Following the recent earthquake in Japan, the animated film Suzume no Tojimari Shinkai's work has been compared to the long-running American animated series, The Simpsons, which has gained many fans for its ability to predict future events.
In the film, Suzume, the main character, begins her journey from Kyushu island before visiting Ehime prefecture, as she chases the mischievous Daijin along with Souta, who has transformed into a chair. Surprisingly, the 6.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on April 17, 2024, stranded these two cities in the same order of Suzume's journey.
The strange coincidence was brought to light by a Twitter user. This person noticed a surprising correlation between seismic activity and the journey of the main character in the film. Posting two maps of the earthquake's epicenter along with screenshots from the film, the user pointed out how the earthquakes occurred in the same order as the main character's visit to the two cities.
“Since the first terrestrial broadcast of 'Suzume No Tojimari', earthquakes have occurred in the order of circling sparrows,” commented Twitter users.
The shared images depict an eerily synchronized sequence of seismic events, leading many fans to speculate about coincidence and a possible connection between the film and the earthquake. However, this user was quick to clarify that their intention was not to cause concern or upset among fans, but simply to highlight a fascinating coincidence.
“I love Suzume and thought this was a great coincidence so I posted it, for no other purpose. I apologize to anyone offended. However, it's a really good movie so I hope you'll watch it.“
Kyushu is an area in Japan that frequently experiences earthquakes while Ehime Prefecture is also not considered very safe. So, which cities were affected by the earthquake itself may not be the surprising factor, rather it is the order in which the earthquake occurred.
Nine people suffered minor injuries, while water pipes were damaged by the earthquake. Some areas have seen landslides following the disaster, however, the possibility of a tsunami has been ruled out.
Some people speculate whether the next city mentioned during Suzume's journey in the film, Kobe, is next.
The anime film was released in theaters across Japan on November 11, 2022.
The film premiered internationally in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 23, 2023, marking the first time an anime film competed in the festival since Spirited Away in 2023. 2002.
The film debuted at number one at the Japanese box office and grossed 1.88 billion yen ($13.49 million) from its IMAX pre-screening and during its first three-day run. It surpassed Weathering with You to become the Shinkai film with the biggest three-day opening. In Japan, it is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2022, the ninth highest-grossing anime film of all time, and the 15th highest-grossing film of all time.
Suzume had sales of more than 323.3 million USD worldwide, including 14.86 billion yen in Japan.
Source: Twitter