Suzume Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Suzume Blu-ray Movie Review

Suzume is an entertaining and enchanting fantasy gem for anime fans of all ages. Created by anime mastermind Makoto Shinkai, Suzume is bursting with originality and creativity. Executive produced by Yoshihiro Furusawa (Weathering With You, your name.), Suzume is an incredible joy and a film brimming with energy.

Produced by Genki Kawamura (BELLE, Mirai), Kinue Itou (Weathering With You), Kouichirou Itou (your name., Weathering With You), and Wakana Okamura (Weathering With You, Run with the Wind), Suzume continues the legacy of Makoto Shinkai – director of Weathering With You and your name. Suzume features original animation produced by CoMix Wave Films (Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Weathering With You). Fans of original anime films with creative voices won’t want to miss out on this ambitious feature-film.

Suzume Iwato (Nanoka Hara) has a simple life as a regular high-school girl with her own dreams and ambitions. Yet the quiet and peaceful life of Suzume – one spent with her dear aunt – comes to an unexpected halt when she encounters a strange young man who has been seeking a magic door. Deciding to follow the strange man, Suzume finds the door leads to a new world.

Dangers are overflowing and the worlds could collide. The stakes are high as Suzume must now journey to close doors and stop disaster from sweeping over the land. Sōta Munakata (Hokuto Matsumura) has now turned into a quirky chair – and the transformation happens because of a talking cat, Daijin (Ann Yamane). Can Sōta turn back from being a chair? What is the talking cat up to? Can Suzume save the world and close the doorways to disaster? An epic journey unfolds.

The characters are essential to the filmmaking and the odyssey. Suzume is a strong-willed woman who finds herself thrown into an unexpected situation where she must become the hero of the tale. As she journeys across the land and fights for the future of tomorrow, Suzume finds herself facing some new and unexpected challenges along the way.

The path isn’t easy for Suzume but she is determined nonetheless. The supporting characters are also engaging – especially the magical chair Sōta and talking cat Daijin. The quirky supporting characters – one a chair and one a feline – add so much to the storytelling.

The character designs by Masayoshi Tanaka (Weathering With You, your name.) are beautiful and artistic. The designs fit the cast of characters so well. These designs are enormously well-done. A fantastic sense of creativity is on display with the design work and it adds a lot to the filmmaking.

The animation is sublime. The fantastic animation is overseen by art director Takumi Tanji (your name., Children Who Chase Lost Voices) and animation director Kenichi Tsuchiya (The Garden of Words, Children Who Chase Lost Voices). The animation in Suzume is amongst the best one will see. A spectacular visual feast, Suzume is ahead of the curve with great animation and artistry. The team of animators involved with the film bring their all to the production and make sure to help the artistry of the film shine through.

The cinematography by Ryosuke Tsuda (Weathering With You, your name.) is lavish and rewarding in spades. The cinematographic style is sleek and sophisticated. The cinematographer has a clear understanding of the filmmaking approach and as a result the visuals are all the better.   

The score composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi (Blue Giant, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045) and RADWIMPS (Weathering With You, your name.) brings a lot of magic to the table. The score is a clear highlight. RADWIMPS did great work. The score is a terrific achievement and it brings a lot of whimsy and unyielding wonder.

Written, storyboarded, and directed by Makoto Shinkai (your name., Weathering With You), Suzume is another fun and fantastic film by the esteemed anime filmmaker. Shinkai is a gifted auteur with an incredible vision and sense of artistry. Suzume is a wonderful film and there is a lot to appreciate throughout it. While Suzume isn’t the best of the recent Shinkai films (and the plot isn’t quite as satisfying), the filmmaking soars with imaginative visuals. No Shinkai fan will want to miss it.

Suzume Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Suzume is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation provides a spectacular and immersive encode of the feature-film. The transfer is top- notch across the board with outstanding color reproduction and detail. Suzume looks spectacular here and the crisp animation mesmerizes from beginning to end. The transfer appears near-flawless and one can only imagine marginal improvements (at best) if a 4K UHD was produced. One may wonder if a 4K UHD is even necessary at times – that's how breathtaking the encode is on this particular release. Fans will be pleased.

Suzume Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (with English subtitles) and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. The lossless audio sounds crisp and clear. A fantastic lossless mix and one that brings the soundstage to life. The track highlights the sound direction by Haru Yamada (Weathering With You, Banana Fish). The audio sounds remarkably immersive and the score is certainly a highlight of the soundstage. The English subtitles are well-done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Suzume Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The limited collector's edition version comes with a deluxe chipboard art-box. The deluxe chipboard art-box has a high gloss texture and the shiny design looks incredible in hand. Upon opening the set, one discovers the standard Blu-ray + DVD combo pack edition inside of the package. The set also includes four collector's art- cards featuring key art from Suzume.

The release also provides fans an impressive "The Art of Suzume" booklet featuring key art and illustrations. The art-cards will fit inside the box or inside of the standard Blu-ray case (there's a nice pocket clasp on the inside of the case and the art cards fit nicely inside of the case). The booklet and art cards look incredible in hand and the artwork selected for the release is impressive. The key art makes a big impression and fans will be thrilled to have such nice collectables included with the collector's edition release. These additions make the package extra special in hand and the release feels all the more special.

Behind the Door – Special Video with Cast & Staff (HD, 24:01)

In Front of the Door – Special Video with Cast & Staff (HD, 25:27)

Open the Door – Special Video with Cast & Staff (HD, 16:32)

Music Door – Roundtable with Makoto Shinkai and RADWIMPS (HD, 22:07)

Last scene "Tadaima" version (HD, 1:10)

Makoto Shinkai Filmography Recap (HD, 15:12)

The Making of Suzume (HD, 1:18:23)

Teaser (HD, 00:46)

Trailers (HD, 4:19)

Interview with the Director Makoto Shinkai (HD, 7:06)

Makoto Shinkai on the Direction of Suzume Interview (HD, 20:29)

The Sound of Suzume: An Interview with RADWIMPS on Creating the Film's Soundtrack (HD, 31:17)

Suzume Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Suzume is a vibrant and imaginative anime film with a wonderful energy throughout. The filmmaking is fun and engaging. Writer- director Makoto Shinkai (your name., Weathering With You) made the second-best anime feature-film of the year next to Hayao Miyazaki (The Boy and the Heron). The filmmaking is top-notch. The animation is spectacular.

The Blu-ray release features an incredible high-definition presentation that surpassed all expectations with a near-flawless encode and crisp lossless audio. Suzume has also received a terrific collectors edition packed with bonus features and special collectables. Highly recommended.