The Metaphor of Suzume ~ The Meaning of Remembrance ~

Рет қаралды 1,297

Күн бұрын

It was a huge year at the Oscars for Japan, with Boy and the Heron and Godzilla Minus 1 scoring big. But there's one Japanese film the Oscars, and many others, have all but forgotten, and I think it deserves another chance. This is my ode to Makoto Shinkai's Suzume, and what it teaches us about the meaning of Remembrance.
This is my second video essay on metaphor, and took far longer than my previous work on the Boy and the Heron ( • Metaphor in the Boy an... . I spent 3 months reading 2 entire books, over 500 pages, edited over 180 screenshots, and rewrote the 35 page script 7 times to bring you this hour-long behemoth. I am ingratiated to a certain penguin who gifted me the Suzume art book and to all of you who have commented on my last video with your support and encouragement. Thank you. I hope the wait has been worth it and that this video will resonate with you and deepen your experience of Suzume.
English CC Subtitles now available!
Any errata which come to light will be listed below.
Music created by Matthew Pablo matthewpablo.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro/Forgotten by the Oscars
01:18 The Works of Makoto Shinkai
06:42 On Narrative Analysis
09:55 The Narrative of Suzume
18:40 3.11.11
23:46 Your Name as 3.11 Metaphor
29:00 The Metaphor of Suzume
38:36 Suzume and The Japanese Psyche
43:22 Soul-searching
46:23 Suzume and the World
51:47 The Meaning of Remembrance
58:09 Suzume for the World/ Epilogue
Sources (by publication date):
Books:
"Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice"
Sonja Foss, Published by Waveland Press, 1989
"Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche"
Haruki Murakami, Published by Vintage International, 1997
"Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need"
Blake Snyder, Published by Michael Wiese Productions, 2005
"Reimagining Japan After Fukushima"
Tamaki Mihic, Published by Australian National University Press, 2019
Shinkai Interviews:
"Meeting the Director of 'Your Name', the Latest Anime by the 'New Miyazaki'"
Hannah Ewens, Vice, November 6, 2016
www.vice.com/en/article/pp43y...
"Interview: Makoto Shinkai, Director, "Weathering with You"
W.R. Miller, Animation Scoop, Nov 5 2019
www.animationscoop.com/interv...
"Why “Suzume” Was a Blockbuster in China and South Korea: Interview with Makoto Shinkai (#1)"
Yusuke Hirata, World Insight, Nov 9 2023
worldinsight.com/news/culture...
"Makoto Shinkai's new film 'Suzume' mourns Japan's deserted towns"
Noriko Sikihara, Nikkei, Nov 19 2022 asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Art...
"Why Makoto Shinkai Made a Talking Chair the Heart of ‘Suzume’"
Jeremy Fuster, the Wrap, April 14, 2023
www.thewrap.com/makoto-shinka...
Misc Info:
"Mobsters on a Mission: How Japan's Mafia Launched an Aid Effort"
Jake Adelstein, The Independent, April 9, 2011 www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...
"Ehime residents recount horrific landslide death of beloved friend and neighbor"
The Japan Times, July 12, 2018
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201...
"3/11 - The Tsunami: The First 3 Days" NHK World - Japan, February 6, 2023
• 3/11 - The Tsunami: Th...

Пікірлер: 56

@themrfyslaw 4 ай бұрын

It’s 3/11/24! How perfect, thank you for creating this analysis of Suzume. We shall remember.

