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Reviews
Suzume no Tojimari (2022)
BREATHTAKING ANIMATION
'Suzume' - A Critical Analysis and Review
Makoto Shinkai's 'Suzume' is a film that ambitiously attempts to achieve numerous objectives in its two-hour runtime. With stunning animation and a captivating background score, 'Suzume' presents itself as a uniquely above-average film, despite its convoluted plot and multiple metaphors.
Cinematic Experience:-
Undoubtedly, the most striking aspect of this movie is its animation. The imagery is breathtakingly beautiful, with each frame worthy of being a work of art. Although the use of CGI in some parts of the film (notably the 'Worm') may be subject to debate, Shinkai has effectively concealed any potential drawbacks of the technology by employing smooth visual transitions whenever the 'Worm' disappears through the 'Doors.'
The background score is equally impressive, as it seamlessly integrates with the scenes. However, the decision to include both of the film's beautiful songs at the end feels somewhat rushed and underwhelming.
Plot:-
Despite its highly imaginative premise, the plot is somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The primary driving force of the story - Suzume's unrequited crush on a young man - feels underdeveloped, and the ending lacks coherence.
Characterization:-
Unfortunately, the character development in 'Suzume' falls short of expectations. Except the character of Suzume, no character has been given the slightest development. The motives of the characters Daijin and Sadaijin are extremely unclear and debatable.
Still, the characters do serve an important purpose. The people whom Suzume meets in her journey and their hospitable attitude stress on the fact that although people are motivated by selfish desires, selfless acts don't cease to exist.
Themes:-
'Suzume' is a movie rich in themes. The film deals with adolescence, loss, recovery, hope, selflessness, loneliness, and the significance of human bonds. While some of these themes are not fully fleshed out, they contribute to the film's overall appeal.
The Base:-
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and its impact on Japan serve as the foundation of the film. Rather than focus solely on the disaster, 'Suzume' explores the efforts made to heal its scars. The film handles this sensitive issue in a highly uplifting manner, and Shinkai deserves commendation for his approach.
The Miyazaki Effect:-
It is evident that Shinkai draws inspiration from the style of renowned Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. This influence is apparent in the film's imaginative plot, rich metaphors, cultural references, and personified creatures. For instance, the opening of the 'Doors' at random, deserted locations serves as a metaphor for the unpredictability of natural disasters and the destruction and isolation they cause. The three-legged chair symbolizes hope during difficult times.
Personal Interpretations:-
i. Daijin:-
One possible interpretation is that Daijin, the enigmatic cat, represents the lengths people will go to seek love and comfort from others.
Ii. The 'Worm':-
The 'Worm,' a creature from the 'Ever-After' realm, may be a metaphor for the accumulated bitterness and grief within us, which manifests itself during times of loneliness and dejection.
Iii. The fight between the 'Worm' and 'Sadaijin' :-
The fight between a cat and a snake-like creature might be a reference to the Egyptian myth of the Cat Goddess Bast battling the monstrous serpent Apophis for eternity. This could symbolize the constant inner struggle to keep our emotions from the past under control, preventing them from causing harm to those close to us.
Conclusion:-
'Suzume' has its strengths and weaknesses, with great animation and background score, but a confusing plot and undeveloped characters. It also touches upon important themes and uses metaphors effectively. Ultimately, the appreciation of the movie's qualities is subjective and depends on individual tastes and preferences.
Anazâ (2012)
Nice but....
'Another' is a good horror show with a lot of suspense. The intro of the show is absolutely bone-chilling and the rest of the background score is good as well. The plot is extremely suspenseful, eerie and gory and had a lot of potential which was wasted by its ending which was poorly written. Some extremely important questions are left unanswered with no promises for a second season which is extremely annoying. The were several plot inconsistencies which made many aspects of the show feel lame. Furthermore, a little bit more psychological and realistic angle to deepen the horror would have been appreciated.
Sayonara no asa ni yakusoku no hana o kazarô (2018)
Beautiful film
'Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms' is a beautiful film dealing with the themes of motherhood, aging, loss and selfishness in a very novel and creative way. The characters are well written and they successfully bring out the themes of the film by their actions. The animation is extremely good and the background score is great as well.
The story is confusing because of the way of storytelling. There are frequent time jumps and things are just too fast paced. The film also lacks in adequate world-building. Although the characters are well-written, their character development is inadequate.
