Suzume no Tojimari

The art is a 10/10 as usual from Makoto Shinkai, but I really can’t deny the similar story formula used in Tenki no Ko and Kimi no Nawa. That being said, i did enjoy this one more than Tenki no Ko but less than Kimi no Nawa. I liked suzume’s character but the male protagonist is kinda dull for me and i think that there really wasn’t enough development in the dynamics of the two main characters to justify the ‘I can’t live without you’ type of romance. At the end of the day they barely know each other and i don’t think going into a crisis together would guarantee that much romantic bond or idk maybe it’s just me not really believing in the love at first sight concept. So the relationship is a 4/10 for me. But overall, i think that it was a good movie and it’s worth one watch i guess, i probably wouldn’t watch it again so it’s 7/10 overall.

For those who haven't watched any of Makoto Shinkai's movie, or if you have did but wondering if it's worth to give a watch, then I highly recommend to watch it when you have a chance! (IF YOU NEED A SMALL SPOILER ON HOW THE ROMANCE LOOKS LIKE IN THIS MOVIE, YOU CAN READ IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THIS REVIEW :D) As usual, the plot of the movie is like the typical Makoto's supernatural movies ("Your Name", "Weathering With You"), where the two main characters, one male and one female, have their paths crossed, getting involved in one of the party's supernatural event, helping each other, develops their romantical relationship as they spend time together throughout the couple of events, and then reunites in the end with now strong bond of relationship (not gonna explain how in order to avoid spoiling). However, in terms of romance, you won't expect 'that same thing' you might have seen in "Your Name'. But no worries, both parties still do show their feelings of not wanting to be separated. In terms of animation, I don't know how to explain how great it is. The animated the scenery really reallly well. Since the events of the story are set in multiple locations throughout Japan (Miyazaki, Ehime, Kobe, Tokyo, and Tohoku), you can definitely see how well they made the scenery very close to the real life scenery (I mean, of course all locations presented in the movie are the real life places too). The abandoned places are also the same as the ones in real life (except the one in Tokyo, if not mistaken). What about music? Great! As expected from RADWIMPS. I really loved the background musics used throughout the movie. Also loved the real songs used in that road trip part. Listen to the theme song "Suzume" and you'll be impressed. In terms of story, like I said, it's the typical Makoto's style of story. Character development is not a main focus of his story. The relationship development of main characters and the progression of the supernatural event for sure are the main focus. Only the thing is, the development of main characters' relationship is not shown in the typical way we usually see, since, well, uh, because of 'that thing' happened (not gonna spoil here, you need to see it yourself and know why I said that). Still, the story is enjoyable regardless. In conclusion, "Suzume" is a great piece of work by Makoto. Despite lacking in some aspects, it's still not on the level that ruin my enjoyment watching this movie. I only hope that he atleast make a short OVA which focuses how the main characters are doing after the end of the movie so the fans can get happy to see the ship is officially sailing. I rated the movie 9.5/10, but I think I'll give the remaining 0.5 anyways hahaha. So yep, I rate it 10/10 ;) (SMALL SPOILER BEGINS HERE) [spoiler]It looks like the female main character has love at first sight on the hero (male main character) in the beginning. How strong her love is? Well, she did turn around to search for him after their first encounter. She also didn't bother to have a long trip alongside him to help him resolve the issue. She even isn't scared to do that supernatural thing as long as she can have a chance to save the hero. Also, she did said to her aunt that she's going to meet the person she likes. So there you go, the romance is quite good here. There is more, but see the rest by yourself.[/spoiler]

Gonna go with (8.40) for the full ratings. Man,honestly Tenki no Ko are better than this..this movie are that movie to watch with your date friend and not with the homies or even worse watching alone. Let's start with the story, where the element of coincidence and suddenness is really felt here and in my opinion this is something that does not respect the development of the plot. Even for character development, due to the short duration, it feels very unsatisfactory to see the development of each character and their relationship with one another. The characterizations are also felt to be less strong because the source of motivation for the story is lacking in its delivery and the romance genre feels forced. But back again, does this film have a romance genre? because I watched this film without looking at the details or genre. As for the portrayal of the characters, it can be said to be normal and not much to say. Talking about visuals, maybe only visual arguments make sense that weebs can use for defense. It can't be denied, the visuals that are displayed are indeed very cool, although there are several moments that I think the composition is not smooth enough so that the displayed image feels awkward. As for the audio quality, the only thing that got me hype was probably their soundtrack entitled 'Suzume'. But what I'm disappointed here with is maybe the placement of this song in the movie which really failed, my hope is where this song is played at least in moments/scenes that make goosebumps but unfortunately this song is played after they play an upbeat song. What a disappointment. In the end, what do I think? back to the first paragraph. This film will be at least worth it if you watch it with your partner, but if you watch it alone you might be disappointed. And again, something to appreciate for a film that disappointed me but still got a rating (8.40). Or maybe, i guess i am is still too good at giving ratings. If this wasn't labeled by Makoto Shinkai's name maybe I could be more ruthless. But in the end, it is what it is folks.

