Japanese director of Suzume explains the logic behind the three-legged chair

In the city for the opening of his movie Suzume, Japanese animator and director Makoto Shinkai talks to us about gathering hope from tragedy, memories and cats

Konichiwa!” Makoto Shinkai greets us as we barely make it in time for the interview. The Japanese director and animator of Suzume, which released on April 21, chuckles at our flailing attempt at saying something in Japanese. Shinkai, best known for the highest-grossing anime movie in Japan, Weathering With You (2019),  has released his latest movie in India and is in the city to spread the word.

Dressed in all black, right up to the frame of his spectacles, the 50-year-old director’s childlike enthusiasm about the art of animation and manga is palpable. He answers us in an unassuming, but excited manner, as his translator makes it easy for us. Suzume, also the name of the lead character of the movie, is the story of a 17-year-old girl affected by the 2011 earthquake, the biggest ever seen in Japan. The disaster left a trail of devastation behind, including the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. We ask him if he struggled to treat the tragedy with sensitivity, even as he made a movie to entertain, and he delivers a matter of fact answer. “As an animation director, I knew my responsibility. I cannot just convey a straight serious message. It’s not just about a girl who loses her mother during the earthquake—that won’t do justice to anyone. So I began to think how I can present something about that dark period, but make it joyful and also provide hope. That is why we came up with tools like the three-legged chair, the door and the actions scenes, as well a bit of humour, so that the experience is more fulfilling for movie goers. It explains what it means to live through a disaster like this.”

The three-legged chair is a very interesting twist to the story and is a testament to Shinkai’s wonderfully weird imagination. Did he have something similar that he loved in his childhood? “I have to tell you a little secret. The chair is actually inspired by a chair that my father built for me when I was a child. It was a simple chair, but for me it signified something of my own for the first time in my life, my very own space. I still keep it in my home in Tokyo,” he says.

The director has made his fascination with RRR and Bhaubali well-known, but asks for suggestions on what to watch in Indian animation. He quickly recalls that one of his favorite anime movies, Castle In The Sky, released in 1986, was heavily influenced by Indian mythology, “The movie draws inspiration from the Ramayana and it was my introduction to the  world of Indian mythology and Indian culture. But I am still looking for recommendations,” he says.

As we wrap up and say our goodbyes, we remember one of the pivotal characters in Suzume is a lovely cat and are curious to know if he has any back home. He lifts his phone and shows us the wallpaper. Two cats lay cuddled next to each other. He points to the one on right and says, “This is Suzume.”

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