PLEASE give us a review of Weathering With You as well. Heck, could do a series on Shinkai works, they're all quite emotional. Takes real talent to protest demands for a romantic subplot by making the romantic partner a *chair* and still manage to be this beautiful. I can attest that the other works of his that I've seen most certainly did not disappoint, especially Tenki no Ko.
Beautifully explained, as always 😍 Btw, if there's interest in knowing more about the mythical background used in 'Suzume', I would kindly suggest to check out: "Cinema Tokio" Cheers! 🖤🌈🖤
Fun fact about Suzume. Makoto Shinkai wanted this movie to just be about women on a road trip and his producer convinced him to put the romantic interest in the movie... but he desperately did not want it in the movie. Which is presumably why Souta is turned into a chair.
Not exactly. Shinkai had interest in showing a relationship between women that also grows slightly romantic, but the producer told him that they couldn’t show “that” kind of relationship to their audience and instead wanted to have a love story akin to its predecessors.
Oh darn. I had a feeling that there were some romantic undertones or whatever, but I hated the idea of it so I just imagined their love for each other was the same love you would have for a comrade or someone you connect with and went a lot through with. A beautiful friendship
Love that you hit upon the theme of Japan’s collective grief. The earthquake that struck offshore on March 11, 2011 is the same earthquake that caused the tsunami that killed Suzume’s mother - so when you see Suzume and Sota making that incantation, they’re evoking all the souls that have passed as well. It’s a spiritual bid to nature for more time as well as a promise to never take life for granted.
@@CinemaTherapyShow My uncle has a blanket that I was crocheting when I heard this happened that day. Ironically, I was making a wave pattern because he liked the ocean. I had to stop for months making the blanket because I was heartbroken over what happened in Japan. I finished it eventually... and dnow it's mine to take with me to my new home when I move.
I think a lot of the strength of this movie comes from how communities also grieve, feel loss, and stay together. A lot of the rural countryside in Japan face extinction because of population decline, and you see the skeleton of a community there. It is haunting. Add natural disasters on top of it and it becomes a testament to the strength of the people still there who want to maintain those connections and community.
Serizawa is low-key my favorite. Bro doesn't really ask too many questions about what the hell's going on and is just here to help out and have a fun time.
I adore this movie, but what blew me away when watching the first time is the CARE this movie takes with Suzume. She is traveling visibly alone and any other film, in eastern or western media would have at least one moment where the (male) filmmakers would find titillation in her fear and vulnerability - but there's none of that in this movie! The only time she starts feeling uncomfortable, in the karaoke bar, one of the hostesses slides in and bumps Suzume out of the conversation. That decision - from a male filmmaker, no less - makes me really happy, and makes this film one you can trust to take you on a journey.
The scene where the worm is forming and only visible in the various reflections, the birds reacting to it, then appearing to us in its entirety above Tokyo while its citizens remain unaware of what is about to happen, all while the haunting operatic vocals play, always sends chills through my entire body
I wish they commented on the part when she reconciles with her aunt. When you get older you realize the adults around you were also trying their best even if you as a child didn't see the efforts.
Literally my favorite scene of the movie, absolutely life changing for me. (Spoiler warning for those who haven't watched yet!) Everytime I've ever been apologized to for that kind of behavior, there was always an element of dismissing or minimizing the fight itself. For the aunt to just genuinely admit that yes, she had those feelings, but acknowledge the full spectrum of emotion and clearly frame them as part of a larger, equally intense experience? I had to pause the movie and just cry for a bit, that was some unexpected catharsis, and it's made me more thoughtful in how I approach not just reconciliation, but my emotional expression in relationships in general.
I saw this movie three times in theater, and own three official copies; two American releases, and the Japanese Collector's Edition, as well as the novelization. The soundtrack alone made me fight back tears I cannot explain. I personally liked this movie more than The Boy and the Heron. My biggest regret was going into this movie not knowing of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake/tsunami.
@@j.p.1492Same here. Once they were heading north I wondered, then the bags of radioactive soil... Smacked right in the face suddenly with the weight of it all.
I love the reoccurring theme of connection and people helping each other throughout this movie. The orange delivery girl, the mom of two that runs a bar, and Souta's friend/classmate all help out Suzume on her journey because she helped them in return. And that's how you recover from a disaster, through community support.
The fact that Tamaki was able to find Suzume at a random train station in a city the size of Tokyo is the most unbelievable part of a movie where one of the main characters is turned into a chair.
I just realized that the abandoned school at 8:50 is Itomori's school where Mitsuha from Your name used to go ! This isn't the first time Makoto Shinkai does this, in his other movie Weathering with you both Mitsuha and Taki from Your name appear, which had me nearly screaming in the cinema and my friend had to calm me down 😅
I have seen Your Name. Can you explain to me how that is the same school that is in Your Name? It looks like it’s in a different location and not by two craters created by a comet.
Oh my gosh that so true where mistuha wen to school was already low in people but after that event some looked like they moved for especially in that time before they meet again at the end of me movie so mostly the elderly stayed to keep the memories alive but they young ones moved so l can see being abandoned
Unfortunately, it is not. But! Not all hope is lost, the beginning of the movie shows you that Suzume grows up near the itomori runes and it's even the first door she closes. You can even make out the two craters in one of the wide shots! I really enjoyed that detail when I watched it again. ❤
I think this is a particularly powerful metaphor for trauma because it's the child self actually "intruding" into the present. It's only when Suzume meets her child self while remaining grounded in the present as her older self that she's able to heal and find greater security in the present without the disturbance of nightmares
I absolutely love your comment! As someone who did some much needed work with my “inner child” last year in counseling, your comment felt super insightful and relatable in a way. 🩷🥹
I'm japanese and got to watch this movie on the cinemas when it released. I've always been a fan of Shinkai's movies so I had my hopes up. It really hit a sore spot. I didn't really realise what the movie was exactly about until the diary scene. I just knew from the date. It's so subtle but I think everyone got it. I was still little when the earthquake hit but I'm pretty sure many people in the room with me had memories flashing in their mind and the atmosphere was just heavy. I kept reading articles about the disaster back then on my way back home from the movie. And I think it doesn't apply to that disaster specifically, in fact, it's made that way. The reference being subtle is probably a way of Shinkai saying "this movie is about grief as a whole. The main topic is not 3.11." And it was made in a way that many people with many different memories could relate to. It's a great movie. Damn it Shinkai Makoto, you made me cry... again. Edit: perhaps it might be nice to mention I'm from Hiroshima. It's really nice to find old remains of buildings that survived the explosion around the city and wonder what it was like back then. I remember taking a walk and coming across a whole, intact building. I look around and wonder how much things have changed. That building felt lonely but it also felt like it was in the right place so it feels weird to imagine what it surroundings were like and it also made it hit me that that building only stood out because nothing else from back then made it to the present. Must hold many memories.
Thank you for giving us this glimpse of your experience in the theater. I watched this film not knowing anything about the tsunami that has happened on the said date, hence I was left to wonder what had happened after. And wow, your story about the Hiroshima building. I too feel the same hauntingly nostalgic feeling while I roam around old abandoned buildings here in our country, most of which survived the wars. And yes, you're right; their history truly made them stand out.
@@camillesantos9374 yeah, I really grew fond of that building. Our city has an area called "Hondori" which is like a big street with many stores, restaurants, arcades and similar. It's a very popular and packed area. I remember seeing the building near that area so it just hit extremely hard. A small, historical building with dark walls and a sign about its background surrounded by so many people. It felt kind of crazy to look at. I also remember walking past a single wall in the middle of the street that survived the explosion and it honestly made me laugh a bit. "Why is this random wall just standing in the middle of the street? Oh, it survived 8.06... our government cares for even a single wall?!"
I was watching the movie and was already moved, but 3/11... Oh my. This broke my heart. It was my 17th birthday and I had relatives living in Japan. Luckily, they weren't affected because they lived kinda far from Tohoku region, but the fact we usually only talked through the phone and, that day, they wouldn't answer us for hours really got me. I couldn't feel truly happy when it was my birthday for a few years, it was a sensitive topic. The movie is so beautiful and great at getting into our emotions, right? I can't imagine how it feels to see the buildings, it's nice that pieces of history are kept and we can reflect about it...
@@akiakifruit2840right? I always stare at it when I walk past it because it's just so funny while being so sad that it has to be there at all. Nice to see a fellow hiroshima resident here tho
If you like Makoto Shinkais style I recommend Garden of words! It's pretty short (less than an hour I think) and it was one of his earlier works. It feels and looks like a love letter to animation itself and it's just so calming and beautiful. @@CinemaTherapyShow
Makoto Shinkai is an absolute treasure. Admittedly is earlier stuff is a bit rough, and re-treads some similar ground (he's a very iterative director, gradually refining the same ideas vs somebody like Miyazaki, who has a relatively unique idea every film), but when it's good, it is VERY good. On top of his latest three (this, Your Name, and Weathering With You), Garden of Words is a heck of an emotional gut punch. A bit shorter (only a hair over an hour), but one of my favorites.
