"Porco Rosso" review: What is the appeal of Hayao Miyazaki's animated masterpiece?

Porco Rosso - A deep dive into Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

July 18, 1992 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■ Eirin Number

113745

■Frequencies

93 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Hayao Miyazaki

■ Director

Hayao Miyazaki

■ Production

Studio Ghibli

■Works

© 1992 Studio Ghibli・NN

■ Story

In the 1920s, air pirates were rampaging in the Adriatic Sea. Porco, a bounty hunter and seaplane pilot, rescues a group of girls from an attack by the Mamma Aiuto gang of air pirates, with whom he has long been in conflict. For some reason, Porco cast a spell on himself, transforming him into a pig. Gina from the Hotel Adriano was a childhood friend of Porco's who knew him in the past. A few days later, Porco was on his way to Milan to have his seaplane repaired, but was shot down mid-flight by an American named Curtis...

■Explanation

This is an animated version of an episode from "Miyazaki Hayao's Miscellaneous Notes" (published by Dai Nippon Kaiga). It was originally planned as a film to be shown on JAL flights, but it ended up being a feature-length film released in theaters. It is a work filled with director Miyazaki Hayao's unique worldview and love for airplanes, and the story, which mixes fantasy and reality, deeply moves viewers. In particular, the character of Porco symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, and has resonated with many viewers. Furthermore, the background, set in 1920s Europe, and the depiction of airplanes are full of Miyazaki Hayao's attention to detail, and the visual beauty is also noteworthy.

■Cast

・Porco Rosso/Shuuichirou Moriyama・Fio/Akemi Okamura・Gina/Tokiko Kato・Mr. Curtis/Akio Otsuka・Piccolo Oyaji/Sanshi Katsura・Mamma Aiuto Boss/Tsunehiko Kamijo

■ Main staff

・Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki ・Chief animation directors: Ai Kagawa and Toshio Kawaguchi ・Art director: Yoshizu Kumura ・Chief colorist: Michiyo Yasuda ・Director of photography: Atsushi Okui

■ Main Characters

Porco Rosso, whose real name is Marco Pagot, is a bounty hunter who fights against air pirates ravaging the Mediterranean. He was an ace pilot in the Italian Air Force during World War I, but after the war he cast a spell on himself and turned into a pig. Porco's character symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, and has resonated with many viewers. His flying boat, the Savoia S.21, is a design that is full of Hayao Miyazaki's love for airplanes, and is an important element of the story.
・Fio
A 17-year-old seaplane mechanic. Granddaughter of President Piccolo, she is a skilled mechanic despite her young age. Fio's character portrays the strength and talent of a woman, and her growth through her relationship with Porco is fascinating. The repair scene of her seaplane, the Savoia S.21, is a wonderful scene where technical depiction and character growth intertwine.
Gina is the Madame of the Hotel Adriano. She is the Madonna admired by the airship pilots, and they frequently visit her store to hear her sing. Gina's character, through her past relationship with Porco, depicts the depth of love and friendship, enriching the emotion of the story. Her singing voice is an important element that shows Hayao Miyazaki's attention to music.
Mr. Curtis is a skilled American who is called in by the air pirates to defeat Porco. He pilots a dark blue seaplane called the Curtis. The character of Curtis portrays themes of competition and friendship through his confrontation with Porco, and his plane, the Curtis, is designed with Hayao Miyazaki's love for airplanes.
- Father Piccolo The president of Piccolo, a Milanese flying boat repair factory that Porco frequents. Father Piccolo's character depicts the love of family and the pride of a craftsman, and through his relationship with Fio, we can feel the depth of family ties.
・Mammayuto Boss The boss of the Mammayuto Gang, a major air pirate group. He is always being hurt by Porco. He is a heroic and honest man who values ​​discipline. Mammayuto Boss' character depicts the boundary between justice and evil through his pride as an air pirate and his conflict with Porco, which heightens the tension of the story.

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song: When the Cherries Ripen ・Lyrics by JBClement
・Composer: A. Renard
・Song: Tokiko Kato

・Ending theme ・Sometimes old stories ・Lyrics by Tokiko Kato ・Music by Tokiko Kato ・Singer by Tokiko Kato

・IN
・THE TEMPS OF CERISES
Lyrics: JB Clement-A. Renard
・Composer: JB Clement-A. Renard
Arrangement: Arr. M. Villard
・Singer: JACK LANTIER

・Insert song: Madness
・Composer: Joe Hisaishi

■Detailed review

"Porco Rosso" is a work filled with director Hayao Miyazaki's unique worldview and love for airplanes, and the story, which mixes fantasy and reality, deeply moves viewers. In particular, the character of Porco symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, and has resonated with many viewers. In addition, the background, set in 1920s Europe, and the depiction of airplanes are full of Hayao Miyazaki's attention to detail, and the visual beauty is also noteworthy.

