Suzume is a teenage girl living in a small town in Japan. One day, on her way to school, she meets a young man who is looking for an abandoned place where there should be a door. She follows the young man and discovers a door that opens onto a starry sky, but she cannot enter. She also discovers a cat statuette that comes to life when she touches it. Later, at school, Suzume notices a column of red smoke coming from exactly where she went earlier. She rushes there and finds the young man trying to close the door to block the red smoke. From then on, the film becomes a road trip across Japan to close all the doors through which this red smoke, in fact a powerful worm that causes earthquakes, is trying to escape. The young man, Souta, is transformed into a three-legged chair, and the little cat, Daijin, is the keystone needed to contain the worm. After countless emotions, all ends well. A touching coming-of-age story.
“How can I say this… You see, Suzume. No matter how sad you are now, you are going to grow up. So don’t worry. The future is not that scary. You’ll meet a lot of people you care for, and you’ll meet lots of people who’ll care for you, too. The night might seem endless right now but one day, morning will come. You will grow up basking in that light. I’m sure of it. It’s written in the stars.”
Original title : すずめの戸締まり
Original version in Japanese – Watched with English subtitles