Makoto Shinkai is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa) is one of my favorite movies ever. I also love Weathering With You and Suzume. Despite this, I have never read any manga adaptations of his films. I jumped at the opportunity to read the manga for Suzume since I loved the movie so much. With the manga adaptations for A Garden of Words, certain things are in the manga that are not in the movie. I wondered if this is the case for Suzume.

As someone who has seen Suzume, reading the manga felt like watching a recap of the movie from a different perspective. If the movie is the main footage, the manga feels like the story through B-roll. I wanted to take it in as its own project, but that proved difficult for me. It was hard for my brain to stop comparing each scene to how it happened in the movie. That being said, I don’t consider this a bad thing, but I’m not sure if I personally can judge if the story would feel whole solely based on the manga.

Back to the B-roll of it all, since my brain couldn’t process this as “a new story,” I took it in as something meant to add to the movie. I felt that the manga’s direction expanded the characters in a new way, making them more dimensional. For example with Suzume, she has so much emotion. Even if there aren’t thought bubbles, the art makes me feel that I know her mind. Her small blushes or looks of determination are so noticeable.

I also find this to be the case with Souta, who is a chair for 90% of the time. The manga’s art has a way of making his movement and looks more human. I can tell, even without dialog that Souta is in there and he’s looking at Suzume or feeling something. I think the animation does a wonderful job of bringing him to life but the manga’s art captures a little more of his humanity.

The first volume covers until Suzume meets Rumi and arrives in Kobe, when she sees Daijin at Rumi’s bar. It was a good place to separate the story and I’m curious to see how it picks up in the next volume.

I haven’t seen Suzume since it premiered in theaters, so I may also be biased in what my memory of the film is compared to the manga. I may rewatch it before reading the second volume and compare my feelings then. Either way, the manga adaptation of Suzume was enjoyable for me and added a lot of exposition on these characters that I really enjoyed.

I really enjoyed this! I've seen the movie and I thought this was a fun adaptation. I'll be recommending it to friends of mine that also enjoyed the film :)

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the free graphic novel.*

I have not watched the movie yet, so bear with me. I loved the wondrous story in this graphic novel even though I was partly confused. I was a bit disappointed that Vol. 1 was so short but that was to be expected. The aesthetics are amazing, I can't wait to watch the movie really!

4 stars

This was such a stunning volume!! It was so fun following Suzume and the adventure she goes on. The storyline was captivating, the characters were funny, and the art style is gorgeous! I'm curious to see how the story continues and I'll definitely be picking up more of this author's work!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC!

My first “encounter” with Makoto Shinakai was through his movie <b>Your Name</b>, which if you haven’t seen it, you must, because it’s brilliant. He is currently praised to be the next Miyazaki, and I second this.

Suzume was a wonderful anime, well worth of all the praise and nominations it received. Having it in pocket size manga is almost as good, and I can’t wait for the next 2 books.

<i>I would like to thank Kodansha Comics | Vertical Comics and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review</i>

Suzume is a high school girl living with her aunt after her mother passed away. A chance encounter with a young man, Souta, on her way to school sends her to open a random door that stands in the middle of an abandoned shopping centre. It releases an ancient evil that only she and the young man can see.

Souta’s a closer whose job is to keep the evil from getting through similar doors. But Suzume has also released a key stone which has turned into a cat. It curses Souta and turns him into a chair that can move. Suzume and him must find the cat to return him back to normal, which sends the pair on a journey through Japan.

Having seen the anime, this was a good recap. It didn’t quite catch the spirit and lacked details that might have made following the story less enjoyable if I hadn’t seen the film. First volume has maybe one third of the story the film has. Art is good with large panels, and it follows much of the film (or the other way round?), although the characters look a bit different.

I really enjoyed the world-building and the storyline in this first volume. The illustrations were beautifully done, pulling me deeper into the story with each page. There’s something so captivating about the blend of everyday life with magical elements in this one.

Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me an advance reader copy —I found myself hooked in Suzume’s journey and wanting more by the end!

