What is Suzume About? Plot Explained
The official plot for Suzume no Tojimari is slightly cryptic in its wording, as you can understand for such an anticipated film. However, now the film has been released in Japan, we have a clearer idea. The story follows Suzume, a 17-year-old girl living in rural Japan who is asked by a mysterious young man, Sōta Munakata, to help him find a door. When they find the door, Suzume is drawn towards it and discovers a strange dimension beyond. Suzume’s actions trigger more doors to appear across Japan, causing a whole raft of strange events and disasters to occur around them. It’s up to Suzume and Sōta to find and close all the doors. Makoto Shinkai has mentioned in interviews that a large part of Suzume no Tojimari is about our inability to control things that happen around us. The film has a strong post-apocalyptic aspect, with Suzume and others coming to terms with events and finding ways to survive.
Will Suzume no Tojimari Be Connected to Your Name or Other Makoto Shinkai Films?
People always wonder when a new Makoto Shinkai film is released whether it will be attached to previous films. Nothing is confirmed in this respect, but it would be unlikely. Makoto Shinkai likes to play with different universal rules in each of his stories. He previously mentioned in DVD interviews that his films have different styles of divide between characters, whether that’s space in Voices of a Distant Star, age in The Garden of Words or time in Your Name. As a result, while it feels like his stories should slot together into one universe, it’s quite difficult to logically see that working. However, Makoto has teased connections between his movies recently. Weathering with You and Your Name shared connections with characters appearing in both movies. While Suzume no Tojimari is very likely to exist in a different universe, it wouldn’t be surprising to see references towards Weathering With You – which is similarly apocalyptic – appear in the movie. It’s been confirmed that one of Your Name’s main voice actors will be voicing a new character in Suzume no Tojimari – more on that below.
What is Suzume no Tojimari’s Name in English?
It has been confirmed that Makoto Shinkai’s latest film will have the English title Suzume. Previously, Makoto Shinkai’s films have had a fairly literal translation. Weathering With You was a slight exception (a literal translation would have called it something like The Weather’s Child), but generally, the Japanese title has been kept regardless of obscurity. Suzume no Tojimari, when translated literally, means something along the lines of ‘Suzume’s Locking Doors’. However, distributors have chosen the simpler title of Suzume, referring to the main character.
When Will Suzume’s Release Date Be in the US, UK, and Internationally?
It has been confirmed that Suzume will be arriving in theatres internationally outside of Asia from April 12, 2023. In Japan, the film premiered on November 7th, 2022, before opening across the country on November 11th. Crunchyroll will be working to distribute the film alongside Sony Pictures Entertainment (both enterprises are owned by Sony) outside of Asia. Crunchyroll and Funimation previously worked on international distribution for the anime film Jujutsu Kaisen 0, among other titles.
Suzume US/UK Release Date
Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume will be released in the United States and the United Kingdom on Friday, April 14, 2023. Crunchyroll will be working independently of Sony Picture Entertainment when it comes to distributing Makoto Shinkai’s new film in North America. Suzume will also be released on April 14 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Gibraltar, Ireland, and Luxembourg. Other confirmed international release dates include:
April 12 (Wednesday): France and MaltaApril 13 (Thursday): Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Germany
Crunchyroll is yet to confirm when the movie will be distributed in other regions, although it adds that release dates for more Latin America and EMEA territories are to be announced.
Who Are the Main Characters in Suzume no Tojimari?
Suzume no Tojimari’s protagonist will be the titular Suzume Iwato, a 17-year-old high-school girl living in Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island. Suzume lives with her aunt, Tamaki Iwato. Suzume’s mother, Tsubame, has only appeared so far in flashbacks, and the first trailer (seen below) suggests this could be a significant part of the story. Another key driver will be Sōta Munakata, the mysterious young man in a white lab coat. He is the one that knows how the handle the doors, having learned about them from his grandfather Hitsujirō. There is also a magical cat and a chair that will play parts in the story! More details on those can be seen in the trailer shared in the video below. Note: Beware minor spoilers for the movie if you wanted to not know everything before watching it yourself! In other character news, Sōta Munakata’s friend Tomoya Serizawa will be voiced by Ryunosuke Kamiki, who previously played Taki, the lead role in Shinkai’s Your Name.
Who is Producing the Soundtrack for Suzume?
It has been confirmed that the soundtrack for Suzume no Tojimari was produced by RADWIMPS. Fans of Makoto Shinkai will recognise RADWIMPS from their work on the soundtracks for his two recent movies, Your Name and Weathering With You. Alongside the Japanese four-piece band is composer Kazuma Jinnouchi, who shot to recognition for creating the original score composition for Metal Gear Solid. Since then, he has worked on Hollywood movies including Jumanji and Detective Pikachu. The trailer below includes the movie’s theme song, Suzume. The theme song is sung by Toaka, an amateur singer who made waves on TikTok in Japan with her acoustic guitar and original songs. In a press release promoting the film, Toaka said that Suzume is the first song she has ever recorded.
Suzume no Tojimari Trailer
Makoto Shinkai’s latest film looks as beautiful as ever, and it’s already full of sci-fi mystery and intrigue! We can’t wait to see what happens when it releases worldwide next year!