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

So glad you noticed

@chiri-theoden4264 4 ай бұрын

Got 5 minutes into the video before deciding I should probably watch Suzume first. I am now typing this comment 2 hours later while sobbing uncontrollably. What an absolutely beautiful film. I have nothing to say about the video itself yet, because I am just now getting back to it -- but I just needed to say thank you for introducing me to such a moving experience

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

So happy to hear you gave it a chance! As you probably gathered, I feel like Suzume has been a bit overlooked by everyone from the Oscars to the Shinkai fans, and if there were more folks like you out there, well I think that'd be a wonderful world. I hope you'll follow up to let me know how the video affects your experience of the film, but again, thank you for giving Suzume, and my video a chance! Cheers~

@chiri-theoden4264 4 ай бұрын

@@densetsumedia Another amazing video, dude! This is actually the first Shinkai movie I've seen (although, I have obviously heard of Your Name, despite being a new entrant into the anime fandom), so thanks again for getting me to finally dive into his catalogue! It's hard to organize all my thoughts into something kind of short and cohesive, but I 100% viewed it originally through a more general "forgotten spaces" lens that felt extremely relevant and relatable -- and then when the story got to Fukushima and we learned Suzume's backstory, that struck me hard as the ultimate culmination of a "forgotten place" -- somewhere that was literally wiped off the map with callous indifference. And it broke my heart. But now being able to see the entire movie through that lens, and understanding it all as a wider metaphor for 3/11 -- it really does show that this movie is a masterpiece and deepens my understanding of the movies plot and themes considerably (and it also finally explains my nagging feeling that I didn't really understand the Daijins all that much lol). In fact, the one thing I am still curious about even after watching this, is that I'm still not sure why Su-Daijin came in so late and so close to Fukushima? Is it that they represent the more volatile aspects of the healing process? Like, as they get closer to the source of the trauma, there comes a need to more directly confront your negative emotions? Or is it just that the closer you get to the source, the more likely you are to lash out in fear/self-preservation? That still eludes me, but still -- incredible analysis!!

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

@@chiri-theoden4264 Well I'm so glad to have been a part of your Shinkai journey! If you want to watch more of his films, Your Name is obviously a huge part of his pantheon, though as you now know from this video, my thoughts on it have changed over time. Weathering With You is a sort of second-child even within this video essay, but I did enjoy it, particularly the ending which felt very brave in a way movies often aren't. His earlier work can have a more vignette-type feeling, but I think his 5 cm Per Second holds up the best, and Garden of Words is still gorgeous and was on Netflix for a time. As to the metaphor of Sadaijin, I think you're right on the money as far as I understand it. Daijin shows that healing can be uncomfortable even when approached with good intentions and levity. Sadaijin shows that the uncomfortable part of healing is part of the healing; it's not something we should get over or assume we can avoid somehow. I think he's introduced so late because by that point of the film, it seems like everything is resolved. Suzume knows where she's going, and metaphorically we have resolved to heal. Sadaijin says 'that's not enough; you can't just say "I'm gonna heal" and expect that process to be smooth from now on. But this is just my interpretation; either way, I think you understand more than you give credit for! Thank you once again for giving Suzume and my video so much of your time! So grateful for comments like these!

@rodrigoanzures2950 4 ай бұрын

Between this and your last video, you are definitely one of my favorite video essayists in the platform. Your insights and research are fantastic, your delivery keeps me engaged the whole way through, and your illustrations add a ton to the presentation of the video. Another banger. Thank you for helping me appreciate and understand more two films that I already loved.

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

That really touches my heart man! I put more time and research into this than anything I'd made before, inspired by the encouragement of folks like you - more than anything, comments like this are what help me feel I was on the right track - so thank you truly! I'm glad you enjoyed!

@user-kt4vn8le5p 4 ай бұрын

I knew that the movie was making allusions to Fukushima and the corresponding earthquake but I definitely didn’t know enough about the internal discourse to properly appreciate the film Great video, and thank you so much for sharing

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for your comment! I'm very glad it was able to deepen your experience!

@aubreyadams7884 20 күн бұрын

A great and moving analysis of a film I will never forget. I actually just watched Suzume again last week. When it was first released in Australia my 11yo grandson, a fan of Japanese anime, was keen to see it (in Japanese with subtitles, because that would be more 'authentic' - 10 year olds, eh?). I didn't know anything about it so went in blind. I was enjoying it but as soon the narrative moved north out of Tokyo I recalled the early scenes of Suzume's memories, especially the boat on the roof of a house, it hit me where they were going and I, a 70yo grandad, started sniffing. Then when the later scenes of the 'ghosts' leaving their homes on that morning to go to work or school, the tears started to fall. When we got back home I explained the poignancy of the movie's ending to my grandson, and he got it. Yeah, kids do get this stuff.

