Porco Rosso Italian Dub

Celentano does not sound like a cartoon character. He does not do a "voice." He speaks as Adriano Celentano. His natural timbre is gravelly, weary, and laced with a sardonic, knowing smirk. When Porco Rosso declares, "Meglio essere un porco che un fascista" ("Better to be a pig than a fascist"), you feel the weight of a man who has seen the worst of humanity.

Celentano’s performance strips Porco of any remaining adolescent idealism. In the Japanese version, Porco is weary. In the English version (Michael Keaton), Porco is witty and cynical. In the Italian version, Porco is resigned. He is a tired old wolf hiding in a pig's body, and Celentano’s iconic milano accent gives him the feel of a taxi driver who has seen it all.

Celentano is a musical genius, and he brought rhythm to the dialogue. He famously ad-libbed certain grunts, sighs, and muttered asides not present in the original script. In the scene where Porco fixes the engine of his Savoia S.21, Celentano hums a fragmented, unrecognizable tune—a sound that feels like the mechanical heart of the plane itself.

Furthermore, he insisted that the environmental sounds (the wind, the engine roars, the sea) stay slightly louder than the dialogue, forcing the viewer to lean in. This broke the standard "cartoonish" clean audio mix, giving the film the texture of a 1970s Euro-war film. porco rosso italian dub

A great lead needs great support. The Italian dub of Porco Rosso features a meticulously selected ensemble that avoids the "cartoonish" pitfalls of many 90s dubs.

Fio Piccolo (Voiced by Ilaria Stagni): Fio is the energetic 17-year-old mechanic who saves Porco’s plane. In the Japanese version, she is cute. In the Italian version, she is fiercely pragmatic. Stagni gives Fio a Roman accent that implies street-smart intelligence. When she yells at Porco to fix his engine, she sounds like a determined nonna rather than a damsel.

Madame Gina (Voiced by Melina Martello): This is the secret weapon. Gina sings "Le Temps des Cerises" (a revolutionary French song) and runs a hidden garden hotel. Melina Martello’s voice is husky, mature, and deeply sad. The Italian script leans heavily into the Sofferenza (suffering) of Gina—a woman who has lost three pilots to the sky. Martello’s delivery of the line "Vai, stupido, vai!" (Go, you idiot, go!) at the climax is arguably the most emotionally devastating moment in any Ghibli dub. Celentano does not sound like a cartoon character

The Italian dub is widely considered one of the best localizations of any Ghibli film. Fans in Italy often prefer it to the original Japanese, which is rare for Ghibli’s famously director-approved dubs. In 2004, when Porco Rosso was released on Italian DVD by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the dub was remastered and included as the primary audio track.

The dub’s popularity even inspired a stage reading in Milan (2019) with the original voice cast reprising their roles.

When discussing the legendary filmography of Hayao Miyazaki, Porco Rosso (original title: Kurenai no Buta) occupies a strange, romantic purgatory. It is not as globally revered as Spirited Away nor as whimsical as My Neighbor Totoro. However, in one specific country, this 1992 film transcends the label of "anime" to become a piece of national cultural treasure: Italy. When Porco Rosso declares, "Meglio essere un porco

While Studio Ghibli dubs are generally celebrated worldwide, the Porco Rosso Italian dub is considered by purists and critics alike to be a unicorn. It is one of the very few instances where the Italian voice cast is frequently argued to be superior to the original Japanese audio. But how did a story about a depressed, flying pig become the quintessential Italian film?

Miyazaki has said that Porco Rosso was made for an Italian audience in mind. The film draws directly from Italian aviation history, including references to real-life figures like Arturo Ferrarin and Italo Balbo. The story’s anti-fascist undertones, Mediterranean atmosphere, and love for seaplanes and nostalgia resonate deeply with Italian viewers. The Italian dub was thus not an afterthought — it was part of the film’s intended identity.