Suzume: Makoto Shinkai’s new film impresses with its obsession with details

Makoto Shinkai’s works are recognized because their stories perfectly amalgamate fantasy and everyday life. The quality of the visual section in his films is impressive when presenting landscapes full of life or completely devastated. In both cases, every detail is taken care of to an obsessive point and they transport us to the Japan that is in the author’s eyes. suzumebrought by Crunchyroll and currently shown in movie theaters, meets these characteristics and tells us a story with moments full of tension but also stops for us to enjoy the journey.

suzume is the story of a 17-year-old girl who leads a quiet life with her aunt Tamaki. Her routine changes the day that Souta, a character looking for some ruins with a door, appears on her way. Suzume’s curiosity leads her to want to know the secret and join Souta’s mission, and so she begins to travel the world to save humanity. The path will take them all over Japan and Suzume will face beings from another world while she is reunited with herself.

An open door to an uncertain destiny

Although it seems to be racing against the clock, the film takes the time to convey the feeling of going on a road trip. Meeting new people and places, having deep conversations, stopping to see beautiful landscapes and enjoying music are part of a journey full of new experiences, and that help Suzume grow because she decides to break ties when she dares to go out into the world. The protagonist must fulfill an obligation that she inherited from her, but her journey shows her that her destiny was to go out and meet on the journey.

Since the background of the story is a catastrophe it is logical to think in lots of clichés or that the story will become predictable at some point; in fact, it is very likely that from the beginning you can guess how the story will end, especially because of the layer of romance that, without being cloying, persists from beginning to end. Despite this, suzume it transcends thanks to the genuineness of the situations that take us from action to reflection in an instant. The development feels like a repeating cycle starting with the provocation of Daijin, a cat with hidden agendas.

This character causes the beginning of the trip through Japan in search of answers, to fulfill the mission of Souta and Suzume and to catch him. Once he initiates the chase, there is a pattern to the development of the story that is preserved until the end. The film is linear and tries to make everything assimilated, but the mythology and the background of the story are a mystery; there is a concept of fantastic traditions that is never explained and many doubts remain in the air. This does not affect the development of suzume but I would have liked to know a little more about Souta’s legacy and how that world works.

Another aspect that I found interesting is that, despite being a story full of emotions that focuses on its characters, there is also room for action. They are scenes that put Suzume in extraordinary situations where she has to deal with powerful entities. The animation of those moments looks very good and is full of details, in addition to marking a contrast with the contemplative moments. It seems to me that there is a good balance between both directions and thus the film can be enjoyed without complications while keeping us attentive to what is to come.

fleeting friendships

On this trip, Suzume will have a very particular companion: a 3-legged chair. It’s amazing how Makoto Shinkai managed to give personality to a character like that. In addition to adding humor points, the 3-legged chair adds value to the animation. On the one hand, he is a character and on the other, a fragment of the past that is still present. And it is that one of the lessons of this film is the weight of losses in life.

In addition to Souta and Daijin, the protagonist will meet characters who will support her on her journey and who will become great friends. The bonds that she is forming are strengthened in moments, and they make believe that Suzume has a gift for making friends. On the other hand, the ease with which the protagonist meets the right people is questionable, but it helps the rhythm of the story. In the end, we all know people who were important at specific times in our lives because they helped us get to where we are. That is part of the message and it is clear without needing to delve into it.

A world full of nuances

The film is a visual delight that tries to capture the beauty of real places and combine it with elements of fantasy. The effect is incredible, especially if you pay attention to detail. This feeling of seeing something with a lot of background work comes through with every frame of animation. For example, when the rain wets the pavement or we see many rushing inhabitants in a city full of movement. It’s no surprise that Makoto Shinkai’s work upholds this standard of quality, but it’s likely that he set the bar even higher with suzume.

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