Studio Ghibli's Ponyo on a Cliff

Its 4 days past the premier of Studio Ghibli's new movie by the great Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo On A Cliff, released on July 19.
Ponyo on a Cliff is said to be a masterpiece visually and heavily based on countless hand-painted watercolours, and only the second Ghibli film to have that look; the first for Hayao Miyazaki however. Not only that, Ponyo on a Cliff will not feature any CGI work. Hayao Miyazaki dabbled with the technique for the backgrounds of Howl's Moving Castle, but has abandoned it for this film.
Ponyo on a Cliff is about the a goldfish princess named Ponyo who wishes to become human. Along the way, she befriends a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke. One of the major themes of the movie is the closeness between a parent and child.

Notably, Miyazaki took 20 months of production for this film, the longest ever taken by him.
According to a source, this movie was fueled by rift with his son Goro who directed Tales from Earthsea which Hayao publicly critised. Goro, in turn, accused his father of sabotage.
It was said that the author of Tales from Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin wanted and personally asked Hayao to direct Earthsea but he was preoccupied during that time. Le Guin was generally disappointed with the film, if not as outrightly disapproving as she been of the Sci Fi Channel miniseries, as both adaptations added major characters and events which she felt were unfaithful to her work in terms of both content and spirit. Most of all, she was saddened that Goro's father Hayao Miyazaki missed chance to direct it. (The elder Miyazaki had asked permission to create an Earthsea adaptation back in the early 1980s, but Le Guin, not knowing his work, or indeed anime in general, turned him down. After viewing My Neighbour Totoro, she then came to the idea that if anyone should be allowed to direct an Earthsea film, it should be Hayao Miyazaki.)
Goro's attitude wasn't complimentary either, describing Hayao as “A goose egg as a father and 100% as a director." It is believed that Goro also indirectly pulled the trigger forcing him to retire from his passion in this industry.

"(Hayao) has the sense of crisis that he is being driven into retirement by the young generation," said Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii in an interview with CH4. "He tries to kick the other party to the bottom of a ravine, even in the case of his own son . . . Miya-san's motivation be full of . . ." Anime101

Its possible that Hayao resented his son stealing Tales from Earthsea right out from under his nose. Can't blame Hayao who is in my opinion the greatest animator legend esp in anime. At the peak of his legendary career, I believe as the imperfect human, one will always be confronted with issues such as that raised by Mamoru Oshii.
Hayao the great is using Ponyo on a Cliff as a means of restoring relations between himself and his eldest son. Studio Ghibli has admitted that Hayao, after serious reflection, used Goro as a model for the character of Sosuke when he was 5 years old. With Ponyo, family relations are certainly on Hayao's mind.
"I read the completed storyboards until the end," claimed Nishioka during an interview on The Ghibli Channel, "and noticed that a terrible secret is hidden in the theme song."
I certainly hope that Hayao would work out things with his son and be allowed to freely continue his works/efforts in spreading the anime gospel. Here's hoping Ponyo will be successful!
Can't wait for it to come subbed early too on torrents :D

Official Web: http://www.ghibli.jp/ponyo/

Credit:

• Dominic von Reidemann
  Ponyo on a Cliff
  Miyazaki Family Feud
  

Reference(s):

• Ursula Le Guin on Wikipedia
  
• Le Guin on Gedo Senki