Suzume: Daijin Explained and More Japanese Myths References｜Heavy Spoilers｜Makoto Shinkai
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Makoto Shinkai's latest movie, "Suzume" premiered in the US on April 14.
Official Trailer: • Suzume Trailer #1 (2023)
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© 2022 "Suzume no Tojimari" Production Committee
#Suzume #MakotoShinkai #anime #manga #Suzumenotojimari
(Suzume no Tojimari or Suzume’s Door-Locking)
It was very compelling to watch this little cat. He comes off as some sort of trickster , but when Suzume grabs him and he complains suddenly everything changes "he wasn't messing with her, he was guiding her to help her close the doors" it's heartbreaking when he shrinks . And when he says "I couldn't be your cat" ..... man 😭 he is a divine being and all that but he just wanted some pattos
Same feeling 😢😢
Same 💔 I was hoping for a good ending for both Daijin and Sadaijin. I wanted them to be Suzume's cats
Sadaijin is one badass kitty😮
That little cat broke my heart...honestly...i would have keep the cat
And she did all that because she “loved a man” and didn’t even TELL HIM and he just LEFT. She could have had a life partner with that kitty and it would have protected her and kept her safe and she chose a man that just left her.
Suzume and Daijin's relationship for me is a parallel of Takami and Suzume. Her aunt adopted Suzume out of pure benevolence and empathy, however, she wasn't aware of how much sacrifice this help may demand of her. Because of that, she couldn't get a normal relationship for her prime years because she had to take care of Suzume. And she blamed Suzume for it.
Daijin was also adopted by Suzume out of pure benevolence, but Daijin, being a childlike being, needed Suzume as a proper owner, just like a child needs a mom. The people Suzume meets on her travel, first the other student who discusses relationship with men, and the other who makes her oversee her children, both gives Suzume a hint on what her aunt had to go through to raise her. And Daijin makes her do the same sacrifice, giving up her future relationship with Sota so she can take care of him.
Can we appreciate How accurate this comment is 😮
Insightful ❤
This is actually good🤔
But she didn't. She said "fkc it amma choosing the bois sorry"
I finally see the parallel!! Great observation!!
Can we appreciate that suzume is a rare occasion of story telling where there really isnt a villian driving the plot line or its about good vs. Evil? This is one of the best and original story telling ive seen in any anime.
The movie "Your name " is like that too
I could probably name 10 anime movies that don’t have a main villain, it’s really not ‘rare’
Honestly, pretty much any miyazaki is like that, there are characters with their differences and their own goals, but never really good and bad guys, most of the time in japanese animated movies, the antagonistic force is more about a theme, a feel, an unseen force, like war, greed, sickness or in the case of this movie, natural catastrophe
I would say Daijin is treated as a villain for most of the movie and the two characters certainly think so (definitely a conscious decision by Shinkai). The plot twist later was that he wasn't really one, at least not fully.
@@lasterman94100I agree. A lot of Ghibli movies revolve around the same theme as well, where as some that have "antagonists" usually are not portrayed as one-dimensional of being just "bad people", similar to how daijin was portrayed here.
Sadaijin definitely had more wisdom. When it appeared in the movie it gave off this older sibling vibe, grabbing Daijin and putting him on the car seat 😂 like "alright Daijin, enough with the shenanigans time to go home" lol
It also helps that it's also physically bigger than Daijin.
How did Sadaijin get released? We see Daijin is free from the keystone role from Suzume herself, but we never see this happen to the second keystone..... unless Sadaijin had free will already?
@@justinlee2300 I think the assumption is Sadaijin got freed by accident because the tail of the worm became very unstable. We see that as soon as suzume released Daijin, the head of the worm started erupting everywhere at a high frequency until eventually the tail (and Sadaijin) got released, and the whole worm came out above Tokyo.
@@justinlee2300 It was addressed in the movie. Souta thought Sadijin got free because after Suzume removed Daijin, there was only one keystone holding the worm, and after a few eruptions, the worm was able to free itself of Sadijin. Thus, the worm and Sadijin were free.
