Suzume no Tojimari

This might be the best Shinkai's piece amongst his other works. First of all, CoMix Wave do not disappoint me with their stunning animation. Just like their previous work on Your Name and Weathering with You, they served us with amazing visuals, like the sceneries for example. You can just see how much work they put into the animation alone. Aside from that, the story is great. It was a very interesting concept for sure, and they did not waste any time by dragging the duration. Every second in that 2 hour feels important for the plot. And how they did the intense scene is great, the colors conveys the scene neatly, also you can really feel the emotions of the character during some of the emotional scenes. Speaking of character, let's jump right into them. The main character (Suzume) is a really interesting character, she might feel simple at first but that what gives her the charm. She's just a normal high school student, and they did her right in just keeping her simple, they didn't force her to be a quirky character or whatever, just a simple high school girl who somehow got dragged into the story. But I could say the other way with the male lead (Souta) I feel like he did not really do much for the story besides being Suzume's love interest, like I get that he's the one who have to tell Suzume on how to do this and that, but besides that he felt like an extra. His character has not been told yet, all we know that he's the "closer" and he has a dream of becoming a teacher but that's it, I would love if they dive deep into his character like what they did to Suzume. For the side-characters, I love them, every single character that Suzume met during her journey are so wholesome, but for me personally, Serizawa is probably my favorite character in the whole movie , like I genuinely laugh at some parts that he did, and how he fits into the story later on is perfect. We can't forget about the Song "Suzume" from RADWIMPS, what an absolute banger. I actually put that song on my playlist, it suits some of the scenes very well, a very calming song indeed. Now for the one last thing that I feel like what it was missing on and I just want to talk about it a bit, it's about the romance between the lead characters, I feel like we don't really get much on the romance side of thing, like Suzume had a crush on him, but for what? Firstly I thought that they are going to have a mentor and mentee type relationship, but after founding out that Souta is a university student, Suzume starts to have a crush on him all the sudden, without any explanation, keep in mind this is like during the first 30 minute or something, and before I notice that Suzume had a crush on Souta, I don't feel any chemistry between them, but maybe that was just me. Well overall it was a great show, kinda regret it for not watching it on the big screen, but yeah 9/10 show for me, see ya~

If you want to see new things you can not see in Suzume. It is like Kimi no Nawa in someways but also different. In Kimi no Nawa the story was good and it has good intro, development and result. But in Suzume even though it is a 240 min movie development of the story was insufficient. But I like it, may be some people don't. I could'nt feel the love between Souka and Suzume. I am sorry about Daijin. As a neko-chan, it want only a warm home. All kittens and cats in the world want that. I wish they can have.

Note to self: wear headphones for the first 5 minutes since it starts with a young girl panting that could be mistaken for hentai XD Amount of good movie: 0.4 Execution of said movie: 6 Amount of bad movie: 0.6 Execution of bad movie: 3 0.4*6 = 2.4 0.6*3= 1.8 2.8+1.8 = 4.2 The movie is a visual marvel, but the story is disjointed and doesn't make sense. Movie starts as an adventure, then tries to force some sort of romance, then ends with motivation to grow up? it's a mess. Characters are as thin as cheesecloth, they flip flop to fit to the situation with no prior pretense of emotions or reasoning. Dialogue also gets tiring with nani nani nani and Suzume Suzume Suzume. Also what is this fascination with adults romancing underage girls? It's creepy.

Suzume at its best is just its visuals. The story line is subpar with most things staying unresolved. The writing is shaky at best with no real reason given to the viewer for what is happening. There are multiple instances where something happens, and the viewer is just required to say, it is so because it is, since the movie does nothing to justify that happening. Breaking it down to parameters 1. Artwork: 8/10 The artwork is good. It is easy on the eye and definitely looks good on the big screen. 2. Music: 7/10 Music goes well with the overall theme of the movie. 3. Voice actors: 7/10 4. Story: 5/10 5. Enjoyment: 6/10

