What age is Suzume appropriate for?

Suzume is rated PG and PopcornCheck recommends it for ages 10+, based on reading the actual screenplay. The film includes a giant worm covering Tokyo and falling toward the city with apocalyptic imagery, Souta being transformed into an ancient Keystone and losing his humanity in the Ever-After, and a disturbing sequence where Suzume relives traumatic memories of the 2011 tsunami and her mother's death.

Does Suzume have swearing or bad language?

Suzume has Mild language. Characters say 'hell' (x2), 'dammit' (x3), and 'crap' (x1) across the film

Suzume has Moderate violence. Souta physically fights and struggles against the writhing worm manifestation as it tries to break through the Gate

Is Suzume scary for children?

Suzume has Moderate scary scenes. The first earthquake warning and sudden appearance of the giant worm startles Suzume and serves as a jolting introduction to the supernatural threat

Is Suzume OK for Kids?

Name: Suzume
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Genre: Animation, Drama, Adventure, Fantasy
Released: 2022
Duration: 122 min
Cast: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani, Sairi Ito

AnimationDramaAdventureFantasy

10+

PG⭐ 7.6 / 102022 · 2h 2m

Makoto Shinkai

Where to Watch

United States

Stream

Rent

Rent or Buy on Amazon

Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay

🗡️Violence

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Cartoon / Comedic

Action & Peril

Injuries & Death Shown

Graphic & Disturbing

Souta physically fights and struggles against the writhing worm manifestation as it tries to break through the Gate
Suzume and Souta repeatedly run through collapsing structures and dodge falling debris during earthquake events triggered by the Gates opening
Daijin the cat scratches and curses Souta, transforming him into a wooden chair in a cartoonish but unsettling moment
In the climax, Souta pierces the giant worm with Daijin (who has become the Keystone) to seal the Gate for good
Overall violence is fantasy/action-peril in nature — no blood, gore, or graphic injury, but the stakes and destruction feel real and intense

💬Language

Very Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mild Words

(damn, hell)

Moderate

(ass, b**ch)

Strong

(sh*t)

Extreme

(f**k)

Characters say 'hell' (x2), 'dammit' (x3), and 'cr*p' (x1) across the film
No f-words, s-words, or any stronger profanity are used anywhere in the script
Language is infrequent and mild, comparable to what kids might hear in a PG family film

👻Scary Scenes

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mildly Tense

Startling Moments

Genuinely Scary

Deeply Disturbing

The first earthquake warning and sudden appearance of the giant worm startles Suzume and serves as a jolting introduction to the supernatural threat
The worm emerging from the earth and looming over Tokyo is depicted as genuinely scary, apocalyptic-scale imagery
Souta's transformation into a Keystone, where he begins losing his humanity inside the Ever-After, is an emotionally frightening sequence for a young audience
Suzume's buried memories of the 2011 tsunami and losing her mother are presented as disturbing, traumatic content rooted in real tragedy
Suzume's journey into the otherworldly Ever-After includes unsettling, dreamlike imagery
These scary moments are resolved through courage, connection, and ultimately sealing the Gates and confronting grief directly rather than through pure spectacle

💕Romance

Moderate▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Crushes & Holding Hands

Kissing & Dating

Suggestive

Sexual Content

Suzume develops a growing crush on Souta as they travel together across Japan, with her emotional attachment deepening throughout the story
Daijin, in his god-like form, shows affection toward Suzume that causes mild jealousy between characters
Chika makes a joking, lighthearted comment suggesting a kiss could wake someone up — played for humor, not seriously suggestive
The emotional climax has Souta and Suzume in close physical proximity as they express wanting to live and be together, framed as heartfelt rather than physical/romantic in an explicit sense
No sexual content; romance stays at a crush/emotional-connection level appropriate for pre-teens and up

🍺Substances

Mild▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Mentioned in Passing

Shown Casually

Featured Prominently

Glorified or Abused

Tamaki, Suzume's aunt/guardian, orders beer at a bar/izakaya on multiple occasions
Background bar patrons are shown drinking alcohol casually while Suzume works there as a helper
There is one passing mention/reference to someone having 'another drink'
Drinking is depicted as an ordinary adult social activity, not glorified, abused, or a focus of any scene

⚡Stimulation

Extreme▼

Moments in the script, mildest → most intense

Gently Engaging

Exciting

Intense

Overwhelming

Earthquake sequences feature shaking ground, blaring sirens, and structural collapse that are intense in sound and visuals
Chase sequences span car, train, and on-foot travel across Japan with fast pacing
The worm falling toward Tokyo is depicted with intense, apocalyptic-scale imagery
The final Ever-After sequence is overwhelming, combining supernatural visuals with a high emotional climax
Lighter road-trip stretches provide breathing room with exciting but comedic and heartfelt pacing
Sensory-sensitive children may find the earthquake and Ever-After sequences overwhelming given the loud sound design and rapid visual shifts

Suzume — Heads Up for Parents

Despite the whimsical fantasy setup with a cursed cat and a chair-turned-companion, the film builds to a genuinely disturbing sequence where Suzume relives specific memories of losing her mother in the real 2011 tsunami — parents of children sensitive to real-world disaster trauma should be aware this isn't purely fantasy peril.

About Suzume

Suzume is a Japanese animated fantasy-adventure about a teenage girl who joins a mysterious young man in sealing magical doors that unleash giant destructive worms causing earthquakes across Japan. Along the way, the film weaves in themes of grief and loss tied to the real 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, blending road-trip adventure, light romance, and emotional healing. The tone shifts between whimsical (a cat-turned-chair companion, comedic side characters) and deeply moving (buried childhood trauma).

👨‍👧

Best watched together

Younger children around ages 8-10 may benefit from a parent present to help process the disturbing tsunami memory sequence and the emotionally heavy scene where Souta loses his humanity in the Ever-After, both of which carry more emotional weight than the film's fantasy-adventure surface suggests.

Family Takeaways from Suzume

What it gets right

✓The film portrays grief honestly through Suzume's traumatic memories of the 2011 tsunami and her mother's death, without shying away from the emotional weight, while still offering comfort through her mother's message in the Ever-After
✓It shows found-family dynamics realistically — Tamaki's complicated but loving guardianship of Suzume, and near-strangers like Chika and Serizawa going out of their way to help without expecting anything in return

Suzume Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes

●Traditional family values

The film centers on Tamaki's devoted guardianship of her niece Suzume after her mother's death, and repeatedly emphasizes family duty, responsibility, and the bonds of found family through characters like Serizawa and Chika helping without expecting reward.

Cast:Nanoka HaraHokuto MatsumuraEri FukatsuShota SometaniSairi Ito