Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume is a stunningly animated film that delivers a beautiful, heartfelt story. Suzume tells the story of Suzume, a young girl who sets off on a mission to save Japan from supernatural forces. The English dub red-carpet premiere of Suzume took place on April 3rd. The film itself is set to be released in theaters on April 14th. Here is our spoiler-free review of the English dub of the film.
Suzume
Suzume is a heartfelt, gorgeous story created by Makoto Shinkai. Suzume (English dub voice by Nichole Sakura) has the ability to see supernatural forces that others around her cannot. She meets Souta (English Dub voice by Josh Keaton), and together they set off to close mysterious doors appearing all over Japan. These doors are spreading disaster throughout the country, and if they remain open, terrible peril could befall the people around them.
Suzume is a high school student who lives with her aunt. When she was a little girl, she lost her mother to a natural disaster and has been doing her best to live her life. One day, she runs into Souta on her way to school, and she learns that he is on the hunt to close mysterious doors that are showing up in ruins across Japan. Souta is eventually turned into one of Suzume’s childhood chairs, and she is determined to help him close doors as he has difficulty doing so in his present form.
As Suzume travels, she meets new friends and creates new memories and experiences. Each person she meets teaches her something new about life and about herself. The interactions may have been short, but they were equally important and sweet. She became fast friends with everyone she met, and it was very telling of how grateful and trusting Suzume was as a whole. It was fun to watch someone so young interact so positively with her surroundings, especially in the face of intense danger.
The soundtrack for this film was absolutely phenomenal. Each piece carried the viewer through the emotions of the scene in which it played. During the Q&A after the premiere, Makoto Shinkai explained that he was heavily involved in the creation of the soundtrack.
Makoto Shinkai’s films are always visually stunning, and Suzume is no exception. The animation is beautiful and easily captivates the audience. From the detailing of facial expressions to the vast details of the starry sky, the visuals are truly something to behold. Along with the insightful storyline, the animation makes it easy to keep your eyes glued to what is happening on-screen. Also, it is truly remarkable when the animation team can animate a chair as an expressive character.
Overall Thoughts
The coming of age story was beautifully told in a truly unique way. Nichole Sakura and Josh Keaton did a wonderful job bringing the two main characters to life. Josh Keaton’s performance as a chair for most of the film was brilliant. His ability to express kindness, fear, love, and intensity through his voice, as the chair does not have much of a face, drove me to connect and grow attached to the character of Souta.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cinematic masterpiece. Make sure to bring the tissues because there is so much incredible emotion to be felt during the entirety of Suzume. There are some lovely moments of comedic relief, as well as tender moments between Suzume and her aunt along the way. While love is at the center of this film, it is not necessarily about simply romantic love. It is a story of creating meaningful friendships, the importance of familial bonds, and working through long-term grief.
Be sure to watch the English Dub of Suzume, available in theaters April 14th.
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