Makoto Shinkai is the proud creator of movies like Your Name, Suzume, Weathering With You, and many more. He is considered one of Japan’s most commercially successful filmmakers, with some of the highest-grossing movies in his pocket.
While each of his projects deals with different themes, one genre is common between them: romance. Shinaki is sure to include romance in his films, and it’s what makes them unique. In an interview, the filmmaker and novelist expanded even more on his ideology.
Makoto Shinkai Comments on the Usage of Eroticism in His Movies
In an interview, Makoto Shinkai was asked about a rom-com series, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines. The anime had a scene which many fans have dubbed as Shinkai-like. To this, the director responded with a laugh and claimed he wasn’t sure about it, although he admitted that it was a good scene.
I think scenes that give a sense of fetishism and eroticism in general are necessary. I still include them in my work despite facing opposition laughs. The latest one was having Suzume Iwato sit on Souta Munakata as a chair. I think such scenes are wonderful.
-Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai movies are famous for being open to audiences, including children. There is no nudity or sexual content in his works, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t included any subtle innuendoes. In Shinkai’s movies, eroticism is never portrayed in an inappropriate manner, and it’s the key to his masterpieces.
The scene that Shinkai talked about in Suzume was an expression of Suzume’s crush on Souta. But it is a harmless innuendo that only makes the character feel more real. She kissed the chair to reciprocate her feelings despite not knowing how Souta felt about her.
Subtle Eroticism in Shinkai Movies
It is not just Suzume, in which Makoto Shinkai has included a subtle sense of eroticism, but it is also common in his other works. Firstly, let’s talk about his most well-known movie, Your Name. When Taki suddenly wakes up in Mitsuha’s body, he fondles her breasts, which might be inappropriate in another context but it is a natural reaction to suddenly waking up in a female body. Right afterward, Mitsuha stands naked in front of a mirror, but the shot is only shown from the back.
Moving on to Weathering with You, Suga’s assistant, Natsumi, is portrayed in a sexual light. When Hodaka first enters their office, he finds Natsumi sleeping on the couch with a revealing top on, and the camera zooms in to show the view to the audience. Hina also partially revealed her bare chest to show Hodaka that she was slowly turning translucent; however, nothing specifically erotic can be seen in it.
In one particular scene of Garden of Words, Takao measures the foot size of Yukari to make her a pair of shoes. According to Shinkai, at the time when the pictures were drawn, it was treated almost as if it was an intimate scene, which he wanted to convey in a visually rich manner. As you can already guess, the scene would not be sexual to any unsuspecting kid, but adults with the skill of observation might be able to catch the director’s intention.