Really good movie but something is missing. I loved the premise and story, but I can't stop feeling that it could have been better as a series. For over two decades, Makoto Shinkai works have been praised by their beautiful animations and touching music. Suzume is no exception. Mesmerizing scenarios and a breathtaking depiction of nature and food. Flowed movements of human and non-human characters. A lighting style that feels natural, yet dream-like. However, there's always something that prevents the stories from being perfect. Suzume feels particularly incomplete. Not because of an open ending, but because of a chopped character development and interaction. So many things going on in a single movie, that the characters don't get enough time to interact and properly justify their bonds. The feelings between Suzume and Souta are mostly justified by "destiny" (same as in Your Name), which can be seen as a cheap excuse not to give them a more complex writing. This can be found in some classic Ghibli movies but, for a modern anime, it's a bit on the lazy side. Something similar happens with Suzume's secondary characters. Everything is so fast, that they become tools for the protagonists to move forward, rather than companions. This could've been fixed had it been a series instead of a movie. A series would have allowed better and longer character interactions to deeper their bonds. Man, you had a great idea, why rush things? Finally, I do agree on the criticism it received in Japan. It's not ethical to keep exploiting the Tohoku (Fukushima) tragedy for commercial reasons. It's a sensitive topic that not all Japanese feel comfortable with having bunches of movies and series about it.

The recent works of Makoto Shinkai can be described with two words: mediocre and conformist. He continues to recycle the same formulas that brought him success with Your Name, to the point where it seems he believes he cannot achieve success without creating something strikingly similar to his most notable work. In this film, he consistently reuses the fundamental elements from Your Name, merely placing them in a slightly different context with characters who, at their core, remain remarkably similar. In this regard, it can be argued, not just based on Your Name but also on his earlier works, that he appears incapable of creating distinct types of characters. Nearly all his characters exhibit similar behaviors, conform to the same stereotypes, and engage in romantic and personal relationships that are virtually identical in nature. More specifically, the characters in this story feel particularly shallow. Secondary characters often act in ways that are blatantly convenient, serving only to advance the plot or benefit the protagonists and their relationship. Certain characters even completely abandon their initial goals or beliefs to achieve this purpose, creating a rather cheap and forced sense of drama in the process. Furthermore, the animistic or pantheistic portrayal of nature as a major source of trouble, a recurring theme in Shinkai's works, feels overused and, at this point, renders his narratives bland and lacking in depth. The same can also be said about his tendency to incorporate time-travel elements into his works, even if they make little or no sense in the context of the story presented (something that happens in Suzume). That said, the film offers an odd viewing experience. Despite its flaws, it can occasionally be entertaining, though at other times it feels overly long and quite childish. However, as with all Makoto Shinkai films, the visual and musical aspects are impeccable (almost hypnotic, I’d say) featuring beautiful, fluid designs for the world and its characters. In conclusion, although I did not enjoy the film and believe it could have been much better, I can understand why some people might find it appealing. I might recommend it to someone with two hours to spare and no better options than watching a rather melodramatic film.

Suzume is a story about understanding trauma and finding meaning in life. Or that's what I took from it. Beautifully animated and with an amazing story, the 2-hour-long feature hopes to leave an impact on its viewers, but despite everything, the plot falls flat, and that is one of the most important parts of a story. The general premise of the story is that there are these doors or portals that lock away a 'worm monster' that is attempting to destroy Japan through natural disasters. It is not explained why this happens. Suzume manages to release one of two 'keystones' keeping this monster locked away and is now tasked with closing the remaining doors and locking the worm monster away with the help of Souta, who comes from generations of door 'closers.' One of the biggest loose ends occurs here when the old keystone, which ends up being a cat (diety) called Daijin, turns Souta into a chair Suzume's mother gave her as a child. There is no explanation as to why this happens, which bothers me more than it should. The animation is beautiful, and many of the scenes are incredibly beautiful and could be used as still pictures with their vibrant colors. The storyboarding and cinematography are also phenomenal, with shots of the everyday life of people past (passed) being shown multiple times throughout the movie. These scenes are very impactful and are tastefully depicted with the viewer embodying the people in the past with our viewpoint coming from their perception (basically a first person pov.) The last fifteen minutes within the final door are also beautifully animated, and I can tell the animators spent a lot of time and care into these few moments in the movie. The music is wonderful to listen to. It's no surprise that RADWIMPS created amazing music, but the title track from this movie has to be my favorite of their anime OST's. Another problem this film had was pacing. And it reminded me a lot of Miyazaki's Boy and the Heron in that aspect. The pacing felt slow and then fast at different points in the movie, and it felt like there was so much content being fit into a 2-hour feature, which I think is the leading cause of the pacing issue. There were two main climaxes to the movie, and both 'hero's journey' outlines take an hour, yet somehow the first hour felt so much longer than the second, and this was because the rising action of the first half did not measure up to the rising action of the second half. If you don't pay close attention to the plot at all, you will still enjoy the film, but because the plot falls flat, the message does, too. It's important to note that this story deals with trauma and memory of natural disasters, specifically the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, in which Suzume lost her mother when she was four. This movie serves as a journey of growth in which Suzume begins to remember her repressed memories of when this all occurred and ends with her understanding the meaning of living and persevering through life because life is fleeting and because it's fleeting, it's beautiful. (I think because it ties to the cultural memory of this earthquake and tsunami, the movie may have been more impactful to Japanese audiences who still feel the effects of the recent memory of the tsunami and earthquakes on them.) However, my biggest issue with the movie was the unnecessary romance. Suzume goes out of her way to save Souta, not because they became friends throughout their journey, but because she has fallen in love with him. This I didn't find the strangest because a high school girl could totally start crushing on the older, good-looking guy she is working alongside to save the world. However, during almost all of their time spent together, Souta is a chair. It's literally a walking and talking chair. So the romance just doesn't make sense to me and seems... strange and out of the blue when Suzume suddenly professes her love for Souta to his grandfather as she begins her journey to save him literally halfway through the movie. Another loose end that is never cleared up is how Suzume was able to enter the door when she was four years old after her mother died. It's never cleared up despite being mentioned at the end of the movie. Long story short: I recommend this movie for the musical and animation experience. The plot and message fall a little flat, with a couple of loose ends, but it's a good movie to play on a night you're bored.