Just thinking about this movie absolutely wrecks me. The ending with Suzume comforting her child self is my favorite depiction of Inner Child work, it's absolutely beautiful. Also the sentiment of thanking a place for the life it had. To me the various places where the doorways open had such powerful representation of how grief can be about losing people but there is also a sort of grief present simply due to time. You can never truly go back to the school you went to or that amusement park you enjoyed when you were a kid that's closed now- but you can thank that place for the moments it gave you.
I remember the events that happened in this film like it was yesterday. That scene where people are saying goodbye to each other like it's just any normal day hits so hard. To this day a lot of people are still missing 😥. Thanks guys for reviewing this beautiful film.
I always love seeing Jonathan and Alan getting emotional over and gushing about the work they're reviewing, even if I haven't seen it. Our two RUclips Dads really give us all of the feels. Thank you for spreading so much joy. 🥰💜
Suzume's diary, which she painted black, has multiple meanings. It is her heart, which lost her beloved mother and her house, also her own imagined future, and literally the scenary that she might saw on 11 March. (The actual tsunami came in was pitch black, wiping everything out, and then the disastered area was total darkness with no lights after the horrible fires had subsided.)
I've watched Suzume many times and I still get emotional whenever I watch it, especially towards the ending. I really like how it tells a story of a young girl dealing with great grief and loss, and then finally coming to terms with the past and gaining strength to embrace the future. Suzume is really a great movie packed with potent therapeutical effects~!
It’s funny what Jonathan said about going to places like pearl harbour and feeling connections of who used to live there before. I find it doesn’t have to be old abandoned places. I now live in an old city (in the UK) which is bustling with life and it’s full of old buildings and history and I’ll walk past these old buildings and I often wonder and imagine who lived there over the centuries. Did they sit in the place I’m sitting? Did they have someone they loved and loved them back and were they happy? It’s a strange feeling you get to know that although the times change, that there was always life in these old places, and I think you do feel it, like a echo from the past.
Thank you for reacting to this. I've been living in Japan for 5 years and on Jan 1st I was unfortunately in Kanazawa during the Noto earthquake with my fiancée, but luckily safe. We recently watched Suzume and it broke me. This film made me relive that experience, but what got to me was the scene of all the people going to work before the tsunami hit. It really puts in perspective how natural disasters can affect us at any time. This movie is a masterpiece, that you should definitely watch.
i also want to mention that when suzume reunites with her younger self in the ever-after, as she tells her about the future, the sky shifting is really representative of the passage of time. so even though the ever-after connects all time, the way death inevitably connects everyone, it also visualizes how life goes on. it reinforces suzume’s lesson: that time does heal. not by nature of it simply passing, but because you have that time to feel your pain and learn yourself, and heal those wounds with the time your given. phenomenal movie. i’ve watched it three times in the last month.
Makoto Shinkai has a gift for capturing some essential component of human nature in the most surreal way. You never quite understand why something so far fetched resonates with you. It always registers on some deep level that is so hard to put into words and yet it makes perfect sense.
When it hit me - while watching it - that this was about the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, it shook me so bad. I was there a year after as a volunteer. I still saw literally flipped over houses with the cars still stuck inside the garage. I met the ppl who were grieving. The organization lived in one of the houses that got the first floor flooded n smashed out, after having repaired it. They would renovate the next house, then move into that renovated house and start renovating the next one to move into. All with owner permissions, ofcourse. It was a way to solve the problem where to house ppl while getting renovations done not far off the site. I've been there during an alert and flooding, though thankfully it was "only" 1 meter thus water only went onto the shores in the places where no tsunami measures were in place, like some rural streets. We still were evacuating and that experience itself of getting stuck in traffic and having your eyes on the next steep hill in case you had to abandon the car n run up there, while still physically shaken from the jolt of the earthquake just minutes before. You learn very quickly how ppl end up dying very close to safety. You just do not know how close danger is to you and how fast you gotta be in your decision making.
I lived in Tokyo for some years growing up and experienced the earthquake in 2011, and although it was no where as destructive as where the tsunami hit, it effected me a lot and I still haven't dealt with all the trauma from that day. I'm hoping i can eventually heal my inner child the way suzume does
I have been a fan of Hokuto Matsumura (the VA of Souta the chair) since 2018 AND NOW MY FAVORITE DADS ARE REACTING TO THIS FILM 😭😭😭 you cant imagine how HAPPY I AM!
@@tokaiwadaikirai A fellow SutoTan! Although Jesse is my favorite, Suzume was and is a spectacular show. I watch Suzume whenever I'm stressed out. Souta is a hot guy by the way.
So glad you guys reacted to Suzume! As someone who grew up in Japan and not only felt the 2011 earthquake, but also visited the aftermath (I saw that large beached boat at the end of the film), this film personally resonated with me in a way not many other films have. Thank you so much for taking a look at it.
It's not when the chair gets painted that the flashbacks in color, it's when it gets a face. I love that so much. When Suzume can humanize the chair is when the color returns
I quite literally jumped out of my seat when I saw this in my subscriptions! This channel has been one of my most favourite recent rabbit holes, and I was super stoked to see you guys react to Suzume. Saw it in theatres last year and it was a hauntingly beautiful film to catch on the big screen.
A combination of recognizing the themes of "healing the inner child" and the catastrophic loss of the 2011 tsunami on Japan hit me wayyyyyy too hard when I watched this. I also have covid. I haven't cried this much over a movie in a while. Also, kudos to Shinkai for making a chair so incredibly endearing 😂
Best moment when Suzume aunt start expressing her bottle up emotional when the huge cat took over her body, really shows the doubt of taking in close friend or relative when you're not ready to raise someone else.
What a special movie. Tackling something as heavy as the national trauma from the tsunami and doing it in such a beautiful way takes so much skill. Beautifully animated and a top tier soundtrack to boot
There’s enough dots for the viewer to connect if they know (the timeframe referenced and the date in the journal), but it’s never spelled out that it’s a real life tragedy this is in connection to which is a move I am easily on board with. The theme isn’t about the event itself, but emotions that come from it.
My Japanese school is affiliated with a program created by our sister city in Japan that was going to raise money for the people after the Fukushima disaster. It was through that program that we were able to visit the outskirts of Fukushima while on a trip in Japan. I remember seeing the abandoned homes and the trucks carrying out the contaminated soil, so when Suzume sees them on the road, I realized what was going on. And when she found her diary I burst into tears. This movie is a beautiful tribute to the lives that were lost on that day. I'm glad you guys covered this movie!
To cinema therapy, great video! I moved to Japan in 2012, to study in Sendai, one of the major cities hit by the Tohoku 2011 earthquake and tsunami. I volunteered at a few kids summer camps for families affected by the disaster during the 2 years I was in Sendai. The kids, were just kids, they loved games, running around, and living their lives like anyone else. We didn’t talk about what happened, but I wonder what they think now, 13+ years since… All because this movie reminded me of them, and many others I interacted with in Sendai, whom have shared their “where was I, on that day” stories. And your point about the movie tying into kindness and remembering the past - I think is something I see only acted upon during times of crisis, or only by a few. I commend the movie for showing that, where ever we are, we should strive to be kind and have an open mind to help others, and not take advantage of the kindness, return the gesture as much as we can. And the past is where we learn our lessons, to become better, such as now the earthquake and tsunami alarms have become key in keeping people safe. Or even learning from JAL123 and the 1995 earthquake - to have rapid response request for foreign support in 2011 on the day the disaster struck. Hopefully more entertainment and movies can strive to bring such great messages across to us all… (I have since moved to Tokyo area, and have been working here until now)
The only moment I cried at was Daijin saying “Suzume doesn’t love me?” Justice for this cute kitty 😭 Daijin thinks he was woken up to be her cat HE DESERVES TO BE LOVED, DAIJIN I WILL LOVE YOU COME BE MY KITTY. My fiancé was laughing at me crying at this part. He suprised me with a little Daijin pin (we collect pins) the next week 😂
I love Daijin and felt so sorry for him. I want them to make Daijin's Day Out sequel short so he can get a break and go have some fun every so often. I'm afraid to watch the movie again even though I loved it because of this.
The way the film cumulates emotion is just amazing, focusing on how precious the “mundane” everyday life is and ultimately made me tear up on Souta’s final prayer (consequentially made me cry when I’m rewatching any door-closing scene that comes before as well 😂). I also like the fact that Suzume’s survivor guilt is hinted with her almost self-destructive commitment to the quest.
Seeing Suzume in cinema was probably the most epic and overwhelming experience ever, I still get goosebumps when I hear Sky Over Tokyo (the whole soundtrack is great ofc).
As someone who has dealt with the loss of my mother to cancer which is the hardest thing that has ever happened to me, I am always looking for different artistic outlets to confront that pain and begin to heal. I can already tell that this movie is going to resonate with me deeply.
I like that this movie is a sort of response to the "criticism" of Your Name. Your Name was also inspired by the Tohoku earthquake, but the loss of people was avoided through magic/time travelling. In contrast, Suzume confronts reality and the need to overcome loss, offering a stark contrast to the escapism that Your Name provided.
