> Ponyo / Gake no Ue no Ponyo (2008) - *****

Yup, masterpiece. Great write-up of this superb score.

Incidentally, for any big band jazz lovers out there, Tokyo Brass Style has done several Ghibli arrangements over the years (and even devoted an entire album to them, which is excellent), and their reharmonization of Ponyo's theme is sensational.

https://youtu.be/FdnCEs_L-8s?si=IkgIQEUsfVUOdNm3

> As with earlier image albums, the one for Ponyo includes lyrics
> that didn’t end up in the film; the goofy Fujimoto’s Theme suggests
> what would happen if someone took one of Hans Zimmer’s comedy scores
> (plonking piano, tango-like strings, accordion, surf guitar) and put
> Japanese lyrics over it while Rondo of the House of Sunflowers
> provided another opportunity for the composer to collaborate with his
> daughter Mai Fujisawa. But other compositions were played by a midsized
> instrumental ensemble, with The Coral Tower, Mother of the
> Sea, and The Light Signal sounding like early drafts of film
> tracks and Ponyo Comes being an exuberant idea with shades of the
> composer’s Kids Return melody that didn’t make it into the film.
> Intriguingly, the track Little Sisters features the bouncy idea
> from Ponyo’s Sisters done by a children’s choir, almost resembling
> the rhythmic vocal creativity of John Powell’s music. The penultimate
> track Real Friends has an odd lounge music feel that sticks out
> from the rest of the material (and thankfully it didn’t make the film),
> but even with that blemish the Ponyo image album is one of the few
> such releases by the composer that merits repeated listens.

As ever, these image album summaries do not go unappreciated! Grateful for these most of all.

> Departures / Okuribito (2008) - ****½

Gotta revisit this one. I haven't really returned to much other than the (wonderful) end credits track over the years.

> I Want to Be a Shellfish / Watashi wa kai ni naritai (2008) - *****

I revisited this one earlier this year and I still don't love it as much as everyone else. It's a solid ****, but despite a handful of exceptional highlights, this doesn't break the ceiling for me. I've found that the Hisaishi scores that do break through the **** barrier for me are his more effervescent works or the more wildly eclectic ones. This is solemnly minor key and strictly traditional in its symphonic colors, and that doesn't quite make my heart sing in the same way (although, of course, I stress that it's a really, really good score).

> Sunny and the Elephant / Sunny et l'éléphant (2008) - ****

Just listened to this one for the first time a couple weeks ago! Really loved it, waffling between a **** and a ****1/2. The action material in the last third isn't great (never one of Hisaishi's strong suits) and it does still suffer a pinch from Hisaishi's repetitive tendencies, but otherwise, it's really delightful and it has some vintage Hisaishi material (and yes, that main theme is such a charmer).