I saw _Suzume_ last night and I'm convinced that Shinkai is trying to tell a single story and just iterating on it.
Late breaking news implies that much of Shinkai's reuse of plot elements is driven by his advisors telling him to give the audience what they want.
Which put a different spin on things, TBH.
https://www.looper.com/1256895/makoto-shinkai-suzume-lesbian-romance-exclusive/
@WomanCorn I still haven't seen Weathering because I'm worried it'll somehow tarnish the magic of your name, even though I acknowledge this is wildly irrational
@palecur I actually like _Weathering With You_ more than _your name_, but they're both great.
@WomanCorn I think your name was some indication that he was able to move on (story beats same, but tonally/quality I think it was a step away from his typical prototype). Weathering with You went straight back to the same movie he's made a few times already, still curious how Shinkai is though.
@schweeds maybe I should check out some more of his older stuff to see if it's all the same.
I saw _Garden of Words_, and that was _not_ the same.
That's not a bad thing!
If you liked _your name_ or _Weathering With You_, then _Suzume_ is a good bet to give you more of that mix.