Suzume (2022) User Reviews

Another incredible film from Makoto Shinkai

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 18 April 2023]

Suzume finds writer/director Makoto Shinkai exploring all the expected elements that make him an auteur with another stunning film that combines jaw dropping spectacle with an emotionally resonant story, this time about facing repressed trauma that's very specific to its country of origin.

Nanoka Hara is terrific as Suzume, funny confident and has really good chemistry with Hokuto Matsumura, who still manages to bring plenty of gravitas when looking like a three legged chair. Ann Yamane is extremely adorable as Daijin, a character with mysterious motivations but is impossible to hate.

Makoto Shinkai's direction is phenomenal, the animation's beauty never gets old and the CG elements are integrated perfectly. The food still looks gorgeous and once again there's some Macdonalds for good measure. The music by Kazuma Jinnouchi and Radwimps works so well, just as epic and emotional as what's on screen.

Stunning

[boboceaelena · 9/10 · 7 May 2023]

Beautiful animation, brilliant even, with a lot of attention to details. It captures perfectly the nature with the shimmering of roads and the sparkling of the sea.

The story is interesting even if in some places it could have been better. The feeling of old places with memories from the past struck a cord.

Regarding the love story, I'm not sure how the infatuation "that guy looks beautiful" transformed into deep love to say "I am more afraid of a world without him".

The idea of what generates earthquakes is interesting.

As usual for japanese anime, the final "lessons" can easily bring you to tears but you are better if you remember that lesson because it's about life.

Brilliant Animation, Brilliant Direction, Brilliant Soundtrack, Incomplete Story

[talking_about_movies · 8/10 · 10 April 2023]

This is one of those movies, which just makes it really tough on me to write about it. Because if I talk about the problems I had with the movie, it seems a bit unfair because it is in fact a good movie. But if I don't, that seems unfair too because I did have some problems with this movie. Here's a little background on my impression of the director (and the writer and the editor) - Makoto Shinkai. "Your Name" is one of the best movies I've ever seen (not just in anime). And I absolutely adore "5 Centimetres Per Second" and "Garden of Words". I sort of have a love-hate relationship with "Weathering With You". I can write a long paragraph about it, but long story short, I absolutely love the direction, animation and soundtrack of that movie, but I really don't like the script and the plot.

Ok now to Suzume. I do think this is a good movie. And I think people are going to have a great time with it, because of Shinkai's masterful direction and the RADWIMPS' breath-taking soundtrack. But I'm disappointed with the plot. Well, not exactly disappointed, but let me explain a bit more. I had a lot of fun with the first half of this movie. In fact, I loved the first 80% of this movie. And that's also because the movie continuously kept adding more and more unanswered questions, which made the plot more and more mysterious and it was great, until I started realising that the movie doesn't have enough time left to answer all those questions. And it didn't. When the end credits rolled, I was disappointed because so many answers felt missing. So much supernatural stuff happened in between that just wasn't explained. And now that I think about it, even Your Name didn't exactly explain its supernatural stuff. But it worked because of its characters. Because even though those plotlines didn't have a logical reason, they surely had an emotional one. This movie didn't seem to have both. Here, I can see that shinkai is trying to fit these themes like moving on and death but they didn't seem to fit into the movie.

You know, I can't help but feel that after the success of Your Name, Shinkai is trying to repeat some of the same formulas in his stories. Some similarities with Your Name in both Weathering With You and Suzume are very evident. Like a natural disaster looming over the characters, a romance that turns very dramatic in the second half. The romance in this movie actually felt a lot more natural than it did in Weathering with You. But the problem is that just like Your Name, Shinkai makes these romances take a very dramatic turn. And romance, being a delicate emotion, can't be forced so dramatically until a certain level of familiarity has been reached in the first half.

He did this flawlessly in Your Name and that's because that movie is built around its romance. Whereas in this movie, it feels that he's trying to add a dramatic romance to a plot that could've done without it. Look that's why it's tough on me, you might think I hated this movie. Not even close. I had a good time with this movie, because it is in fact a good movie. It's just that it could have been a lot more than it is, which is why I have to say the things I said above. But like I said this movie is directed MAJESTICALLY. I mean Shinkai's direction is just insane. He makes you feel emotions that aren't even there to feel xD.

