The movie started off slowly, featuring a lot of beautiful imagery but little plot, dialogue or characterization. I was worried for a bit, but then things picked up. Strangely everything got better once the male was turned into a chair. Then Suzume and Chair-kun started to cooperate, communicate, and better understand and appreciate one another. Suzume and Chair-kun then went on a riveting adventure together, featuring all the hallmarks of a perfect Ghibli film while not actually being a Ghibli film -- beautiful scenery, great music, eerie gods and supernatural forces, and an athletic heroine who is always running, jumping, falling or flying on the back of something. They even used the theme song from Kiki's Delivery Service in a very upfront homage.
I love Ghibli films, and I love modern Ghibli films with incredible graphics and budgets, whether they're by Ghibli or not, so it's natural I'd love Suzume as well.
If I had to describe this film it would be Mononoke Hime (a boy and a girl fall in love while returning the head of a god to its trunk before worldwide disaster occurs) combined with Yuuki Yuuna (this world has a mirror image that affects our world but exists as strange and dangerous shapes and forms, hauntingly beautiful music, and requires human sacrifice to quell). I like both of those previous works so combining the two is obviously a good idea too.
Suzume herself is a really pretty girl and gets prettier across the length of the movie as she becomes more determined and serious about her life. The look of a girl on a mission who isn't afraid of death or censure is so much more amazing than that exact same girl idly chatting with other girl friends at school. I love her blue jean jacket and socks look, it screams of a life lived in a much more important and useful sphere than where she had lived before.
To make room in my great movies hall of fame I kicked out the Bastard! oav's. There's really no need for two versions of Bastard!, and the tv anime is now the more complete and authentic version. It's a shame because I liked the art and voice acting and music more from the oav's, but I have to admit following the manga is more important than better executing not following the manga.
Speaking of anime movies, yesterday there was a Standard Definition blu-ray release of the Battle Athletes oav's (the only good portion of Battle Athletes). Since before there was only a dvd release, this is an upgrade in image quality, though only a small one. You take what victories you can.
Also, speaking of anime in general, today marks the beginning of the Fall Anime Season, the best anime season in memory. I managed to make it through the doldrums of September. From here on all sorts of exciting things are going to be released upon the world. With all these video games I actually made September pretty fun, but that's nothing compared to all the great anime coming soon. Sousou no Frieren's first episode is going to be an hour long and it's scheduled for tomorrow. The wait is over, it's pure bliss from here on.
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