Exploring the Enchanting World of 'Suzume': A Review

Makoto Shinkai's latest animated film, "Suzume," blends mythology and modernity in a thoroughly modern world of magic, spells, old gods, Instagram posts, and texts. The story follows a 17-year-old girl named Suzume who accidentally unleashes chaos over Japan and must help a man turned into a three-legged chair to prevent a catastrophic earthquake. While the film delivers on drama and physical comedy, it falls short in elaborating the rules of its world and fully squaring its mythology with real environmental tragedies.