This review has a little few spoilers so you can ignore it if you want. Even though I have seen many people say that Your Name and Weathering With You are better than Suzume, I am still convinced and 100% sure that Suzume no Tojimari is better than both of Makoto Shinkai's previous works. So, this review is for those who compare Suzume with Your Name and Weathering With You. Your Name and Weathering With You focused more on mind-blowing and fantastic romance. But Suzume focused more on the journey of our lovely main characters. Where we are served with Suzume making some character development on her journey and Souta on his duty as a "closer" animated wonderfully, with both characters having a funny and romantic relationship on their journey. Like bruuuuuuh they be dating from south of Japan to north of Japan. This movie doesn't need complex thinking of the plot holes. Just enjoy the eye-pleasing and gorgeous scenes. And I am definitely a person who enjoys travelling. IN CONCLUSION... i want to be a chair...

This movie is amazing, the visuals, animations, characters, and art, are all stunning just like other Makoto Shinkai works. If you are a fan of his previous films, then watching this in the cinemas is a no-brainer, which I had to pleasure of doing so when it came out in the Philippines today. However, beyond my bias of giving this show a 9. there are some gripes and deficiencies that needed to be mentioned. This film is quite formulaic, the third, in fact, of a series of movies from Makoto Shinkai that featured our male and female lead crossing the whole country of Japan simply because they fell in love at first sight. Not to mention the side characters who just follow our male/female lead like brainless chickens because the plot urges them to do so without questioning anything beyond the surface level. The second gripe was with the repetitive nature of the story. Without getting into spoilers, the male and female lead literally moves from city to city to do the same thing for what is basically 2/3 of the entire film. While I was able to notice these issues, I can also easily look past them as my own minor gripes. This review may sound like a negative one, but all the positive things have already been said by other reviewers. So here are simply the criticisms I laid out as someone who genuinely did enjoy the film while looking past its flaws. I genuinely got chills when I first heard the OST blast in the cinema, maybe it's because this is the first time I watched an anime film in the actual cinema, or it's the air conditioning that was just way too cold than it had any right to be. Anyways, thanks for reading through my first review on this site! I just needed to get my feelings out there after watching my first anime film in the cinemas.

Well, i seldom to write a review, the last review maybe tenki no ko, so i rise every 4 year to write a review, oke here we go I think everyone who want to watch the movie gonna expect this gonna be same like others makoto shinkai - sensen movie, we all do same, but for me this time it hit different, the aspect that which is the hallmark of a Makoto Shinkai, the music, the art, the feeling that he give to the audience, it give me goosebumps, almost cry, and stunned when watch the whole movie im not mind to watch the movie several times, the aspect that i said really influence me, influence others too keep it going Makoto Shinkai - Sensei

The story itself give us nothing really complicated, and I think shouldn't be thought complicatedly. Simply, it is a girl on a journey (Road Movie) around Japan who wants to close portals to prevent disasters. Yet because it isn't complicated, doesn't mean it is bad. It is more than just "preventing disasters". It knows how to move the emotional aspect of the consumer effectively. How the characters played their role and related each others, the humor, and bittersweet things are quite balanced and great, the only problem is how rushed the relation between MC and the hero was formed, it is kind of artificial (probably due to time limit issue for having proper development), but the rest is natural and acceptable. The movie also gives us meaning on responsibility and how we face disaster and death, something serious in Japan. And as usual of Makoto Shinkai series, the visuals are refreshing and probably the most amazing from all Makoto series that has existed. City, port, mountains, sea, etc. Everywhere has pretty view. It is interesting how they were sourcing mythological reference to adapt it on the visual of the movie. The background music and SFX are also outstanding, it has right timing and placement. The series is really never disappointing on these things. The advertisements they place on the movie really emerged on the nuances, so it is really difficult to detect and would not irritate much as we watch it. I think the best way to enjoy the movie is to not thinking too much, as the movie signifies more on journey, action, and how meaningful the characters relate and interact each others than sense of causality itself. Unfortunately it didn't give us some memorable post-credit scene. Story (depth, complexity, meaning) : 8/10 Characters (development, personality, reasoning, relation): 8/10 Sound (music, bgm, sfx, voice actor): 9/10 Visual (animation, art style, illustration, etc): 9/10 --- Wouldn't recommend it though to someone who has kind of disaster-related trauma

