‘Suzume No Tojimari’ Outshines Shinkai's 'Weathering With You'

Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime movie Suzume No Tojimari opened in Japan last Friday. The movie successfully surpasses Shinkai’s previous hit Weathering With You with the strongest 3-day opening. The fantasy adventure film sold 1.33 million tickets over the three-day weekend earning more than 1.88 Billion yen ($13.49 Million). What is the anime movie about? Why is it doing better than Shinkai’s previous hit? Keep reading to find out the details!

Suzume No Tojimari Will Release Internationally In 2023

The latest Shinkai movie hasn’t just surpassed Weathering With You but also another acclaimed movie by the writer. Suzume sold 38.7% more tickets as compared to Shinkai’s Your Name released in 2016. Not just that, the movie also earned 47.4% more than Your Name which bagged $12.51 Million at the time in the first three days. As per Anime News Network, it also sold about 14.8% more tickets and earned 14.4% more as compared to Weathering With You.

[Source: YouTube]

While the movie is already available for Japanese anime fans, it will release internationally in early 2023. However, no confirmed release date is available now. Sony Picture Entertainment, Crunchyroll, and Wild Bunch will release the anime internationally except in Asia. Crunchyroll is in charge of distribution in North America. On the other hand, Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll will jointly take charge of distribution in South America, New Zealand, Latin America, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and sections of Europe.

Suzume No Tojimari Is About Closing Doors

Apart from the original Japanese audio, the movie will be available in English, German, and French-dubbed version.

[Source: YouTube]

Now, the thing that makes this anime special is the fact that it is more about closing the unwanted doors to other worlds as opposed to opening them. Moreover, it is a movie based on Japan giving the audience a beautiful view of the country in an anime form. The writer also stated that the closing doors theme refers to tying loose ends or finishing a pending job, making it worth a watch.

[Source: YouTube]

The movie’s protagonist, Suzume Iwato, is voiced by actress Nanoka Hara. Apart from that Suzume’s partner in crime, Sota Munakata is voiced by SixTONES idol group’s member Hokuto Matsumura. Together, Suzume and Sota embark on a journey to close the doors around Japan.

Makoto Shinkai’s Latest Movie Receives Manga Adaptation

Suzume No Tojimari’s official synopsis reads:

“Seventeen-year-old Suzume discovers a mysterious door in the mountains, and soon other doors begin appearing across Japan. As the doors open, they release disasters and destruction, and it’s up to Suzume to close them again.”

[Source: YouTube]

The movie also received a novel adaptation written by Shinkai on August 24, 2022, under the Kadokawa Bunko imprint. As of November 2022, the novel has sold more than 350,000 copies. Suzume No Tojimari’s manga adaptation, illustrated by Denki Amashima, started serialization in Monthly Afternoon magazine on October 25, 2022.