Mimi wo sumaseba (1995)
An example of true teenage love
"Take me home, country roads"
'Whisper of the Heart' is a down-to-earth, lovely and heartwarming story about pure love between two adolescent teenagers. The characters are well-written and likeable. The background score is incredibly suited to the atmosphere of the story.
True love is helping your partner move forward in life by being their support - love should not always necessarily be associated with romance. I absolutely love how the movie conveys this message. The movie also explores the anxieties faced by teenagers while thinking about their future and trying to find their purpose in life.
Kaze tachinu (2013)
Dreams
'The Wind Rises' is an extremely beautiful film which is based on an highly fictionalised version of the early life of Jiro Hirokoshi, an aeronautical engineer. Through the character of Jiro, Mr. Hayao Miyazaki inspires us to dream and pursue those dreams with seriousness and devotion. Miyazaki has elegantly blended dreams and reality in this masterpiece. The film perfectly captures the economic condition and political situation of Japan during that time period.
The soothing background score coupled with the charming plot give a wholesome experience. The romantic aspect is also good and things are not overdone.
Sono bisuku dôru wa koi o suru (2022)
Average and unrealistic
My Dress-Up Darling is an average 'feel good' rom-com with good animation and a decent background score. Almost all the characters are totally unrealistic except for Gojo who stands for all introverts who are afraid to speak of their interests. The main theme of the show is a good one - valuing and respecting others interests but the useless fanservice-humour devalues the main theme.
The one thing that stands out in the show is that Gojo and Marin actually have a reason to like each other and are not just attracted to each other (although I am very disappointed with the fanservice which seriously destroyed what could have been a very good show)
Boku dake ga inai machi (2016)
Keeps you at the edge of your seat till the end
Erased is a murder mystery with an interesting twist because of the time-travel element. This element creates so much suspense that it keeps one at the edge of his seat till the end. It focuses on an important theme - not losing hope, among others like loneliness, friendship, courage, family love and child abuse. The characters feel very real and are well developed even in a short time.
The main drawback of this show is its immediate ending. The ending must have been spaced out a little. However, the ending is not bad too as it brings justice to the protagonist's character who has suffered a lot.
Death Note: Desu nôto (2006)
Incredible
Death Note is truly an amazing and well-crafted show which plays with its dark psychological tone very nicely. The spooky intro and outro and perfectly matched background score gave the show's dark-psychological tone a serious boost. The character development of the main characters Light and L is PHENOMENAL^INFINITY but characters like Mello and Near totally ruin the show after episode 25.
I would even call it a masterpiece had it not been the somewhat lame events after episode 25 which seriously brought down the interest-levels to a great extent.
What is interesting about this show is that we are forced to contemplate - "was Light somewhat justified in his actions?" This question is itself a great silent message to the existing Governments which often fail to provide justice.
Kimi no na wa. (2016)
"The mind had forgotten but the heart - it always remembered"
Undoubtedly the best movie directed by Mr.
Makoto Shinkai so far, "Your Name." is totally a
beautiful movie with SPLENDID animation. The
background score is JUST BRILLIANT. Three
songs of the movie 'Sparkle', 'Nandemonaiya'
and 'Zenzense' beautifully describe the whole
movie and its core emotions. Truly they are
awesome. The movie starts slow and takes time
to build upon the emotions and suspense. The
plot is a bit confusing but something fresh that
you will surely have never seen before. There
are plot holes but they won't bother you if you
don't think about the movie too much.
According to me, the character-development is
sort of incomplete.
The ending is a good one and is sure to make
you smile on your face as "the mind had
forgotten but the heart - it always
remembered".
Shigatsu wa kimi no uso (2014)
A heart-touching story with brilliant background score
"Your Lie In April" is a show which really paints
a rainbow of symphony. It has a gorgeous
animation and an INCREDIBLE background
score. The pieces of classical music added do
speak a lot about the characters and their
innermost feelings. Each and every character
has a purpose and receives proper
development. The show more or less maintains
a steady pace.
The plot is simple and emotional. It's a very good show for those who like emotional stuff or those who believe that music is a strong form to convey one's feelings.
Tenki no ko (2019)
Beautiful Animation and Amazing Score
"Weathering With You", directed by the world-
famous Mr. Makoto Shinkai, has a stunning
animation and is totally beautiful to watch. The
direction is undoubtedly good and the
background score is JUST WONDERFUL. The
voice-acting is also pretty good. The pacing is
just okay - neither too fast nor too slow. Clearly
this movie is an example of great hard-work.