This animated film also has a fair amount to do with Japan's concept of space and time. This is called, 'Ma' (間)), and it's basically a space/pause in time. You have the kanji for door (門) and sun (日) which can mean that the sun seeps through an open door. However, there are other examples of '間' in Japanese culture based on politeness and genuine caring towards others. There are different ways '間' is considered in Japanese culture. And I believe this film is expressing it in the best possible way in a gorgeous artistic story-telling form.
I remember seeing trailers for this movie years ago. I've never personally watched this moving but just watching you guys react to this got me so emotional. The blacked out pages of her diary made me feel so anxious and sad and the ending of the movie made me bawl my eyes out.
Literally the best anime film. Got to see it in theaters and its just the best. I wish I could see it on the big screen again. The disaster scenes just hit so hard. The whole thing around the power to stop the disasters is calling on the lives and history of the people there is perfection. There's so many disaster movies about "lets see sfx about everything being destroyed" but this is about the people and the lives and making those connections.
It's crazy how Japanese movies are obsessed with time. They always manage to metaphorically represent space and time. Our choices determine the future and even though we are living in the present. The past and energy from the past will still always be there.
I am so unbelievably happy to see you guys post a video of Suzume!!! I love this movie so much!! I cried , of course! I really connect to this movie because little me went through so much, I really wish I could hold her and tell her it's going to be okay. I have reoccurring dreams of opening doors, and one leads to a staircase to multiple doors and rooms. The staircase is inside a wall. One hallway goes to this giant, dome-like greenhouse with lab tables and chairs. I still have them to this day and I mostly wander around, sometimes looking for someone. Same place, same rooms and staircases. Thank you so much for covering Suzume!!!
I’m so surprised and glad y’all did this one! I’ve always been into complicated or artsy films, raised my kids on anime, but when my 6 yo became obsessed with this movie, I felt like I was missing something. I could tell it was emotional and beautiful, but I just wasn’t CONNECTING as easily. I was really hoping for a deeper dive and the info from the comments has been great already ❤ from me and Rowan a big THANK YOU
Glad you enjoyed it! We had to cut a lot out to fit our runtime, so the director's cut on our Patreon is extra long. If you don't have a membership over there, you could do a free trial to watch the Suzume DC. Thanks for watching! :)
This movie, especially in the last part of the movie (on her way to her hometown), makes me cry so hard. Dealing with intense grief, connected to such a huge disaster on top of that, is just so heartbreaking. Like, the thought of losing my mom in general just makes me so upset. You two mentioning feeling the life and loss in places of huge tragedy is so true. When I studied abroad in Japan, my program went on a trip to Hiroshima. Even though I'm Japanese-American, thinking about Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and after 2011, Fukushima too) breaks my heart. I remember walking through the Hiroshima Peace Museum trying not to cry. When I got to the signature book at the end of the museum track, that's when I broke down. Your point is so correct: this movie isn't just about Suzume's grief and processing, but Japan's collective grief and processing. Thank you for reacting to this movie (and also to Your Name before, because that's another one of my favorite movies)
I feel ya. One of my friends from college passed away recently. The two of us weren't particularly close, but we got along well, even shared the same bus route. I wanted to go pay my respects, and my dad was kind enough to tag along. Turns out he died of cardiac arrest while in the middle of his Masters course at a Uni in NYC (we're both from India). By the time his friends checked up on him, it was too late. For the next few days all I could think of was how during my own Masters course in the UK last year, my family would constantly tell me to do my best, and how they would reassure me that things will turn out okay whenever I was feeling down, which was quite often. I have no doubt my friend got the same support. But he died nonetheless, and I was left wondering if I would be next, or if it would be one of my family members: just gone one moment after being fine the previous. Watching this movie brought back those feelings in a big way.
The first time i watched this movie i remember just bawling my eyes out, it helped me connect with my own past and opened my eyes to what my life is now. The whole idea of being able to have a conversation with the younger more vulnerable version of yourself and being able to heal yourself through that is so beautiful. I love that you guys covered this movie so much. You guys are absolutely amazing.
Suzume remains one of my favorite movies to date, and I'm so glad you guys covered it. The themes of grief and healing from trauma had me bawling in the theater, and the stunning visuals and humor on top of it were just perfect to me. An absolutely fantastic film, for sure.
I have heard of Suzume before but never actually watched it. But now, I really wanted to! Thank you for properly introducing me to this movie, Cinema Therapy!
@@CinemaTherapyShow Maybe one day, you guys can do one about Weathering With You. I shall be looking forward for that day! Also, thank you for the reply!
Two interesting facts. Firstly, Makoto Shinkai wanted to show the journey of two girls, but because the production did not allow this, he made the second main character a chair instead. Secondly, the diary entry from March 11 is in memory of the Tōhoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, which triggered one of the worst tsunami disasters. And the reason for the tsunami that caused the Fukushima disaster (nuclear power plants). About 600,000 people were in danger, and about 15,859 to 19,630 people (various sources) were found dead, while an additional 2,539 to 2,569 were missing. It is considered one of the worst earthquakes since records began.
I appreciate that this was released between the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb 79th Memorials (Aug. 6th and Aug. 9th) as a possible tribute to grief and healing. I work in Nagasaki and lost a university classmates (Montgomery Dickson) during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Thank you for choosing this film for this time.
Have you guys done Summer Wars yet? Or any of Hosoda's work? Every film he's done has been a treatise on family and I think Summer Wars, Boy and the Beast and Mirai do an incredible job at showcasing how the meaning of family changes in different life stages
I finally watched this movie last night and couldn’t wait to check out this video-it kept popping up on my homepage! I held off because of spoilers, but now I’m so glad I can finally watch it. I love your channel-I found it about a month ago and instantly subscribed! I really enjoy how you delve into characters and how they reflect rea-life personalities. Speaking of Suzume, there’s a great Reddit post where someone explains the movie’s symbolism in detail. The movie itself is just stunning, the visuals, music, and characters are all so beautiful!
@@CinemaTherapyShow I really did enjoy your commentary :) I had hoped to hear something about the scene when Suzume and her aunt get mad at each other and then later end up reconciling, but I understand you can't make 2 hr videos ^^' Thank you so much for your content!
I saw this movie in theatres a week after my dog died and I was in the worst emotional state in years (I had also lost 2 human family members shortly beforehand). Watching Suzume's journey helped me better appreciate the souls in my life, past, present and future.
I used to have weekly anime nights with a friend of mine until I moved away. After this movie came out, I went back to visit and we watched it together. It was such a special experience that makes this movie even dearer to me. :)
Attempt #6 (I think) of asking for Spirit l: Stallion of the Cimarron!! Was my absolute childhood movie growing up and the filmmaking is so beautiful with amazing scores and concepts of loss and staying true to once nature even in the face of adversity!
Oh my gosh, I JUST saw this one a couple weeks ago! I LOVED it! It's so fantastical, romantic, and magical, and the music and art are STUNNING. Also, Sota IS indeed fine as hell, as Jono said, and I personally think that the director must have made him into a chair for most of the movie so the whole audience wouldn't be swooning the whole movie 😂😂
Thank you for featuring this. Seeing the title on your channel convinced me to watch this movie! I love how the first song that is played on the car journey is the song that plays in Kiki’s Delivery Service when she’s heading out to the city. It’s such an achingly sweet callback to Miyazaki and the themes of the grief , struggle, and beauty of growing up, and finding your own way to your future. The driver even notes that the cats should like it, linking them and Jiji from that movie, just so you know that they did that on purpose. It means a lot to me personally as well, as it’s one of the songs that my child, who just turned fourteen, listens to at night to fall asleep. He has a whole playlist of songs from the Kyoto Musicbox Orchestra that are from Miyazaki movies. All the feels and tears on this one.
Suzume reaction?? Let's goooo🤩 I really like Makoto Shinkai movies and i think that Suzume is probably his best one yet, close to Your Name I saw it at the cinema, the story and music are so good but the diary scene was devastating
I don't think you guys are aware of how many people you help with this. I've had similar trauma and the way you both explain this, is phenomenal. I'm really thankful for you both!