And the animation is so, so gorgeous. As good as it was in his previous movies (maybe even better). And RADWIMPS is now 3 in 3 with this soundtrack. This soundtrack is just as good as Your Name and Weathering With You, and that's saying something. I mean there is a sequence, where a certain supernatural entity covers the city of Tokyo and it's like one of the most mesmerizing scenes I've ever seen. The way Shinkai shows that scene, with the breath-taking shots, brilliant animation and jaw-dropping soundtrack, I mean it brought tears to my eyes. Give this man an oscar xD.

This is also Shinkai's funniest movie. There are some very funny sequences here. 1 specific hilarious plot point that continues throughout the movie was just genius. The movie starts off very quickly and seeing these characters trying to catch on with what all is happening just made it even more entertaining and funny. There are also some very touching moments, mostly because of how brilliantly they were directed. Shinkai's direction and RADWIMPS' soundtrack is a combination that's capable of completely taking over it's viewers. But that 1 part of my brain which was thinking about the plot kept pulling me back.

Overall though I had a good time with this movie but I'd say Shinkai is capable of much more than this in terms of the plot. I certainly like it more than Weathering With You though.

I love movies like 5 Centimetres Per Second and Garden of Words. They were great movies in their own right, and they were nothing like Your Name. Those movies explored deep emotions like separation, alienation and growing up and did it brilliantly. So any movie can be great in its own right. I have a lot of faith in Shinkai as a filmmaker and I'd like to see a different movie from him.

(Btw you're going to get goosebumps when the title pops up at the beginning of the movie, trust me)

One of the best of all Shinkai's films

[yshr-04651 · 10/10 · 11 November 2022]

1 Comparison with past works

Suzume is completely different from Your name and Weathering with you.

This film does not have plot twists that Your name has.

Additionally, this film may not contain the willpower portrayed in Weathering with you.

However, this film may contain something necessary to live in this world.

2 Contents

This film evokes memories of a serious incident in Japan for the present generation, and also allows future generations to inherit those memories.

This film may teach us something necessary to overcome that incident.

In my opinion, this film may be comparable to Your name.

Makoto Shinkai's greatest masterpiece: a mostly spoiler-free review

[suzume-18729 · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

I recently had the chance to see this film on a trip to Japan, and it inspired me so much that I created an IMDb account just to review it.

As a long-time Makoto Shinkai fan, I loved Your Name but was disappointed in Weathering With You. I can confidently say that Suzume is an absolute masterpiece. It's the best Shinkai movie so far!

Suzume is a film about a protagonist who goes on a journey to "close the doors" on disasters. It should be noted that this is not a romance movie. While I won't spoil whether any romantic elements come into play, this is primarily a story about Suzume's adventure and finding closure/moving on in life.

This is also very different from Your Name and Weathering With You. Gone are the RADWIMPS insert songs; in their place is a phenomenal orchestral score (my personal favorite soundtrack in a Shinkai film). While Your Name was a masterpiece in its own right, this one is on a whole new level.

While there are some structural similarities, I would caution everyone not to expect Your Name 2.0 as that is not the kind of movie Suzume is trying to be. I will also say that a certain traumatic event in recent Japanese history has a role in this one, so some Japanese audience members might have a hard time with parts of the story. Finally, I didn't catch any cameos from his previous entries (unless they were hidden in the background somewhere?). If these three points do not deter you, I would highly recommend watching it in theaters (whenever it is available in your location).

Suzume is the most visually stunning anime film I have ever seen: I can't overstate just how incredible it looks! And Suzume and Sota are my favorite leads in a Shinkai work as well. If you have already watched this masterpiece, I implore you to sign on here and rate it a 10/10 -- it deserves a score much, much higher that the 8.0/10 it currently has on IMDb. Not only is this my new favorite anime film, it's one of my favorite films of all time, period.

"Poor Daijin, just wanted to be Suzume's cat"

[chand-suhas · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

The premise was truly intriguing with several doors at abandoned places in need of getting closed in order to stop the gigantic worms from causing natural disasters. Ancient Gods are the keystones holding these worms back and there is a closer who has taken up this important job to keep these doors closed. Then there is Suzume, a girl raised by her aunt after she lost her mother during 2011 Tsunami. Suzume is gifted to see the ever after and her love at first sight Sota who is the closer, leads her to join him in the mission to close the doors as well as save the world.

