I'm happy that it improved on all the things I thought were bad about Weathering With You. The best parts of Weathering With You were some of the best I had ever seen, but the worst parts were some of the worst I'd ever seen. It felt like a bad Hollywood blockbuster. By contrast, Suzume is much more balanced. It never hits those highs from something like Your Name, but also never fumbles, and sticks its landing in style.
It's a little long. It feels like the film gets caught up in trying to say too much at once. But it communicates well too.
I also love the themes the film explores. It touches on a lot of topics: loss, grief, and acceptance of the past; finding friends and loved ones wherever you go; natural disasters and the immense loss they cause; forging your own path; selflessness vs selfishness. That was a lot of themes, you might say. But the film seems to explore them all sufficiently throughout. The film feels cluttered with themes, in that way. But again, it only struggles with the quantity of things it's trying to do and say; the quality is on point, the whole way.
That's important, because this film is very focused on theme. Like many of Shinkai's films, it's aesthetic first, storytelling second. But their narrative team was able to weave a story that is meaningful throughout, even when it's getting distracted. It's wonderful to see Suzume making friends everywhere she goes in a world that doesn't seem like it should care; in the face of extremely difficult jobs, it always felt like there was support in the larger community. Additionally, it's wonderful to see the explorations of loss and grief. As this is one of the central themes, they really needed to nail it. And what's nice about the way it was constructed is that it never relies on a "sob story" that's trying to "get you." The grief of the situation feels rough and earned, and the characters trying to tackle that grief through their own agency also felt very empowering and nice.
I could ramble about the absolutely stunning animation and art from the Comix Wave films. But let's be honest, these films are ALWAYS going to be the leaders in absolutely stunning animation, visual effects, sakuga, and absolutely enthralling presentation. A+, no notes whatsoever, basically perfect. The same can be said about RADWIMPS. It's always nice to hear them again, and all their compositions are great. They capture these awesome orchestral highs, while their pop-rock songs capture that distinct style that Shinkai is clearly obsessed with. The main theme is beautiful and a tiny bit haunting. Also, there's this emphasis on classic city-pop featured throughout the film, and honestly, I'm here for it. Again, no notes, A+.
My favorite part was a neat exchange between the main characters.
"My family has upheld this job for many generations. I'll continue that. But it's not a profitable job."
"But it's still an important job, even if it doesn't pay?"
"Most people don't see the important job."
TRUE BESTIE.
To sum up, Suzume is just neat. Is it good? I think so. It's memorable, entertaining, and enheartening. Is it as stunning as Shinkai's other work? Maybe not, but that's holding him up to unfair expectations. Suzume is its own thing, and that's okay, because it's a good thing. While Shinkai is a fantastic director, one who really made something truly special that basically none of us will forget, it's important to watch him change and develop his craft with the teams he puts together as time goes forward. And Suzume is well crafted.