Thank you for sharing! It's always fun to hear your thoughts!
@@justinlee2300 la liberación de Sadaijin no sale en camara, sucede dentro del tunel del subterráneo y es por eso que sale el gran gusano sobre Tokio tan fuertemente de un momento a otro. Luego de eso va a visitar al abuelo de Suota quién le dice que vaya a seguirlo si así lo desea
Just like Makoto Shinkai's other movies, Suzume was beyond deep. Definitely cried hard for poor Daijin after initially assuming he was causing the problems.
If I was suzume, I would pull out Daijin for 2-3 days every month to spend time with it. Knowing a keystone who have conciousness and desire, knowing how lonely it is at keystone realm just make me so heartbroken to leave Daijin like that 😢
I do atleast hope that the two of them visit and pray to daijin regularry, and the other keystone too though I don't think it matters as much to him. Daijin may have not gotten to spend his life as a cat with suzume for long but he got to spend time with and be apreciated by the people he protected for so long and be reassured of the meaning his eternal dutie has. Also he got to reunite with the other spirit, their cuddling on the car seat was soo adorable. So eventhough I feel bad for him I do think he is happy in the end, I just wished they added a scene at the end were suzume prays at his keystone and offers him some fish, the poor little cat deserves it.
Daijin’s character profile and development throughout the film is one of the most coherent and touching I have come across in a good while.
I cried the moment he shrunk after hearing Suzume answering “I hate you” to asking if she loved him.
What moved me is not the fact he shrank alone but also that he remained by her side in a non-violent/non-grudgeful way, out of some form of personal loyalty to her. That is what showed me the most clearly how non-evil this character is.
I really felt Daijin’s resemblance to a child in his approach to the world and an unawareness of what may be considered bad or good behaviour by others.
The fact he regularly checked on Suzume throughout their encounters and that he communicated openly about immediate dangers and risks without trying to obstruct Suzume’s important choices made him appear as an external force accompanying Suzume on her spiritual journey.
What I learned from a professor of relugious studies that originally miko priestesses form relationships with Kami because the particular Kami likes either her cooking, personality or looks. So, Suzume becomes Dajin's miko by feeding him and being kind.
Daijin must be a mischievous kami, like a prankster spirit. Although in the movie it comes out to seem more like a villian or plain evil when he says "a lot of people is going to die". At the end it is understood that he was triying to help and prefered some one else to trake his duty.
The movie highlight the rol of caretakers (mothers, teachers, nurses, etc) in family and society and the personal sacrifices they do.
Daijin and the other kami are forces of order trying to keep chaos contained.
Duality is a recurrent theme in Shinkai's movies. Male & female, order & chaos, live & death.
So Daijin must be harmonized by his partner and viceversa.
Blud has a degree in understanding 😭you explained it really well. loved your statement about Duality. the Life and Death really hit a chord with me. Idk if this counts but it was really apparent when SaDaijin came on, black to Daijin's white, Big to Daijin's small, and eve persoanlity. There is also the who other world because such a contrast to the normal world
When sadaijin turned big, me and the homies went wild
I've just returned from the 11th viewing of Suzume in the cinema and I'm still deeply touched by it. I'm from Hong Kong and I can still vividly remember that back on that fateful day in 2011 I was watching the tsunami hitting the shore from the TV in my office - such a terrible disaster. I really appreciate Makoto Shinkai's attempt in healing the open wounds of those affected, and imho Suzume is now the best movie he has made so far. I do love Your Name, but Suzume touches on multiple themes and many parts of it resonates with me. Way to go, Cinema Tokyo, for making this and the previous video on Suzume, which very helpfully clear up some of the remaining questions I have about certain plots and backgrounds of this excellent movie! Thank you again, and looking forward to your next video!😉👍
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and kind words! Very motivating. I'll keep on making videos on Suzume and other Japanese movies!