I'm so glad you reacted to Suzume - it's my favorite Makoto Shinkai film! One cool thing about the chair is that it's a three-legged chair, which is really symbolic of Japan after the earthquake. A three-legged chair is damaged, and it will never be the same as it was before - but it can still stand up and create stability. We see that in that small, fun scene where the kids play with the chair at the back of the car, and Souta-chair continuously try to balance everything on it so it doesn't fall! Another cool thing is that Daijin and Sadaijin seem to parallel Suzume and her aunt. In a way, by repressing their grief, they were keeping a semblance of stability in their lives - both of them, at different ends of the earth, separated. It wasn't until Suzume released Daijin - which I think represent the part of her that is always wanting to be loved - that she could confront her grief. She goes on a bit of a wild goose chase, and that draws out her aunt / Sadaijin as the other keystone to come find her, help her accomplish her mission, and bring her home. My friend also had this really cool interpretation that Daijin = id and Sadijin = superego. Daijin, in a way, decided to forsake his responsibility as a keystone at the beginning - much like how the id can lead us to forsake our responsibilities, and get into trouble! In some ways, Suzume chasing Daijin around Japan is a bit like like pursuing our id, and even though it can be destructive, it also leads her to find "doors that she needed to close" - something she thanks Daijin for at the end. Meanwhile, Sadaijin is a bit like the superego, and represents a sense of responsibility. Sadaijin comes to find Daijin, and they have a fight, but later on Sadaijin is seen to be grooming Daijin at the back of the car. Similarly, Suzume initially saw her aunt's concern as a hindrance to her mission - but after they had their fight, and she realized that even though her worst fears about her aunt are in some ways true, they are also not everything, and that her aunt does love and support her and eventually was key to her reaching her goals. I think that represents how the things we often run away from as a child - our parental figures, our commitment to others, our responsibilities - can actually support us if we are able to connect with them and work with them to reach our goals. At the end, after Daijin felt appreciated by Suzume (the inner need for love being fulfilled) and also saw that Suzume was willing to fulfill her responsibility to the world by becoming the keystone herself, Daijin finally came to terms with his role in the world as well, and chose to turn back into a keystone. The id and superego were integrated, and Daijin and Sadaijin were able to work together to put the giant worm of grief to rest.
When I first saw the trailer I remember yelling through the house “You mean the hot guys turns into a chair for over half the movie?!” - but no seriously watching this movie in theaters was an experience. While so much of the mythology went straight over my head, the core message of the film shines through so clearly. Thanks for watching and reacting! Love your channel!
This show is very important to me. The first time I saw it I was with my friends, and I had just been kicked out by my parents not many months prior to watching the movie. I cried near the end of the movie; it carried so many signs to me. I'm thankful for this movie; moreover, I am thankful for my friends that were there for me, whom I watched the movie with.
My youngest kiddo and I went and saw this in the theater not long after it came out. It's SO good. This is my favorite Makoto Shinkai film and his is Weathering with You. I've since seen it a few more times since then and it gets me all emotional. It's such a lovely movie about grief, loss, and healing. I'm really glad that you two seemed to enjoy it, too!
Alan you are so sweet and endearing and empathetic because you cry for other people even if they are tv show or film characters and I find a lot of comfort in that so, God bless you!🤗💕
I don't know how you guys did it, but your thoughtful commentary made me love this movie more. I think about halfway through the video I was just in tears listening to your takes. Perhaps that's the impact of the movie and how it touched my heart in the first place and the way you talk about it recalls those feelings, but this is such a strong feeling I have right now typing this. Wonderful video. I'm actually quite grateful to have listened to this.
I never thought of Sota as Suzume’s romantic interest for 3 primary reason: 1. he’s also just a person on a journey and suzume helps him with it while battling her own memories of her mom being absent 2. He’s a lot older than her and is more of the childhood friend. His representation as a chair + childhood memory of her mom making the chair. I thought it was like the past coming back but in a positive light and to show the representation of the happiness between mother and child. And that in the present suzume could have that same happiness in the future. 3. They got their own separate ways at the end. And Suzume is in a place where she can move forward and so does Sota. In a way they help each other to grow forward. I felt kieke Suzume relationship within herself (via the portal and meeting her younger self to encourage them) was what it was about.
Souta also wasn't in the movie as himself for much of it. He shows up in the beginning, then gets turned into a chair 17 minutes, and flat-out disappears halfway through before returning for the climax. Not saying this as a negative. The movie is called Suzume, and I very much loved that it chooses to mostly focus on her journey.
man this was a beautiful dissection and commentary of SUZUME, its an objectively good movie and themes in it are just chefs kiss. I hope you guys do the Maquia movie!!
Can we please get a Sweeney Todd episode? It's one of my favorite musicals. Mrs. Lovett might be my favorite character ever. There's so much there Jono can unpack. Sweeney: loss, grief, vengeance Tobey: abuse and trauma (Pirelli and getting lock in the bake house) Mrs. Lovett: what does she see in Sweeney, the man who has fits of rage and literally told her she deserves to die? Lucy: assault and loss
Yeah, if we could get like a villain therapy episode going with the people in Sweeney Todd, that would be delightful. I'd also love to hear Alan's opinion on the film, and maybe on musicals in general.
I am so glad that you guys were able to review this movie because this has become an instant favorite of mine from Makoto Shinkai, after his 2019 Weathering with You. At first, I thought the movie was only good. But after multiple viewings, I realized that this film was definitely different compared to his other works since most of it were about romance. Suzume, however, is a journey of self-discovery and realizing that no matter how bad the world gets, you will meet wonderful people along the way. The final act, they way it showed how the past and future meet, is so symbolical and made me tear up so many times.
So happy you covered this! The animation is absolutely stunning and the music is hauntingly beautiful. I got chills at multiple points, and the scene where she literally confronts her greif through her younger self had me crying!❤
Even in loss there is life to be celebrated - I love this theme from Suzume. She lost her mother, but her memory is still there. She lived. She still touches Suzume's life. And on this adventure of hers, Suzume learns that despite growing up without her biological mother, she has had many nurturing figures guide her and help her throughout her life. Suzume's life has meaning just like her mother's life had meaning and her aunt's life, and Souta's life and each person she meets on her journey. It highlights the interconnected web of human experience throughout time.
Incredible react once again, guys! Thank you so much for this. Also, both Jono and Alan are super kind. Jono makes us feel understood with his compassionate and genuine comments. Alan makes us feel the same when he cries without regrets, and we feel like we can be ourselves. I like to think that the magic needed to close the doors is part of a process of reframing the past (which is something I learned in cognitive behavioral therapy). I believe Suzume was able to do this in both a supernatural and real way with herself, reframing the stories of others and her own. I also think that the chair represents a certain form of identity and sense of self, as she says when she was a child: "A chair for me!". Her mother helped build her sense of identity, and Souta helps restore what might have been lost along the way. Once again, thanks for the video! I really enjoy following your work.
Head to squarespace.com/cinematherapy to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code cinematherapy.
Fun fact: the voice actor who plays Tomoya in this movie plays for Taki from Your Name and the main character for Godzilla minus one.
please review "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore :)
PLEASE give us a review of Weathering With You as well. Heck, could do a series on Shinkai works, they're all quite emotional. Takes real talent to protest demands for a romantic subplot by making the romantic partner a *chair* and still manage to be this beautiful. I can attest that the other works of his that I've seen most certainly did not disappoint, especially Tenki no Ko.
ooo, please do Weathering with you. PLEASE, i love that movie so much xD
Beautifully explained, as always 😍
Btw, if there's interest in knowing more about the mythical background used in 'Suzume', I would kindly suggest to check out:
"Cinema Tokio"
Cheers!
🖤🌈🖤
Fun fact about Suzume. Makoto Shinkai wanted this movie to just be about women on a road trip and his producer convinced him to put the romantic interest in the movie... but he desperately did not want it in the movie. Which is presumably why Souta is turned into a chair.
Also would love to recommend the movie Belle to y'all.
Is that also why the age gap between them, so that they don't end up together right away?
That explains it lol, my only critique of the movie was the "randomness" of Souta, both as a character and his relationship to Suzume
Not exactly. Shinkai had interest in showing a relationship between women that also grows slightly romantic, but the producer told him that they couldn’t show “that” kind of relationship to their audience and instead wanted to have a love story akin to its predecessors.
Oh darn. I had a feeling that there were some romantic undertones or whatever, but I hated the idea of it so I just imagined their love for each other was the same love you would have for a comrade or someone you connect with and went a lot through with. A beautiful friendship
Love that you hit upon the theme of Japan’s collective grief. The earthquake that struck offshore on March 11, 2011 is the same earthquake that caused the tsunami that killed Suzume’s mother - so when you see Suzume and Sota making that incantation, they’re evoking all the souls that have passed as well. It’s a spiritual bid to nature for more time as well as a promise to never take life for granted.
Yep, we disucss this in the video.
@@CinemaTherapyShowyes! Sorry-I rephrased to note that I appreciate how you touched on that aspect ❤
@@CinemaTherapyShow also the movie came out on the 10th anniversary of the disaster
@@CinemaTherapyShow My uncle has a blanket that I was crocheting when I heard this happened that day. Ironically, I was making a wave pattern because he liked the ocean. I had to stop for months making the blanket because I was heartbroken over what happened in Japan. I finished it eventually... and dnow it's mine to take with me to my new home when I move.
And the Great Kanto Earthquake was a century ago.
I think a lot of the strength of this movie comes from how communities also grieve, feel loss, and stay together. A lot of the rural countryside in Japan face extinction because of population decline, and you see the skeleton of a community there. It is haunting. Add natural disasters on top of it and it becomes a testament to the strength of the people still there who want to maintain those connections and community.
Well said.
Serizawa is low-key my favorite. Bro doesn't really ask too many questions about what the hell's going on and is just here to help out and have a fun time.