Let's just get into it. Well-made art, speechless, a honest 10/10 Gotta say, Suzume no Tojimari or Suzume has a great quality. That's a big applause for studios who have worked hard to create an outstanding performance for the animation. Great use of CGI, great lighting-shading, awesome effect animation, an awesome support for the story. Eye-pleasing. Got nothing more to say, a solid 10/10, can't never move it lower. Calm, frightening, funny, the sound has it all, gotta score this a high 9/10. From the opening into the background and then ending, it's all awesome. The music and sound effect really complement the animation and story overall. Favorite part is when everything is silent. Yes, any part that is silent. To know the timing when should it be silent is not so easy thing to do. Story is good, but... it's using the same formula? Mixed 6/10 Don't know what to say about the story, because the formula's the same as Kimi no Na wa. and Tenki no Ko. Honestly, Makoto Shinkai can do better than this. It's literally just: Both MC meet each other --> conflict --> climax --> Both MC meet again Conflict and climax is great overall, but if Makoto Shinkai don't change his "kinda overused" formula now, someday he will fall. New story is great, but if it has the same formula like other stories, somehow it will feel wrong and something is missing. That's all for the review. For those who haven't watch, have a great time watching it!

Suzume takes the best parts of what made Your Name so great and somehow still improves upon them. The romance plot takes the back seat this time around and focuses more on relationships between friends, family, nature, and the coming of age. Your Name did lots of this, but it was often played for laughs, whereas Suzume I feel as though takes its characters and the audience itself more seriously. The storyline grapples with deep themes that really wrench your heart toward the end, but in a way that doesn't make you feel as much grief as it does catharsis. Beautiful art, fun characters, perfect balance of story vs emotion vs humor, and even intrigue at some of the sci-fi elements. Highly recommend.

Before that, I want to give major appreciation to CoMix Wave for doing an amazing job creating anime with god-tier visuals and cinematography like Suzume no Tojimari and Makoto Shinkai's other works. Suzume no Tojimari carries such deep meaning, and Suzume is so courageous for tackling a theme that is very sensitive and leaves a lasting scar on Japanese society—earthquakes. The music collaboration with Radwimps is also extraordinary. Considering that Radwimps has been on board since Your Name, I thought they had past their prime—but that turned out not to be the case. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. I feel so sorry for Makoto Shinkai fans. Even though it tackles a different theme than before, the pattern is just so obvious when you look at Shinkai's previous works. As a Makoto Shinkai fan who has watched his movies prior to Suzume, I felt that Suzume was very boring and extremely predictable. That doesn't mean the story is bad, but like I said before: "I feel so sorry for Makoto Shinkai fans" who already know the pattern and feel like this is just a disaster swap.

I quite liked it hoenstly, the storyline as always pretty and has a macrocosm of the natural disasters and a loose connection with the passage of time. Through researching the disasters of the movie especially, 11, it showed that it was tied to the tsunami where she was a kid. I liked how shinkai makoto templed with time once again and of course radwimps did not fail to deliver but I felt the romance was a bit too forced this time, and there were a bit of 3D animation that wasnt to my liking. But, overall still happy and again brainwashing soundtrack du dudududududu

Okay, this is honestly one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen in my life. From the very first scene, it felt like something special, something that wasn’t just a movie, but an experience that stays with you long after the credits roll. The animation is breathtaking in every single frame: the colors, the lighting, the movement, the atmosphere… everything is crafted with so much care that it almost feels unreal. The story touched me in a way I can barely put into words. It’s emotional, magical, and deeply human at the same time. Every moment felt meaningful, and every scene carried a kind of quiet beauty that made me completely fall in love with it. I was fully absorbed (the characters, the music, the world, the emotions) all of it blended together perfectly. What I love the most is how Suzume manages to be both heartbreaking and comforting. It deals with loss, healing, and connection in such a gentle but powerful way that it’s impossible not to feel something. I genuinely haven’t seen a movie more beautiful, both visually and emotionally. It’s my absolute favorite film, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I love it with my whole heart.