Suzume 1 is a fun and quick read that transports you into an exciting adventure with a fascinating premise. The story follows Suzume, a high school junior who unwittingly opens a mysterious door that leads to a world beyond time and space. From there, she embarks on a journey that takes unexpected twists—including a rather surprising one where the male lead, Souta, is transformed into a chair, which adds an interesting dynamic to the narrative.

The plot moves at a good pace, making it easy to get through the book quickly. The premise of the story is engaging, though the transformation of the main character into a chair was quite unexpected and slightly strange, yet it keeps the adventure lively and unique. While the writing itself is enjoyable, there are moments where it feels like more depth could be added to the characters and world-building.

Overall, it’s a fun read, perfect for those who enjoy a light yet intriguing adventure. I'm looking forward to watching the animated film adaptation to see how this story translates on screen. It’s a solid start, but it left me wishing for a bit more development.

This might be because it's the first one in the series, but there is too much going on and insufficient explanation to follow the plot. Suzume, a junior at school, sees something strange in the distance, and when she follows the person a giant spirit worm breaks out of the sky. Suzume is one of the only people who can see it, and she helps Souta close the mysterious door that appears.

Souta travels back with Suzume and somehow turns into a chair in Suzume's room, and also there is a cat that is the key to closing the doors forever, but it is going on its own adventure. Suzume carries Souta as the chair around Japan following the hashtags people have created about the cat appearing all over. Suzume makes friends with the people she finds along the way, and we get a little of her background. Her parents are gone, but she only has memories of her mom, she lives with her single middle-aged aunt who works all the time, she has always followed the rules, and she just knows she can help Souta.

There's something there, and I appreciate that there's no awkwardness between this older man and this young schoolgirl, but I have no idea what's going on and I'm not entertained enough to keep reading. If you like fantastical elements and a mystery to solve, this manga might be for you.

I watched the Suzume movie on a long-haul flight and was curious to read the manga. While manga isn't my typical genre, I found the illustrations to be colorful and vibrant, which I enjoyed. Some scenes were quite humorous. The plot was imaginative and magical, and the characters were entertaining. The cat was a fun addition. I'm sure manga fans will appreciate this book.

Thank you to netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The book is adapted from the movie and follows the same storyline and offers a similar experience. While it provides an enjoyable and easy read with engaging elements, it may not delve deeply into character development or story complexity.

As a fan of the previous works, I found this story less compelling but still decent. It remains a fun, straightforward read, particularly for fans of the film.

I am a huge fan of Suzume the film so getting to read it in manga form was just a delight. The story is so magical and quirky. I love that it is word from word from the film it translates perfectly onto the page. Reading it in manga form makes certain parts like when she is babysitting the two children even more comical frame by frame. It is a great with characters that fascinating background stories. I can't wait to read volume 2. Thank you for letting me review it.

Suzume is a pretty typical teenager. One day, on her way to school, she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious stranger searching for the ruins. Moments later, as an earthquake starts, Suzume spots a terrifying sight, stemming from the ruins she indicated to the stranger and she seems to be the only one seeing it. Taking her courage, she goes to the ruins and there, finds a door that looks a lot like the one she keeps seeing in the dreams she'd had following a tragedy that took away her mother.

After a peculiar series of events, Suzume embarks on a journey to save the world and come to terms with her grief.

This manga is the adaptation of the very popular Suzume anime that came out last year. I really enjoyed the anime so I was really excited to give the manga a try.

The drawings are beautiful and it was an absolute pleasure to reunite with the characters. So far, the manga's story doesn't take away or add anything to the anime content so I'd say this is something I'd recommend for those who'd really like to collect something in relation to the anime.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are my own

Suzume is a junior high schooler living with her aunt. She meets a mysterious guy on the side of the road and offers him directions. When she arrives at school, she finds out that she just sent him to a very dangerous place. Worried, she rushes to try to warn him. Here she finds a magical door and a terrifying worm. She dislodges the keystone that she and the stranger need to seal the door for good. And so begins a journey to reclaim the keystone and seal the worm.

Pretty interesting story. I love how Suzume and Souto make friends all along the way that are ready and willing to help them out.