WAIT YES! I thought I was the only one who thought this 😂
He’s the chillest best friend 😭 I wish more people talked about him
He is literally my favorite too 💙
Serizawa is my Favorit Boy ❤
he’s just chillin its so funny to see
I adore this movie, but what blew me away when watching the first time is the CARE this movie takes with Suzume. She is traveling visibly alone and any other film, in eastern or western media would have at least one moment where the (male) filmmakers would find titillation in her fear and vulnerability - but there's none of that in this movie! The only time she starts feeling uncomfortable, in the karaoke bar, one of the hostesses slides in and bumps Suzume out of the conversation. That decision - from a male filmmaker, no less - makes me really happy, and makes this film one you can trust to take you on a journey.
It definitely showed women looking out for one another. ❤
Well said soo good the idea she just does it
The scene where the worm is forming and only visible in the various reflections, the birds reacting to it, then appearing to us in its entirety above Tokyo while its citizens remain unaware of what is about to happen, all while the haunting operatic vocals play, always sends chills through my entire body
I LOVE that scene. I was completely stunned when I saw that for the first time, and it somehow gives me the same feeling every time after.
My favorite scene in the entire movie, because of the tension it creates
I wish they commented on the part when she reconciles with her aunt. When you get older you realize the adults around you were also trying their best even if you as a child didn't see the efforts.
Literally my favorite scene of the movie, absolutely life changing for me. (Spoiler warning for those who haven't watched yet!)
Everytime I've ever been apologized to for that kind of behavior, there was always an element of dismissing or minimizing the fight itself. For the aunt to just genuinely admit that yes, she had those feelings, but acknowledge the full spectrum of emotion and clearly frame them as part of a larger, equally intense experience? I had to pause the movie and just cry for a bit, that was some unexpected catharsis, and it's made me more thoughtful in how I approach not just reconciliation, but my emotional expression in relationships in general.
I saw this movie three times in theater, and own three official copies; two American releases, and the Japanese Collector's Edition, as well as the novelization. The soundtrack alone made me fight back tears I cannot explain. I personally liked this movie more than The Boy and the Heron.
My biggest regret was going into this movie not knowing of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake/tsunami.
It's a darn good movie!
Having seen the docu not long before I saw the movie DEFINITELY made it hit so much harder when that 3/11 came into view
Damn save some _ for the rest us
I too liked it over boy and hereon idk what the fuck way going on plot wise with some of that one at the end!
@@j.p.1492Same here. Once they were heading north I wondered, then the bags of radioactive soil... Smacked right in the face suddenly with the weight of it all.
I love the reoccurring theme of connection and people helping each other throughout this movie. The orange delivery girl, the mom of two that runs a bar, and Souta's friend/classmate all help out Suzume on her journey because she helped them in return. And that's how you recover from a disaster, through community support.
The fact that Tamaki was able to find Suzume at a random train station in a city the size of Tokyo is the most unbelievable part of a movie where one of the main characters is turned into a chair.
And that’s Shinkai getting trains into this movie, he likes doing that
I just realized that the abandoned school at 8:50 is Itomori's school where Mitsuha from Your name used to go ! This isn't the first time Makoto Shinkai does this, in his other movie Weathering with you both Mitsuha and Taki from Your name appear, which had me nearly screaming in the cinema and my friend had to calm me down 😅
I have seen Your Name. Can you explain to me how that is the same school that is in Your Name? It looks like it’s in a different location and not by two craters created by a comet.
It's probably a similar school. There's abandoned rural areas that lost schools due to population decline and people moving to the city.
Oh my gosh that so true where mistuha wen to school was already low in people but after that event some looked like they moved for especially in that time before they meet again at the end of me movie so mostly the elderly stayed to keep the memories alive but they young ones moved so l can see being abandoned
not it's not ????
Unfortunately, it is not. But! Not all hope is lost, the beginning of the movie shows you that Suzume grows up near the itomori runes and it's even the first door she closes. You can even make out the two craters in one of the wide shots! I really enjoyed that detail when I watched it again. ❤
I think this is a particularly powerful metaphor for trauma because it's the child self actually "intruding" into the present. It's only when Suzume meets her child self while remaining grounded in the present as her older self that she's able to heal and find greater security in the present without the disturbance of nightmares
I absolutely love your comment! As someone who did some much needed work with my “inner child” last year in counseling, your comment felt super insightful and relatable in a way. 🩷🥹
I'm japanese and got to watch this movie on the cinemas when it released. I've always been a fan of Shinkai's movies so I had my hopes up. It really hit a sore spot.
I didn't really realise what the movie was exactly about until the diary scene. I just knew from the date. It's so subtle but I think everyone got it. I was still little when the earthquake hit but I'm pretty sure many people in the room with me had memories flashing in their mind and the atmosphere was just heavy. I kept reading articles about the disaster back then on my way back home from the movie. And I think it doesn't apply to that disaster specifically, in fact, it's made that way. The reference being subtle is probably a way of Shinkai saying "this movie is about grief as a whole. The main topic is not 3.11." And it was made in a way that many people with many different memories could relate to. It's a great movie. Damn it Shinkai Makoto, you made me cry... again.
Edit: perhaps it might be nice to mention I'm from Hiroshima. It's really nice to find old remains of buildings that survived the explosion around the city and wonder what it was like back then. I remember taking a walk and coming across a whole, intact building. I look around and wonder how much things have changed. That building felt lonely but it also felt like it was in the right place so it feels weird to imagine what it surroundings were like and it also made it hit me that that building only stood out because nothing else from back then made it to the present. Must hold many memories.
Thank you for giving us this glimpse of your experience in the theater. I watched this film not knowing anything about the tsunami that has happened on the said date, hence I was left to wonder what had happened after.
And wow, your story about the Hiroshima building. I too feel the same hauntingly nostalgic feeling while I roam around old abandoned buildings here in our country, most of which survived the wars. And yes, you're right; their history truly made them stand out.
@@camillesantos9374 yeah, I really grew fond of that building. Our city has an area called "Hondori" which is like a big street with many stores, restaurants, arcades and similar. It's a very popular and packed area. I remember seeing the building near that area so it just hit extremely hard. A small, historical building with dark walls and a sign about its background surrounded by so many people. It felt kind of crazy to look at.
I also remember walking past a single wall in the middle of the street that survived the explosion and it honestly made me laugh a bit. "Why is this random wall just standing in the middle of the street? Oh, it survived 8.06... our government cares for even a single wall?!"
I was watching the movie and was already moved, but 3/11... Oh my. This broke my heart.
It was my 17th birthday and I had relatives living in Japan. Luckily, they weren't affected because they lived kinda far from Tohoku region, but the fact we usually only talked through the phone and, that day, they wouldn't answer us for hours really got me. I couldn't feel truly happy when it was my birthday for a few years, it was a sensitive topic.
The movie is so beautiful and great at getting into our emotions, right?
I can't imagine how it feels to see the buildings, it's nice that pieces of history are kept and we can reflect about it...
@@ItsukikiwaI live in Hiroshima as well. Thought same thing about that wall.
@@akiakifruit2840right? I always stare at it when I walk past it because it's just so funny while being so sad that it has to be there at all.
Nice to see a fellow hiroshima resident here tho
IM SO GLAD YOU FOUND THIS FILM AFTER YOUR REACTION TO YOUR NAME! (It's the same director)
Yep, we're obsessed!
@@CinemaTherapyShowReally hope you watch 5 Centimeters per Second! One of his first works and so powerful.
If you like Makoto Shinkais style I recommend Garden of words! It's pretty short (less than an hour I think) and it was one of his earlier works. It feels and looks like a love letter to animation itself and it's just so calming and beautiful. @@CinemaTherapyShow
@@CinemaTherapyShow I'm now very excited to possibly see a video on Weathering With You (also by Makoto Shinkai)
Makoto Shinkai is an absolute treasure. Admittedly is earlier stuff is a bit rough, and re-treads some similar ground (he's a very iterative director, gradually refining the same ideas vs somebody like Miyazaki, who has a relatively unique idea every film), but when it's good, it is VERY good.
On top of his latest three (this, Your Name, and Weathering With You), Garden of Words is a heck of an emotional gut punch. A bit shorter (only a hair over an hour), but one of my favorites.
Just thinking about this movie absolutely wrecks me. The ending with Suzume comforting her child self is my favorite depiction of Inner Child work, it's absolutely beautiful.
Also the sentiment of thanking a place for the life it had. To me the various places where the doorways open had such powerful representation of how grief can be about losing people but there is also a sort of grief present simply due to time. You can never truly go back to the school you went to or that amusement park you enjoyed when you were a kid that's closed now- but you can thank that place for the moments it gave you.
What a lovely way to put it ❤
I remember the events that happened in this film like it was yesterday. That scene where people are saying goodbye to each other like it's just any normal day hits so hard. To this day a lot of people are still missing 😥. Thanks guys for reviewing this beautiful film.
That is why the last scene is so important: After all the „goodbyes“ she can say „welcome back“. ❤
@@ulrikeg2639 🥹
I always love seeing Jonathan and Alan getting emotional over and gushing about the work they're reviewing, even if I haven't seen it. Our two RUclips Dads really give us all of the feels. Thank you for spreading so much joy. 🥰💜
hands down my favorite shinkai. the scene near the end where she meets her younger self made me cry my eyes out
Me too. Makes me cry/emotional every time I watch that scene. 😭
Shinkai?