I'm sorry, I could not get past the first 30 to 40 minutes. I tried to watch it with my sister, and she thought it was tolerable, but I could not. I love Makoto Shinkai's Your Name; it's really one of my favorite anime movies. However, I had many problems with every aspect of this movie except the visuals and base concepts. At first glance, every Shinkai movie is visually stunning. The concept of closing doors to prevent chaos is cool. But here comes my first initial problem: that concept can probably get severely repetitive. Sure, it's aesthetic, but it's not much of a plot-heavy idea unless there is more to it. I hoped there was more to it, but we only got a man and an evil cat. [Again, I'm just judging based on my impression of the first 30 min of the movie, which I feel is justified enough b/c a viewer should be sucked into the story by then if it was good.] Now, I'm gonna get critical. The characters were some of the driest, most unrealistic personalities I've ever seen. The man has no personality, and good thing he was a chair because that became his personality. The girl is just wack; she is inconsistent and makes so many unrealistic decisions as a 17-year-old high-schooler. You're telling me she followed a man (stranger), he turned into a chair (she didn't question that at all; I suppose people turn into chairs sometimes), met a talking cat (also did not question that because cats talk all the time supposedly), and just vibed with these crazy situations? I have a real problem with brainless characters that do not question wacky situations because viewers are left confused for a huge portion of the movie until it's addressed [I dropped the movie before it was addressed; I was not even curious at that point]. You can call me picky all you want, but if Shinkai is writing a story based on the real world, I expect realistic characters. Also, their relationship (romantic?) was really unnaturally forced. And the cat? The cat and their motives just didn't make sense to me. The plot scenarios jumped everywhere, randomly and nonsensically. I was exhausted and it was clear the story was trying to add too many things at once. The early ridiculous scenes should've been replaced with the girl and boy talking about what the hell is going on, please. But either way, none of the interactions felt genuine, and the pacing was so off. I was told by my Japanese friend that this movie is good because of the Japanese myth/lore/past event context behind it. I stand by my opinion: I do not think an audience should be required to have prior knowledge about a certain subject to enjoy a movie that is being promoted out of its own country. That, in itself, to me, degrades the movie because it literally leaves out a meaningful experience for a huge chunk of the audience. Shinkai's films are mostly motivated by themes rather than characters or plot, so he needs to try something new and while he's at it, improve his character writing.

