I was so stirred by the conceit of these pending disasters all emanating from gates that developed on sights that were once joyful places where people congregated.

It all makes for a fine adolescent adventure: travel, rebellion, unattainable love, a search, a chase, a deadline, and a little bit of growing up. And happily, the film understands that some problems don’t get resolved without real sacrifice.

Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime is another visually stunning crowdpleaser.

Suzume began with a bang and continued to reel its audiences from start to finish—letting us catch our breath at times but utilizing that 2-hour runtime with intention.