@@CinemaTokyo Dōmo arigatō 🙂
While I like the visuals and soundtrack of "Your Name" better, I do think "Suzume" has a better story, and after this video, I can now feel a bit of what japanese people felt watching it, and that goes beyond sight and sound
@@gomesbandrey ehh I think Your Name definitely still has better story
@@gomesbandrey One of the cinema groups here has arranged a revisit of all Makoto Shinkai's movies (except Weathering With You) and I went for Your Name yesterday. I can confirm that I like Suzume more!
I was born in Japan and now I'm living in Canada for 16~17 yrs now.
I moved to Canada in 2011 in September and I still remember the 2011 earthquake and tsunami even though I only heard from my mom that my dad was so devastated and cried about northeast of coast in Tohoku. When I saw Suzume went to the second - third one area, it reminded me of that coast.
Gosh it is truly devastating and tragic..
Anyway I watched this today with my lil sis and I really loved it and had a beautiful message.
I remember walking out of the theater with my friend, after seeing Suzume. We were rather confused about Dajin's motives. This video really cleared up a lot, thankyou! Very well made, keep it up!
Thanks! Very motivating. Yes I will!
Beautifully described. I knew our little keystones weren’t the evil ones in the story but I was missing the deity connections since I’m not well versed in Japanese culture. Thank you for your analysis :)
Thanks for this! Was very confused about Daijin and Sadaijin and their role and relationship. This clears up a lot. But even while being confused before, the message of not forgetting disasters that happened and the people who lived there, really came across on the first watch and it is what really made me appreciate this movie from the start. I still think the romance is very forced and shouldn't have happened, but on 2nd watch I was able to not focus on that but the bigger picture and that made me appreciate the movie so much more as well
I totally agree with everything you said here!
This was such an in depth explanation to the events in Suzume....thanks for explaining ...really got to learn so much more about Japan through this.
I was actually confused about Sadaijin and you explained it very well.
Great video mate...!👍
Thanks for the kind words mate! I'm feeling rewarded now!
@@CinemaTokyo you deserve the praise 💯
Thank you for the context of Japanese deities and mythology. This adds a lot more depth to Daijin's behaviour. And still, seeing that poor little cat become sad and turn back to stone, absolutely broke my heart!
Daijin and Sadaijin have the reference from Shinkai's commercial called Gathering Of Cats. Daijin also have the reference of Mimi, the orange cat from Shinkai's former movie, The Children Who Chase Lost Voices too. That movie shared the similar concept, theme and some characters to Suzume.
American viewer here! I loved your video so much! Suzume was a very moving movie, but I did have a lot of questions about it. However, your video cleared all the major ones up! Thank you so much for the different perspective, and thank you for putting in so much work to present it to English audiences.
So glad to hear it helped! Thanks for your comment!
I did get most of the motivations for daijin as I was watching the movie, but I was unaware of a lot of the cultural elements that are used in the movie.
Thanks for making the effort and highlighting them us 😄 it definitely enhances the experience.
I think this is his best work so far.
Can you also explain about Suzume’s actions? I thought she must be insane how she decided to skip school, runaway from home, spend all her savings, and risking her life for a hot stranger she saw on the street.
Well, she felt a strange familiarity towards Souta and since she was the one freeing Daijin she felt responsible and didn't want earthquakes to happen. I think her motives are quite relatable.
Should also be noted she also kept saying she felt what he was doing was important. If it was me after I had experienced the afterlife and I was the only one who seen smoke Idk if I’d question much after that either tbh 😅 her hesitation to help is what killed me
@@elliewalker733 right lol. And how she suddenly declared to grandpa that she couldn’t live without him when they just met for… a few days?! To think there are a lot of money, time, and a lot of hard work to present us visually amazing movie and they approved her character just like that baffle me.
@@oxAkatsubakixo thanks! I totally hated her character/representation. All of the people in the movie were doing the greater thing while she just did it because the guy was hot and she fell for him 🫠🫠
I think her being in the afterlife as a child influenced her decisions as a teenager. As a child, she was exposed to the mystical side of her world, and even after she forgot it and blocked it out due to her trauma, she has a sixth sense for the supernatural. I think she may have recognized Sota, because she saw him as a kid, but doesn't really have the full memory- so she was drawn to him. Once the supernatural comes to light, she is motivated to chase that life because it itches at her memory as a child. So while I do think she bonded with Sota and did fall in love with him, I think her motivations to pursue freeing him from being a keystone were also compounded by that almost-memory she had from her childhood and a need to find closure within herself.