Makoto Shinkai's newest movie is nothing beyond the usual CoMix tropes. That's why it is good and well directed. The story revolves around Iwato Suzume, a 17-year old schoolgirl who lives with Tamaki, her aunt, and Munakata Souta, a college student that wants to be a teacher in the future. One day, Suzume finds Souta in her way to school, and the boy asks her if she knows about an abandoned area; such place was unknown to her until she found out about it after arriving to school. In its center there was a door, such door was standing on its own, just like another one she saw in her childhood, while searching for her mother. There, she finds a cat totem in the area, and picks it without being aware of the nature of that item. A couple of hours later, Suzume finds Souta trying to close the previously mentioned door, while a red slither was making its way out of the door. After succeeding in the task, Souta explains that he is a guardian that needs to close doors around Japan, and Suzume decides to treat his wounds in her house. This is when our story is established and explained. The movie has a nice flow and progression. We have an understanding of both protagonists lives and backgrounds. There is a crescent and mutual friendship that grows more as they go through difficult situations in their task, and some allies give them support on their way. The soundtrack is fresh and immersive, basically the usual in Shinkai's movies, just like the animation quality; it is beautiful and a virtual machine wallpaper material. There are a couple of points that always get away unexplained though, like the doors concepts, why they exist, the motive why Daijin (the totem cat) was seen as "bad" through more than half of the movie, etc. Some events could be better explained, in my opinion. However, the positive points outweigh the issues. The reconciliation between Suzume and Tamaki is one of the best moments in the story, the thoughts both characters held from one another come to life in a difficult time in the story. Serizawa Tomoya, Souta's friend, helps the protagonists and gives some funny moments through the movie. The climax, when Suzume finds her way to save Souta, can be a bit forced considering the short time both had together, but it establishes their bond in a touching way. Suzume no Tojimari is a good movie. It was a fun ride for me, who just left left the theater, and is one of the reasons why Shinkai's works are so amusing to me, even with some reused ideas and concepts. Maybe that's why this movie is good, because above everything it wants to tell a story without being pretentious or trying to stray its way from the actual point. Thank you for reading.

I appreciate how Japan can deliver to mainstream some story with barely any sense. OK, I heard about Denshinbashira Elemi no Koi which portrays love between a telephone pole (!) and a 25-yea-old man, but knowing how many people is actually crying over a serious GIRL x 3-LEGGED CHAIR romance is a strange phenomena. Ok, I'd start telling that I remember a lot of hatred over the hype of Byousoku 5 Centimeter between people I consider less golden retriever about anime, when it came out. I believe that one is definitely among his best along Your Name, since those are within the few I've accepted watching and had patience to finish - I've found out a lot of those turn-off pretentious anime movie trailers I've seen in netflix had to do with him. I believe Makoto Shinkai and his fellow producers are very clever. I mean, take Voices of a Distant Star which is a bit more serious in subject, or tries to, and think about it; it's a joke. And the more fantastic he gets, more unexplained bollocks comes. It always fascinates me to see people consuming nonsense, and that's my only reason to be intrigued here. However, it's undeniable he knows how to reach the audience with the music and script, making people emotional about any unbelievable matter. This is a Ghibli film wannabe, that relies on using tricks, same tools learned from the studio classics on visuals (the food part is extremely forced, honestly), score, etc and now, even with a few references. You can tell this movie was an expensive production, though still uses some CG support (and that breaks any real link it could have with its main influences); that thing alone is pure gamble. If your work is good enough, whatever if you use CG background here or there. Though if boring, these minor lazy details start getting on my nerves. The main plot is meaningless and tiresome at parts, but as I said, I appreciate the surreal way things are presented, without any reason; that's a positive point, and I'm glad a lot of japanese media still fights (much probably not consciently) the current need of everything completely solved, forgettable scripts that leaves no further thinking and cutting every artistic or intelligent trace off any media to feed a generation addicted to soulless, fast here & now entertainment. Even in shonen anime, it's funny how they tend to overexplain details about their skills then leave most things unsolved by the story ending. I don't even know why/how the cat was doing all that, and if they explained any of these subjects during the 5 minutes I fell asleep, please tell me so I'll have to decrease the rating of my review. Then you have the romantic melodrama Shinkai is known for, what a hearbreaker; there is minimum to zero development between the girl and little chair besides they are running from one dimensional doors to another for them to feel this ridiculous love. Kissing the chair and all. The family drama didn't feel fresh. Being sincere, there were some moments I thought it was funny, but nothing that made me laugh. To summarize, it's an absurd movie that fails to look absurd, a romantic drama that you have to be much of a philosopher in heavy drugs to take anything of it but comedy, pretty colored but CGI... And I didn't even hate it that much! Watchable mediocre Ghibli wannabe.

Oh, Makoto Shinkai, you’re a confusing one for sure. Suzume no Tojimari is a beautifully written and even more beautifully animated film about two young adults travelling across Japan in order to prevent natural disasters from spilling out of these “doors” which lead to another realm. It has managed to effectively balance wholesome slice-of-life-like interactions between our main pair with the supernatural elements it brings up across the way. Unlike Shinkai’s, quite frankly appalling 2019 film (What was it called again, idiotic gun side plot with you?), Suzume no Tojimari doesn’t take itself too seriously all the time, having moments featuring lighthearted gags and joke along the way (the hilarious image of a three-legged chair flopping around as it tries to walk is still etched into my mind, not to mention Suzume quite literally treating him like a footstool at one point). If I had to draw one major criticism, it would be that this film has some pacing issues towards the middle and end. When watching in the cinema, I thought that the Tokyo scene would be the finale and was a little disappointed by how quickly it had all gone, only to be surprised that the entire final act of the movie was still around the corner! This also made it a little difficult to connect with the characters, and I don’t feel like I was as sympathetic towards Suzume as I should have been during the reveal at the end. While not as emotionally impactful as the masterpiece of Kimi no Na wa, Suzume no Tojimari his restored my faith in this director’s abilities by being a beautiful return to form for Shinkai after the nonsense dumpster fire parading around under the name “Tenki no Ko” that I had the displeasure of watching a couple of years ago. I truly hope that 2019 nightmare was just a fluke, and Shinkai will continue to create beautiful works of art from now on.

