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Makoto Shinkai is commonly associated with films about lovers separated by time or distance. While the romance in his latest picture, "Suzume," is understated compared to past Shinkai films, in large part because the male lead, Souta, transforms into a chair for most of the film's duration.
It appears that one of the reasons Souta was turned into a chair was to protest having a male protagonist at all. "Suzume" was initially intended to be a romance between two women, according to Shinkai.
Why Makoto Shinkai is opting for new storytelling modes after several successful boy-meets-girl stories
A producer allegedly believed it was "too early" for the Japanese market to accept a romance between two women, according to Shinkai, who previously discussed this alteration with members of the Japanese press. For the first time, Shinkai spoke about this issue with the international media in an exclusive interview with Looper. He also addressed whether or not he plans to include more LGBTQ+ themes in his future films.
Makoto Shinkai remarked in his interview:
"At first, I wanted to turn this story into a movie about Suzume and another girl journeying. Why I even wanted to go in that direction in the first place is because I personally felt a little bit tired of telling the very traditional romance story."
He further went on to add his burnout with the pre-existing heteronormative storytelling styles he had adopted and decided to go for a new and exciting way to proceed with romantic tales. He quipped:
"I felt that in 'Your Name,' I [did] everything that I possibly could in terms of 'boy meets girl' and 'will they, won't they, will they meet.' That element of romance is very relatable to the masses, which is why it was a subject matter that resonated with a large audience."
Makoto Shinkai's choice of gender in Suzume
Shinkai describes his original concept for "Suzume" as a "sisterhood type of romantic story," but claims that his producer convinced him to change it into a "boy meets girl" romance in order to suit audience expectations. Despite the fact that the overall plot of "Suzume" would have worked if the eponymous character had a female love interest, Shinkai claimed he is not actively looking for LGBTQ+ stories.
In his interview, the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker remarks:
"In order to not make it too much of a romance, I decided to make her primary interest a chair."
Makoto Shinkai further points to the relevance of gender roles and the lack thereof in the concluding parts of his talk:
"I think it would also work had [Suzume] been a boy or had she been non-binary. It's not necessarily the context of male/female; it's about a human overcoming something. In my future films as well, I want to focus on that human story as opposed to too much commentary on gender or sex."
Suzume film has performed exceptionally well in its home country, Japan, and other international markets. As the film continues to enchant viewers globally, it has solidified its place as a major international box office hit.
