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Romance stories are mostly a hit or miss especially if it’s a boy-meets-girl trope. This also extends to Makoto Shinkai’s films that weave romance with fantastical elements. From time travel to body swap his stories are imbued with supernatural elements.
But most of all, he wrings out a spectrum of emotions from his fans nonetheless. The same could be said for his upcoming project. Though fans have rather low expectations.
Be it theGarden of WordsorYour Name, Shinkai left no stone unturned in highlighting his brilliance. As a novelist, he brings out symbolism perfectly in his stories. With his latest update, fans wait with bated breaths for the upcoming film.
But there’s a caveat to that as well especially with Suzume’s existence as a lackluster film. Despite its positive reviews and reception, the studio’s views and moves frittered away its true potential.
Fans respond to Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming project
Makoto Shinkaiis a legendary filmmaker and a visionary known for his compelling themes and intricate portrayal of relationships. Moreover, often referred to as the next Miyazaki for his revolutionary storytelling and animation.
His career spans over two decades showcasing his prolific works includingWeathering With You,Garden of Words, andYour Name. While there are parallels between his films, his stories stand out in terms of their profound themes.
Be it longing or distance, his stories outline perils and gargantuan obstacles between both protagonists. As opposed to cliche tropes of meet-cutes, Shinkaiblends fantasy with realismin his romance films.
However, Suzume garnered an array of reactions and reviews. While it was well-received, it received backlash, especially with the studio’s regressive attitude to Shinkai’s original plan. This ties well with fans’ response to his latest update.
“I don’t think of them as imaginary”: The Real Successor of Hayao Miyazaki Exists to Lead Studio Ghibli and It’s Not Makoto Shinkai
On X, the latest update about Shinkai’s future project had most fanstrollingSuzume.
thinking about how he wanted suzume to be a sapphic love story but production said “no” so he made the love interest a chair in spite plsplsplsplsplspls give us yuri the people WANT IT TRUST MEhttps://t.co/SercF0dynF
YES PLSS I NEED A MAKOTO SHINKAI YURI SO BAD
He also made Souta a chair to downplay the romance in general man said “I wanna make yuri and if you won’t let me DO BE IT.@
Love intrest cant be a woman? Thats ok CHAIR.
I hope the author finds another producer.
While it may seem too extreme, fans’ response seems valid considering Shinkai’s original plan. While Suzume has an average score, it’s mainly because of the studio’s conservatism that led to Shinkai dropping his original plan.
Suzume’s vision was flatlined by Studios’ conservative approach
AfterSuzume’srelease, most fans had mixed feelings about the film. While it garnered positive reviews and reception, it seemed lackluster to some fans. But what angered most fans was the dropping of the original plan to make it rather palatable.
Queer love stories are the norm but a well-done and fleshed-out romance is top-tier. Shinkai’s revenge against the studio is nothing short of hilarious and well-deserved. Bymaking Souta a chairhe rebelled against the erasure of stories and voices from media.
While it was originally intended to be a lesbian romance, Souta and Suzume’s dynamic seems rather forced. It is also lackluster compared to his other movies. And while it was greenlit eventually, it failed to live up to Shinkai’s vision.
‘I still feel my films are incomplete’: Makoto Shinkai is Right About Hayao Miyazaki Comparison That His Next Movie Needs to Address
By and by, we can only hope for the best with the Director’s upcoming project. From openness to creative liberty, Makoto Shinkai’s stories deserve their just and faithful adaptations nonetheless.
Suzumeis available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
