“Suzume” Review
In “Suzume,” the titular protagonist goes on a journey across Japan to save it from certain disaster.
In the landscape of modern anime, Makoto Shinkai is a gigantic force to behold. Several of his films have already become icons in Japanese cinema with films like 2016’s “Your Name” and 2019’s “Weathering With You” dominating both critically and financially. His films are a grand marriage of the fantastic with powerful humanity and can’t be forgotten. I still look back fondly to the fall of 2021 when Jacob, one of my best friends from college, showed me “Your Name” for the first time and changed my life. Now, Shinkai has released “Suzume” and, besides becoming one of Japan’s highest grossing films, it’s a fantastic display of his brilliant storytelling and ability to seed deeply moving themes into a thrilling narrative.
When a series of gates to another realm are opening and promise the chaotic destruction of Japan, Suzume Iwato (voiced by Nanoka Hara), a 17-year-old from Kyushu, teams up with a mysterious university student named Sōta Munakata (voiced by Hokuto Matsumura) to close these gates when Sōta finds himself unable to do it alone. As they travel across Japan, Suzume and Sōta develop a strong bond while Suzume begins to discover just how personal this mission is to her.
What Makoto Shunkai has achieved with this film is incredible and much of it comes down to his dynamic characters, flair for visuals and a story that gradually feeds you information. What makes Suzume such a great protagonist is that, like the audience, she has no idea what these gates are and what they can do. She basically becomes involved in this journey by chance and has to learn about these gates, what they represent and how to stop them from Sōta acting as her guide. However, she does so with a desire to save her country and is always willing to learn. Her desire to rise up to the expectations placed upon her is admirable.
Honor isn’t the only reason she has to take part in this quest. Very early on, Sōta finds himself unable to close the gates on his own and needs Suzume’s help. Without giving anything away, the way Sōta is incapacitated is both funny and imaginative with some of the most memorable imagery in the film being centered around him. As the film’s heroes,
Suzume and Sōta’s chemistry is the perfect kind of adorable as these two strangers become bonded by this strange series of events they must stop.
While the film is quick to establish the threat, simply known as “the worm,” that Suzume and Sōta must take on, the mythos of this entity is gradually explored over the course of the film in an organic way. I can’t think of a single scene that served solely to dump exposition. When information is revealed, it’s often accompanied by a visually interesting sequence to match it. Shunkai is comfortable having his audience piece together what’s happening along with Suzume and even changes up the tone of the film to deepen his narrative.
Like “Your Name,” “Suzume” starts off as something light and comedic. However the film gradually descends into an emotionally mature storyline involving grief and sacrifice. Around the halfway mark, I was becoming a little disappointed because I thought this film was going to be more light and simple compared to Shunkai’s previous work. I am so glad I was wrong. Where this story goes will surprise you and move you to the point of tears. Not for grief or joy. But just because of how beautiful this whole adventure is told.
Actually, adventure might be the wrong word because “Suzume” touches on different kinds of stories. Sometimes the film feels like a cross-country epic, then it can turn into a road trip, a family drama or a romance. With so many tones, it could have been easy for the film to feel stylistically lost but Shunkai has the sharp focus necessary to pull it off.
Visually, this is one of the most dazzling films I’ve seen all year. The animation is gorgeous and, while American animated films have all but abandoned hand drawn styles, it’s good to know that I can still get this kind of dazzling work from Japan.
While this film isn’t necessarily for children, it’s not exclusionary towards them either. This is a film fit for people of all ages and it treats the audience with a respect that can be lacking from other films in theaters right now. While I’m not against the kind of mindless entertainment that can be found in films like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” this just feels like the kind of movie that I would rather take a child to see.
Whenever I see a film that either is terrible or, even worse, leaves little to no impact on me, it’s reassuring to see films like “Suzume.” This is the kind of story that needs to be seen on the biggest screen you can find so you can truly appreciate this beautiful story.