The animation is what caught my eye and I am not that much into anime. The story remained captivating for the most part and the narrative style kept the intrigue intact. I was drawn into the world of Suzume even before the fantasy part began. Chasing Daijin while closing one door after another, relating it to a major natural disaster from the Japanese history was a nice touch. However, despite couple of jokes working, the sub plot involving Serizawa felt dragged and the introduction of Sadaijin lacked the desired impact. Overall, Suzume is still a worthy watch for it's unique premise.

As a Japanese it's a heavy movie

[snowcrystal · 10/10 · 28 April 2023]

I didn't know it was about the earthquake and 311. I wasn't ready at all. For the people who don't know about it, it would be a great adventure anime which has a comedy aspect. But for me, it was pretty heavy.

I don't think it has a crying scene but I cried like a baby at the scene that reminded me 311 also made me think of the people who lost their loved ones on that day by the earthquake and tsunami.

About the people who didn't come home after they left their home in the morning...

I was living in Tokyo back then so I'm not in the position to talk about it much but This movie is special for us I think.

I don't know if I can watch this movie again after knowing what's this about now because it's a lot for me.

For the animation and story, I would rate it 8-9 but for the people who became stars above on that day and people who lost loved ones, I rated 10.

Oh btw my husband who is an American said it was a great movie so it's for everyone :)

To the people planning a trip to Japan, I recommend looking up about what you all should do if an earthquake happens in Japan juuuuust in case. Hope it helps you and have a wonderful time there! :))

(Sorry for my poor English and thank you for reading.)

Felt like We´ve been here before

[mickeythechamp · 6/10 · 15 April 2023]

I always wait patiently for the next Makoto Shinkai movie. He always delivers on beautiful animation and an interesting fantasy story and Suzume delvers on that. There are a few things I didn't like, some things I loved but overall I felt this to be a bit on the bland side. This story felt already told by Shinkai and while I always want to watch what he dose next, I always hope he´ll push himself just a little bit more to do something different. He still delivers a charming and moving movie here, but the impact wasn't really there this time for me.

After following a young man to the ruins near her town, Suzume accidently awakens a demon thar protected the world from an evil that creates earthquakes. Suzume most now help Souta who has been hexed into a chair save Japan.

I really love the characters in this movie. They all feel alive and independent. The movie has this road trip vibe where Suzume meets more people and see more of Japan, and every person feels like their own, even if they barely impact the story. Suzume is a character that needed more time to really shine and shown the way she feels and why she acts the way she dose but to me the creative and weird decision of turning Souta into a chair that can walk and talk is a stroke of genius. It makes the story more memorable and really shows the magical capabilities of this world. And the chair is cute no doubt.

What Shinkai often do best is the mix of serious and real with magic and fantasy. This movie can be seen as a fun fantasy road trip, or a look at the abandon culture of Japan as well as the horror of earthquakes. The movie is kids fun, while talking about orphans and even mentioning the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami, showing it in a moving and gut wrenching way. This is where Shinkai shines, and this movie moved me to tears at the end. It has this very impactful scene with a kid calling for her mom and it really is devastating. The very end is kind of just there and while interesting doesn't really impact the story too much. In general it feels like the movie was written by multiple people with multiple visions and too much they wanted to say, but there is only 1 writing credit, Skinkai himself. I think he wanted to do too many things this time around and the middle of the movie really slows down to me and some plot points only shine in one scene and is then abandoned. The story also felt like something I had seen before and the hopeless romanticism of Shinkai feels done to death now. It had Weathering with you (2019) vibes, another Shinkai movie, and the plot points were a bit too similar to me. It´s still a good story, but I would love to see Shinkai move out of his comfort zone.

The animation is as always absolutely glorious and incredible. Shinkai has this eye for the small and mundane which he always but energy into as the side of an eraser that is highly detailed with logos and text. Not only the but there are these just picturesque frames that are so beautiful and detailed. Shinkai has been experimenting more and more with the crossing of 2D and 3D animation and now I feel like he is leaning more into 3D. This is for better and worse as the 3D looks incredible and some frames are still absolutely stunning, but I miss his 2D charm. It´s still here, but a bit more in the background comparably.

The score and music is pretty good and cute, not as memorable as it used to be but it works for this movie.

