I heard way before watching the movie to prepare myself for a mildly dissatisfying ending, and with my first few watches, I left feeling somewhat empty by the ending, as much as I loved the movie as whole. I've gotten used to it and appreciate it far more now, especially because of various things I've gathered from IMDB. Like this:

Gina said to Curtis she waited in the garden every single day waiting for "him" to show up, "him" being Porco Rosso. In that last shot of the garden, with Fio narrating "As for how Gina's bet turned out...that's our secret", you'll see that Gina isn't in it anymore, which seems to imply she and Porco finally got to be together. Fio is too young and innocent to speak openly about their relationship, hence why she says it's a secret. Nothing will probably change Porco's cynical nature entirely, but he can improve as a person from his love of Gina.


So what do you think? Any other theories?

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I found the ending rather upsetting, when i first saw it i ranted all night on how dissatisfying it was.

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well, if you look really closely at the end, when Fio is flying over Gina's place years later, you can definitly see a red plane parked in the water beside the garden. A plane so red that only a certain pig can be it's owner. So I think it's obvious that Gina and Marco got together. As for the question whether Marco turned into a human again or not, personally I think it doesn't matter. I found the end of Porco Rosso really beautiful and moving, it's not too sweet but it's definitly a happy end. And btw. I don't think Marco has a cynical view of the world. He's just a person who has seen too much bad things in world war 1. Hence he decides that he doesn't want to be human anymore and turns into a pig.

I loved that ending.

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HernĂ¡n (Argentina)
My Ghibli guitar covers with tabs -My Ghibli page

Yes, the ending of Porco was one of the strongest and most satisfying of all Ghiblis, far more so for example, than Spirited Away (where San and Haku are parted), or even Whisper (where we all know childhood love rarely lasts), but as Heidi says there are clues there, both in the plane and in Fio's narration - if it was not a happy ending, why does she keep it a secret? She keeps it a secret so as to preserve the privacy of the lovers finally brought together.

In addition, the fact that not everything is laid out for you explicitly at the end (as in, for example, Ocean Waves) makes it more alluring and thought-provoking so you can add your own details from your imagination.

The ending also gives me hope that Porco returned to being a man as well, since I think Gina's love will heal his scars from the war.

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Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

quote:

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Originally posted by Saddletank
The ending also gives me hope that Porco returned to being a man as well, since I think Gina's love will heal his scars from the war.

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Yes, the Curtis remark is a huge clue as well. How did I forget that?

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Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

I like to think that he chose to remain a pig. But that is just my wish. As far as the ending I am glad it was not overly sappy and leaves stuff to our imagination. Definitely love the part at the end where the plane tail hits his head. LOL!

But yes, even if it was intended that he turns back into a human when he gets with Gina... my deepest wish is that he remains a pig because he likes it it, even if he's with Gina.

I noticed, in the end credits, there are a bunch of drawings and images that might concept art or something, and we see one of dozens of other seaplane pilots with pig-faces like Porco. What is this implying?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Takuto
I noticed, in the end credits, there are a bunch of drawings and images that might concept art or something, and we see one of dozens of other seaplane pilots with pig-faces like Porco. What is this implying?

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That pilots are pigs!!

Haha, oh yeah, I guess so. For some reason I seemed to assume only Marco had done that to himself, but I guess it makes sense. After all --- "All middle-aged men are pigs"!

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AHEM!

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Miyazaki said in an interview once, regarding the Porco-Pig image that many men in middle age become like pigs. This could be a reflection on male attitudes or rudeness or hygiene or some other personal take on how he feels men behave.

He's drawn more than one manga on this theme; there's an equally famous one about a WWII German tank crew who are all depicted as pigs as well.

Where Porco Rosso works is that Miyazaki takes this 'men are pigs' theme and asks "Why do they become this way? What causes it?" and weaves a story around that.

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Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

Yeah middle age men must become like pigs cause they just stop caring about stuff. I"m not middle age yet, still got about 14 years left before I hit 40 (middle???), but even I am loosing my cares. Not like I am rude or nothing, but rather I am honest. For example, my teacher the other day for some reason asked for one of my old tests. In the past I would go through some mental stress to make it seem like I lost my test and didn't know what happened to it, and make it look like I showed effort trying to find it. This time though I just straight up told her, "I threw it away." No tricks or nothing, just the truth.

Maybe as we grow older we care less and less about glory, fame, fortune, adventure, and the thoughts of others.

Maybe all we want is the wind in our face.

Maybe in a sense that is pig headed?

I think it was a particular comment directed at Japanese men and pertinent to that society where women are still very much 2nd class citizens whom many men exploit.

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Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

quote:

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Originally posted by husky51
AHEM!

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I wasn't saying that because I agree with it; I was saying it as a quote from the film. Sorry, I didn't intend to offend anyone!

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Well Hayao is a feminist isn't he?

I think i like the ending... it's a lot different and less complete and conclusive i guess compared to most of Hayao's other movies, but porco to me has a very different feel to his other movies.

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I rewatched Porco Rosso yesterday and I noticed something that I haven't noticed before (even though I've seen it a gazillion times). During Fio's voiceover at the end, she says that she never saw Porco Rosso again. But she also says that she often visits Gina and it's clear that Gina and Porco/Marco is now a couple (the red plain parked on the far end of the island, where Gina's secret garden is). So that almost has to mean that Marco turned into a human again.

porko rosso sees him self as a pig but in moments when he is being nobel fio and curtis see him as he was gina loves the the man and does not care what he looks like many men come back from war scared and named gina knows this and does not care be cause she sends curtis at him like a guided missile
when she gets tired of waiting so porko rosso gits it and he and gina are together and that fio never sees him agin means he got it pretty quick because fio sees gina alot and there is that red plan at the end love the movie loved the ending i guess some of us old soldiers should listen a littel closer to what you gails are saying

I understand what you mean, dancer..

BTW, Welcome to the Tavern. Here's hoping that your stay will be a long one. Posting is a bit slow around here right now, but don't let that discourage you. This too shall pass, the slowness I mean... lol

Again, Welcome...

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