One day a sweet-natured five-year-old boy finds a goldfish – though this creature strangely already has the vestigial appearance of a little girl – trapped in a jam jar on the beach. When he cuts himself on the glass, the fish licks him better. It’s an event which we later discover sets the fish on an inexorable path towards humanity, a transformation that is aided by the fish’s adoration for its new companion. Yet the love the two share seems to threaten the very fabric of reality, causing the oceans to rise and the moon to fall closer to the earth.

Of course, fish are incapable of licking and tiny animals do not fall in love in the sense that we understand the concept. Miyazaki’s creations feel as though they are derived from the fertile imaginations of very, very young children, unfettered by concerns of realism or efficacy. Yet this film has such a beguiling and otherworldly quality that adults cast aside disbelief like a heavy coat on a warm summer’s day, overwhelmed by the spectacular, mysterious and magical images on the big screen.

While much of the film’s charm hinges on its whimsical storyline and impeccable production values, there is room to consider the weighty theme of environmental destruction as the plot takes a darker turn.

In most feature films, the sea around Japan is a deadly enemy, stirred by subterranean forces. But not all images in Japanese films, whether animated or not, are underpinned by such environmentally conscious animistic harmony as here. In Miyazaki’s films, nature dictates its terms to mankind.

Miyazaki’s work also often touches on the innocence of children and posits the view that they offer hope for humanity’s future. His films – entirely hand-drawn – are like dancing dreams, flowing movements and mysterious turbulences.

In this film, there is sadness mingled with sweetness, and that gave us the idea to offer you sweet and savoury snacks that’ll bring you even closer to appreciating Ponyo’s unworldly charm. Don’t expect the usual.