@@JuddsonIvines Makoto Shinkai, director and writer of this movie
@@ev1lcrab LOL. Thanks. Thought it was a new genre or something for a bit there.
"Sometimes weird dreams are just bad sushi."-Dr. Decker
Suzume's diary, which she painted black, has multiple meanings. It is her heart, which lost her beloved mother and her house, also her own imagined future, and literally the scenary that she might saw on 11 March. (The actual tsunami came in was pitch black, wiping everything out, and then the disastered area was total darkness with no lights after the horrible fires had subsided.)
I've watched Suzume many times and I still get emotional whenever I watch it, especially towards the ending. I really like how it tells a story of a young girl dealing with great grief and loss, and then finally coming to terms with the past and gaining strength to embrace the future.
Suzume is really a great movie packed with potent therapeutical effects~!
Going through fallout after my third miscarriage. That blacked out journal is so raw and relatable. I've lost days swallowed by grief.
Suzume's story and animation are just so beautiful. Just like Suzume and Souta's relationship, they're _adoorable_ :D
It's a relationship to _chairish_
its such a shame Shinkai still hasn't gotten an Oscar nomination for his work.
@@neilyoungboy I prefer Shinkai to Miyazaki, to be honest
It’s funny what Jonathan said about going to places like pearl harbour and feeling connections of who used to live there before.
I find it doesn’t have to be old abandoned places. I now live in an old city (in the UK) which is bustling with life and it’s full of old buildings and history and I’ll walk past these old buildings and I often wonder and imagine who lived there over the centuries. Did they sit in the place I’m sitting? Did they have someone they loved and loved them back and were they happy? It’s a strange feeling you get to know that although the times change, that there was always life in these old places, and I think you do feel it, like a echo from the past.
let's gooooo time for our daily crying sesh peeps
Same!!!!
Thank you for reacting to this. I've been living in Japan for 5 years and on Jan 1st I was unfortunately in Kanazawa during the Noto earthquake with my fiancée, but luckily safe. We recently watched Suzume and it broke me. This film made me relive that experience, but what got to me was the scene of all the people going to work before the tsunami hit. It really puts in perspective how natural disasters can affect us at any time. This movie is a masterpiece, that you should definitely watch.
i also want to mention that when suzume reunites with her younger self in the ever-after, as she tells her about the future, the sky shifting is really representative of the passage of time. so even though the ever-after connects all time, the way death inevitably connects everyone, it also visualizes how life goes on. it reinforces suzume’s lesson: that time does heal. not by nature of it simply passing, but because you have that time to feel your pain and learn yourself, and heal those wounds with the time your given. phenomenal movie. i’ve watched it three times in the last month.
Makoto Shinkai has a gift for capturing some essential component of human nature in the most surreal way. You never quite understand why something so far fetched resonates with you. It always registers on some deep level that is so hard to put into words and yet it makes perfect sense.
When it hit me - while watching it - that this was about the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, it shook me so bad. I was there a year after as a volunteer. I still saw literally flipped over houses with the cars still stuck inside the garage. I met the ppl who were grieving. The organization lived in one of the houses that got the first floor flooded n smashed out, after having repaired it. They would renovate the next house, then move into that renovated house and start renovating the next one to move into. All with owner permissions, ofcourse. It was a way to solve the problem where to house ppl while getting renovations done not far off the site.
I've been there during an alert and flooding, though thankfully it was "only" 1 meter thus water only went onto the shores in the places where no tsunami measures were in place, like some rural streets. We still were evacuating and that experience itself of getting stuck in traffic and having your eyes on the next steep hill in case you had to abandon the car n run up there, while still physically shaken from the jolt of the earthquake just minutes before. You learn very quickly how ppl end up dying very close to safety. You just do not know how close danger is to you and how fast you gotta be in your decision making.
I lived in Tokyo for some years growing up and experienced the earthquake in 2011, and although it was no where as destructive as where the tsunami hit, it effected me a lot and I still haven't dealt with all the trauma from that day. I'm hoping i can eventually heal my inner child the way suzume does
I have been a fan of Hokuto Matsumura (the VA of Souta the chair) since 2018 AND NOW MY FAVORITE DADS ARE REACTING TO THIS FILM 😭😭😭 you cant imagine how HAPPY I AM!
Yay!! We hope you enjoy the episode!
Same here, a big fan of SixTONES!
Can't believe I found someone talking about Hokuto here. Hello fellow Team SixTONES!
@@nasywahs It's a good opportunity to talk abt SixTONES in this comment section.
@@tokaiwadaikirai A fellow SutoTan! Although Jesse is my favorite, Suzume was and is a spectacular show. I watch Suzume whenever I'm stressed out. Souta is a hot guy by the way.
So glad you guys reacted to Suzume! As someone who grew up in Japan and not only felt the 2011 earthquake, but also visited the aftermath (I saw that large beached boat at the end of the film), this film personally resonated with me in a way not many other films have. Thank you so much for taking a look at it.
It's not when the chair gets painted that the flashbacks in color, it's when it gets a face. I love that so much. When Suzume can humanize the chair is when the color returns
I quite literally jumped out of my seat when I saw this in my subscriptions! This channel has been one of my most favourite recent rabbit holes, and I was super stoked to see you guys react to Suzume. Saw it in theatres last year and it was a hauntingly beautiful film to catch on the big screen.
That's awesome! Thanks so much for watching. :)
A combination of recognizing the themes of "healing the inner child" and the catastrophic loss of the 2011 tsunami on Japan hit me wayyyyyy too hard when I watched this. I also have covid. I haven't cried this much over a movie in a while. Also, kudos to Shinkai for making a chair so incredibly endearing 😂
Best moment when Suzume aunt start expressing her bottle up emotional when the huge cat took over her body, really shows the doubt of taking in close friend or relative when you're not ready to raise someone else.
YESSSS WE CRYING TODAY BOIS!!
in all seriousness, glad to see you guys reacted to this one! I personally loved the movie the instant I watched it.
What a special movie. Tackling something as heavy as the national trauma from the tsunami and doing it in such a beautiful way takes so much skill. Beautifully animated and a top tier soundtrack to boot
There’s enough dots for the viewer to connect if they know (the timeframe referenced and the date in the journal), but it’s never spelled out that it’s a real life tragedy this is in connection to which is a move I am easily on board with. The theme isn’t about the event itself, but emotions that come from it.
My Japanese school is affiliated with a program created by our sister city in Japan that was going to raise money for the people after the Fukushima disaster. It was through that program that we were able to visit the outskirts of Fukushima while on a trip in Japan. I remember seeing the abandoned homes and the trucks carrying out the contaminated soil, so when Suzume sees them on the road, I realized what was going on. And when she found her diary I burst into tears. This movie is a beautiful tribute to the lives that were lost on that day. I'm glad you guys covered this movie!
To cinema therapy, great video!
I moved to Japan in 2012, to study in Sendai, one of the major cities hit by the Tohoku 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
I volunteered at a few kids summer camps for families affected by the disaster during the 2 years I was in Sendai.
The kids, were just kids, they loved games, running around, and living their lives like anyone else. We didn’t talk about what happened, but I wonder what they think now, 13+ years since…
All because this movie reminded me of them, and many others I interacted with in Sendai, whom have shared their “where was I, on that day” stories.
And your point about the movie tying into kindness and remembering the past - I think is something I see only acted upon during times of crisis, or only by a few. I commend the movie for showing that, where ever we are, we should strive to be kind and have an open mind to help others, and not take advantage of the kindness, return the gesture as much as we can.
And the past is where we learn our lessons, to become better, such as now the earthquake and tsunami alarms have become key in keeping people safe. Or even learning from JAL123 and the 1995 earthquake - to have rapid response request for foreign support in 2011 on the day the disaster struck.
Hopefully more entertainment and movies can strive to bring such great messages across to us all…
(I have since moved to Tokyo area, and have been working here until now)
The only moment I cried at was Daijin saying “Suzume doesn’t love me?” Justice for this cute kitty 😭 Daijin thinks he was woken up to be her cat HE DESERVES TO BE LOVED, DAIJIN I WILL LOVE YOU COME BE MY KITTY. My fiancé was laughing at me crying at this part. He suprised me with a little Daijin pin (we collect pins) the next week 😂
Same here! I was screaming angry at the TV over Daijin. I bawlled over Daijin
LOVE FOR THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!
Honestly I was MAD that she chose Souta over Daijin. He deserved SO MUCH MORE
I love Daijin and felt so sorry for him. I want them to make Daijin's Day Out sequel short so he can get a break and go have some fun every so often. I'm afraid to watch the movie again even though I loved it because of this.
The way the film cumulates emotion is just amazing, focusing on how precious the “mundane” everyday life is and ultimately made me tear up on Souta’s final prayer (consequentially made me cry when I’m rewatching any door-closing scene that comes before as well 😂).
I also like the fact that Suzume’s survivor guilt is hinted with her almost self-destructive commitment to the quest.
Seeing Suzume in cinema was probably the most epic and overwhelming experience ever, I still get goosebumps when I hear Sky Over Tokyo (the whole soundtrack is great ofc).
