From canada.com:
Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki of Oscar-winning animated film “Spirited Away” has captured the hearts of Japanese moviegoers again, this time with a tale of a mermaid which will soon be seen around the world.
“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea,” about the friendship between a five-year-old boy and a mermaid girl who wishes to live in his world, has become one of the most popular Japanese movies in its home market in its first month of release.
Box office sales have surpassed 10 billion yen $91 million, and the film’s theme tune features as a ringtone on thousands of Japanese mobile phones.
The film is also set to be shown at the Venice Film Festival, which starts next week, and then it will be distributed in the United States, said a spokesman for Japanese distributor, Toho Co Ltd, although details have not been set.“It was full of dreams and heart-warming. I think many people are seeking something like this,” said 39-year-old Miyuki Ueda, who watched the film with her sons.
“Ponyo was really cute,” said Yuta, her 14-year-old son.