The voice acting is pretty good too and especially love Suzume´s voice actress Hanoka Hara. She brings so much natural voice work to her role and her acting is effortless. While I am not criticizing Souta´s voice work, I noticed his voice sounded recorded. You could really hear it was recorded sound and it created this cheap and unnatural sound to the character.

Suzume is a good movie and I can´t wait to watch it again, but it will take a bit longer for me to return to this compared to Shinkais other works. This movie just lagged a little bit everywhere and while still being enjoyable it just isn't as perfect as I´m used to from this director.

By Ray (A good story and anime fan)

[raymondreiz · 10/10 · 10 March 2023]

Just Watched it today, heard a lot of praise for, and im glad I went to watch it in the theatres. Amazing and touching story !!

I went in not knowing any detials, the trailer didn't revealt too much, which i appreaciate. As the story progress i was very touched by Suzune journey across Japan. Remind me of the land when i visit there. Such a wonderful country

The connection between Suzune makes final revellation about 311 tsunami make for good finale. As the journey end Suzune was able to discover her long forgotten memories and let go of the past. The ending is a warm and remind us to look for the Future.

This movie deserve more credit, and i really recommend it.

Beautifully animated but ultimately feels a little too familiar and a little contrived

[anhthudinh-02169 · 7/10 · 15 April 2023]

Upon finishing this movie, I was left feeling a bit flat. The animation is on par with Makoto Shinkai's previous works, beautiful scenery evocative of the endless night sky, food animated to perfection that you could almost taste it through the screen. This for me was the highlight of the film. I was fully immersed visually.

Storywise, it's a little too similar to Shinkai's previous works; the theme of survival during natural disasters and the 'twist' at the end being time travel related. The story also felt a little flat, the lore not being very well explained and we were forced to kind of accept a lot of plot points as is.

It's an enjoyable watch for sure, but don't expect it to be lingering in your mind the day after watching.

Amazing movie, Shinkai's best!!

[Murky-Acanthisitta39 · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

I just got to see Suzume at the NYC premiere and it's definitely Makoto Shinkai's best so far. The music and animation were excellent, and so were the characters. It's not a romance movie like your name. And Weathering with You, so don't go into this expecting something like the other 2. The soundtrack is also more epic this time around and there weren't Radwimps vocal songs before the end.

Definitely check it out when you can! While I'm sure lots of people will be sad it's not like your name., I think everyone will really like it if they open their minds instead of expecting more of the same. I'd rank his last 3 like this- 1. Suzume 2. Your name. 3. Weathering with You.

Missing Something ...

[keikoyoshikawa · 6/10 · 25 May 2023]

I love anime and most of director Shinkai Makoto's work - "The Place Promised in Our Early Days", "5 Centimeters per Second", "Children Who Chase Lost Voices", and "Your Name" are among the best anime in the past few years. I haven't yet seen "Weathering with You".

Unfortunately, "Suzume", his latest work, in my opinion does not live up to the quality of those other works. Don't get me wrong, the animation is just as good. But what was missing is the chemistry between the main characters and a compelling mystery in the story overall.

There is something to be said about reusing common tropes too much. A high school girl or boy protagonist is par for the course in Japanese media and especially in anime, but why does it always have to be that way? Surely sometimes we can get something different?

And the mysterious destruction of a town or city has already been done - and very well so - in "Your Name". Had we not seen these elements before, then I would say "Suzume" is a really good anime. Sadly, precisely because we have seen these elements before, then I have to say "Suzume" is an ok anime only.

If you're a fan of Shinkai Makoto - like I am - then you should watch "Suzume" so you can make up your own mind. If you're not, then probably skip this one because it is not among his best work.

Beautiful visuals and music ruined by the story and characters

[blue-sonata · 4/10 · 24 April 2023]

I would consider myself a fan of Makoto Shinkai's work, my favourite being 5cm per second, but I also loved Your Name a lot. This movie felt like an attempt to recreate Your Name's magic, but falls very short of that due to the subpar writing.

I have big issues with the main character, Suzume. Her motivation for doing everything in the movie is purely nonsensical, risking the lives of millions and millions of people just to save one stranger she met a few days ago. I would have loved to see scenes where she questions her own journey, if any of this was worth it at all (especially after the guy turned into a key and everything was alright again). This same issue applies to some other characters as well, immediately driving 8 hours straight without demanding for any kind of explanation for a stranger they just met.

