Makoto Shinkai, director of Your Name and Weathering with You, returns with his latest film, Suzume. Shinkai brings fans on a road adventure filled with stunning visuals, lovable characters, and a very engaging story about personal tragedy.
The film follows a young girl named Suzume (voiced by Nanoka Hara) whose curiosity about a young man named Souta (Hokuto Matsumura) that she passes one day leads her to a ruined area. There, she discovers a strange door leading to another world and she unfortunately releases a keystone, which turns into a cat called Daijin (Ann Yamane).The escaped cat has been keeping a destructive otherworldly force at bay. Now, Suzume is forced to go on an adventure across Japan to find Daijin (and way from for Souta, who has been transformed into a three-legged chair) before this otherworldly force causes world-ending devastation.
Suzume’s animation, compared to Shinkai’s more recent films, is much more grounded and less fantastical. That’s not to say that Suzume doesn’t have big fantasy visuals like the wormlike entity that can cause massive earthquakes or the starry world behind the mysterious door. However, Suzume isn’t focused on being a more fantastical experience. Rather, the film is more of a personal road trip that sees its characters grow as they go across Japan to find Daijin and other doorways. Instead, the things that make Suzume a visually stunning viewing experience are the crisp colors and stellar designs that pop on the big screen as well as the surprising amount of action.
The sequences of Suzume and Souta chasing Daijin are thrilling and fun, as the detailed animation adds to the intensity and humor of these moments. There’s nothing like seeing people’s reactions to a three-legged chair sprinting by them after a small cat and Kazuma Jinnouchi’s jazzy music elevates the energy of the whole thing.
The animation and other technical elements also help raise the stakes of tenser moments. Suzume and Souta darting towards doors before the entity can fully enter the world feels perfectly suspenseful and is paired with a pretty haunting image. Since Suzume and Souta are the only ones who can see the entity as it enters their world, the rest of the world acts unaware of what’s happening. So, seeing this gigantic creature invade while everyone goes about their normal day is actually pretty gut-wrenching and it adds to the importance of what Suzume and Souta are doing.
Suzume’s animation is definitely top-notch and does a great job creating emotion within its more action-oriented and suspenseful scenes. However, where Suzume really connects with viewers is in the more personable feel of its story and characters. The film having a distinct road trip feel really eases viewers into Suzume’s personal experience and the growth she goes through. Her interactions with different people she meets along the way gives the film a wholesome feel and end up playing a bigger role than expected. Not only do these encounters provide some funny moments that put Suzume in awkwardly humorous situations, but they help Suzume understand the world better. Other characters often talk about the places that Suzume and Souta go to find Daijin and other doors in a more personal way, ultimately giving them more depth and influencing Suzume’s character arc.
Now, a good road trip movie isn’t without some great light-hearted laughs and Suzume has more than enough to be a total crowd pleaser. From the second that Souta gets turned into a chair and his journey with Suzume begins, the film constantly taps into your funny bone. Shinkai’s dialogue writing creates fun moments between character and some of the scenarios he’s crafted are hilarious. Suzume and Souta following Daijin’s path as it becomes a social media star acts as a great storytelling tool and gag. Suzume and Souta’s dynamic has plenty of funny moments—especially with Souta being a chair. Plus, the entire last act that sees Suzume’s aunt Tamaki (Eri Fukatsu) and Souta’s friend Tomoya (Ryunosuke Kamiki) join Suzume is a real treat. There are definitely plenty of laughs to be had throughout Suzume, but also some heartwarming growth for its two central characters.
The arcs for Suzume and Souta become stronger as they both begin to see a greater purpose for themselves in this journey and grow to understand each other better. It’s really nice how Souta’s family history is delved into to make his desires to keep the beast at bay more than just a simple motivation. There’s something special about seeing why it’s so important for him to continue his family’s legacy and protect those he loves regardless if it means that he can’t follow his own dreams. Suzume’s personal journey is truly the heart of the film’s story, though, as it presents some emotional reveals about her past that cut deep and dig into deeper themes about life and tragedy.
Overall, the film doesn’t exactly handle its themes the best and kind of just dumps it on the audience in the final moments of the film. There’s definitely an attempt to build towards Suzume’s big self-realization through some of interactions she has along the way, but none of them make that type of impact and it comes off like the film is just spelling out what it’s trying to say. Thankfully though, the film ends things on a much better note that fully encapsulates the themes better. By directly touching on a flashback that Suzume is constantly having and unresolved feelings she has about her mother not being around anymore, the film’s themes and messaging come through in a more impactful way. The final sequence of Suzume facing herself is a perfect full-circle type of ending that keeps the emotion high and nearly brings a tear to your eye. It’s a fulfilling way for Suzume’s personal story to end and leaves things on a moving and meaningful note.
Suzume is another strong original story from Shinkai that mixes the comforting vibes of a personal road adventure with some action and comedy that’s excellently crafted and animated. It’s one of those experiences that sneaks up on you and really wraps itself around your heart through the titular character’s personal revelations and the general good vibes her journey emits. Thus, you’re left feeling warm and touched by the story and have the fond memories of any great memorable adventure.