Everything about this story is soooo good and captivating, the characters are great, the plot is really creative and I just love the cat, poor thing.
Also the art is is so nice and well done.
I love it and want more of it.

i could not read that without listening to the soundtrack from the movie- i adored it so much- it was amazing

I've been wanting to watch "Suzume" for a while now, so I was excited to see that an arc was available for this title. This book is very charming. I can't wait to learn more about Souta's abilities/duties. Hopefully next volume will dwell more into the lore.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

4/5
I’ve been meaning to watch the movie for the longest time but I never got the opportunity to do so, and this was perfect timing for me.

I’m not new to Makoto Shinkai’s works, and as always, I was immediately captured,
The storyline is extremely captivating, the art was amazing as always and it was a very quick and enjoyable read. I can definitely see why so many people recommend Suzume.
Reading this manga made me want to watch the movie asap.

Overall, it’s a solid 4 stars rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC.

"Suzume 1" by Makoto Shinkai is one my teen child was anticipating. I hadn't heard about it but she had and was super excited to get to read it. She reads other mangas with similar story lines about teens finding alternative worlds/dimensions. She really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next.

Title: Suzume
Story: Makoto Shinkai
Art: Denki Amashima
Genre: Dystopian, Adventure, Self Discovery
Publisher: Kodansha Comics / Vertical Comics
Volumes: 1/3
Published: Sept 24th, 2024 (E)
Rating: 3/5
Art: 5/5
Story: 2/5

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My Reading Experience:
Suzume drew me in after reading just a few pages. The slightly dystopian atmosphere, beautiful character art and paranormal themes create a dichotomy between beauty and destruction that is very alluring. Denki Amashima manages to create an interesting tension between lovely drawn characters and the dismal looking background art, which is one of the main reasons Suzume felt so impactful and emotional. The artwork also seems to reflect the state of Suzume’s mind: most of the time she is quiet, withdrawn and shy, but has several emotional outbursts throughout the story which are most likely a result of the traumatic events she experienced as a child.

We only learn a bit about her past in the form of flashbacks and dreams, which vaguely explain her motivations and add to the mystery surrounding the doors. These flashbacks appear to be connected to the mysterious portals she encounters: The doors lead to another world, where a colossal flying worm roams freely, who is causing earthquakes whenever he enters the human realm. Judging from what we learned about Suzume’s past, I suspect that she might have trespassed one of these doors when she was still very young. But for now I can only guess and wait for the second part to reveal more about this mystery.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Suzume and Souta, especially how he initially tries to shoo her away, only to realise he can’t complete the task alone and eventually asks for her help. Daijin, the keystone, which turned into a fierce cat, adds an unexpected twist to the story. He transforms Souta into a chair and later even becomes a social media sensation. I’m eager to see what happens next, particularly with Daijin. Even though I enjoyed the above mentioned parts, I would have liked to see more interaction between Suzume and Souta, as the story often focuses on the characters they meet along the way. But I’m still hopeful that their relationship will be explored further in parts two and three.

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Synopsis
The manga Suzume is an adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's film Suzume no Tojimari, which was a big hit in Japan.The story centres on Suzume Iwato, a 17-year-old girl who encounters a mysterious stranger called Souta Munakata on her way to school. He asks her if there are any abandoned premises nearby and she points him to a building complex which was destroyed by an earthquake years before. When she tells her classmates about it at school, she realises how dangerous it is to wander this restricted area.
Driven by worry and guilt, Suzume sets off to find the young man and warn him. When she arrives at the site, she discovers a strange door and opens it. It appears to lead to another world, but Suzume cannot enter. By opening the door, she unknowingly unleashes a force that could bring disaster to her home country and also activates its cat shaped keystone, which comes to life and vanishes. Souta arrives at the site and together they manage to close the door.
However, since the keystone turned into a cat and disappeared, the colossal, supernatural worm who roams the other world is bound no longer and threatens to wreak havoc across Japan. Suzume then joins forces with Souta, who seals these dangerous doors. On a journey to prevent destruction, Suzume also confronts her own past and feelings of loss.
Inspired by the great earthquakes that shook Japan several years ago, Makoto Shinkai , the author of Your Name and Weathering With You, tells an emotional dystopian story that lured me in from the very beginning.