The cats were also completely disregarded. It seemed like they were trying to make them into proper characters, but ended up only being used as a plot device. And they were also treated extremely poorly by Suzume, who just completely disregards their feelings of wanting to be with Suzume.

Another thing to note is that the movie was very formulaic, following the same structure as Your Name and Weathering With You, but I don't see this as a flaw, because often times it does work out well. In this case, it did not.

Overall, I thought it would have been a fantastic experience, but I could not enjoy it because the issues mentioned above stood out too much for me. The romance should not have been there, and detracts from the beautiful moments in the story.

Describe the film

[sonsofsparda-15286 · 9/10 · 27 March 2023]

A love at first sight, seeking past, fifty thousand people used to live here now it's a ghost town, unlikely villain, phenomenon driven mystery, parkour, a race against time and chance, past meet future, today's sacrifice tomorrow's keep, great humor timing, strong voice acting, magical, captivating visual art animation & a music to fall in love, with nostalgia sure to hit a Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece ! When I left the theater I feel like wanting more I regretted for not having watch Kimi no Nawa and Weathering with you on cinema but not this time and I am so glad I captured this one. Ittekimasu Itterasshai.

Shinkai's Best Film In A While

[mitchell5954 · 8/10 · 15 April 2023]

Suzume is the latest Makoto Shinkai movie. This is the first one I was lucky enough to see in theaters, and it was well worth it. I consider myself a fan of Shinkai's work, even though I thought his last two entries were overrated. I do like Your Name, though I do think the film is overhyped. It's by no means a masterpiece, at least when it comes to the writing. But I thought the film was okay. I was not a fan of Weathering with You at all though. Ironically, I think some of his best works are his more obscure titles. 5 Centimeters Per Second is my all-time favorite of his. I really enjoy Children Who Chase Lost Voices and Garden of Words. I even like Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. So how does Suzume rank with all of those?

Well, like with all of Makoto Shinkai's films, the visuals and music are top tier. I don't think another anime director does background detail quite as good and real looking like Shinkai does. It looks even more impressive on the big screen. However, unlike the previous two films of his, I was much more into the story and characters here. I had no idea what this movie would be about going in, as the trailer kept everything vague and mysterious. But I found myself really liking the premise and the journey our main characters were on for the most part. I don't think there was any character in this I actively disliked either. With Your Name I found the lead characters great, but the writing and side characters were a mixed bag, especially in the third act. Other than looking and sounding amazing, like all Shinkai movies, I really liked nothing else about Weathering with You.

The main issue with the film is the romance, and by extension some of the padded scenes in the middle. I know supernatural romance stories are Shinkai's thing. Almost every film of his has a romance between the main leads. Sometimes the romance is done well like in Garden of Words and even Your Name. Here though it feels very rushed and forced because of just how many things are going on and just how many side characters introduced that Suzume interacts with. One of two things I feel needs to be changed here. Either cut down on all the subplots and side characters and focus more time on the two leads' relationship or just not have it be a romance. Like I said, I like all the side characters in this. But if Shinkai really wanted a romance between Suzume and the main male Souta, he really needed to focus more on developing that instead distracting from it with all these other B-plots. As it is, the two should have just been really good friends like the two leads in Children Who Chase Lost Voices were.

Overall, if you're a fan of Shinkai's work then this is a must watch. Even if you didn't care for his previous two films, you should still give this one a chance. It's not his best work in my opinion. I would still prefer Centimeters Per Second, Garden of Words, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices above this. Check those movies out too if you haven't. I'd give this one an 8 or 8.5 out of 10. That rating might go up or down depending on subsequent viewings. But right now, that's how I feel.

Captivating yet infuriating

[timothywalton-31924 · 6/10 · 21 April 2023]

Suzume is an uncommon film, for it represents complete technical mastery, and a daring, bold artistry in trying to imbue a fantasy film with deep meaning. While it succeeds on the technical front, Suzume might be biting off more than it can chew in the handling of its story

Suzume represents the pinnacle of perfection when it comes to animation. It is stunningly and strikingly animated. It is meticulously made- the detailing is impeccable, and the image lush and saturated. They are a unique visual spectacle- the closest comparison I can find is ratatouille. Indeed, The visuals have an almost photorealistic quality to them, but pulled back one dimension so an idealised quality can be embedded, making them pleasing and striking to look at. Only in Makoto Shinkai films would ancient ruins and potholes look beautiful.