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Crunchyroll premiere screening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures as press, and my outlet even got to interview Shinkai himself. There should be no spoilers in this review. TLDR: As with all Shinkai films, it's gorgeous, breathtaking, and you'll probably get a decent tearjerker moment no matter your walk of life, but in the end it doesn't really hold a candle to "Your Name", let alone any of his better & earlier works. I'd like to preface this by admitting that I personally believe Shinkai's previous works "5 Centimeters per Second" and "The Garden of Words" are two of the greatest films I've ever seen, not just in the anime sphere. This is important for later. I was also a pretty big fan of "Weathering With You" despite the criticisms of its ending and general direction of its plot. To put it plainly, I feel like Shinkai is currently chasing the high that he achieved with "Your Name", a phenomenal film by all rights in terms of artistic direction, music, and, though debatable, plot. I have written extensively about that film in a separate review. My problem stems from the fact that his films still continuously feel like they're chasing "Your Name" in that they're beautiful films with okay stories that people are going to talk big about but in the end they're still just 6/10 movies to me. I can't seem to find that same creative depth and use of metaphor that permeated through his previous films. I don't know if it's because I'm getting cynical, or if it's because they're just not as great as his earlier works, a phrase I say lightly because it does feel like a shallow criticism. All in all, I enjoyed the film, especially after getting a chance to think over the film over a cup of coffee. The message I took away from the film was that "No matter how much crisis you faced in your life, you can generally look at your life now and think 'I'm okay.'" We're always able to look back at how much disaster was happening in the film's past, in Japan itself, and even in the rest of the world and then also compare the state of the world as it is today and how we continue on living despite the pain and suffering we faced in the past. That message resonates really well with the film, and I hope you reading this can help you enjoy it to a greater extent as well.

Like Makoto Shinkai's previous works, "Suzume no Tojimari" features stunning and detailed visuals. The breathtaking backdrops, captivating play of light, and subtle character designs create an enchanting visual experience. The story touches on themes of loss, healing, and personal growth. Suzume's character embarks on a deep emotional journey that audiences of all ages can relate to. Suzume is a complex character who grows throughout the film. Her emotional journey, from experiencing loss to discovering courage and purpose, is portrayed effectively. The supporting characters also play significant roles in the development of the story. The film’s soundtrack, composed by Radwimps and Kazuma Jinnouchi, enhances the atmosphere and emotions. The beautiful background music and powerful songs add depth to the viewing experience. The concept of mysterious doors that connect different worlds, along with the adventure of closing them, introduces an intriguing element of fantasy. This aspect adds a layer to the story, keeping the audience engaged. However, some elements of these worlds are not explained in detail, potentially leaving viewers with unanswered questions about the logic and rules of the fantasy world presented.

Well bruv...where do I start? First of all I would like to say that this movie opened some old emotions that I thought I've lost to time. Those who lived through that moment in life, that's shown in this movie will understant what I've said here...especially near the end of the movie...those who don't understand. Your eyes need watering now a days bruv or you'll go blind...at least thats what old folks say. The character build in 2h script was a bit fastpaced in the begining, but as time progressed it slowed down. Animation works are pritty well done, the team did a great job, to me it seems that the budged wasn't on the down side on this project. All & all i highly recommend watching this movie.