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Art Style

Denki Amashima’s art style is a perfect fit and brings both the fantastical elements and the characters to life. The paranormal aspects, the worm, the doors and the abandoned buildings that were destroyed by earthquakes evoke a sense of dread, otherworldliness and loss, which reflects the mental state of the protagonist.
The characters are well designed and their deep and complex emotions are also displayed beautifully. I personally enjoyed that the characters are drawn in a more romantic and feminine style that is typical for the sho-jo genre, forming an intriguing contrast to the rather dystopian landscapes.

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Characters

Suzume is a relatable and determined protagonist who grows significantly throughout the story. Her sense of responsibility and courage makes her stand out, especially as she deals with personal loss and the weight of saving her world. Souta serves as an intriguing counterpart to her, although his arc is less fleshed out compared to Suzume’s. Tertiary characters, such as Suzume’s aunt Tamaki and the mischievous talking cat Daijin add depth to the narrative, while the other characters the pair encounters provide a balance to the heavier themes of grief and responsibility.
On the flip side, the story seems too short to properly handle such a large cast of characters. From what I read, the manga closely follows the film’s portrayal of these characters, but condenses some of their development due to the shorter format. As a result, certain emotional beats may feel less impactful than in the film, where there was more time to flesh out these side stories.
I honestly wish that more focus was put on Suzume and Souta, whose character dynamic I enjoyed a lot. The other characters felt rather random and I did not care for them at all. The only exception is Daijin, the keystone-turned-cat, who has a mischievous and libertarian personality and eventually becomes a social media sensation in the story.

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Plot & Pacing

The manga mirrors the film’s plot, focusing on Suzume and Souta’s journey across Japan as they close the dangerous doors in order to prevent more earthquakes. While the pacing feels fine, there is just too much plot squeezed into a single manga. This becomes very obvious in moments where the characters' emotional arcs might have benefited from more exploration.
Suzume is often described as being a road movie and sadly I cannot deny that. Souta and Suzume travel to different places and encounter various characters along the way, which to me felt like a distraction from the main plotline. Instead of learning more about Suzume, Souta, the doors or the worm, we are introduced to other characters who have no relevance to the plot whatsoever. I also would have wished that more focus was put on the character dynamic between Souta and Suzume, which I found very interesting and enjoyable.

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Themes

As in the film, the manga touches on themes of loss, human connection and personal growth. Suzume's journey is not just a physical one but also an emotional exploration of her unresolved feelings regarding her mother's death. The doors could be a metaphor for the lingering impact of past trauma, adding a layer of psychological depth to the dystopian adventure. The story’s paranormal elements feel very dream-like and seem to be connected to Suzume’s psyche, although it remains to be seen if this assumption is true - after all I haven’t watched the movie yet and two more volumes will still be released.
The bond between Suzume and Souta also emphasises the importance of human connection in overcoming personal struggles and illustrates Suzume’s desire to feel needed and be of help. It becomes apparent that she struggles with self love and self worth and is thus quick to put her life on the line for the greater good and to save Souta.

While the manga retains the film’s thematic richness, it feels as if Makoto Shinkai wanted a bit too much and added too many themes, characters and plot lines to a single story. Yes, this is only the first volume out of three, but I’m worried that the other two will be as overloaded as this one. I also want to watch the movie in order to compare it with the manga and find out if I feel the same way about the film.

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World-Building

The concept of the mysterious doors that connect to otherworldly spaces is intriguing and adds an element of suspense. Each location Suzume and Souta visit feels distinct, from quiet rural towns to bustling cities. The rural settings feel authentic and real, making me feel as if I was experiencing parts of the Japanese lifestyle and culture. I often watch vlogs and documentaries of Japan’s countryside and I felt as if the manga transported me to a small coastal town where life is still a bit slower. I definitely want to watch the movie to experience these locations in full colour, especially since I’m a big fan of Makoto Shinkai’s art.