When it comes to plot, The film can really be separated into two. The first half is an agreeable, albeit more traditional adventure/ road film, focusing on the endearing and charming human connections Suzume makes with other people along the way(the bar owner/ the high school student), and the "fun" and adventure factor in their journey. The second section of the film becomes considerably more sombre and sentimental, as the stakes are now heightened with Soutas life on the line. My first gripe of the film is in here- it's lethargic pacing in the second half. The film loses too much energy after the climax in the middle that audiences become disoriented. We have no clear goal exactly of what Suzume is supposed to do now, or why she is going to do what she's doing now. The plot also seems contrived in muddling up character motivations- why is suzume so motivated in saving souta? Does she really love this man who was a stranger to her into a few days ago? The film never offers anything close to answer to these questions.

But I think the significance of Suzume is that it is unusual, and even daring, for it represents an effort from Makoto Shinkai to make a film of heightened maturity and emotion. The writing, however, does not allow for this to be fully realised. It seems Our main character speaks almost exclusively in monologue and in banal dialogue. The writing also feels substandard. The film attempts to touch on several important issues of bereavement and sacrifice but it never fully fleshes or examines this problem fully. Consider the scene where the aunt has an outburst on how she sacrificed 10 years of her life to care for Suzume. In the hands of a superb writer, this scene could have been a dramatic tour de force. Here it is merely briefly acknowledged, not further explored, and never even mentioned again. Another issue to analyse is the main theme of bereavement in the film. The director has said the film was made for those who lost loved ones in the 2011 Japanese earthquake. The problem, however, with trying to explore these weighty emotional issues in a fantasy Children's film is that the bizzare plot of such a fantasy film does not allow for these themes to be punctuated fully. Indeed the film relies overly on metaphors to explore its theme. Suzume steps into the ever after to find her lost, younger self and help this younger self come to terms with their mothers death. But Shinkai offers no concrete ways for us to access our "lost selves"- the metaphorical meaning of the door to this ever after is nebulous at best.

Suzume is an absolutely captivating film because of the superlative visuals. But it is also simultaneously infuriating, for its relies too much on emotions and tugging on the heartstrings, rather than on a serious examination of its themes. Makoto Shinkai has definitely made a mature film here. But i would hesitate in labelling Suzume as thoughtful or insightful.

BREATHTAKING ANIMATION

[ADI-0004 · 10/10 · 30 April 2023]

'Suzume' - A Critical Analysis and Review

Makoto Shinkai's 'Suzume' is a film that ambitiously attempts to achieve numerous objectives in its two-hour runtime. With stunning animation and a captivating background score, 'Suzume' presents itself as a uniquely above-average film, despite its convoluted plot and multiple metaphors.

Cinematic Experience:- Undoubtedly, the most striking aspect of this movie is its animation. The imagery is breathtakingly beautiful, with each frame worthy of being a work of art. Although the use of CGI in some parts of the film (notably the 'Worm') may be subject to debate, Shinkai has effectively concealed any potential drawbacks of the technology by employing smooth visual transitions whenever the 'Worm' disappears through the 'Doors.'

The background score is equally impressive, as it seamlessly integrates with the scenes. However, the decision to include both of the film's beautiful songs at the end feels somewhat rushed and underwhelming.

Plot:- Despite its highly imaginative premise, the plot is somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The primary driving force of the story - Suzume's unrequited crush on a young man - feels underdeveloped, and the ending lacks coherence.

Characterization:- Unfortunately, the character development in 'Suzume' falls short of expectations. Except the character of Suzume, no character has been given the slightest development. The motives of the characters Daijin and Sadaijin are extremely unclear and debatable.

Still, the characters do serve an important purpose. The people whom Suzume meets in her journey and their hospitable attitude stress on the fact that although people are motivated by selfish desires, selfless acts don't cease to exist.

Themes:- 'Suzume' is a movie rich in themes. The film deals with adolescence, loss, recovery, hope, selflessness, loneliness, and the significance of human bonds. While some of these themes are not fully fleshed out, they contribute to the film's overall appeal.