I just had to write a review because of the top reviews being ignorant. I'm not sure if these people are familiar with the point of director being a director, yes yes, they do directing job, but what makes a director different from others? every good director have a distinct style. Complaining over Makoto Shinkai making the same movies is like complaining over the whole point of Makoto Shinkai being Makoto Shinkai. It's like complaining over Quentin Tarantino making movies that are all very Tarantino, or Takashi Miike being Takashii Miike, to name more famous names, like Sion Sono and Lars von Trier, All these directors have a pattern in their movies that are similar and distinctive to their style. So in Makoto Shinkai's case, his distinct style of his work is always a story about dreamy teenage romance adventure with supernatural phenomenon as the obstacle. That is the point of Makoto Shinkai, and I love it, I would want more of it. In fact among all movies by Makoto Shinkai that I've watched, which I've watched quite many, I like this one the most, I feel like he is matured up in this one. Since the first iconic movie by Makoto Shinkai, which is 5cm/sec, I never give any of his movie 8/10, but this time I give it 8/10. It's all good, story (ending) is satisfying and characters aren't annoying. I would say this movie is underrated. Overall, if you are looking for a good movie, this movie is objectively good. However if you are looking for a movie that is different from typical Makoto Shinkai then dont watch movies made by Makoto Shinkai. I suggest picking up movies made by other people if you want something different from the usual Makoto Shinkai movie. PS: When I was watching this, I didn't see who made it, but I could tell it was made by Makoto Shinkai by the vibe and story alone, this is proof that he made it as a good director, just like artists, they are good artists if their work is not only good but also distinctive enough that people can tell who made it.

Honestly, this movie is pure heaven for the people who just care about the animation, art, and music in the film. It's one of the most visually stunning animated films I have ever seen and my eyes felt like they were in heaven the entire time. For me, it was worth every penny for the movie theatre ticket so I could get the full experience. HOWEVER if you're expecting this film to blow your mind or even make you critically think at all you're going to be disappointed. Everything in the story is extremely predictable to the point where it feels like you have already experienced it before. Because of that, I'm only giving it a 9/10. It was so close to being the best movie of the year but they fumbled it due to being boring.

Suzume no Tojimari seems like it is attempting to create something extraordinary or abstract, however doesn't succeed in doing so, creating no real meaning or significance at the beginning. It feels as if the movie does things, and doesn't explain it making it seem cringeworthy. However, later in the story, if you start connecting with the characters, through the funny interactions, their adventure, the flashbacks, and its desperate attempt to creating empathy with those characters, and as it starts explaining some reasons for their actions, it is likely that it starts creating significance and an emotional rollercoaster will be forged. Even though some people might call this movie cliché, because of the characters, others will find the characters easily empathizable, as they would come across as someone who has shared experiences. The significance of other personal experiences may also interact with the enjoyment of this movie, especially because the movie does seem to be decently reliant on exterior experiences for emotional response. Nevertheless, I don't think it's required to empathize with the characters to enjoy the movie either, which leads to my next point. The animation quality is extraordinary. It may be, that the animation quality will appear as even more magnificent if watched on a high-resolution movie screen, which I personally did, but it's difficult to deny such high-quality animation. The animation was without question the movie's biggest strength point and it was only supported by the amount of spectacle that happened in this movie. There was so much spectacle that happened in this movie. One happened after another, though a lot of it felt without significance, which spectacle should have, as it felt it sometimes didn't provide reason. However, much of what happens in the movie is in reference to Uzume mythology and its inspiration was taken from the 7/11 earthquake. So that may explain some of the reasons behind the actions within the movie. However, it may be that we can also infer a message from the unreasonable actions and the ending, which I will not explicitly state as that may ruin the user experience, but this may be the solution to all the unreasonable actions. Lastly, the romance in this movie seems like the weakest part of the movie. Not that it really is a romance movie, but Makoto Shinkai's movies always had something that connected two people to forge a love interest. This time however, it felt like what Makoto Shinkai had succeeded in in so many of his movies, hadn't succeeded in this movie. The movie does not seem to build up much reason for the deep care and love in the story. But maybe it also is trying to allude to how sometimes romance doesn't require much for it to be established. To conclude, I feel like it is hard to recommend this movie to specific groups of people, and instead wish to not recommend it to people that are only interested in a deep romance story, which it does not contain. Though, I feel like this movie is definitely worth a watch, and even if it didn't succeed significantly in romance or reasoning, it is entertaining nonetheless; the animation is superb, the sound quality is great, the music is great, it has touching moments, and it has funny moments. So if you do give it a watch, I would highly recommend you watching it in the cinemas on a big screen, because it really does have a great impact on the enjoyment of the movie, as it would be such a shame not to when its animation quality is top tier.