Thank you so much for this movie review. To be honest, it's been hard to talk about Suzume because it's mostly being talked about in the lens of "is it different," without even touching the themes of the movie itself. I think it makes though, in that, those reviews do not understand the nuance in Japanese culture embedded in the movie and just sees it as "another film". But that just comes to show how we need more content creators such as you who bring to light the true essense of movies like Suzume is really trying to portray. There was a "realness" I couldn't place before about Suzume that I now understand because of this video. So really... Thank you.
Also, I would just like to say that this movie really touched me on a personal level. Especially when Suzume gives back the momento (the chair) to her younger self - I just straight up bursted in tears. There was a deep comfort in the idea of meeting your younger self and giving them reassurance of where you will be someday. That one scene truly resonated with me.
And I think that's really what makes this movie so good as well. People are meant to relate to it in different ways - be it Suzume herself, her mom (yes, even if she is deceased), her aunt, the coworker of her aunt, the people who help Suzume along the way, the culture, the disasters, the aftermath and the rubble, and maybe even the travelling. It's rich in sub-stories that can be easily overlooked. And I love how it's tied neatly with this culture of worship and the representation of the Daijin and Sadaijin.
This video really... like really... was what I needed to see today. Thank you so much.
Amazing analysis. I loved the movie and this helped me to better understand certain aspects of it. The way it ties japanese mythology references to reflect on contemporary subjects is fascinating. You earned a new subscriber!
Thank you for your comment and subscribing!
thank you for your tasteful insight I was very confused about the many plot holes in this movie but this explained and cleared up some of them😄
Glad it helped and thanks for your comment!
Ah, thank you for this! We saw Suzume last night and I left feeling like Daijin was kind of a jerk. Your explanation made much more sense to me.
Italian viewer here, we got to see the movie during these days in which we have a couple of holidays. I really want to thank you for this explanation because I have a major in Japanese language and culture but I would have needed some time to put all into words as smoothly as you did. There's a lot behind this movie (actually behind every Shinkai's movie), but most people could not understand it or grasp something without basic knowledge about Japanese culture. I think that's why I was so frustrated reading a review on an Italian website where it was clear the writer didn't catch anything of the true meaning of the movie. I assume they thought it was about the disaster happened in 2011 and they got kinda disappointed because it wasn't really brought up but only showed the date. Luckily, I'm talking with other people who really liked the movie as I did, I think I appreciated it almost as much as Your Name and more than Weathering with You, which maybe I just have to rewatch. With all this being said, this was a very good video, I like your way of thinking and I hope to see more from you, so I happily subscribed to your channel :D greetings from Italy!
I totally feel your frustration lol The movie is so hard to understand without knowing the context of Japanese culture and history... Anyway, so happy to see Shinkai's fan from Italy, and thanks a million for subscribing!
Everyone be comparing Your Name and Weathering With You, when I saw Suzume, it felt more of the likes of Children Who Chase Lost Voices. They're very comparable because of the life and death stuff and Daijin is felt like the placement of Mimi from Children Who Chase Lost Voices.
I don’t think as many people have seen Shinkai’s pre-Your Name stuff, unfortunately :( Except maybe garden of words
@@hannahdeards9652 5 Centimeters Per Second is just one big heartbreak but that's a starting point I think is the best recommended getting those into Shinkai's films.
Your explanation is phenomenal. Especially from 13:45, it was just absolutely amazing. Thank you for giving me a better insight on this beautiful movie
So there was a dialogue in the movie where they said, that cats don't come to anyone like dogs do, that really resonated with me and touched me to the core, because in hinduism, cats enjoy a a very spiritual and respectful status and it is believed that form of mother goddess, as in, all the female dieties are linked to them, and arrival of cats, or say a specific cat, may symbolise coming of the mother goddess Durga on the household, which is considered as inflow of wealth and protection of family members, morover also prosperity in knowledge and study.