Yeah Sky Over Tokyo is in my playlist permanently lol
Its just so good!
As someone who has dealt with the loss of my mother to cancer which is the hardest thing that has ever happened to me, I am always looking for different artistic outlets to confront that pain and begin to heal. I can already tell that this movie is going to resonate with me deeply.
I like that this movie is a sort of response to the "criticism" of Your Name. Your Name was also inspired by the Tohoku earthquake, but the loss of people was avoided through magic/time travelling. In contrast, Suzume confronts reality and the need to overcome loss, offering a stark contrast to the escapism that Your Name provided.
This animated film also has a fair amount to do with Japan's concept of space and time. This is called, 'Ma' (間)), and it's basically a space/pause in time. You have the kanji for door (門) and sun (日) which can mean that the sun seeps through an open door. However, there are other examples of '間' in Japanese culture based on politeness and genuine caring towards others. There are different ways '間' is considered in Japanese culture. And I believe this film is expressing it in the best possible way in a gorgeous artistic story-telling form.
I remember seeing trailers for this movie years ago. I've never personally watched this moving but just watching you guys react to this got me so emotional. The blacked out pages of her diary made me feel so anxious and sad and the ending of the movie made me bawl my eyes out.
I watched this movie to watch this episode, and I loved it! Thanks for adding another movie to my list of Cinema Therapy Made Me Watch It 💙.
We love this!!
Literally the best anime film. Got to see it in theaters and its just the best. I wish I could see it on the big screen again. The disaster scenes just hit so hard.
The whole thing around the power to stop the disasters is calling on the lives and history of the people there is perfection. There's so many disaster movies about "lets see sfx about everything being destroyed" but this is about the people and the lives and making those connections.
It's crazy how Japanese movies are obsessed with time. They always manage to metaphorically represent space and time. Our choices determine the future and even though we are living in the present. The past and energy from the past will still always be there.
I am so unbelievably happy to see you guys post a video of Suzume!!! I love this movie so much!! I cried , of course! I really connect to this movie because little me went through so much, I really wish I could hold her and tell her it's going to be okay. I have reoccurring dreams of opening doors, and one leads to a staircase to multiple doors and rooms. The staircase is inside a wall. One hallway goes to this giant, dome-like greenhouse with lab tables and chairs. I still have them to this day and I mostly wander around, sometimes looking for someone. Same place, same rooms and staircases. Thank you so much for covering Suzume!!!
I’m so surprised and glad y’all did this one! I’ve always been into complicated or artsy films, raised my kids on anime, but when my 6 yo became obsessed with this movie, I felt like I was missing something. I could tell it was emotional and beautiful, but I just wasn’t CONNECTING as easily. I was really hoping for a deeper dive and the info from the comments has been great already ❤ from me and Rowan a big THANK YOU
Glad you enjoyed it! We had to cut a lot out to fit our runtime, so the director's cut on our Patreon is extra long. If you don't have a membership over there, you could do a free trial to watch the Suzume DC. Thanks for watching! :)
This movie, especially in the last part of the movie (on her way to her hometown), makes me cry so hard. Dealing with intense grief, connected to such a huge disaster on top of that, is just so heartbreaking. Like, the thought of losing my mom in general just makes me so upset.
You two mentioning feeling the life and loss in places of huge tragedy is so true. When I studied abroad in Japan, my program went on a trip to Hiroshima. Even though I'm Japanese-American, thinking about Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and after 2011, Fukushima too) breaks my heart. I remember walking through the Hiroshima Peace Museum trying not to cry. When I got to the signature book at the end of the museum track, that's when I broke down.
Your point is so correct: this movie isn't just about Suzume's grief and processing, but Japan's collective grief and processing.
Thank you for reacting to this movie (and also to Your Name before, because that's another one of my favorite movies)
I feel ya. One of my friends from college passed away recently. The two of us weren't particularly close, but we got along well, even shared the same bus route. I wanted to go pay my respects, and my dad was kind enough to tag along. Turns out he died of cardiac arrest while in the middle of his Masters course at a Uni in NYC (we're both from India). By the time his friends checked up on him, it was too late.
For the next few days all I could think of was how during my own Masters course in the UK last year, my family would constantly tell me to do my best, and how they would reassure me that things will turn out okay whenever I was feeling down, which was quite often. I have no doubt my friend got the same support. But he died nonetheless, and I was left wondering if I would be next, or if it would be one of my family members: just gone one moment after being fine the previous. Watching this movie brought back those feelings in a big way.
Just finished watching the movie with my dad. (after seeing half of this video) He and I love it! we both cried
The first time i watched this movie i remember just bawling my eyes out, it helped me connect with my own past and opened my eyes to what my life is now. The whole idea of being able to have a conversation with the younger more vulnerable version of yourself and being able to heal yourself through that is so beautiful. I love that you guys covered this movie so much. You guys are absolutely amazing.
Watched this movie very recently and I don’t cry often but it hit really hard and it’s genuinely one of my favorite movies of all time now
Suzume remains one of my favorite movies to date, and I'm so glad you guys covered it. The themes of grief and healing from trauma had me bawling in the theater, and the stunning visuals and humor on top of it were just perfect to me. An absolutely fantastic film, for sure.
I have heard of Suzume before but never actually watched it. But now, I really wanted to! Thank you for properly introducing me to this movie, Cinema Therapy!
It's thanks to our viewers that we were introduced to it. Glad to share the love!
@@CinemaTherapyShow Maybe one day, you guys can do one about Weathering With You. I shall be looking forward for that day! Also, thank you for the reply!
Two interesting facts. Firstly, Makoto Shinkai wanted to show the journey of two girls, but because the production did not allow this, he made the second main character a chair instead. Secondly, the diary entry from March 11 is in memory of the Tōhoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, which triggered one of the worst tsunami disasters. And the reason for the tsunami that caused the Fukushima disaster (nuclear power plants). About 600,000 people were in danger, and about 15,859 to 19,630 people (various sources) were found dead, while an additional 2,539 to 2,569 were missing. It is considered one of the worst earthquakes since records began.
Deeply needed this today, thanks internet dads!
I was so excited to receive this notification. I watched Suzume last year, and this video moved me to tears all over again. ❤
I appreciate that this was released between the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb 79th Memorials (Aug. 6th and Aug. 9th) as a possible tribute to grief and healing. I work in Nagasaki and lost a university classmates (Montgomery Dickson) during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Thank you for choosing this film for this time.
Have you guys done Summer Wars yet? Or any of Hosoda's work? Every film he's done has been a treatise on family and I think Summer Wars, Boy and the Beast and Mirai do an incredible job at showcasing how the meaning of family changes in different life stages
Yes, they've covered Wolf Children. I think Mirai would be a perfect continuation after Suzume.
I love the quick Victor Fankl reference. One of the best books I've ever read was Man's Search For Meaning.
Me too.
Let’s be honest. It was a hellishly dark book anyway.
Didn’t help my search of meaning either.
I finally watched this movie last night and couldn’t wait to check out this video-it kept popping up on my homepage! I held off because of spoilers, but now I’m so glad I can finally watch it. I love your channel-I found it about a month ago and instantly subscribed! I really enjoy how you delve into characters and how they reflect rea-life personalities.
Speaking of Suzume, there’s a great Reddit post where someone explains the movie’s symbolism in detail. The movie itself is just stunning, the visuals, music, and characters are all so beautiful!
Never have I clicked a video faster. Not just a Cinema Therapy video, ANY video!
Wow! We hope you enjoy it. :)
@@CinemaTherapyShow I really did enjoy your commentary :) I had hoped to hear something about the scene when Suzume and her aunt get mad at each other and then later end up reconciling, but I understand you can't make 2 hr videos ^^' Thank you so much for your content!
I saw this movie in theatres a week after my dog died and I was in the worst emotional state in years (I had also lost 2 human family members shortly beforehand). Watching Suzume's journey helped me better appreciate the souls in my life, past, present and future.
this is my favourite animated movie. I get chills every time the worm appears in Tokyo and I tear up from the heartfelt moments
I used to have weekly anime nights with a friend of mine until I moved away. After this movie came out, I went back to visit and we watched it together. It was such a special experience that makes this movie even dearer to me. :)
That sounds like a lovely ritual. :)
Attempt #6 (I think) of asking for Spirit l: Stallion of the Cimarron!! Was my absolute childhood movie growing up and the filmmaking is so beautiful with amazing scores and concepts of loss and staying true to once nature even in the face of adversity!
I second this again
I have to second this. Please!🙏 ❤
I'm surprised they didn't react to this already, what? I wholeheartedly second this
Agreed
I SECOND THIS
I’m so glad they appreciated the opening 10mins! That was literally the fastest I’d ever gotten invested in a movie!!!
It's quite the hook!
Oh my gosh, I JUST saw this one a couple weeks ago! I LOVED it! It's so fantastical, romantic, and magical, and the music and art are STUNNING. Also, Sota IS indeed fine as hell, as Jono said, and I personally think that the director must have made him into a chair for most of the movie so the whole audience wouldn't be swooning the whole movie 😂😂
We wholeheartedly agree!
