REVIEW: Suzume (dir. Makoto Shinkai)

WHO’S IN SUZUME?

(ENGLISH) Nichole Sakura, Josh Keaton, Jennifer Sun Bell, Roger Craig Smith, Amanda C. Miller, Rosalie Chiang, Allegra Clark, Cam Clarke, Joe Zieja, Lena Josephien Marano, Mela Lee, Bennet Hetrick

(JAPANESE) Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani, Sairi Ito, Kotone Hanase, Kana Hanazawa, Matsumoto Hakuō II, Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Ann Yamane, Aimi, Akari Miura

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Makoto Shinkai (director, writer, editor), Kôichirô Itô and Genki Kawamura (producers), Kazuma Jinnouchi and Radwimps (composers)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A teenager (Sakura/Hara) embarks on a mission to stop a series of natural disasters…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON SUZUME?

While I am not as well-versed in the anime filmography of Makoto Shinkai as I am with the more mainstream Studio Ghibli collection, I do recognise that Shinkai’s popularity is immense within that realm, to where one of the big marketing plots for his latest film Suzume was that it is him who’s behind it. So, despite only having seen one of his prior films (that being Your Name, which I remember being decent), I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, other than the basic synopsis, before I began watching it.

Honestly, that is probably the best way to go into Suzume, because there are surprises and a half which you won’t see coming, in a film that is in and of itself extremely surprising with the level of fantastical storytelling and strong-hearted sweetness that it carries.

Our main character is Suzume (voiced by Nichole Sakura in the English dub, and Nanoka Hara in the Japanese original), an orphaned teenager living with her protective aunt on the island of Kyushu, and who one day stumbles upon a young man named Sōta (Josh Keaton/Hokuto Matsumura) on a particular quest. He is the latest in a long line of vigilantes tasked with finding and closing magical doors across Japan which, if left open, can cause devastating natural disasters thanks to a giant worm creature that emerges from another realm. Suzume is forced to accompany Sōta on his mission when – due to the mischievous mechanics of a keystone guised as a cat – he is turned into a three-legged chair, and is thus unable to fulfil his duties, leading to a journey that leads Suzume to discover more about this strange world she’s just become a part of.

From what I remember about Your Name (and from what I hear about his follow-up Weathering With You, which I never got around to seeing), Makoto Shinkai likes to explore universes that have been doused in magical realism, and Suzume certainly represents a storyteller in full exploratory mode, guiding the audience through a lusciously animated world that we are mostly familiar with, but with added mystical elements that make it just a bit more interesting. The film is like a hand-drawn travelogue at times, as Shinkai takes both his characters and his audience to new locations, has them interact with the friendly locals and experience some of their customs, and swiftly move on once the work is done. It can feel episodic, and even a little repetitive, but you are very much along for the ride with these likeable characters and are invested in this story, which gradually unveils new details without feeling like it’s completely bombarding the viewer with overblown exposition.

Shinkai’s storytelling is nicely simplistic, and imaginative with how it progresses this large-scale story through a smaller scope. We are right alongside Suzume herself as she, and we, bear witness to the strange and mythical machinations that lay underneath the pedestrian world, and so what she discovers is what we discover, which is to say just a fragment of a much bigger lore with these magic doors and realms outside the space-time continuum. The action and drama is greatly focused because of that, and the fact that Suzume is such an endearing lead character you do actually care about what ends up happening to her, even if she is technically an observer in this much larger story. You’re even invested in this relationship that she ends up developing with this guy who’s suddenly become a three-legged chair (as you do), which as rushed as their romance perhaps feels still manages to generate some sympathy because, once again, you enjoy being in their company and learning about all the stuff he has to do to protect people from disasters.

It’s a very enjoyable film, with engaging storytelling, fun characters, and of course some absolutely dazzling animation, but on occasion it does leave a few things undercooked which, intentional or not, leaves part of the puzzle disconnected. There’s a small revelation with one of the supporting characters closer toward the end which pretty much comes out of nowhere, and it is all but never really brought up again, not even to explain what may or may not be controlling them actually is. It is also the kind of film that heavily foreshadows a major twist which, while in some ways unexpected, is telegraphed so hard that the actual moment doesn’t land as much as it perhaps ought to.

Even with those minor grievances, I did find myself enjoying Suzume quite a bit. I wouldn’t go out of my way to declare it a new modern anime masterpiece, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone, whether they’re into anime or not, just to experience its pleasant storytelling skills and beautiful imagery on the biggest screen possible.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Suzume is a charming and entertaining adventure from anime filmmaker Makoto Shinkai that contains pleasantly simple storytelling, likeable characters, and some gorgeous animation that offsets some of its less solid moments.

Suzume is now showing in cinemas nationwide – click here to find a screening near you!