thing as “too much anime,” but I mean to say because I’ve been watching piles and piles of first episodes (along with, you know, working, and stuff). But without further ado: news, and stuff.

News: