Crunchyroll announced today, ahead of awards season, that celebrated auteur filmmaker Makoto Shinkai’s animated masterpiece Suzume will come to its streaming service exclusively on 16th November for UK audiences.
Suzume had its international premiere in February 2023 at the Berlin International Film Festival (“Berlinale”), marking the first time that an anime feature film screened in the coveted competition section in over two decades. The film was met with critical acclaim and went on to gross over $300 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, making it the fourth highest-grossing anime film of all time.
Suzume is the latest film from auteur Makoto Shinkai. Shinkai has been a visionary in the animation space for decades, with the most recent films being Your Name (2016) and Weathering With You (2019), both of which have catapulted him as a leading animation filmmaker with international viewers. Weathering With You was selected as Japan’s entry for the best international feature film category of the 2020 Academy Awards and nominated in four categories in the 47th annual Annie Awards including best animated independent feature.
Synopsis
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.
UK-based Crunchyroll subscribers will be able to enjoy Suzume at home from November 16th. If you haven’t already, check out James’ spoiler-free review, it’s safe to say that he quite enjoyed it.
Will you be watching Suzume when it arrives on Crunchyroll? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget, you can catch up on all the latest anime news right here.