@densetsumedia 20 күн бұрын

What a wonderful sentiment! Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us. I imagine the experience of the movie with your grandson, and of you explaining it, will stay with that child until he's Suzume's age and for long after. It's very inspiring to hear you carry that meaning forward across the generations!

@axilleasalmanaider2858 Ай бұрын

Simply.... thank you

@user-lg7lx7wp5t 4 ай бұрын

Unbelievable video! It almost feels like a deep dive into the pure essence and meaning of the film.. and when you think you've reached the bottom, being able to realize much more thinks than you did on the first viewing, the video after its first half takes you to a whole new, even deeper place, presenting you the soul of the movie and the inner thoughts of its creator/director, allowing you to grasp even more meanings and ideas than you thought that could be there in the first place. Thank you for enhanching so much more my appreciation of the film and making me love even more the great Makoto Shinkai, something that i didn't think it was possible!!

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much man! That means the world to me, I'm so glad the video could resonate with you so deeply, especially as a Shinkai fan! My deepest thanks for watching and for leaving such a heartfelt comment!

@thuongdang5251 4 ай бұрын

your videos are works of art themselves. they move me more than the movies (after the first watch) themselves and unravel to me new layers that make me see them in a whole nother way, it's truly incredible. thank you so much for the well researched essays that you narrate so beautifully. truly hope to see more from you.

@verum941 4 ай бұрын

I love your analysis videos. The boy and the heron was a movie I enjoyed but didn’t really take much from it or felt like I enjoyed it at much as others. Then I saw your video and rewatching it I really did appreciate and love that movie so much more. Here we are again with this video with you showing a whole new perspective of Suzume that I never gave any real thought to, giving me a chance to highlight and pick my own thoughts on Suzume the next time I watch it. Thank you so much for this and I can’t wait to see what you do next

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

How very kind - thank you so much! While I did feel thoroughly moved by Boy and the Heron from the get-go, I felt like many weren't quite connecting with it and I'd been encouraged to help convey my feelings. With Suzume, I remember distinctly the disconnect with people who didn't get the Tohoku angle and I wanted to try and help others to understand the film as I had. That you find these perspectives enriching means the world to me and I'm so thankful for comments like these. They truly make this practice worthwhile. Thank you so much again for watching and for leaving these heartfelt thoughts!

@claralaramendez6690 Ай бұрын

Thank you for making these analysis videos, this and your breakdown of the boy and the heron truly brought me to tears and motivated me to continue in life, Again thank you for reminding me what it means to be human, I wish you nothing but luck on your endeavors, continue making beautiful work like this

@densetsumedia Ай бұрын

How very kind! Thank you so much for your kind words and for checking out my other videos! I post very infrequently and am currently in the middle of a move, but in the background, I'm working on two new videos about the 2024 series Shogun, and on the topic of visual composition in video games~ I hope you'll stick around and give them a look!

@haruyu123 3 ай бұрын

You've spent quite the effort to give your take on this movie, I knew about the earthquake but I really gained more insight with the metaphors. Sometimes when there's a major earthquake, I get the feeling to rewatch the old archived march 11 videos. This was a recent development like 5 years ago for me but it stayed with me like a silent connection. I admire the poignant emotions your put forth.

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for these kind words. (It's been a rough week for me and this just comes at a really good time.) It means the world to know that especially to someone already familiar with some of the subject matter, I was able to add to your experience in some small way. I think it's very moving that you return to those videos when faced with disaster - the urge to invoke a sense of pathos when faced with turmoil is so tremendously human and precious. Thanks for sharing your viewpoint, and this hour of your time, with us all!

@mrmarshfellow 3 ай бұрын

suzume should have been nominated for an oscar. i was shocked it wasnt

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

I was not surprised, but certainly saddened. A topic for a different video perhaps - thanks for this comment!

