Porco Rosso

''This article is for the film. For the character, see Marco Pagot''.

Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta lit. Crimson Pig) is a 1992 Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is based on Hikotei Jidai, a three-part watercolor manga by Miyazaki. The film stars the voices of Shuichiro Moriyama, Tokiko Kato, Akemi Okamura and Akio Otsuka, Toshio Suzuki produced the film for Studio Ghibli. Joe Hisaishi composed the music.

The plot revolves around an Italian World War I ex-fighter ace, now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing ¨air pirates¨ in the Adriatic Sea. However, an unusual curse has transformed him to an anthropomorphic pig. Once called Margo Pagot, he is now known to the world as ¨Porco Rosso¨, Italian for ¨Crimson Pig¨.

Plot
The film, set in the Adriatic Sea in the interwar period, begins with the titular character Porco Rosso, a veteran WWI fighter ace and freelance bounty hunter, responding to an alert over an attack on a ferry liner by airborne pirates. Having successfully defeated the pirates, the so called Mama Aiuto Gang, Porco retires to the Hotel Adriano, which is run by his long-time friend Gina. At the restarurant an American named Curtis proposes to Gina, but she rebuffs him.

After Porco Rosso leaves to Milan, to make repairs to his plane, he is shot down by Curtis, who wants to achieve fame by killing Rosso. Rosso survives but has to head to Milan on train. At Piccolo S.P.A he asks Mr. Piccolo to rebuild his plane. Due to the depression, Piccolo only as female workers, mostly from his family. A young girl, Fio Piccolo, ends up re-designing his plane. Initially Rosso is not pleased, but he grows to like her. They flee Piccolo's workshop after the Fascist government attempts to hunt them down, because Rosso won't fight for his government.

After escaping from Milan, Porco flew to his hideout after a quick detour to get more gasoline for the plane. Inside the island him and Fio started to unpack her belonings when all of the sudden air pirates burst out from Porco's tent and surround him, before they were gonna destroy Porco's plane Fio went to the leader of the Mama Aiuto Gang and started to yell at them to not destroy her first worked plane and she managed to persuade them to not smash it. Right at that moment Curtis showed up and telling that he wanted a rematch with Porco, when Fio started to intervene Curtis fell in love with her and asked to marry him, so they decited to make a bet for the rematch if Curtis wins Fio would marry him and if Porco wins then Curtis must pay all Porco's debts for rebuilding his plane. Curtis accepts the deal and all the air pirates leave the island to prepare for tomorrow.

Additional Voices

 * Original: Mahito Tsujimura, Minoru Yada
 * JAL dub: Steve Bulen, Mari Devon, Eddie Frierson, Steve Kramer, Kerrigan Mahan, Simon Prescott, Jeff Winkless, Tom Wyner
 * Disney version: Jack Angel, Michael Bell, Jeff Bennett, Earl Boen, Cameron Bowen, Dee Bradley Baker, Rodger Bumpass, Corey Burton, Jennifer Darling, Debi Derryberry, Ashley Edner, Bobby Edner, Paul Eiding, Greg Ellis, Bill Farmer, Pat Fraley, Brian George, Tom Kenny, Sherry Lynn, Tress MacNeille, Kaitlyn Maggio, Mickie McGowan, Laraine Newman, Rob Paulsen, Bradley Pierce, Phil Proctor, Aimee Roldan, Deanna Russo, Chelsea Smith, Jim Ward

Release

 * 18 July 1992 Movie Theater
 * 12 December 1992 Original VHS release
 * Autumn 1999 Newer VHS release in Japan
 * During 2003 English dub for the first time
 * March 2004 Newer DVD/VHS in Japan
 * 2005 Release by Disney

Trivia

 * Porco Rosso poster appears also Kichijoji Station in Ocean Waves when Taku meets Rikako
 * In Whisper of the Heart, when Shizuku is shown the grandfather clock by Mr. Nishi, "Porco Rosso" is written on the clock face.

Porco Rosso