Makoto Shinkai’s “Suzume” tries to use dazzling shots and brilliant colors to make up for a silly story but ends up conveluted and full of cliches.
Diehard anime fans might enjoy this adventure story for its dedication to anime stereotypes but casual anime-watchers will likely be unimpressed.
This animated Japanese fantasy film follows a 17-year-old girl who’s roped into battling a life-threatening magical phenomenon. Suzume, voiced by Nanoka Hara and Akari Miura, encounters a mysterious, yet charming man named Sōta (Hokuto Matsumura) on her way to school one day. Soon after their encounter, she begins noticing strange peculiarities in her life that no one else can see, like a giant earthshaking worm and an antagonistic cat named Daijin (Ann Yamane).
Suzume befriends Sōta, who involves her in his epic quest to stop the earthquake-causing worm. They must travel around and lock any abandoned doors that the worm travels through. If that didn’t sound random enough, Daijin turns Sōta into a chair but he still continues his quest in furniture form.
Predictably, the story revolves around a teenager with an unconventional family dynamic who happens to be “the chosen one.” This character becomes head-over-heels enamored with an inhumanly beautiful love interest who isn’t good for them but entices them into a trial of unexplained magic.
Because these tropes are so common and practiced so heavily in “Suzume,” the story feels rather unoriginal.
It incorporates unique elements, like one of the main characters being a chair and another is a cat, but beyond that, it’s tired.
It’s also unsurprising that Shinkai made yet another anime movie about a dreamy female character in a magical film. This theme has been his trademark for decades and he’s winning no awards for risk taking.
Credit where it’s due though, there are many moments of excellent animation. This is an extremely colorful movie that draws visual attention from a variety of aspects. The mural-esque shots, like when Suzume is biking down a hill with the city and lake on the horizon, are breathtaking.
You even get a taste of the attention to detail on behalf of the animators in settings like Suzume’s mother’s office where you can see tons of tiny details and words sprinkled throughout. Twinkling sparkles pop on screen every so often and give the film a mystical feel. point-of-view angles provide creative perspectives and “Suzume” even plays with camera lens focus despite the fact it’s animated, which is a fun creative touch.
Unfortunately, the visual creativity isn’t enough to make “Suzume” memorable. Little time is spent explaining or justifying the magical phenomenon, random pedestrians are constantly throwing their lives away to help Suzume even though they don’t know her and have nothing to gain and Suzume tries to kiss a wooden chair.
At least the cat is cute and the theme melody is catchy.
Reader Comments(0)