Apr 23, 2023
The same formula we know and love. I personally enjoyed the film, there were a lot of fun references to other anime/movies that made for an exciting experience. Foreshadowing and character development were well done, comedy was 10/10 with every joke landing flawlessly.
The references varied from incredibly obvious to somewhat subtle, but I found they added so much to the film/plot. ** I will be discussing all the references I caught so please skip the next section of this review if you don’t want to know **
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1. Howls Moving Castle is an obvious reference in character design alone. The main love interest mirrors
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Howl, and the curse placed on him is similar to the curse placed on Sophie. Similar to Howls Moving Castle, the one way to “break” the curse, was love. You can tell this was like a love letter to Howls Moving Castle, with incredible thought and detail. If you don’t catch the plot references, you are later met with the iconic field of flowers scene, and a door that leads to another place.
2. Apart from Howls Moving Castle being the biggest reference in the movie, many other Ghibli films are referenced. Whisper of The Heart is referenced, literally, when they see tweets of comparing Daijin (God that resembles a cat) to the subway scene from Whisper of The Heart.
3. Later in the movie, Souta’s friend sings along to the opening song from Kiki’s Delivery Service.
4. Now, this one may be a reach, but the plot premise of Suzume being taken in by her aunt is very similar to When Marnie Was There, and their relationship develops in much the same way. Feelings of uncertainty surrounding burdening her aunt, all the while her aunt seeking to fill the void of the adopted daughter’s late mother.
5. Some other fun references I can see are in some of the supporting characters. Chika (the first supporting character to take Suzume in) is literally Mako from Kill La Kill, down to her haircut, uniform, and motorbike. It’s uncanny.
6. Daijin’s character is almost identical to Kyubey from Madoka Magica. A small, adorable mystical being, that acts as a chaotic antagonist for a large portion of the film. In the end, much like Kyubey’s role, Daijin’s main role is to be a guide in unlocking Suzume’s true potential and path. Although unlike Kyubey, Daijin did not make me boil with rage, and in the end proved to be a good character.
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All said and done, this formula works time and time again. The characters were loveable, the story connected and wrapped up nicely, and the soundtrack SLAPPED (definitely some jazzy songs that reminded me of cowboy bebop). If you enjoyed Your Name and/or Weather With You, you will likely enjoy this film as well. The visuals are stunning, the characters development is great, a good mix of heartfelt moments and laughs, the references are fun to pick out and analyze, and of course RADWIMPS goes hard af in the final scene. Cheers to another RADWIMPS song that will make me bust out cryin whenever I hear it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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