RIYADH: The Japanese animation movie “Suzume no Tojimari” directed by Makoto Shinkai was released in Saudi Arabia on April 27. 

The movie already premiered in Japan in November of last year and received rave reviews, becoming a top box office hit overseas. 

The movie’s Director Shinkai worked on other hit anime films including “Your Name” and “Kotonoha no Niwa”.

As anime culture booms in Saudi Arabia, the movie’s release comes at a perfect time. One Saudi fan, Ghana Ibrahim said she had watched all of Shinkai’s films and as excited for the release of a new project by the director.

“Thanks to seeing all of Makoto Shinkai’s past animation movies, I came to see ‘Suzume no Tojmari’ with my daughter. The movie lived up to my expectations. The ending was very good, and I liked the music.’’ Ibrahim told Arab News Japan. 

The summary of the movie depicts the liberation and growth of a girl who closes the “doors” that are the exits of disasters scattered in ruins all over Japan.

The song “Suzume” is the theme song of the movie “Suzume no Tojimari” and was composed by RADWIMPS featuring Toaka, which is a huge hit in Japan and worldwide.

RADWIMPS is a Japanese rock band that has been active since 2011. They have composed music for several anime films including “Kimi no Nawa” and “Tenki no Ko” directed also by Makoto Shinkai. 

The summary of the movie is depicting the liberation and growth of a girl who closes the “doors” that are the exits of disasters scattered in ruins all over Japan. This movie evokes memories of a serious incident in Japan for the present generation and allows future generations to inherit those memories.

According to Entertainment Weekly (EW) Makoto Shinkai said “Suzume is very much rooted in the 2011 earthquake that hit the Tohoku region, at the time I was in Tokyo, so a bit far from the epicenter of the earthquake. I’m not a firsthand victim, but it really affected the very fabric of Japanese society and affected me quite personally.’

According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), the world’s largest movie review and information site, “Suzume no Tojimari” is rated 7.8/10.

Ultimately, “Suzume no Tojimari” is another movie whose success hinges on how it makes macro issues into micro-ones. It’s a hero’s journey in a sense and a story of a national fear of earthquakes, but it’s also just about a young woman whose life has been a series of disasters and how she comes to terms with her past, present, and future.