@mariakii 3 ай бұрын

Amazing video, managed to get a tear out of me. Hope you keep on making them!!

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words! Reactions like this make it all worthwhile for me, and I really appreciate your taking the time to watch!

@ImoriYama 7 күн бұрын

This video is a gem, thank you :)

@rn1222 3 ай бұрын

Taki remembers the lost town, deeply and to a fault that he keeps getting rejected from companies. Perhaps his drive that he always convey in the interviews, of creating environment that resonates with culture and people, being not in line with tokyo construction companies, is a metaphor of people who feels deeply, remember and grieve for victims of the 3/11 tragedy and the government or major public that strays away and be disconnected from it. But when government fails the people, people stick to each other, like taki who reached out (and then perhaps reintroduced to and married with) to mitsuha. Though having bonded in a previous timeline in a fantastical journey through the disaster he helped her escape from, almost entirely forgetting his recollection of her, taki never forget the importance of preserving local culture, the lost town, because "we never know when it might be gone too". A similar feeling he felt of how he has grown to cherish and feel rooted to itomori, and how he wished the tragedy hadn't taken it. It could also be a metaphor that the tragedy could have happened elsewhere, impacting the viewer themselves, so treat "others" with kindness and compassion, emphasizing on the shared ideal of musubi between the film and 3/11 tragedy, to cherish our people, environment, culture as well as others.

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

I really admire the thought you put into this take - thank you so much for sharing it! I still stand by the take which Tamaki Mihic advocated for in her book, that even with these considerations, Taki never thinks about, for example, leaving Tokyo to go to Itomori, or consciously advocating for remembering Itomori in the present. But I think your interpretation gives well-deserved consideration for the empathy that Taki, and I'm sure Shinkai also, wanted to express and share. Thank you for commenting!

@OnixFilms 4 ай бұрын

You know, as luck would have it I watched Suzume without having the previous experience of watching Your Name. Perhaps in my personal estimation it won't be forgotten as easily.

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

Fascinating! I'd known many people who watched Your Name first, but since making this video, I've met a few who had an experience more like yours - I'd love to hear how you heard of Suzume in the first place! And I'm glad you found it so memorable~

@ry10hu 4 ай бұрын

Haven't Seen Suzume Yet, Guess I'll Be Up A Few More Hours!

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

Haha, you and me both! It's available in the US on Crunchyroll - will eagerly await your thoughts!

@visualeditor 3 ай бұрын

Love your essay! your videos deserve much more views!

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for these kind words! They really mean the world to me. Thank you for your support, and for spending the time to give them a watch!

@talecomet 20 күн бұрын

the way you open minds using a movie about closing doors is really amusing to me ahah- i've watched a lot of analyses on various media but this was by far one of the best ones i've ever seen. it made me see the film through a completely new lens, seamlessly linking together ideas that i've noticed but never really considered or connected together. everything feels so deliberate. how suzume was what your name wasn't. the ideal of kizuna. your analysis of suzume, the character. noticing what the characters represent. the isolation of victims and the concept of gaman. hope in despair. your thoughts on daijin and sadaijin. how that ties further in to what souta represents. personal anecdotes and highlighting common experience of loss. closure and remembrance. all connecting together, all brought out in this amazing analysis. you've worked so hard on it! your illustrations, the emotion conveyed through your voice, and the effort it takes to edit an hour-long video. i've always thought that shinkai's films have a depth to them. my favorite parts of his movies are the mundane ones. among the grandeur of supernatural phenomena in his works, lay quiet, mundane moments that really ground the world in reality. pictures on social media. suzume's phone dying. a burried box of her important things. tearing open packaged food. the creaky sounds of an old bicycle. serizawa's choice of songs. placing books on a shelf. carving out eyes on a kid's chair. the hundreds of "goodbye"s said every day, the "i'm home"s you always expect. despite never having experienced such a disaster, i feel deeply for the survivors, the people who were affected, and what they lost. after watching suzume, i wanted to learn about the 3.11 tragedy. every picture, every link just.. added to this desolating, poignant image of common suffering. it shouldn't be forgotten. none of it should. i've definitely missed a few points i really wanted to write about, but i'll be rewatching this. it's like a movie in its own way! i want to talk about the other movies you mentioned too, your name and weathering with you. and also, thank you so so much for the information. like, visiting shinkai's previous works. i really liked the narrative analysis part, i don't see many youtubers do that. i'd love to see a video on it too. the success of this movie warms my heart, and i hope it's remembered for a long, long time. (edited cuz i keep adding things i want to say)

