Another gem from Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo is a simple, childlike love story, modeled on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid. Ponyo is a fish-girl who longs to be human, and when she encounters Sosuke, a little boy who lives by the sea, her wish is granted. There are tsunamis and retirement homes and ham and magic, but at the heart of it is the sweet relationship between Ponyo and Sosuke. When she kisses him at the end of the film and transforms into a little girl permanently, it’s enough to give even the coldest heart a flutter.

~ Evan Derrick