The Base:- The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and its impact on Japan serve as the foundation of the film. Rather than focus solely on the disaster, 'Suzume' explores the efforts made to heal its scars. The film handles this sensitive issue in a highly uplifting manner, and Shinkai deserves commendation for his approach.

The Miyazaki Effect:- It is evident that Shinkai draws inspiration from the style of renowned Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. This influence is apparent in the film's imaginative plot, rich metaphors, cultural references, and personified creatures. For instance, the opening of the 'Doors' at random, deserted locations serves as a metaphor for the unpredictability of natural disasters and the destruction and isolation they cause. The three-legged chair symbolizes hope during difficult times.

Personal Interpretations:- i. Daijin:- One possible interpretation is that Daijin, the enigmatic cat, represents the lengths people will go to seek love and comfort from others.

Ii. The 'Worm':- The 'Worm,' a creature from the 'Ever-After' realm, may be a metaphor for the accumulated bitterness and grief within us, which manifests itself during times of loneliness and dejection.

Iii. The fight between the 'Worm' and 'Sadaijin' :- The fight between a cat and a snake-like creature might be a reference to the Egyptian myth of the Cat Goddess Bast battling the monstrous serpent Apophis for eternity. This could symbolize the constant inner struggle to keep our emotions from the past under control, preventing them from causing harm to those close to us.

Conclusion:- 'Suzume' has its strengths and weaknesses, with great animation and background score, but a confusing plot and undeveloped characters. It also touches upon important themes and uses metaphors effectively. Ultimately, the appreciation of the movie's qualities is subjective and depends on individual tastes and preferences.

Lock the door!

[AvionPrince16 · 7/10 · 18 April 2023]

So i need to say that im not used to see that kind of animation. I didnt watched the anime "your name"from the same director to be honest so i cant really compare the difference in the animation or story. But i really need to say that i really enjoyed it. Suzume its really a visual experience and the animations and the visuals really was stunning and helped a lot to dive into the story. So the story is quite weird for someone who is not used to that kind of story or imagination: i didnt expected that man will really transform into a chair, didnt expect the story of the stone and all. But the thing we will really link with the character is the relationship with her aunt. I really appreciated it and was tell inla different way with the animation, story and the cats. So its a mix of adventure, romance genre and i need to say that it have some unexpected situations or moments (the cat in the bar, the guy who transformed into a chair, the story of the younger Suzume). A nice animation and i will watch the other movies from the same director for sure. I was not used to that but i really appreciated anyway.

The music , characters , storylines,emotions ... Almost perfect in everything.

[yoshidesh-56536 · 10/10 · 15 March 2023]

The best movie to watch in recent years. It's just too beautiful to describe and has the best musical combination I've ever known.

At the cinema where I watched this movie, no one made a sound or left during the whole viewing process. Something that only ever happened when I watched The Joker 2019.

I like the way that Shinkai Makoto leads the viewer to his world, beautiful and magical but also full of emotions.

This movie won't waste your money, it's well worth it. I've been so fed up with the recent pointless superhero and horror movies. Marvel phase 4 is absolutely trash.

Suzume has completely met my expectations, a perfect cinematic experience.

Weaknesses: a bit rushed at the end and the two main characters' feelings are quite forced.

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover

[jamesfujimura · 6/10 · 25 November 2023]

Besides, the nice animation, I was actually a little bit disappointed in this movie. I was expecting a good story, or at least a story that I haven't seen before, but instead, the movie is not very creative nor was it unique. I found myself not connecting with any of the characters nor does the movie attempt develop any of the characters. Also, there wasn't really any messages or themes you can derived from this movie, and this was something I was patiently waiting for to the very end. The visuals were speculator, but I'm afraid that we keep judging a book by it's cover, then we are going to neglect good story writing in movies in general.

Recommend anime to watch

[davinhazel · 10/10 · 28 March 2023]

This Movie Is The Best Anime Movie I Ever Watch. The Story Take You To An Adventure of Suzume And it Was So Cool And Amazing. I almost cry watching This Movie. The Movie Might be a bit long, But Trust me it's Worth To Watch. You Can Watch This With You Friend, Family, Or maybe girlfriend or Boyfriend.

So If You Want To Know The Storyline, It's About an adventure of Suzume to find Doors To Close. Maybe that all a can say.

I can't tell more about this movie, It's So Complicated to say cause you Should Watch This Movie. Overall it's A good movie everyone should Watch.

