I've just watched this in the cinema, it was phenomenal. I mean damn, I remembered watching Kimi no Na Wa on a laptop many years ago, Suzume is the first Makoto Shinkai movie that I watched at the cinema and my God... It's absolutely fantastic.
The first thing first that always catches your eye in a Makoto Shinkai movie is his art style which is complimented by jaw-dropping visuals. From the character movements to the scenery in which many actions took place. This movie in particular really took that to its advantage, with a vibrant variety of backdrop from the village, to the coastlines, the sea, the mountains, and the city. Damn. Though let me stop myself. There's nothing more boldly apparent when watching this in the cinema other than the sound. Ahh yes, the sound effects with that heavy bass when the worms appear were thrilling, and ofc let's not forget all the OST, What can I say... Loved it. Especially the Suzume no Tomari song that played near the end of the movie, magical.
Alright, the number 1 thing that I appreciate about this movie is the amount of adventure it has. Seeing Suzume travel with Souta was fun, the people she met along the way, the scenery and landscapes she saw, and the events that lead her closer and closer to rediscovering her past. That was all a blast to watch. A trip throughout Japan in search of an annoying cat, and then a road trip back while jamming to a variety of pop songs. Man, I'd love to actually do all that. Without having to fight the worms ofc. Having Suzume briefly stop somewhere before continuing her journey made the paths she left behind feel real. Though that's the problem isn't it... It's brief.
Although the movie is 2 hours long, it doesn't feel like it. That's good, but also bad. I felt as though due to the fact that things happen so quickly, there's not enough time for the audience to hold a stronger sentimental attachment. The side characters that appeared were charming, but only so much. As a comparison, let's take Suzume's classmates, they were there, and they weren't there. I wished there was more continuity. Even the relationship between Souta and Suzume was not polished or as well constructed, as I will mention later on. The whole supernatural aspect of the movie was cool but I feel that they do not really connect much to Suzume aside from the world beyond the doors. The worms itself is of no significant personal reason (aside maybe for the implication that it caused her mother's) Suzume really only stops the worms simply because people dying = bad. So in that sense, well that's that.
There was a lot less direct romance that we saw in this movie between Suzume and Souta. Although we do have a fair amount of touching moments such as when Suzume cried out for Souta to save him, as I said. The romance is not directly apparent. Mainly because of their age difference. One is 16 and the other is at least 21. POSITIVELY... The fact that there's less romance involved means that Suzume's character has the opportunity to shine.
Suzume's character progression in this story is a girl who eventually made peace with her tragic past. Losing both her home and mother to the Tohoku earthquake was traumatic to the point that her memories are locked behind the back of her mind. The events of this movie forced her to directly face her past, LITERALLY. That plot twist where it turned out that Suzume herself was the woman she saw in that world was already foreshadowed when it's mentioned that in this world, all times are conjoined. The end where she saved both Souta and herself made me teared up a little. Her smile when locking the door of the past was the definition of relief and satisfaction. Everyone should be able to do something like this in their life.
A heartwarming movie about self-rediscovery and facing your past to put a past conflict to rest. A homage to the tragedy from 2011. And above all...
The message that one's life is precious and should be held on to dearly was thought-provoking. Hearing Souta and Suzume scream that they're scared or that they do not want to die, shattering any bravado and revealing their most humane of emotions really touched my heart. Thank you for the movie. I'm so happy to be alive.
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