A few things I was after this movie:
- impressed by the animations: They really burned cash with this one.
- confused by Japanese folklore: They didn't explain a lot of the mystical stuff. Maybe it was clearer for Japanese?
- emotionally moved by the story: The basics are pretty run of the mill - coming of age mixed with a little bit of romance. But the deliverance is really packing a punch.
- [spoiler]a little unsatisfied at the end: Not every question was answered, but I guess it's a slice of life.[/spoiler]

And here's an interesting question to ponder about:
[spoiler]Hodaka is the rain child mentioned by the old lady right during the interview for the occult magazine. It is said that it's raining in Tokyo since he came there. And we learn that the sun light seems to run away from him.
Therefore he may have started the whole chaotic weather by going to Tokyo, and sort of pushed Hina into her role as sun child in more than one way. The whole drama is practically his fault all along, not only because he proposed the job to her.
Or maybe he was meant to be her opposite and go to Tokyo. She became the sun child before him and therefore brought imbalance to the mystical equilibrium that is the Japanese folklore's weather system.
I'm confused by the possibilities and feel like I'm just throwing theories out there :sweat_smile: What do you think?[/spoiler]

Watch it for the animation. But if you've ever seen a Shinkai film before, you knew that.

I'm guilty of allowing major holes in my familiarity with Makoto Shinkai's films. I've seen _She and Her Cat_, _Your Name._, _The Garden of Words_, and _5 Centimeters Per Second_—which leaves the majority of his work unseen. However, those cover enough of a time range that I can see Shinkai both has and hasn't always made movies like this. (I know: "What does _that_ mean?!" Keep reading.)

By that, I mean that he's basically always had a certain focus on three things: Stunning visuals, beautiful music, and teenage romance. If I was allowed one _and only one_ critique of _Weathering With You_, it would be ~~the awful English title translation~~ that the film feels a little too much like _Your Name._ On the most basic, structural level, it goes through a _very_ similar "false resolution" before getting into the true conflict. Both stories ultimately hinge on old legends made manifest, though in different ways. And if we get into the details a bit more, things like Taki and Hodaka both chasing after their respective love interests through physically demanding journeys across the landscape stand out.

Actually, I have to modify some of that. _Weathering With You_ is not "too much like _Your Name._" as much as it is "not enough like _Your Name._ where it counts". The writing in this latest release feels insufficiently edited. It doesn't flow quite as well.

None of this is to say that the movie isn't worth seeing! It _very much_ is. Just do your best not to get lost, and pay attention, because lots of things are only ever mentioned (or shown) once and you'll miss them if you so much as blink at the wrong time.

Weathering with You unfortunately doesn't live up to the masterpiece that is Your Name, but still delivers a heartfelt story with brilliant animation.

Many complain that they had trouble connecting with this story on an emotional level, and while I understand that complaint I slightly disagree. I think this story does a fine job at really making you care about the characters. The journey you take with them from poverty to some modicum of financial success is endearing and makes that tightknit family easy to root for. Where the story fails are in the details, mainly why Kataro Daigo ran away from home in the first place. What trials and tribulations led him down this path and why he is so hesitant to return? This small detail could have gone a long way to further that connection to the character. The overall story is fantastic, and while it has some very similar beats to Your Name, it does enough to differentiate itself. All the characters are unique, and their outcast natures makes them have a super close bound that makes each emotional moment that much harder. While the ending may be divisive, it delivered a sucker punch to my stomach drawing a tear from my eye.

The animation style is gorgeous once again, with this film allowing the artists to flex their weather animation effects to the max. So many rainy scenes were so incredibly detailed with reflections that seem too real for a simple 2D animation. I do think the film lacks a bit in diverse landscapes as it mainly focuses on the city of Tokyo, whereas Your Name spans from Tokyo to the Japanese countryside.

Overall, Weathering with You is an excellent addition to Makoto Shinkai's filmography. It is heartfelt, emotional, and an endearing story about struggle, family, and making the most of every moment. While it may not exceed its predecessor, it is still one of the better anime films I have ever seen.

Score: 88%
Verdict: Excellent

Starting off as a slow burn, I started questioning how this anime got so much talk on the net. But the pace lets you get to know and relate to the characters before the final act where things really spring forth. And I was sucked in (enjoyably) for the ride, holding my breath as I honestly did not know how it was going to end.

Beautiful, gorgeous, etherial at times, there just arent enough words in the English language to describe appropriately just how stunning this is...nor how seamlessly the traditional and 3D animation blend together.

The voice cast of both languages are great and the soundtrack and score are both great.

After The Garden of Words and Your Name, Makoto Shinkai is proving to be a master of his craft in the same vein as Miyazaki. A classic.