Thank you for featuring this. Seeing the title on your channel convinced me to watch this movie!
I love how the first song that is played on the car journey is the song that plays in Kiki’s Delivery Service when she’s heading out to the city. It’s such an achingly sweet callback to Miyazaki and the themes of the grief , struggle, and beauty of growing up, and finding your own way to your future. The driver even notes that the cats should like it, linking them and Jiji from that movie, just so you know that they did that on purpose.
It means a lot to me personally as well, as it’s one of the songs that my child, who just turned fourteen, listens to at night to fall asleep. He has a whole playlist of songs from the Kyoto Musicbox Orchestra that are from Miyazaki movies.
All the feels and tears on this one.
Suzume reaction?? Let's goooo🤩
I really like Makoto Shinkai movies and i think that Suzume is probably his best one yet, close to Your Name
I saw it at the cinema, the story and music are so good but the diary scene was devastating
This movie had me in tears! The music added so much emotion to the beautiful scenes! I've watched it multiple times
"Kindness pays dividends"
Walt Disney's 1937 Snow White summarized in 3 words
I don't think you guys are aware of how many people you help with this. I've had similar trauma and the way you both explain this, is phenomenal. I'm really thankful for you both!
This gave me chills.
Could you do an episode about some or all of the Narnia movies?
I'm so glad you reacted to Suzume - it's my favorite Makoto Shinkai film! One cool thing about the chair is that it's a three-legged chair, which is really symbolic of Japan after the earthquake. A three-legged chair is damaged, and it will never be the same as it was before - but it can still stand up and create stability. We see that in that small, fun scene where the kids play with the chair at the back of the car, and Souta-chair continuously try to balance everything on it so it doesn't fall!
Another cool thing is that Daijin and Sadaijin seem to parallel Suzume and her aunt. In a way, by repressing their grief, they were keeping a semblance of stability in their lives - both of them, at different ends of the earth, separated. It wasn't until Suzume released Daijin - which I think represent the part of her that is always wanting to be loved - that she could confront her grief. She goes on a bit of a wild goose chase, and that draws out her aunt / Sadaijin as the other keystone to come find her, help her accomplish her mission, and bring her home.
My friend also had this really cool interpretation that Daijin = id and Sadijin = superego. Daijin, in a way, decided to forsake his responsibility as a keystone at the beginning - much like how the id can lead us to forsake our responsibilities, and get into trouble! In some ways, Suzume chasing Daijin around Japan is a bit like like pursuing our id, and even though it can be destructive, it also leads her to find "doors that she needed to close" - something she thanks Daijin for at the end. Meanwhile, Sadaijin is a bit like the superego, and represents a sense of responsibility. Sadaijin comes to find Daijin, and they have a fight, but later on Sadaijin is seen to be grooming Daijin at the back of the car. Similarly, Suzume initially saw her aunt's concern as a hindrance to her mission - but after they had their fight, and she realized that even though her worst fears about her aunt are in some ways true, they are also not everything, and that her aunt does love and support her and eventually was key to her reaching her goals. I think that represents how the things we often run away from as a child - our parental figures, our commitment to others, our responsibilities - can actually support us if we are able to connect with them and work with them to reach our goals. At the end, after Daijin felt appreciated by Suzume (the inner need for love being fulfilled) and also saw that Suzume was willing to fulfill her responsibility to the world by becoming the keystone herself, Daijin finally came to terms with his role in the world as well, and chose to turn back into a keystone. The id and superego were integrated, and Daijin and Sadaijin were able to work together to put the giant worm of grief to rest.
I found this offhandedly on Netflix one day and watched it. Beautiful movie
Suzume and Your Name are sooo good! I'm glad you covered this one. 😁
When I first saw the trailer I remember yelling through the house “You mean the hot guys turns into a chair for over half the movie?!” - but no seriously watching this movie in theaters was an experience. While so much of the mythology went straight over my head, the core message of the film shines through so clearly. Thanks for watching and reacting! Love your channel!
This show is very important to me. The first time I saw it I was with my friends, and I had just been kicked out by my parents not many months prior to watching the movie. I cried near the end of the movie; it carried so many signs to me.
I'm thankful for this movie; moreover, I am thankful for my friends that were there for me, whom I watched the movie with.
'A silent voice' is another great one to watch!
They did an episode on it already!
We already did! ruclips.net/video/h8VHaNeuw3o/видео.html
@@CinemaTherapyShow checking that out next! I so wanna see your thoughts on this!! :D
My youngest kiddo and I went and saw this in the theater not long after it came out. It's SO good. This is my favorite Makoto Shinkai film and his is Weathering with You. I've since seen it a few more times since then and it gets me all emotional. It's such a lovely movie about grief, loss, and healing. I'm really glad that you two seemed to enjoy it, too!
Alan you are so sweet and endearing and empathetic because you cry for other people even if they are tv show or film characters and I find a lot of comfort in that so,
God bless you!🤗💕
It's okay to not be okay until you're ready to become okay.
I don't know how you guys did it, but your thoughtful commentary made me love this movie more. I think about halfway through the video I was just in tears listening to your takes. Perhaps that's the impact of the movie and how it touched my heart in the first place and the way you talk about it recalls those feelings, but this is such a strong feeling I have right now typing this. Wonderful video. I'm actually quite grateful to have listened to this.
You guys have to complete the trilogy of Shinkai movies with my all time favourite: Weathering with you
I saw this in an empty theater and it was the best movie experience I’ve ever had! The soundtrack is amazing and so emotional
I never thought of Sota as Suzume’s romantic interest for 3 primary reason:
1. he’s also just a person on a journey and suzume helps him with it while battling her own memories of her mom being absent
2. He’s a lot older than her and is more of the childhood friend. His representation as a chair + childhood memory of her mom making the chair. I thought it was like the past coming back but in a positive light and to show the representation of the happiness between mother and child. And that in the present suzume could have that same happiness in the future.
3. They got their own separate ways at the end. And Suzume is in a place where she can move forward and so does Sota. In a way they help each other to grow forward. I felt kieke Suzume relationship within herself (via the portal and meeting her younger self to encourage them) was what it was about.
Souta also wasn't in the movie as himself for much of it. He shows up in the beginning, then gets turned into a chair 17 minutes, and flat-out disappears halfway through before returning for the climax.
Not saying this as a negative. The movie is called Suzume, and I very much loved that it chooses to mostly focus on her journey.
man this was a beautiful dissection and commentary of SUZUME, its an objectively good movie and themes in it are just chefs kiss. I hope you guys do the Maquia movie!!
Can we please get a Sweeney Todd episode? It's one of my favorite musicals. Mrs. Lovett might be my favorite character ever. There's so much there Jono can unpack.
Sweeney: loss, grief, vengeance
Tobey: abuse and trauma (Pirelli and getting lock in the bake house)
Mrs. Lovett: what does she see in Sweeney, the man who has fits of rage and literally told her she deserves to die?
Lucy: assault and loss
Yeah, if we could get like a villain therapy episode going with the people in Sweeney Todd, that would be delightful. I'd also love to hear Alan's opinion on the film, and maybe on musicals in general.
I am so glad that you guys were able to review this movie because this has become an instant favorite of mine from Makoto Shinkai, after his 2019 Weathering with You. At first, I thought the movie was only good. But after multiple viewings, I realized that this film was definitely different compared to his other works since most of it were about romance. Suzume, however, is a journey of self-discovery and realizing that no matter how bad the world gets, you will meet wonderful people along the way. The final act, they way it showed how the past and future meet, is so symbolical and made me tear up so many times.
We need one for Weathering with you. Its also directed by Makoto Shinkai
We'll probably do it. Makoto Shinkai has an impeccable track record!
So happy you covered this! The animation is absolutely stunning and the music is hauntingly beautiful. I got chills at multiple points, and the scene where she literally confronts her greif through her younger self had me crying!❤
I think I have a chair kink now 😅
It is such a beautiful movie and the music is just perfect.
Even in loss there is life to be celebrated - I love this theme from Suzume. She lost her mother, but her memory is still there. She lived. She still touches Suzume's life. And on this adventure of hers, Suzume learns that despite growing up without her biological mother, she has had many nurturing figures guide her and help her throughout her life. Suzume's life has meaning just like her mother's life had meaning and her aunt's life, and Souta's life and each person she meets on her journey. It highlights the interconnected web of human experience throughout time.
Incredible react once again, guys! Thank you so much for this.
Also, both Jono and Alan are super kind. Jono makes us feel understood with his compassionate and genuine comments. Alan makes us feel the same when he cries without regrets, and we feel like we can be ourselves.
I like to think that the magic needed to close the doors is part of a process of reframing the past (which is something I learned in cognitive behavioral therapy). I believe Suzume was able to do this in both a supernatural and real way with herself, reframing the stories of others and her own.
I also think that the chair represents a certain form of identity and sense of self, as she says when she was a child: "A chair for me!". Her mother helped build her sense of identity, and Souta helps restore what might have been lost along the way.
Once again, thanks for the video! I really enjoy following your work.