I haven’t actually seen Suzume yet so maybe I’ll end up agreeing with you. I’m not sure if you’ve seen ‘The Garden of Words’ but that is possibly my favourite from him, despite being very short. Maybe that’s part of the reason why it was so impactful - the shortened runtime cuts out a lot of the more distracting plot elements found in his other films and leaves you with a very distilled and pure Shinkai film.
I don’t think it matters either way, though I prefer Garden of Words. I think an appreciation for the differences probably depends a bit on the age of the viewer, since Garden of Words is really dealing with the complexity and isolation of adult life. If you are in your 20s or younger, you might not fully understand or appreciate those themes yet. Your Name is more fantastical in that sense; it has a streak of hope and wonder running through it that younger audiences can connect with.
I haven’t actually seen Suzume yet so maybe I’ll end up agreeing with you. I’m not sure if you’ve seen ‘The Garden of Words’ but that is possibly my favourite from him, despite being very short. Maybe that’s part of the reason why it was so impactful - the shortened runtime cuts out a lot of the more distracting plot elements found in his other films and leaves you with a very distilled and pure Shinkai film.
I haven’t! Would you recommend I watch it before Your Name?
I don’t think it matters either way, though I prefer Garden of Words. I think an appreciation for the differences probably depends a bit on the age of the viewer, since Garden of Words is really dealing with the complexity and isolation of adult life. If you are in your 20s or younger, you might not fully understand or appreciate those themes yet. Your Name is more fantastical in that sense; it has a streak of hope and wonder running through it that younger audiences can connect with.