Considering that probably udaijin and sadaijin is from Shinto, and that shinto is connected to hindu, i think there is link there.
I once thought that these two cats, especially Daijin, were a kind of metaphor of "Schrodinger's cat" because i think in several plots in this film is quite close to some phenomenas in physics such as the 2011 nuclear disaster, the "superposition" in Ever-After, and the time paradox when Suzume meets herself in the past.
How interesting! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
This movie became more interesting when it related with the original earthquake, and I really appreciate Makoto's such an amazing story. I dont live in japan but this makes me learn more about the japanese culture .... Alas I really had some pain in the end of the movie...
This movie was so deep I cried so hard. I had to understand more and this video clarified my unanswered questions. Thank you for sharing ❤
I fell so sad for daijin 😭
Thank you for making this! The motivations of the Daijin was the most confusing aspect of the movie to me.
Thanks for the much needed added context, I feel like I understand the movie a lot better now. I'm curious if the Japanese audience generally had this information on hand or it was just western audiences left confused. Also I'm curious why you chose to refer to the underworld as "Hades" instead of Yomi, or just "underworld".
Thank you so much for shedding some light on this movie from a Japanese perspective! I just finished watching it for the first time, and while I loved it and was emotionally moved by it, I was left with many questions and knew I had to be missing something culturally that would be more obvious to a Japanese audience.
Thank you for the great explanation suzume prompted me to search for earthquake info that occurred in Japan I'm truly happy I got more aware.
I'm also so glad to hear that. Thank you!
Your english is perfect and thank you for this detailed explanation. It helped a lot for me to understand the whole thing. I appreciate you making these videos in your channel. お疲れ様です
This explains so much!! I was so confused when Daijin became so sad that Suzume was upset at him. I was like, "what did you expect? You were hurting her by opening those doors and wanting to sacrifice Sota." Now i get it! Thank you for the explanation!
I loved this movie sooo much! The cuteness, the scenes, the storyline, the sadness abiut Daijin and Suzume's mother....what an amazing movie
I dont speak japanese and I dont live in Japan, nor do I knoe much about Japan in general, but I rrslly loved this movie. In the movie when Soata and Suzume are "remembering" the people who lived there, I felt very very sad, those scenes felt nostalgic and bittersweet to me, I didnt realize it was because they were all places impacted by natural disasters. I think its really fascinating that I was able to understand the theme emotionally, and now knowing the context it makes the movie hit that much harder
This explanation about daijin made me tearbend again ❤😢
loved suzume. seen it twice. great insight about the movie, daijin and sadaijin. the most interesting is people's relation to abandonned places and earthquakes in japan. people, land, feelings, memories. thanks
Suzume seems to have very good understanding of symbolism in general and how the ralation between the natural and supernatural works. Probably because it is rooted in actual mythology. I must say that the movie really evoked feelings in me that I haven't felt in some time. It reminded me of the fantasy/adventure stories I watched/read long ago, felt nostalgic even though I watched it for the first time.
Thanks so much for this beautiful explanation! I'm glad to know I was almost correct with those "theories". But I do absolutely feel bad for Daijin, like it could have been anything else, why him?!
I am from Latinamerica and we used to see a lot of anime when we were young and I still seeing it, keep doing the great job.
Thank you! I will! 😄
this is the perfect video essay I needed after watching this film! I didn't understand everything but this shines a new light on the subject! Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a beautiful summarised video!
I loved this movie so much before watching your videos, and knowing some extra references and interpretations from the Japanese mythological and modern culture point of view, I appreciate it even more! I know some of the modern Japanese issues you talked about but some others like the still lingering trauma of the Tohaku earthquake was new to me. I will be going on my 21st watch later today and some of the extra references you made will be interesting to re-watch with that in mind.
Also good job with the video. I didn't like the auto reader you used for the first one though the content was very good. I think your real voice sounds nicer and more natural. Keep up the good work. I am not Japanese so to see the Japanese shinto and mythology references are very useful. It is not needed to appreciate and enjoy the movie but it still enchances it. I look forward to your future content, whatever you decide to make.
