Suzume

Suzume was released in 2022 as the thirteenth feature film directed by Makoto Shinkai and produced by CoMix Wave Films. The project was conceived in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Shinkai intending to create a road movie that addressed the collective trauma and mourning associated with the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The narrative follows a young woman named Suzume as she travels across Japan to close supernatural portals that trigger natural disasters, serving as an allegory for the necessity of moving forward while honoring the past.

The film's visual identity, characterized by vibrant landscapes and meticulous architectural detail, was spearheaded by art director Takumi Tanji and animation director Kenichi Tsuchiya, continuing the studio's legacy of high-fidelity aesthetic storytelling. Upon its release, it received widespread acclaim for its emotional resonance and thematic depth, cementing Shinkai’s reputation as a successor to the tradition of introspective Japanese animation. It was a major commercial success, earning accolades globally and becoming one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time.