Suzume centers on a fantasy road narrative that blends supernatural disaster mythology with a coming-of-age journey about grief, memory, and healing. The story follows Suzume Iwato, a high school girl living in a quiet town in Kyushu, whose life changes after meeting a mysterious traveler named Souta Munakata. Souta is searching for abandoned places across Japan where strange doors, portals that must be sealed to prevent catastrophic disasters from emerging into the human world. When Suzume accidentally opens one of these doors, she becomes entangled in Souta’s mission, triggering a chain of events that transforms their journey into a cross-country race to prevent destruction. As the story progresses, the narrative expands from a localized mystery into a broader exploration of loss and collective trauma. Each door they encounter is connected to forgotten ruins and abandoned spaces, symbolizing memories left behind by time and disaster. Suzume’s journey across different regions of Japan becomes both a literal and emotional voyage, forcing her to confront unresolved memories from her childhood and the impact of tragedy. Along the way, the movie balances moments of humor, tension, and reflection as Suzume encounters strangers who briefly shape her understanding of kindness and resilience. One of the movie’s greatest strengths lies in its visual storytelling. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, the animation captures sweeping landscapes, vibrant skies, and subtle environmental details that give each location a distinct atmosphere. Abandoned towns, open fields, and crumbling structures are rendered with striking clarity, emphasizing the contrast between natural beauty and the weight of forgotten places. Music by RADWIMPS reinforce the emotional tone, shifting between energetic sequences during moments of urgency and softer melodies that underscore introspective scenes. However, the movie has several narrative limitations. The pacing can feel uneven, particularly in the middle portion of the journey, where episodic encounters slow the central conflict. Suzume’s personal growth is clear, but in the meantime, Souta’s character receives comparatively limited development, allowing parts of his motivations and emotional depth less explored. The mythology surrounding the doors, keystones, and supernatural creatures introduces intriguing concepts but remains only partially explained, which can make the worldbuilding feel incomplete. Additionally, some emotional resolutions arrive quickly near the conclusion, reducing the weight of certain character arcs that could have benefited from more buildup. Overall, Suzume succeeds as an emotionally resonant fantasy adventure that blends disaster with personal reflection. Its strengths lie in its breathtaking visual presentation, symbolic storytelling, and its exploration of how individuals confront and move beyond painful memories. However uneven pacing, lightly developed secondary characters, and partially explored mythology prevent the narrative from fully realizing its potential. Even so, for anyone drawn to visually expressive storytelling and reflective themes about healing and remembrance, the movie remains a powerful cinematic experience. Anyway, keep in mind that no opinion is ever purely objective, and every perspective remains open to discussion. Even so, each viewpoint still holds its own value. If you happen to see things differently, simple mutual respect is more than enough. That same respect is the spirit behind this reflection as well. Wishing everyone a peaceful day ahead, and thank you for taking the time to read.

I expected a more serious Japanese story from Suzume (like Kimi no na wa), but in the end I got more of a Japanese fairy tale, which had nice characters and an acceptable plot, but lacked a bit of momentum – fortunately and to my surprise, it picked up the pace (at least in terms of feeling) and perhaps even a slightly greater depth/adult level in the second part of the story (just past the halfway point of the film – you can't miss that part) and I actually enjoyed it. Considering that it works well as a "fairy tale" for both younger and older people, I'll squint and give it another 5* – I would especially welcome a faster pace throughout the story and perhaps more music, but otherwise I'm satisfied.

Not Much To say about this, But a very enjoyable watch. Art - 10/10 The animation style is amazing, always a fan of the more advanced movie animation style as seen in kimi no na wa aswell. It brings soo much life to everything and the colour pallete is very recognisable. Characters - 9/10 I enjoy pretty much every characters but dont LOVE any of them. Story - 9/10 A pretty standard fantasy story tbh, but executed well. Ost/Sound Design - 10/10 Radwimps on the Soundtrack is always a W, Voice acting is peak and sound effects are not grading to the ears. Enjoyment - 8/10 - A Little bit long for my likings, probably coulda been made into 90 minutes but 120 is a longggg time and you start to feel it after a bit. Overall - 9/10 Love the animation style, been on my watchlist since i watched the trailer a few days ago. Worth watching do not regret probably wouldn't come back unless i had a good high quality screen to watch it on.