Have Fun Watching This Movie That All My Review Thankyou.

Where is the magic?

[magnusmax · 6/10 · 12 April 2023]

Suzume is another pretty and imaginative film from director Makoto Shinkai, whose name has rapidly risen to the rank of household name for many anime devotees around the world.

Certainly it was not awful, and it's worth a watch. There's a very funny sequence involving some out-of-body magicking that had us laughing out loud.

Let's not be unrealistic, though. Sadly, the reviewers are correct: Suzume is by no means Shinkai's most original project to date. After the initial novelty of a few magical gimmicks wears off, we are left with a starkly modern (and consequently starkly unattractive) world - Japan's major cities, inhabited by armies of iPhone-wielding drones. Realistic, but miserable. Commonplace.

I think we watch Spirited Away because it spirits us away from what we know. Suzume feels all-too-familiar - and the glitz of an alternate dimension featuring Shinkai-staple pinky-blue skies studded with stars, is not enough to prevent us drowning in the empty mediocrity of a world of shallow characters and soul-crushingly ordinary glass temples (skyscrapers) we are all too well acquainted with already.

Weak story, nice soundtrack

[astephanie-chamberlain · 5/10 · 16 April 2023]

I'm gonna keep this short and say that I was terribly disappointed. I wish I hadn't payed for a movie ticket. To me, the core of a movie is its story. Unfortunately, I found the story disjointed and inorganic, too many holes... I was expecting this to a small extent with it being from Makoto Shinkai, but this really went beyond my expectations... Moreover, the story becomes really repetitive quickly. They basically keep doing the same things in different places.

This movie is mostly saved by two things: it's pretty to look at and pleasing to listen to. But really, just wait for it to come out on a streaming platform...

Underrated

[bita-39316 · 10/10 · 10 April 2024]

I think this movie deserves more than 7.6 honestly. The animation was amazing, and yes the story might not be unique but i think it is still really good. The movie is 2 hours and not once did i get bored while watching it. It felt nostalgic for some reason and made me all warm and fuzzy inside. The soundtrack was really good and the animation was AMAZING. I would recommend it 100%.

In my opinion this movie is much better than "5 centimer per second". It is not as good as "your name" but i think the reason i felt nostalgic is because it kinda reminded me of "your name". And again, the story might not be unique but i still think it is an amazing movie worth watching.

Suzume

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 16 April 2023]

"Suzume" is cycling to school one morning when she encounters a strange young man who asks her for directions to the nearest ruin! She sends him off in the direction of a dilapidated complex and continues her journey. Gradually, though, she begins to wonder who he was and what he was up to. Quickly, she races to find him and encounters a door - sitting in the middle of a wet patio. She opens it to see another world on the other side. If she crosses the threshold, though, it becomes her own world with the other world, well, still on the other side... On the ground she notices a small carving. It looks like a cat, hang on - it is a cat - and suddenly all hell breaks loose as a giant worm tries to enter her world through the door. Luckily, her wanderer, "Souta", had also found the door and together they close it and lock it with a magical key. He explains that there are loads of these portals around the Earth and it is his job as a "closer" to keep them shut else the planet will be destroyed. Now, back to the cat. It seems that it has a special purpose here, and when it appears to curse "Souta" - turning him into a yellow, three-legged child's chair (that previously belonged to "Suzume") we find their investigations take on a bit of a comical effect as they rush from door to door chasing the open wormholes and the cat - all while slowly discovering that they might be falling in love. It's quite fun for the first half hour with plenty of action, a bit of humour with the hobbling wooden seat and as we establish the story and the characters. Thereafter, though, I found this to be a little too repetitive with the story recycling itself a bit too often. There are a few extra characters drafted in - her aunt, with whom she lives, and a lady who runs a bar who takes her in for the night - but they don't really add very much to what is essentially a short story stretched out for two hours that could easily have been shorter and more condense. The production is colourful and the standard of animation throughout is bright and vivid, and I did quite enjoy it - but as a story it really lacks substance as it progresses to it's eventual close. To be fair, that denouement is not as predictable as you might have thought and it tests the mettle and the affections of all concerned as many of the assumptions that we (had all) made as the story developed become questionable. By that stage, though, I had sort of lost interest in "Suzume" as a lead character.