SUZUME｜Anime

2022.12.09

SUZUME is a Japanese animated film released in 2022. It was written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, the director of “Your Name.” The film depicts the liberation and growth of a young girl who closes the “doors” of disaster that are scattered in ruins throughout Japan.

Synopsis

Suzume, a 17-year-old girl living in a quiet town, meets Sota, a young traveler who says he is looking for a door. She follows him and wanders into an abandoned building in the mountains, where she finds an old door standing alone.
As if drawn by something, Suzume reaches for the door, but….

Sota, who has been traveling around as a “locksmith,” closes the door and locks it behind him, because evil will come from the other side of the door. Then, a mysterious cat named Daijin suddenly appears in front of them.

“I like Suzume,” and “You’re in my way.

The next moment Daijin starts talking, Sota is transformed into a chair! It is a small chair with one leg missing that Suzume used when she was a child.
Suzume hurriedly chases after Sota, who runs off in the form of a three-legged chair to catch the fleeing Daijin (Daijin).

Soon, doors begin to open one after another all over Japan. Suzume’s “Locked Door Journey” takes her to Kyushu, Shikoku, Kansai, Tokyo, and other places in Japan, guided by the mysterious doors and the little cat. What awaits Suzume in the places where she arrives, with the help of the people she encounters on her journey, is a forgotten truth.

SUZUME | Recommendations

Makoto Shinkai’s works fascinate people with their images and music. In “SUZUME,” too, the beauty of expression is overwhelming.
The story is deeply related to mythology and spirituality, and the deeper you delve into Shinkai’s works, the more you can think about them, which is very appealing.
The depiction of parents and children is also realistic and touching.
It is a more realistic portrayal of a parent and child than the previous film “Your Name.”, the director’s work has a greater sense of tension than his previous work, “Your Name.” The themes of the relationship between parents and children, views on life and death, and the earthquake are easy to watch and interesting in the Shinkai world, making this difficult subject matter a gem of an anime.