The main part where this movie suffers is the
plot which is kind of incomplete. Explanation of
the 'ecosystem on the clouds' or Hina's powers
were not explained. Also, the love between Hodaka and Hina was kinda selfish.
Gekijôban Vaioretto Evâgâden (2020)
The Power of "I Love You"
"Violet Evergarden: The Movie" is the final
instalment in the Violet Evergarden storyline.
The animation and background score are JUST
AWESOME. The plot is good but could have
been better. The movie is more of an emotional
drama and brings to the conclusion the quest of
Violet Evergarden to understand love. She
finally receives a much deserved proper happy
ending after an entire life of uncertainty.
I loved how the movie showed how letter-
writing is still significant to convey the deepest
emotions which cannot be expressed orally. It's
indeed sad that the practice of writing letters
declined with the invention of telephones and
the outburst of emotions on receiving a letter
was slowly forgotten.
Vaioretto evâgâden gaiden: Eien to jidô shuki ningyô (2019)
A BEAUTIFUL TALE OF TWO SISTERS
"Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto
Memory Doll" is yet another emotionally rich
tale which is canon to the show "Violet
Evergarden." The animation and background
score are as AWESOME and BRILLIANT as the
show. The new characters are given proper
characterization. The eternal love and trust
between Amy and her adopted sister Taylor has
been portrayed very nicely. I absolutely loved
the character of Taylor. It was because of her
that character of Benedict learnt to realise the
importance of his job and got some much-
needed character development.
Lastly, I humbly wish that the departed souls of
the victims of the arson attack, at the main
building of Kyoto Animation, rest in peace.
Violet Evergarden (2018)
BEST ANIMATION AND OST (for me)
"Violet Evergarden" beautifully and near-perfectly
focuses on the themes of war, loss, love, self-
discovery, kindness and the importance of letters.
Each episode is a non-exaggerated emotional
journey for the character of Violet Evergarden
(who is learning what emotions really are) and we,
the viewers. The animation and the background
score is AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, SPECTACULAR and
SPLENDID. The plot is simple and very beautifully
written and not very addicting, which is good.
Violet Evergarden receives one the best
meaningful character developments I have seen so
far. Other frequently appearing characters are
basically supporting ones and receive a decent
characterization.
Hoshi no koe (2002)
Average
I didn't like the animation very much. It didn't have that much neatness as of other Shinkai movies.
The plot is a fair one and it does try to highlight
the themes of distance but the runtime is too
short for the proper execution of it. The
background score is also just fair. The movie
clearly lacks a lot in terms of character-
development as well.
However, one thing that does shine in the
movie is the strong emotions which are clearly
portrayed.
Toki o kakeru shôjo (2006)
A Bit Complicated.....
"The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" is an
average science fiction coming-of-age story by
Mr. Mamoru Hosada which could have been
better if it had been a bit less complicated and
the character of Chiaki had received more
development. The plot is down to Earth,
engaging and repetitive after a period of time.
It's imaginative and uses the time-travelling
idea in a different way (which is unexplained).
The animation is neat with watercolour-like
backgrounds. The background score is good.
The intimate relationship between the three
main characters is explored very nicely but only
Makoto receives proper character-
development.
Koto no ha no niwa (2013)
Beautiful Animation
The title of this short film "The Garden of
Words" is actually an irony because it has
minimal dialogues which have been used in
such a way that almost every word carries
weight. This short film directed by Mr. Makoto
Shinkai has totally BEAUTIFUL animation, and
an awesome background score. The pacing is
kinda slow but that is overshadowed by the
animation and background score. The centrally
characters do revive character-development by
finding purpose in life.
The film largely deals with the themes of
alienation and to a certain extent - emotional
maturity.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
Masterpiece
"Spirited Away" is one of Mr. Hayao Miyazaki's
masterpieces. Although every frame of the
movie is hand-drawn, there is a pretty good
amount of detailing. The direction is perfect
and even minor-details have been taken care
of. The plot is simple but it keeps one hooked
till the end because of its well-balanced pacing.
The background score (though less in number)
completely suits with the scenes' mood and
emotions. Each and every character has both
good and bad traits which makes them more
similar to the real-life world. The movie
creatively explores the themes of greed,
courage, love, politeness, isolation and maturity
in actions.