👧🐈🪑🪱🚪 A gorgeous world, wonderful characters, and an engaging story. Entrancing when you watch it and magically charming always. The surprising, genuinely unexpected moments feel woven in well- funny cheerful moments to bring a spark to your eye so well as heartfelt plaintive moments tugging at your core. There is only one scene that feels.. rocky, but it is brief and can be overlooked or explained without much fuss. And through and through underneath the beautiful surface lies a powerful narrative fostered from tragically real events. I may have a bias, but this is definitely one of my favorite anime productions I have seen so far. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Now this is a truly NEW Shinkai work. I’m an adamant hater of the exceptionally stupid critique that Shinkai is “only capable of remaking the same film”, but I can’t deny that after the success of 2016’s brilliant Your Name, his follow up film Weathering With You did at times feel like a shallow imitation of his masterpiece, although I still have a special place in my heart for anything Shinkai touches. In Suzume however, for the first time I think Shinkai has finally achieved the perfect compromise; it’s almost completely narratively/tonally distinct from his other works, while also clearly retaining its identity as a Shinkai film, also providing a tight, consistent narrative. Whereas Children Who Chase Lost Voices largely failed as Shinkai’s first significant departure from his traditional style, here we have a film which contains enough idiosyncrasies to satisfy most diehard Shinkai fans like myself, but also has a more widespread appeal that’s even inclusive of those who may not like Shinkai’s filmography. What else can I say? The film is consistently fun and hits its emotional beats fairly well. Its reflection on 3/11 is poignant and eternally relevant. Taking aside its status as a Shinkai film, it’s also a very solid fantasy adventure story, and it’s always fun catching the staggering number of explicit Miyazaki references. I don’t think it’s quite up there with my absolute favourite of his works, but I didn’t come away with any feelings of disappointment. I’ll shamelessly love anything Shinkai creates, and Suzume is certainly no exception.

Suzume is a girl ready to risk it all, to go on adventures, for the sake of doing it. She's truly alive, even if it means taking all the risks in the universe. Suzume no Tojimari dosen't tell a story of a heroic journey, hilarious events or a silly adventures to let you just relax. It tells a life. It's time to get a life. Some might find the story slow, or even empty. Suzume expresses things slowly, but yet every event is important, every event is what makes Suzume no Tojimari not just another good movie that's an 8/10, but subjectively a 10 and critically a 9. It could have easily been an 8 had they rushed, had they not made the storytelling slow yet carrying such weight.

dear god i love that movie so much. what words will work with me when so much visual is put into something such as that? the sounds of the universe, the words written into a single scene, the flowers that bloom, the city streets, the lights that loom over the world… human life, not just that, but the life of everything. the life and breath of stories and myths and otherworldly things that no, do not have life, but were given a superficial, supernatural *life* from humans— their living being is engraved into the movie. i feel as if im the one going on the travel… i want to be able to experience the world in the fullest sense through my own eyes. i want to be able to live with a purpose such as that… even just to see a smile on someone’s face. i want to be able to be the butterfly that is watching, or the passers watching another persons’ story. to live in the moment and the past and the future of some ever after, to be someone’s future… even if that’s my own or not. the power of memories, with the acceptance that they will change, they will ebb and flow into our future lives and shatter our realities or form our conscious, will be present. they will exist in everyone, in the trees, in the animals, in the sky that watches over us… day or night. wether you see stars in the sky or not or wether they be thousands of city lights acting as a mask. whatever you see, they’re all showing off the same reality of life. that the world is revolving, and you’re so lucky to exist here….i am, alongside you.

This is not as frustrating a watch as Weathering With You, but it suffers from many of the same problems. In a story built on an existential crisis for many in Japan, of course the writers thought it was still important to fit in a hamfisted, half-baked romance for which the lead goes so far as to try to sacrifice herself. The most fantastical creatures in the bunch largely remain unexplained by the end, with the main one (nicknamed Daijin) having its entire modus operandi explained as trying to become the lead's cat for... reasons. I guess she was nice to it once. The main threat throughout is a mindless gargantuan creature that acts because that's just how things work in this world, and much of the narrative becomes a fetch quest with no real plan of what to do when they fetch it. All that and the fact that the MC seems to be inherently trusted by everyone, even to the point of being left alone with someone's kids, definitely rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, this movie is, as most Shinkai films are, gorgeous. There are a couple of stand-out moments where they really get to flex. It helps that there's some explanation for why the characters end up in the right places at the right time. The entire concept of a dimension within a door is really cool and beautifully realized. I wish they'd spent a little time elucidating why these doors were opening in ruins beyond just saying that these are the boundary between life and death (I thought they could have done something interesting with relating it to liminal spaces), but it certainly made for a variety of environments and travel shots. It's not bad, but it's definitely messy and the ending did not help. It's a beautiful experience that left me empty, worth the watch for spectacle alone, but little else.