Makoto Shinkai is a well-known director in the anime community, with each of his films being highly successful at the box office. His recent movie, Suzume no Tojimari, after dominating the box office in Japan, China, and South Korea, has now premiered in the United States. Shinkai himself attended the premiere, and various media outlets, including Looper, seized the opportunity to interview him about the film.
During the interview, a question was raised regarding whether Suzume no Tojimari was initially intended to depict a romance between two women, only for the producers to request a change to a male romantic lead.
Shinkai expressed surprise at the inquiry, as he had only discussed the subject with Japanese media before. He explained that he had grown weary of telling the same romance stories as in his previous films and wanted to explore a sisterhood-type romance. However, the producers convinced him to make the change, arguing that while he may be tired of these stories, his audience still enjoys them.
When asked if he plans to write LGBTQ+ stories in the future, Shinkai clarified that he is not purposefully choosing to write or avoid LGBTQ+ stories, nor is it a conscious decision. Instead, he wants to focus on telling human stories in his future films, without placing too much emphasis on gender or sexuality.
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Shinkai, known for directing and writing screenplays for films such as “Your Name” and “Weathering With You,” is also credited with the original story for this film. Character designs were created by Masayoshi Tanaka, who also worked on “Your Name” and “Weathering With You.” Kenichi Tsuchiya, known for his work on “Your Name” and “Garden of Words,” served as the animation director.
Suzume no Tojimari’s story is as follows:
“Suzume no Tojimari” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
Source: Looper