Thank you for your comment! Also, so glad to hear that my real voice sounds better. Thanks!
What i found interesting in suzume that most of the audience know nothing about it was They show here the place which has the most destructive earthquake in Japanese history like Kobe, Tokyo and tohoku region.
This is the places where suzume travelled through:
Kobe - 1990 Kobe Earthquake
Tokyo - 1920s great Kanto earthquake (even daijin said here that "history will repeat itself" during the Tokyo scene)
Tohoku region - 2011 Earthquake and tsunami
Most of the audience only watched it for the clout, but they didn't really know the history about japanese earthquake which is this is where the movie was based.
Makoto shinkai wants the prrsent generation to remember and learn a lot of lesson during the 3/11/11 disaster in Japan.
as a french who discovered this movie and then this video. You've bring light on many thoughts. Thank you!
Your English is very good. And I learned a lot about Japanese history and mythology.
I was 17 in march 2011 and suzume was 4. I felt so old 😅
I’m absolutely amazed at the depth of this movie. There is a very deep Japanese context that outside audiences would not notice. I do not know the significance of the locations or the disasters that have occurred, but it has made me more curious. What is the significance of the worm, I wonder. Does it speak of impending natural disasters? Thank you for posting!
Thank you! I also think this bug speaks of an impending natural disaster. Shinkai was greatly influenced by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. Murakami wrote a short story called "Super-frog Saves Tokyo." In that story, the worm also appears as a monster that causes earthquakes. I think Shinkai was influenced by this short story.
Thank you for this fantastic approach. I'm from Argentina, and I know that Japan suffers from natural disasters, and when y saw the movie, my first thought was that this is a really very har topic to japanese people to watch on a movie. But listening to you, understanding more of history and how japanese people are in a way very hard to themselves with their feelings (prefer hide pain to have an apparent harmony in a group), was very illuminating. Thanks for your video!
You easily have some of the best, most enjoyable, and wonderfully informative videos on all of CZcams. I absolutely CANNOT wait for more!
Thanks so much for all of your effort!
Wow, your comment made my day! Thanks!
14:38 this movie really does make one confront their suppressed emotions. I was separated from my mom at a young age like Suzume and when the little girl cried for her mommy to older Suzume I began howling and crying, feeling that childhood pain resurface again. My husband had to hold me tight and calm me down but man, did I realize i never healed from that trauma and just suppressed it.
This is so much better with your own voice !!!! As a non-English speaker it's way way interesting to hear your real voice
Thanks for your comment!!
Good job on the video. Your English is very easy to understand as well.
Thank you! So glad to actually hear from someone that my English is fine!
I don't know much about Japanese mythology, but when I heard names of Daijin and Sadaijin, they reminded me of Gog and Magog from the Bible and Quran or of Lel and Polel from Slavic (I guess mainly Polish) mythology.
Thank you so much! Although I really liked this movie, it didn't hit me as hard as something like "Kimi no Na wa (Your Name)" (which may still be my favorite movie.) But that is only because while I watch anime daily and am fascinated with Japanese culture, I did not understand a lot of what was going on in Suzume. Thank you for helping me get a deeper respect for this movie.
Btw - I went back and watched your earlier video as suggested - I much prefer your real voice over the AI voice. I'm not just saying this but your English is wonderful - there is absolutely no need to apologize or ask for us to turn on closed captioning. I look forward to seeing/hearing you some more, thanks again!
Ich habe heute Suzume im Kino gesehen. Der Film hat mich sehr berührt. Ausserdem ist er spannend und sehr detailliert und schön gezeichnet. Städte und Landschaften sind sehr schön. Die Figuren sind glaubwürdig. Der Film ist in jedem Fall sehr sehenswert.
Thank you for this! This movie made me so profoundly sad for daijin even though it seemed like he was kind of a villain at times and I wanted to understand why!
this is beautifully explained.. thank you.. this movie is so far the best work of Shinkai as it resonates with me so well
Excellent video, Cinema Tokyo. I liked your insight! Makoto Shinkai is brave with the topics he picks and makes very meaningful films. I appreciate his team even more because of your video. Thanks!