@densetsumedia 20 күн бұрын

Haha, I'd never thought of my task that way, but it's a very charming thought! Your words mean more than I can say, all of them. This really did take a lot out of me, and more research than I've done on anything since graduating from college. I enjoyed the process, but was a little dismayed that, being less-than-topical, it didn't receive the same attention my video on Boy and the Heron did. That said, the resonance it's had with folks like you has really hit home the importance of doing projects like this for me - I am so tremendously grateful for everyone who does resonate with these pieces, and even more for those who take some time to share their thoughts as you have. I hope you will continue spreading the poetry and empathy evident in your words today out into the world at large! As for me, I'm slowly working on two new pieces, one about my conflicted thoughts on FX's 2024 series Shogun, and another about painting and visual composition in video games. I hope you'll look forward to them~ Cheers!

@talecomet 20 күн бұрын

ahah, i get what you mean! oftentimes it's the work that we pour the most into that ends up doing not as good. that said, i really really hope this video reaches as many people as it possibly can, because it's one of the most influential things i've watched in a while. i personally enjoy video essays that talk about the real-world concepts and events adjacent to the piece of media they're covering. videos that seem like they're diverging, but in the end, all connect beautifully together. i can't find the right phrase for this, but i guess it's like.. homemade. patches of ideas woven together? thank you for your words! i'll definitely be watching the boy and the heron soon, and with that, your analysis. i'm really excited to see your next videos!

@densetsumedia 19 күн бұрын

Well thank you again for your kind sentiments. I'm very proud of what I was able to accomplish and the wonderful responses it's drawn out. Just a heads up that with regard to my Boy and the Heron video, I had the unusual opportunity to see Boy and the Heron before its release and friends of mine really liked my take on it, so I worked a ton to release that video on the same weekend as Boy and the Heron came out into US theaters. As a result, it was picked up by the algorithm and is really the only thing I've ever made that went slightly viral, so there are many more comments on that video, some a little bit negative either toward me or the movie. With all that said, while I did more research for the piece on Suzume, I am happy with my take on the Boy and the Heron and hope you will enjoy it!

@talecomet 17 күн бұрын

that's so cool!!! i admire your dedication!! also, what software do you use to edit videos? and how do you keep track of all your research?

@densetsumedia 17 күн бұрын

@@talecomet I edit on Premiere, as it's what I'm most familiar with from years as a filmmaker. The animation I create in After Effects, similar story. I have a google drive with folders for sources and scripts. I wouldn't say I'm that good at organizing research, but I learned a fair deal of these skills making a feature documentary some years ago called Touching Sound about the first touchscreen arcade game, which came out before the ipad, amassed a huge and dedicated community, and was canceled without explanation. Long story for sure - as a quick addendum - I stream a fair bit on twitch.tv/densetsuvii so if you ever want to talk in real time there, I encourage you to drop in, though I understand not everyone on youtube is keen to be on twitch~

@yorgunkaptaan Ай бұрын

Wow, thank you to enlight us with these deep concepts embedded into the film. Makoto is such a nice guy, who is not doing his beautiful art for himself. After this explanation, this film could be my favorite movie. Surely sit at the top with Grave of The Butterflies and Wind Rises. I am from Turkey, we also had a similar big earthquake experience in our countryside, 1 year ago. 14 million people were affected, and nearly 500 thousand houses were destroyed. I truly relate the Fukushima disaster to our disaster. There are many refugies around the metropolises. Government/charities tried similar kintai politics. I hope it works, I am worried because only 1 year passed but people in the metropolises including myself have forgotten it except those whose families experienced it. In the metropolises, I guess every 1 of 10 people is like Suzume. They live the chronic problems of the disaster in deep...

