Toho and CoMix Wave revealed the latest trailer for Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming film, Suzume, which also features the first reveal of actress Nanoka Hara’s performance in the lead role of Suzume.
Since the key visual was revealed in April along with the phrases “Traveling Young Man,” “White Cat,” “Small Chair” and “The Key to Doors,” the film has sparked considerable interest around the world. Suzume follows Shinkai’s previous two blockbusters Your Name (2016) and Weathering with You (2019), which garnered unprecedented international acclaim.
The new trailer takes a deeper look into four key words revealed along with the initial teaser, which now has close to five million views. The “Traveling Young Man” who walks past Suzume underneath the clear skies, later closing doors together with “The Key to Doors.” Likewise, the “White Cat” whose social media presence seems to be growing day by day and the “Small Chair” running around as though alive are just the tip of the iceberg to Suzume’s story.
While plenty of mystery remains, Shinkai states, “I created this with the intention of introducing Suzume.” The trailer spotlights our 17-year-old heroine’s wide range of emotions through this strange journey. For the first time, audiences also get to hear the song titled “Suzume,” which was composed specifically for this film. Suzume ends the trailer with the mysterious words: “I wandered beyond a space, where it seemed all time had melted together in the sky.”
“I was so nervous. Since I could only use my voice to act out the characters’ emotions, I had to be mindful of every phrase and the meaning it was intended to carry. There was so much I didn’t know,” Hara says about recording Suzume’s performance. “Seeing the picture and voice together, it finally dawned on me that it was up to me to bring this character to life, which made me so nervous, I could barely move. Nonetheless, director Shinkai would praise my acting and guide me to just the right performance each time. Recording this trailer definitely increased my confidence!”
Hara, an 18-year-old actress from Tokyo, was selected personally by Shinkai from an audition pool of more than 1,700 actors. Suzume marks her first anime voiceover role. Most recently, Hara played Ginko on the live-action TV drama Nanba MG5.
Suzume is expected to hit movie theaters in Japan on 11 November. Crunchyroll is distributing the film globally (excluding Japan, South Korea and India) beginning in early 2023. In North America, Crunchyroll is the sole distributor. In Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East and portions of Europe, the film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. In French- and German-speaking Europe, the film will be co-distributed by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures and Wild Bunch International.
Here is the official synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu 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. The stars, the sunset, the morning sky; within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky. Guided by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey to close doors is about to begin.