Thank you so much! You made me feel so rewarded. Yes, I also think Shinkai is so brave, especially since there are so few Japanese filmmakers who deal with sensitive social issues.
The thing I like about japanese animated movies is they appreciate cats more than western media. Like they still treat them as aloof, but they don't portray that as bad or any reason why people wouldn't want one as a pet.
One positive portrayal that comes to my mind is the cat that belongs to Bobby's family in the X-Men movies! It just makes me smile every time Logan/Wolverine hears it, extends his claws and turns to see it sitting there, purring at him before starting to lick the tips of his claws with its tongue!
Thank you so much for offering context behind Suzume! I'm going to watch it again with all this knowledge in mind. You explained everything perfectly and I appreciate the work you went to put this together.
It's nice to hear your voice in this one!!
Daijin acts like a child after being a keystone for years, I understand.
But I still don't get Sadaijin. Even if it relates to yin-yang, why Sadaijin able to make Tamaki shows her true feelings, and also why the deity possessed her, and since when?
Aside from that, this video explains many other details, and I like it.
My theory is that Daijin and Sadaijin are emotional creatures. Daijin changes form when Suzume accepts or rejects him.
In the same way, Suzume and her aunt was fighting already when Sadaijin shows up. Sadaijin is amplifying the emotions of the aunt -some of the repressed feelings and thoughts. But I don't think there is any ill will; it was just proximity to the aunt.
A great video and fantastic insight!
This video was really great! Thank you for all this dedication!
Great video, thank you! Especially the explanation of their names (Daijin and Sadaijin)
Thanks! Daijin and Sadaijin confused me. Their relationship to powerful nature spirits in Japanese mythology was fascinating. And I agreed with you about Daijin being a petty, needy child spirit/deity so desperate for Suzume’s affection, nevertheless powerful and frightening.
I also think the dialogue could’ve been cleaner at times. Like in that long car ride. A lot of time was wasted on the golden oldie music and the friend’s karaoke; he really never fit a meaningful purpose in the plot except for thin comic relief.
He was important for the theme of community. He’s the last of a long line of people in this movie that go out of their way to show kindness to Suzume and really put themselves out for a stranger. This movie cares very much about how people’s small lives and small kindnesses matter, those are the memories that the land keeps and how they should be remembered and grieved for in the face of disaster just as much as people should.
finally i got to under what shinkai wants us to show, thankyou for the explanation it was soo goood!!!
thanky I was trying to figure this out and was a little confused we need more people like you
Awesome analysis! You helped me understand a lot I didn’t get about the movie! It’s great to have a Japanese perspective about this movie cause I thought a lot was missing by not understanding the folklore. Would love to see more videos from you analyzing other anime!
Thank you! Yes, I will!
good video bro- exactly what i was looking for after seeing the movie
Thank you! So glad it helped!
Thank you for explaining the movie, I was a bit confused but not any more, the sadness in daijin's eyes made me go look for my cat to give her a kiss 😅 , thank you and much love from Iraq 🇮🇶
Thank you for the explanation, I was really upset for Daijin’s destiny but now I understand why it was seeking affection. Still, I can’t help but feel bad on how lonely it was
Thank you for this! This fills the gap I was feeling after the movie ended!
Thanks for making this video! I remember the moment in the cinema where the date March 11th actually clicked for me. I think it's very fitting that Radwimps got to do the soundtrack because of it!
This was a much better video than the last one. I appreciate that you used a real voice with vocal dynamics. I'll also add that In Japanese folklore, cats are the symbols of good luck and are said to have protective powers. So this may explain why cats are used in the movie, they are protectors as well. Explaining Daijin is central to understanding the plot line and understanding the movie.
Regarding the movie itself I guess I didn't pick up on the aspect of facing the past to be able to move forward in life as central to the plot line. I found it to be more of a not well placed side story and didn't see how it lined up with the adventure of closing doors. How is it that giving reverence to the worm made it "disappear".