@yorgunkaptaan Ай бұрын

In fact I didn't know the film before encounter to your video! I mean I watched Shinkai's other works like Garden of Words, 5 centimeter per second (loved them). But I watched them years ago and unfortunately isolated to movie culture because of irl issues. Thanks again for highlighting the film and making it more valuable.

@densetsumedia Ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind words, and I am sorry for the tumult your country has gone through as of late. I'm very glad to have connected you to a film that resonated with your lived experience, and I hope you'll be able to share it with others in your community who may need to see it. The original script of this video actually contained references to the earthquakes in Turkey among other events in the world, but I decided to cut those segments for time, and to allow all viewers to connect the film to their own lives individually. I'm glad that you were still able to see Suzume's message as relevant to your part of the world! My uploads are infrequent, but I hope to continue making videos on perspectives I find important in film and culture generally - comments like yours are so precious for me, and let me know that the time spent on these videos was not wasted. Thank you again so much for watching!

@yorgunkaptaan Ай бұрын

@densetsumedia Man I just watched some parts of the video again, to clear my thoughts. Don't use a word like waste ever, I think every part of your work is precious and this video is a gem whether people are interested or not. Sure, some people like me take important stuff from this and keep going. It touches our lives just like Suzume. I love the first part where you give analysis techniques and application. I am re-watching it to grasp and apply it to another film. Perhaps you could consider making a separate video about these topics, as I find them really fascinating.

@densetsumedia Ай бұрын

@@yorgunkaptaan Well thank you! This is very encouraging to me, as some people, particularly on my other videos, say that they dislike those sections and prefer I just get to the point. I've always felt they are necessary parts of the overall analysis, and knowing that you felt engaged by it is very encouraging! I expect to have more such explanations in my future work, though we probably won't return to narrative analysis particularly for awhile. Currently, I am in the early stages of two potential video ideas: one about the 2024 TV show Shogun, and its complicated relationship with orientalism (the tendency of the West to simplify, denigrate, and impose its importance onto the rest of the world), and Visual Composition in video games, a subject which I don't think has been explored in great detail before. I hope you'll stick around and leave your thoughts for my later videos!

@mlgcactus1035 3 ай бұрын

Finally got the time to watch Suzume, and then your name afterward, and this video made me appreciate the film in a way I never thought I would. Too bad they had to shoehorn some romance in the film, since it what most people know Shinkai for.

@densetsumedia 3 ай бұрын

So glad you were able to watch them! Thanks for taking the time~ At first, I did agree with your assessment about the romance in Suzume, but when I came to understand that romance as metaphorical for the relationship between Tokyo/Central Japan and the survivors/peripheral Japan, I felt like it gained a lot of nuance and depth, and I was able to get behind it a lot more. In that way, it's less about the typical 'will-they-wont-they' but far more about "this is a relationship everyone wants to work, but things need to be worked out". Even the idea that the guy is cool and distant is something of a subversion of a lot of instances where the guy is interested in the girl, but overall, I'd just say, there may be more there than meets the eye. Thank you again for watching!

@mlgcactus1035 3 ай бұрын

@densetsumedia that's a great way to interpret their relationship.

@illson2019 4 ай бұрын

I think Weathering with you is a masterpiece and just as good as Your Name

@densetsumedia 4 ай бұрын

I enjoyed it! Ultimately it was beyond the scope of this video, but I'd love to engage with more discourse about the positives of Weathering With You. It's worth saying, for example, that even though the 5th result for 'weathering with you' is that reddit thread asking if it was "Disappointing", the poster of the thread is actually arguing that it wasn't and they really liked it (even though one of the most prominent replies argues the opposite).