Suzume (2022)

A sweet teenage girl meets a handsome boy and soon enough she's... err, chasing a cat across Japan to try and prevent a giant worm spirit from destroying the land? Oh, and the boy is a chair now.

Anime, ladies and gentlemen.

I find it fascinating that the human mind can parse stories like this, full of fantastical elements that are completely alien to our lived experiences... though ultimately anchored in familiar human sentiment.

The narrative is simultaneously completely bizarre and a little humdrum, to be honest, with literally earth-shaking events scaled down to fit inside a fairly conventional girl meets boy story at the end of the day - with some extra layers about cherishing the bonds we form with others throughout our lives.

Suzume is certainly a visual treat, with excellent animation, luscious backdrops and intense lighting in Shinkai's signature style . There's a sense that he's playing it safe though, sticking to familiar ground.

There's something to be said for sticking to what you do best though, and there is no denying that Makoto Shinkai does this sort of film very well.