Monday, 8 January 2024

Suzume no Tojimari Review

Overall Rating 6.0 out of 10 - Flawed Experience with Several Strong Point.

There are better Makoto Shinkai movies such as 5cm per Second, rather watch these.

It seems not even Makoto Shinkai movies could escape corruption of the accursed post Austerity Era. 

Many signature elements of Makot Shinkai movies are still there. Great, very detailed and lovingly crafted backgrounds and inanimate objects. Great quality of animation is also there. In scenes where there is little plot, Suzume no Tojimari is very enjoyable to watch. 

Supernatural elements also look rather well, swirling clomps of dust, called worms, and think golden strings are magical.

Finally. Serizawa played couple of songs from my playlist in his car. I was surprised to hear them in anime, nice touch. 


Now to the worst parts. The story leaves to be desired. It touches topics I do not like from points of view I disagree with. Adoptive parents' relationship, overbearing authoritarian parent, strong and/or unattractive women who are liked by men, guy who prioritizes duty and self-sacrifice over personal feelings, feminism - almost the complete bingo of all themes I do not like in modern anime.

I praised Akari from 5cm per Second. Unfortunately, Suzume has but few of Akari's qualities. She is not completely unappealing like what Hayao Miyazaki or One Piece crew often do with their female characters, but neither is she as gentle and girly as Akari.

Actually, show feels like Hayao and Makoto collaborated on this one.


Overall, it is mixed experience. It is not as bad as to drop it, but it could have been much better. Alas modern anime often makes me choose between rewatching pre-2012 titles that I liked and trying something new that lacking.

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