Suzume Trivia | 64 facts about the anime film

“Suzume” is a new anime film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai that has earned rave reviews by critics.

Let’s find out some trivia and facts about the film.

1. Suzume is a 2022 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film
2. It is written and directed by Makoto Shinkai
3. Produced by CoMix Wave Films
4. And distributed by Toho
5. The film follows 17-year-old high school student Suzume Iwato and Sōta Munakata
6. They team up to prevent a series of disasters across Japan
7. The film features the voices of Nanoka Hara and Hokuto Matsumura
8. With the character designs by Masayoshi Tanaka
9. Animation direction by Kenichi Tsuchiya, art direction by Takumi Tanji
10. And music by Radwimps and Kazuma Jinnouchi
11. Suzume is Shinkai’s third collaboration with Radwimps and Tanaka, after Your Name (2016) and Weathering with You (2019)
12. The film was inspired by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
13. The film began its production in early 2020
14. Eventually being announced as completed by October 2022
15. A novel adaptation, also written by Shinkai, and a manga series illustrated by Denki Amashima both debuted prior to the film’s release
16. Suzume first premiered in IMAX in Japan on November 7, 2022
17. It was theatrically released nationwide on November 11
18. It was released internationally across 2023 by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Releasing (under the Sony Pictures Releasing International banner), and Wild Bunch International
19. The film received positive reviews from critics
20. With praise for its animation, characters, emotional weight and music
21. Although some reviewers criticized the plot for being structurally similar to Shinkai’s previous films
22. It has grossed $292.4 million worldwide
23. Becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2022 in Japan
24. And the fourth-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time
25. Makoto Shinkai conceived the idea for Suzume while he was traveling around Japan to give talks about his past works
26. He said, “In Japan, it is customary to hold a jichin-sai [ja] or groundbreaking ceremony, before construction begins on a new building or home, but we do nothing when we close them down”
27. Shinkai noticed that there were more empty or abandoned areas in Japan due to the country’s declining birth rate and aging population, so he thought of writing a story about “mourning deserted places”
28. As a result, the film inevitably turned into a road movie about visiting places
29. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami served as an influence for the themes in the film
30. While the Tiamat comet in Your Name and the concept of Weathering with You were ideas influenced by the natural disaster, Shinkai felt that he should “express the impact [he] felt through the earthquake and tsunami, instead of continuing to depict it as a metaphor”
31. He feared that people’s memories of the disaster start to become “hazy” over time, and by depicting the earthquake and tsunami in his film or novel, he could also share his memories with teens who were unaware of the disaster
32. Shinkai also cited Kiki’s Delivery Service, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and Haruki Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore and short story “Kaeru-kun, Tokyo o Sukuu” as influences for the film
33. Shinkai and his staff planned the project from January to March 2020. They started developing the film’s script in April, which is when the Japanese government declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic
34. In an interview with TV Asahi, Shinkai mentioned that the pandemic had a less tangible effect on the film’s production
35. However, he said that “the mood of the times is indelibly etched into the script”, adding that the film will have a post-apocalyptic theme
36. Sōta turning into a chair was in reference to Shinkai feeling trapped during the COVID-19 curbs
37. After finishing the script in August, the storyboards were drafted from September 2020 to December 2021, while the production of the animation started in April 2021
38. The film was officially unveiled during a press conference on December 15, 2021
39. The film’s staff includes Masayoshi Tanaka as the character designer, Kenichi Tsuchiya as the animation director, and Takumi Tanji as the art director
40. CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. were revealed as the film’s producers
41. In October 2022, Shinkai announced that production on the film was completed
42. As of April 18, 2023, Suzume has grossed $292.4 million worldwide, including ¥14.48 billion in Japan
43. The film debuted at number one at the Japanese box office, and grossed ¥1.88 billion ($13.49 million) from the advance IMAX screening and during its first three days
44. It surpassed Weathering with You to become the biggest three-day opening for a Shinkai film
45. In Japan, it is the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2022, the eighth-highest-grossing anime film of all time, and the 14th-overall highest-grossing film of all time
46. In China, the film grossed $82.27 million in its first ten days, surpassing the box office of Your Name to become the highest-grossing Japanese film ever released in the country
47. As of April 16, 2023, Suzume has grossed $109 million in China
48. In South Korea, Suzume was the top-grossing film for 35 consecutive days after its release, setting a record second only to Avatar (2009)
49. As of April 15, 2023, the film has grossed $35.78 million and has attracted a total of over 4.48 million viewers
50. Surpassing The First Slam Dunk (2022) to become the highest-grossing and most-watched Japanese film ever released in the country
51. In the United States, the film was released alongside Renfield, The Pope’s Exorcist, Mafia Mamma and Sweetwater
52. It was projected to gross $4.7 million from 2,170 theaters in its opening weekend
53. It made $2.15 million on its first day, as well as $680,000 from Thursday preview screenings
54. The film went to debut on $5 million in its opening weekend
55. Finishing seventh at the box office behind Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
56. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 96% rating
57. Based on 90 critics’ reviews
58. With an average rating of 7.8/10
59. The website’s consensus reads: “Suzume sees director Makoto Shinkai falling just a bit short of the bar set by previous outings — but when the results are this visually thrilling and emotionally impactful, it’s hard to find much fault”
60. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average of 75 out of 100
61. Based on 24 critic reviews
62. Indicating “generally favorable reviews”
63. Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 89% positive score
64. With 72% saying they would recommend it