Shinkai’s films have always run hot and cold for me. Despite being visually striking, I found them lacking in the writing department, with stories that were more often than not half-baked, and with characters not strong enough to support the weight of the plot. Is Suzume no Tojimari any different? Well… yes and no. The story follows our main girl Suzume, who is snatched from her everyday life into a world of mythical beasts, places, and menacing doors. She meets our male lead Souta, who is much more experienced in the supernatural. He is a Closer, essentially someone who must stop the monsters of the mythical world escaping into our world through mysterious doors and creating natural disasters. Together they journey across Japan to stop a giant worm-like creature from escaping the aforementioned doors and causing massive earthquakes across Japan. I’ll be honest, the story of Suzume no Tojimari is not that good. It basically acts as a vessel to move our characters from one action set piece to another, and is not particularly complex or unique. It also suffers some pacing issues; the movie is two hours long, but really should have been closer to one and a half. I’m a slice-of-life fan so I’m accustomed to slow pacing, but one of my friends who I saw it with me did say it dragged at times, particularly before the finale. If one or two sequences were cut and the editing was snappier, the film would have lost very little but the pacing would have improved drastically. I’m giving the story a 6 out of 10. The reason the score is not lower is because the action set pieces that the plot clumsily ties together are spectacular. The visuals of Shinkai’s films have always been impressive to me, but here they also incorporate striking visual imagery to create otherworldly sequences reminiscent of Your Name. Beautiful abandoned ruins, giant structures in the sky, and burning towns are just some of the excellent imagery in this movie. The music also adds a whole lot to the experience. Unlike Shinkai’s other films the score not only consists of more delicate pieces but also contains many epic arrangements with chanting choirs and drums to enhance the action sequences and create a dreamlike experience. Seeing this film in theatres with the music blasting in my ears and the visuals on the large screen certainly heightened the film’s set pieces, and while I’m not one for saying that a film must be experienced in theatres, Suzume is far better on the big screen. I’m giving the music and animation both a 9 out of 10. The main area that Suzume succeeds over Shinkai’s other films is his characters. They are still far from complex, but this time they embody much more of a screen presence than his previous characters. There is depth to both Suzume and Souta, and their personal conflicts provide a strong emotional core to counterbalance the film’s external conflict. I was surprised that their backstories were not built up inorganically; Suzume’s is woven into the plot reasonably well and Souta’s is gradually revealed throughout the film. I liked Suzume’s determination to not walk away, and Souta’s courage in the face of what he knows he can’t accomplish by himself. Their dynamic is not particularly special, but I found it endearing nonetheless and it does work well in some of the film’s comedic moments. I’m giving the characters a 7 out of 10. The main thing I felt watching Suzume was a sense of fun that I have not felt in any of Shinkai’s other works. The epic music and visuals created a world it was a joy to walk into, the characters were fun and had enough presence to elevate the experience, and the story had a much stronger emotional core than Shinkai’s other works. While I wouldn’t say it’s as easily consumable as Your Name due to some pacing issues, and it’s not a particularly complex or deep film, it is definitely an enjoyable experience that offers an unmatched and unique spectacle you won’t find in many other films. My enjoyment, and overall score, are both an 8 out of 10. If you don’t like Makoto Shinkai’s films, Suzume no Tojimari is probably not going to change your mind. But if you do like Shinkai’s films, it’s a consolidation of all things Shinkai that is rough around the edges, but striking nonetheless. Thank you for reading.

Suzume No Tojimari, well it's good, not without flaws but still very good. From technical aspects like animation, music, etc is a major improvement over their last movie. The signature animation style is more refined, but they also use 3DCG techniques that's rarely done in previous movies. There's no awkward or out-of-place 3DCG usages, it even enhances almost all of the scenes & blends well with the hand-drawn characters. There's almost nothing wrong with the animation except for very minor stuffs here & there. The soundtrack is phenomenal. At first I thought Keiichi Okabe (NieR: Automata) or Evan Call (Violet Evergarden) composed the film soundtracks, but it's actually RADWIMPS themselves along with some other composers. It's otherworldly & fits near perfectly for the scenes each track is played. Although some specific soundtracks are repetitive, it's still gives goosebumps. It's just that emotional, & using a theme/genre that's almost never done in previous Makoto Shinkai films. Personally, I think the story itself is definitely better than Tenki No Ko, & I dare to say that it's also better than Kimi No Na Wa. The story is about a schoolgirl & a "closer" that has to close doors around Japan to prevent an entity from destroying it's nearby region in form of an earthquake. The story feels more heavy with a straight up legit disasters as the film's core theme. So during our main character's adventures, mass casualties are the stakes if they're failed, & it's explored neatly. Unlike previous movies where first half of the movie is a day in a life of the characters, Suzume No Tojimari straight up flooring it to the conflict on the first act. Despite that, the main characters' day in the life is still present during chill scenes with the side characters from each act. Each side characters are developed well & unique in their own way, regardless of the little screentime each had. For the main characters, while also developed well, they are barely any difference from the MCs from previous Makoto Shinkai movies personality wise. So they're ain't really unique at all & it wouldn't be good if it continues into the future movies. Other thing that doesn't sit right with me is few of the character's motivations. One in particular, Daijin, either doesn't really have proper motivation for what it's doing or doesn't well explained by the movie, despite being the main reason for the film's plot. Whole movie I was thinking "why does it do that?", & I left the theater still without proper answer. Back to the story, Suzume No Tojimari is both more light-hearted & more emotionally dramatic (in a good way) simultaneously. The stakes is well raised from one act to another almost without a drop, making the story more exciting to follow. Not to mention that death & casualties are implied throughout the movie, especially one that's related to one of the main character, making the movie more grim than previous ones & making each imminent disasters more impactful for the charas. The conclusion, while not as emotional (at least for me), is still a satisfying one. The ending with a certain little girl almost makes me teared up, & the way the loose ends are tied up is nice. Overall, it's definitely a step up from previous Makoto Shinkai movies. I see it as Makoto's attempt to make a Ghibli or Miyazaki-esque film in his own style, as seen from the movies many Japanese mythology & legends references. I give it 8,8 but I'll just round it up to 9/10.