Porco's character symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, which resonated with many viewers. His flying boat, the Savoia S.21, is a design filled with Miyazaki Hayao's love for airplanes and is an important element of the story. Porco's pig form is a symbol of escape from the trauma of war, and the depiction of his humanity and conflict deeply moves the viewer. Porco's character symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, which resonated with many viewers. His flying boat, the Savoia S.21, is a design filled with Miyazaki Hayao's love for airplanes and is an important element of the story.

Fio's character is a portrayal of feminine strength and talent, and her growth through her relationship with Porco is fascinating. The repair scene for her flying boat, the Savoia S.21, is a beautiful scene where technical depiction and character growth intersect. Fio's character is a portrayal of feminine strength and talent, and her growth through her relationship with Porco is fascinating. The repair scene for her flying boat, the Savoia S.21, is a beautiful scene where technical depiction and character growth intersect.

Gina's character, through her past relationship with Porco, depicts the depth of love and friendship, enriching the emotional impact of the story. Her singing voice is an important element that shows Hayao Miyazaki's dedication to music. Gina's character, through her past relationship with Porco, depicts the depth of love and friendship, enriching the emotional impact of the story. Her singing voice is an important element that shows Hayao Miyazaki's dedication to music.

The character of Curtis depicts themes of competition and friendship through his rivalry with Porco, and his plane, the Curtis, is designed to evoke Miyazaki Hayao's love for airplanes. The character of Curtis depicts themes of competition and friendship through his rivalry with Porco, and his plane, the Curtis, is designed to evoke Miyazaki Hayao's love for airplanes.

Piccolo's character depicts the love of family and the pride of a craftsman, and through his relationship with Fio, we feel the depth of family ties. Piccolo's character depicts the love of family and the pride of a craftsman, and through his relationship with Fio, we feel the depth of family ties.

Mamma-uto Boss' character, through his pride as a pirate and his conflict with Porco, depicts the boundary between justice and evil, heightening the tension of the story. Mamma-uto Boss' character, through his pride as a pirate and his conflict with Porco, depicts the boundary between justice and evil, heightening the tension of the story.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Porco Rosso" is a work filled with director Hayao Miyazaki's unique worldview and love for airplanes, and the story, which mixes fantasy and reality, deeply moves viewers. In particular, the character of Porco symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, and has resonated with many viewers. In addition, the background, set in 1920s Europe, and the depiction of airplanes are full of Hayao Miyazaki's attention to detail, and the visual beauty is also noteworthy.

This film is a must-see for airplane lovers, and the designs, which are filled with Miyazaki Hayao's love for airplanes, and the depictions of the planes are visually beautiful. In addition, the character of Porco, who depicts the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, will resonate with many viewers. In addition, the charms of each character are also noteworthy, such as the character of Fio, who depicts the strength and talent of a woman, the character of Gina, who depicts the depth of love and friendship, the character of Curtis, who depicts the theme of competition and friendship, the character of Piccolo, who depicts family love and pride as a craftsman, and the character of Mamma Miuto Boss, who depicts the boundary between justice and evil through his pride as a pirate and his conflict with Porco.

Miyazaki Hayao's attention to detail can also be felt in the music, with Tokiko Kato's singing voice and Joe Hisaishi's compositions for the inserted songs. Gina's singing voice in particular will enrich the emotion of the story and leave viewers deeply moved. Music is also an important element of the story, with the theme song "When the Cherries Ripen" and the ending theme "Sometimes Old Stories."

"Porco Rosso" is a work filled with director Hayao Miyazaki's unique worldview and love for airplanes, and the story, where fantasy and reality intersect, deeply moves viewers. In particular, the character of Porco symbolizes the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, and has resonated with many viewers. In addition, the background, set in 1920s Europe, and the depiction of airplanes show Hayao Miyazaki's attention to detail throughout, and the visual beauty is also noteworthy. This work is a must-see for airplane lovers, and the design, filled with Hayao Miyazaki's love for airplanes, and the depiction of airplanes gives a sense of visual beauty. In addition, the character of Porco, who depicts the trauma of war and the conflict of humanity, will resonate with many viewers. Furthermore, the appeal of each character is also noteworthy, such as the character of Fio, who depicts the strength and talent of a woman; the character of Gina, who depicts the depth of love and friendship; the character of Curtis, who depicts the theme of competition and friendship; the character of Piccolo Oyaji, who depicts family love and pride as a craftsman; and the character of Mamma-uto Boss, who depicts the boundary between justice and evil through his pride as a pirate and his conflict with Porco. In terms of music, Hayao Miyazaki's attention to music can be felt in the singing voice of Tokiko Kato and the insert songs composed by Joe Hisaishi. Gina's singing voice in particular enriches the emotion of the story and will leave a deep impression on the viewer. Music is also an important element of the story, such as the theme song "When the Cherries Ripen" and the ending theme "Sometimes Old Stories."