Lovely anime song

The song from Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Theme song and insert song.

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

Just seeing or hearing the title makes you want to hum the theme song, doesn’t it?

This time, we’ll be introducing the theme song and insert songs from Hayao Miyazaki’s film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.

A world that feels real, yet somehow fantastical.

Many of you probably still remember the vividly colorful visuals and the characters, drawn with soft, delicate lines, dashing energetically across the screen.

It’s a collection of music that will surely make you want to watch Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea all over again!

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea songs. Theme song and insert songs (21–30)

Become human!Joe Hisaishi

Triggered by a certain event, Ponyo wishes to become human.

This song expresses that resolve.

It’s a very cleverly crafted piece that incorporates parts of the film’s main theme and “Fujimoto’s Theme.” I think that’s because it reflects Ponyo’s feelings and the parent’s feelings toward her determination to “become human!” It also seems to convey the difficulties Ponyo faces on her path to becoming human.

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Sosuke’s VoyageJoe Hisaishi

When it comes to music in Studio Ghibli films, Joe Hisaishi immediately comes to mind, and one of the great appeals of his work is how brilliantly it captures the characters’ emotional states.

“Sosuke’s Voyage” is a stirring piece that perfectly fits a seafaring scene, yet it also conveys the excitement felt by Ponyo and Sosuke.

It’s perfect for moments where the thrill of the extraordinary bubbles up.

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Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (film version)Joe Hisaishi

I think a lot of people know this theme song even if they’ve never seen the movie! It’s sung by Fujioka Fujimaki and Nozomi Ōhashi.

Anyway, Nozomi Ōhashi’s voice—she was eight at the time—is just adorable! The choreography for this song is simple too, which makes it easy for kids to copy.

It was released in 2007, so it’s quite a while ago now, but it hasn’t aged at all—truly a classic!

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New FamilyJoe Hisaishi

Having escaped from the world of the sea, Ponyo begins spending time with Sosuke and Lisa like a real family.

It’s a world completely different from Ponyo’s life until now: delicious ham and ramen she tastes for the first time.

This song gently conveys, over a calm melody, the casual everyday life of Sosuke and Lisa and Ponyo’s excitement at experiencing everything for the first time.

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Ura no MachiJoe Hisaishi

This is a song themed around the town where Sosuke and Lisa live.

In this town, where many boats come and go, everyone knows each other and gets along well.

There are lots of hills, and sometimes cars can’t pass because boats are going through.

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Even on those rough roads, Sosuke’s mother, Lisa, tears through in her beloved Lisa-car.

It’s like a self-introduction to a cheerful, wonderful town with a heart as vast as the ocean—one that even accepts such dangerous driving.

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Deep Sea RanchJoe Hisaishi

The deep-sea world where Ponyo originally lived is filled with vivid colors unlike anything on land.

It’s teeming with fish of every hue, giving it the feel of an undersea pasture.

This piece, performed with many instruments as if mirroring the various fish swimming about, has a gentle atmosphere that lets you sense the calm, majestic world of the ocean.

It also feels like the music is introducing the marine world where Ponyo and her friends live.

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Fleet March IIJoe Hisaishi

This is the second version of “Fleet March.” Compared to the first “Fleet March,” this performance feels even more valiant.

Unlike the small boat Sosuke always has, the ships out at sea like the ones his father Koichi boards are big and incredibly cool to a five-year-old.

When such impressive vessels form a fleet, their bold, heroic atmosphere grows even stronger.

Version 2 seems to express that heightened sense of bravery.

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