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Strengths:
Authentic Setting: The depiction of Japan’s small towns and abandoned sites feels real and atmospheric, capturing a sense of nostalgia and desolation.
Supernatural Themes: The doors to another world and the looming threat of a gigantic, destructive worm create an engaging, high-stakes conflict with a touch of paranormal mystery.
Art: The artist beautifully captures the characters’ emotions and evokes a sense of drama. The characters are drawn in a very pretty sho-jo like style, which is an interesting contrast to the desolate sites and the cosmic, subliminal threat of the worm and the doors. The abandoned places reflect a sense of loss, influenced by the 2011 Touhoku earthquake and tsunami, and thus present a powerful backdrop for Suzume’s emotional character development.
Daijin: This pesky keystone turns into a cat and transforms Souta into a chair, only to become a social media star later on. Daijin is by far my favourite side character due to his strong personality, which adds a quirky, and lighthearted element to the story.
Suzume & Souta: Suzume is a charming and pretty protagonist who is ridden by grief and driven by strong emotions. Her selflessness and caring nature toward Souta (even when he’s a chair) made me want to learn more about her. Her desire to care for others, stemming from feelings of unworthiness and unresolved grief, adds complexity to her character and turns her into an interesting female hero who I definitely root for. It made me very happy when Souta finally opens up a bit and admits that he needs her help to close the doors and save their home.
Dreams and Flashbacks: Suzume’s dreams and flashbacks, which connect her childhood trauma to the mysterious doors, provide a deeper emotional layer to the story and made me want to pick up the next volume immediately – sadly it hasn’t been released yet, so I have to be patient and wait until I can learn more about this cryptic parallel world.


Weaknesses:
Underexplored Mysteries: The worm, the doors and Souta’s backstory remain underdeveloped, making the central mystery feel more like a backdrop to the road trip and slice-of-life moments. This is such a shame, since this is the most interesting (and actually the main) plotline.
Distracting Side Characters: The characters Suzume meets on her journey detract from the more compelling relationship between her and Souta. This annoyed me a lot to be honest, especially since these characters have nothing to do with the plot and seem like random filler elements that are just there to give Suzume something to interact with. The fact that Souta is there the whole time is just being ignored. Maybe the author shouldn’t have turned him into a chair?
Limited Interaction Between Suzume and Souta: Since Souta is transformed into a chair early on, meaningful interaction between the two is limited, frustrating readers like me who are more interested in their relationship. Instead we have to be content with a set of random and boring side characters who should have been left out.
Scattered Focus: The plot feels unfocused at times, juggling several themes without fully committing to any single narrative. The plot is about saving the world, Suzume’s grief, her coming-of-age journey and her relationship with Souta (which is neglected after the first half of the book) and on top of that several side stories are squeezed in as well. Overall it seems to me that the author could not decide which story to tell or he changed it up several times throughout the development process. Less would have been more and when I finished the manga I was left pretty disappointed and wanting.

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Who Will Love This Manga?

Fans of Makoto Shinkai’s film Suzume no Tojimari will enjoy this manga adaptation as a way to revisit the story in a different medium. Readers who appreciate emotional, character-driven fantasy narratives with some road trip elements might find Suzume a pleasant experience, even if they haven’t seen the film (like myself). However, those who loved the visual spectacle of Shinkai’s movies may find the manga version a bit lacking in comparison, since it is drawn in black ink and doesn’t feature the colour and beautiful lighting Shinkai is known for.

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Final Thoughts

Overall I’m pretty torn by this manga. On the one hand there are several aspects I enjoyed, for example the two main characters, setting, paranormal mystery and Daijin. On the other hand I was pretty disappointed since this only makes up 50% of the story. The rest was just wasted space if you ask me and I would have preferred it if the plot had a clearer focus centred around Suzume and Souta. Even though this may sound harsh, I still want to know what happens next, so I will pick up the second volume once it is released. The beautiful art style is a plus, which is why I give the manga three out of five stars.

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Final Rating: 3/5
Art: 5/5
Story: 2/5

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Big thanks to Kodansha Comics for providing me with this digital review copy!