Liam Neeson appears in "Ponyo," the ninth film directed by Studio Ghibli icon Hayao Miyazaki. The movie follows a young fish princess named Ponyo (Noah Cyrus) who is discovered by a boy named Sōsuke (Frankie Jonas). Ponyo, desiring to be human, uses magic to sprout arms and legs, though her efforts result in a large tsunami. In the end, the nature imbalance is restored, and though she loses her magic, Ponyo finally becomes human when she kisses Sōsuke.
Neeson portrays Ponyo's highly protective father, Fujimoto. He constantly frets over her, becoming angry when she goes to the surface and even forcing her to go back to her true form as a fish. To viewers, Fujimoto can be seen as a villain since he continues to keep Ponyo from the life she desires. As the film goes on, however, it is revealed that he cares deeply for her and is worried that if Sōsuke doesn't accept her, she will meet a horrible fate. When he finally realizes that Sōsuke will always love Ponyo, he respects her wishes and lets her go.