Mononoke-hime (1997)
Exploitation of nature must be stopped
"Princess Mononoke" has themes which are
VERY relevant to modern days. It is different
from Mr. Hayao Miyazaki's other films and deals with nature-centred themes like mankind's war
with the forces of nature, the exploitation of
natural resources due to personal interests and greed, etc. It's totally unique and creative with good animation and background score. The characterization is properly done and the
motives and personality trait of each character is clear.
The story is not easy to understand. It has many Japanese mythic elements and is a work of Mr. Miyazaki's vivid imagination. The ending is different from other 'Princess' films as it only gives hope not any guarantees that the situation will improve.
Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)
What An ideal Princess Must Be Like....
Directed by Mr. Hayao Miyazaki "Nausicaä
of the Valley of the Wind" is a very powerful
film as it portrays significant messages, like the
uselessness of war, the nature of animals to
attack only when threatened or harmed and
the power of nature to heal itself, in an
extremely creative manner. The plot is a bit
complex with vivid use of imagination. The
movie is fast-paced and the tension built up
during the movie keeps one hooked to the
movie till the end. Nausicaä is truly a strong
female character and one can't help but directly
feel her concerns for her home - the Valley of
the Wind.
The only thing that slightly bothered me was
the mismatched background score at some
parts.
Hotarubi no mori e (2011)
A gentle tale
"Into the Forest of the Fireflies' Light" is a sweet
gentle tale about a spirit and a young girl and
the close friendship they develop over the
course of years. Their interactions are heart-
warmingly sweet. The animation is neat and the
background score is good. Though there is
nothing much in the story, the serenity and
magical vibe of this short film keeps one's
interest alive. The main characters receive just
enough characterization to make us feel slightly
nostalgic by the end.
It is just a basically relaxing story which is
recommended when you want to watch
something peaceful.
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
Creative, Amazing
"Howl's Moving Castle" is another creatively
rich movie directed by Mr. Hayao Miyazaki. It
focuses on the themes of old age, war, trust,
self-discovery, love and kindness. The film is
beautifully hand-drawn and combined with the
amazing background score, uniqueness,
imagination and charm of the film totally keeps
one hooked up till the end. All the characters
receive proper characterization and makes us
feel connected to them. I personally feel that
the ending could have been just a bit better but
otherwise it is an amazing movie.
Hotaru no haka (1988)
War is Evil
"Grave of the Fireflies" is a powerful animated war
drama which highlights the destruction and
devastation caused on public property and the
economy by showing the lives of two siblings -
Seita and his younger sister Setsuko. Their tale of
survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The
siblings rely completely on each other and struggle
against all odds to stay together and stay alive.
I loved how the movie didn't focus on fighting and
violence at all but directly went into the impact
the war has on everyday life. Thus the politics of
war was avoided.
The movie has a slow but steady pace throughout
and all the emotions are very well portrayed
through the expressions, the background music
and of course the voice acting.
Hori-san to Miyamura-kun (2021)
Hori's character is unrealistic
Directed by Mr. Masashi Ishihama "Horimiya" is
an average show with neat animation and a
good background score. The show starts out
well but then the plot gets completely messy.
Although the main protagonists of the show
should be Hori and Miyamura, the focus shifts
from them to other characters and then back to
the main characters which is annoying.
According to me, the only proper character-
development in the show is of the character of
Miyamura as his troubled past and
transformation was shown properly. On the
other hand, the other main character Hori's
character (according to me) is too strange and
totally unrealistic. Also, the unnecessary
characters introduced totally did not make an impact on me. The 'love' between Hori and Miyamura seems nothing but attraction.
Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru (2007)
Extremely Slow Pacing
"5 Centimetres Per Second" directed by Mr.
Makoto Shinkai, has very beautiful and
gorgeous animation and a melancholic feeling
throughout. The film is sort of realistic as it
shows how distance and time affects the
deepest of friendships and how sometimes we
fail to express our true feelings for someone
and miss the opportunity forever.
The movie's name truly speaks about the totally
slow pacing of the movie which makes it boring.
The characters are not designed properly and
are NOT AT ALL interesting. The plot seems to
be incomplete and seems to be going nowhere.
The film is divided into three episodes which
seem to be loosely connected.