I also was confused why Daijin suddenly changed his mind at the end, but this video made perfect sense! I think there was also an element of him recognizing Suzume's heart was already spoken for and that, in addition to wanting to keep her from sacrificing herself, allowed him to have some closure in becoming the keystone again.
As for facing the past, I also wish it was incorporated a little better earlier in the film by implying better that there's tension between Suzume and her aunt, but I definitely picked up on the theme as the movie went on. She and Sota are constantly going to places where there was loss. Plus the last few scenes (basically once Suzume returns to her old hometown) really brought it home, seeing Suzume struggling to look through her little journal, having a hard time thinking about her mom, and finally coming to terms with things in the world beyond the door.
I don't know that the reverence thing applied to the worm specifically; it seemed to be directed to the keystones. But my guess would be that the Closers are essentially acknowledging the loss and feelings of the people who once inhabited the locations (mourning them). Not doing so seemed to be what was giving the worm power in the first place.
I am working on a theory. The worm appears in these abandon places after disasters years ago. But there are still "ghosts" or echoes or past emotional vibes that haven't moved on. That is what is attracting the worm. The job of the closer is to properly remember these ghosts/echoes/vibes and send them off to the great after rather than be stuck in limbo.
Remember, part of the ritual of the closer is to close eyes and focus on these voices from the past in these abandon places and send them off and "close the doors" properly.
My theory sounds more creepy, but the movie is a lighter tone?
Thank you for liking the video I narrated! Your constructive comments on the first video helped me decide not to use an AI voice. So, thanks! As for your questions about the movie, I agree with the answers from @Emarella and @brianng8350 below.
@Emarella Wow, you answered precisely everything that I wanted to answer. Totally agree!
@brianng8350 I basically agree with your interpretation. Thanks for clarifying the movie!
Your video was amazing! Every second of it was interesting! Your videos always are the best and always will be, thank you for making these videos for everyone I really appreciate that you make these videos.
Thank you! You provided a viewpoint that helped me process the movie. It was beautiful
Ty this clarified a lot for me as a Westerner. It was a lovely movie, but the reason Daijin turned back into the keystone did puzzle me a little
Thank you for the very instructive video ! It makes me want to watch Suzume again !
Thank you so much for making this video, it helped a lot to understand that beautiful movie even better!
I just saw this film at the CGV Cinema in Buena Park. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Your explanation of the characters and mythology really brings it all together. I'm going to see it again with an even better understanding. Thank you.
Glad it helped! Enjoy the second viewing!
Hey, your english is pretty good. You still have quite the accent, but I can understand it! Great work on the vid, it was good 👍 😊
Thanks for the video, for the great explanations of Japanese folklore and for the deep dive! Keep up the good work! :D
thank you so much for your video!! it has absolutely explained some questions i had about daijin specifically and some more things in the movie i missed and i loved the brief history behind everything. you definitely have a new subscriber in me, keep up the good work!
Thank you for this, and your other video. I knew there was a cultural knowledge that I was missing based on Shinkai's previous movies, but your videos have been the only details, in English at least, that I have found to provide that context.
Thank you! So glad to hear that!
Thanks, I was completely confused by the Sadajin role until now
Glad it helped!
Thanks for posting! We like your voice better than the voice in your first video
Thanks for the insights and historical/mythological background. Also, I appreciate hearing your natural voice. While the synthesized voice is slightly clearer, it lacks the emotion and emphasis of your voice. I look forward to future videos.
please continue this amazing work!! and i love your voice and listening to your very well practiced English, it is perfectly easy to understand!
Your English is excellent and your accent very soothing and relaxing.
your videos are fantastic, thanks for the great content.
Thanks! Now I feel more confident about my English!
Great quality analysis and articulate writing as well. Thank you for sharing this
Thank you for the video! It's very interesting to know more about Japanese mythology and all the historical and cultural references.
Your English is very good (My first language is Spanish). I loved this movie and I'm waiting for your video about Miyazaki's last film! ☺️ Greetings