Suzume no Tojimari A girl running various parts of Japan with a talking chair and the predicament to save everyone from the " Worm " only She can see !! I had always wanted to watch this movie since it released the time it was released was when I didn't used to watch anime yet I wanted to watch Suzume maybe because of the theme song " Suzume " I have always loved the song and when i clips of the movie I knew I would love watching it, it was like even before watching the movie I knew it was a masterpiece . Originally I had planned to watch the movie in theater only for the experience but its 3 years already of the movie release so there was no possibility of it re appearing on theaters so Yesterday I planned to watch it on " CRUNCHYROLL " anddddddd I was correct I loved the movie so much like every bit of the movie was of my liking I wish I would have got the chance to watch Suzume in movie theater . Suzume had been on my favourite liste even before I watched it for one it can be said that I'm a die hard fan of Suzume no Tojimari ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ Above was my personal review and feelings, Now the review about the movie is below .. 1. Animations : As excpected from any movie of " Makoto Shinkai " amazing animations colours and aesthetics ✅ 2. Vibe : Almost every movie Made by " Makoto Shinkai " has the warmth making anyone feel cozy enough to sit back and enjoy meanwhile the thrill scenes giving you chills ! ✅ 3. OSTs : Every OST in the movie is great aside from the main songs the OSTs are no less when it's about enjoying the movie ✅ 4. Storyline : A school going girl with a terrible past gpot her life totally changed after following thwe man she guided to the ruins out of curiosity and by mistakenly removing a keystone and making it free and getting the man she guided turned into a chair she had kept with her as the last memory of her mother, and with that the Journey of " Suzume's door-locking " begins ! ❤️ 5. Romance : Every movie of " Makoto Shinkai " has the thing for romance that it isn't actually shown like till very end of the movie ( Your Name & Weathering with You ) the love his shown in various ways and actions Like in Your Name Taki searching for Mitsuha even if he had almost no clue about her at some point, in Weather with You Hodaka running from the police and reaching the tori gate to just to get Hina back from the clouds and bringing her back from impossible . Its no different for Suzume no Tojimari, Suzume did the impossible to get Souta back to life from the " ever after " after going all through she still wanted to get Souta back facing of her fears and even maiking her aunt and Souta's friend make her help reach the final door of her past . All these are enough signs to show the emotion " Love " ❤️ Well this is the end of the revie, ik the first half of the review might be a waste for some people and the might find my review not helpfull but anyone reading this review let me say this " Suzume no Tojimari " has a very special place in my heart Its like perfect in every way for me so I wanted to write a review after watching the movie so I poured all my heart into the review <3 ! Even after 3 years of the movie I still love this movie I did even when i hadn't watched it its been a few hrs i watched the movie and writing the review now ( watched in midnight writing review in the morning ) and I can say that " I can rewatch this movie countless times and not get bored " After 1 hr into the movie I had a blank feeling that such an amazing movie is already half way over and my first experience watching the movie will already be over, this is just how much I love the movie someone might call it " obsession " idc so im fine with it. Well lets end the review here, should you watch Suzume no Tojimari ? welp OBVIOUSLY !! just go for it even if you don't fall for the movie you wouldn't regret watching it for sure !