Suzume no Tojimari anime review

Suzume, a high school student from Kyushu who lives in a beach town, meets Souta, a young man who is hunting for abandoned structures and places. She follows him to the location she told him to go since she’s curious about what he’s up to, only to become involved in something paranormal.

But as a result of a twist of fate, Souta is transformed into a chair—an old chair from her childhood that Suzume’s mother gave her—and they have to search for the entity—in the guise of a beautiful white cat—who converted him into a chair in order to save him. They travel across Japan as a result of it. It is a coming-of-age tale, a guy meets girl, and a road trip all rolled into one. Additionally, the plot advances quickly from one setting to the next, creating suspense about what might happen next. Despite being very concise, the two hours of storytelling felt very alive.

Suzume no Tojimari’s characters are so endearing that you want to learn more about them and watch them in other stories, whether they are set before, during, or after the events of the film.

Suzume, the primary character, is passionate and fearless. She jumps into a situation even if she doesn’t fully comprehend it and, out of a strong sense of duty, insists on seeing it through to the end. However, there are times when the audience are reminded that she is still just a kid who’s still developing, and they feel genuinely sorry for her as she sets out to discover who she is.

Souta, the second primary character, is intelligent, creative, and compassionate. Once he is transformed into a chair, he has no choice but to rely on Suzume, but he is willing to learn from Suzume, trust, and advise Suzume throughout their journey. Daijin, the enigmatic white cat, completes the scheme of things by tying everything together despite its doubtful motives.

Japanese Mythology in Suzume no Tojimari movie?

As many of you are aware, Japan experiences frequent earthquakes because it is an island country created by volcanoes on Pacific-rim fault zones. These earthquakes, both large and minor, are just a fact of life in Japan; yet, since the larger ones can cause extensive damage, we must be ready for them. Before watching the movie, it’s a good idea to be aware of certain background information, especially if you don’t know a lot about Japan in general.

The movie makes extensive use of earthquakes but bases its explanation on traditional Japanese mythology. Giant “Mimizu,” which is Japanese for “earthworm,” are depicted as living underground and threatening to emerge, when they would cause tremors and damage. Souta is responsible for keeping the doors that keep them underground closed and secured.

Dragons and monstrous catfish known as namazu are thought to have triggered earthquakes in the original mythology rather than earthworms. Gods pierced them with swords to hold them down. At some shrines in Japan, you can see actual stones known as kaname-ishi, which is what Daijin originally was, that are claimed to have been pushed into the ground to stop earthquakes.

Daijin’s look and presence make sense given that cats are also thought to represent the gateways to other worlds and realms. Seeing as how the charming maneki-neko statues are considered to bring luck and protection in Japan, Daijin’s original appearance as a cat monument guarding the world also makes sense.

There are several more aspects of this movie that may be addressed, including the soundtrack, the consistently impressive artwork and visuals, the specific cities and locales chosen for Suzume’s voyage, the references and nods to Shinkai’s earlier works, and more.

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