Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea

That's the title of the new Miyazaki animated film that just opened in Tokyo.

I'm a huge fan of Miyazaki. Every single film is not just a cool cartoon, it's a visually-stunning work of art. I've shown them in my art classes, and invariably, students are mesmerized by the movies. They're certainly very Eastern in flavor, which is why I believe that students become so enthralled by them -- they're unusual and not formulaic in a Western, Disney-ish way.

His Spirited Away actually won an Academy Award in 2003 -- for Best Animated Feature. It was well-deserved, too. Have you seen it? You should. It is fascinating.

I think that my favorite is his 2004 release, Howl's Moving Castle.

I am REALLY looking forward to Ponyo's release here in the US. IMDB doesn't list a date when that will be, however, so I guess I'm resigned to wait a while.