There is little doubt that Suzume no Tojimari took us to a fantastic world where secret doors can seal away a magical worm that causes earthquakes. However, that's not the only thing that's real in the film. Makoto Shinkai addressed how Studio Ghibli inspired his latest movie and the Easter Eggs he added to the feature.
Makoto Shinkai recently spoke to Looper while promoting Suzume in its international release. Not surprisingly, the filmmaker admitted that Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are major inspirations in his works.
"The effect of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is not unique to [Suzume]. A large part of why I became an animation director is because of what Studio Ghibli has achieved over the years," Shinkai said. "Whether it's a conscious decision or a subconscious decision, there are certain effects that the studio had on my own works."
He then discussed the Easter Eggs in Suzume.
"Specific to Suzume, I've paid certain homages to Ghibli films," Shinkai said. "For example, when Suzume is traveling in the car, [you can hear the] Kiki's Delivery Service theme song, [Rouge Message]. That's the same theme song that Kiki listened to in the opening of Kiki's Delivery Service."
He continued, "In bringing these Easter eggs into the film, what I wanted to do was make Suzume's world almost [an] extension of our own reality, because we're dealing with a very heavy theme, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which happened in real life, but it also happened in Suzume's world."
"How do you bridge those two realities and bring them into the same context?" Shinkai asked. "I would argue most if not all of the Japanese population, and younger kids especially, saw Ghibli films. So they would've seen Kiki's Delivery Service in the same way that in the film Suzume [has] seen that movie."
"Saying that Ghibli exists inside the world of Suzume brings her world much closer to our own reality and makes that very relatable," he concluded.
Suzume no Tojimari is currently screening in theaters worldwide.
Related: Makoto Shinkai Reveals Suzume Initially Had 2 Female Leads
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