Original artwork, not a still
A pig who doesn't fly is just a pig.
— Porco Rosso ‧ 1992
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Porco's code in seven words: the curse took his face, but flying is what keeps him a person. The line separates a man who has lost his shape from one who has given up, and it is why the pig-pilot, not the comic part, is what fans remember. It also became the film's best-known slogan, printed on posters and merchandise and quoted by fans of aviation and Ghibli.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Porco RossoShow the scene
In Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso (1992), Gina, the owner of the Hotel Adriano and an old friend of the cursed ex-Italian air force ace Marco Pagot, worries about him after he vanishes for two days. She tells him that pilots like him treat women as landing posts and that he will end up as roast pork. Porco, who has been living as a pig since the war, brushes it off with this line. The Japanese original is "Tobanee buta wa tada no buta da", which the Ghibli wiki translates as "A pig who doesn't fly is just an ordinary pig." It was also a slogan on the film's promotional posters.
Sources (2)
- Studio Ghibli Wiki: Porco RossoAdvertising Slogans and Plot, quoted sceneReference checked
- Wikiquote: Porco RossoDialogueReference checked
Context reviewed
