'Weathering With You' Review
by: Jorge Luque
Makoto Shinkai continues to be one of the most prolific anime directors of this generation. He’s produced some of the best anime films of the decade. In 2016, Your Name took the world by storm and became the highest grossing movie of all time in Japan. Weathering With You is his follow up to Your Name and with the world now watching, it’s time to see what he has up his sleeve.
Weathering With You follows a 16 year old runaway named Hodaka, who gets a job at a publishing company that investigates urban legends that tie to the bizarre rainy weather in Tokyo. Hodaka later meets Hina, a girl that seems to have the ability to clear the skies at will. Together they start a business where they charge customers for Hina’s ability, unaware of the consequences.
Shinkai films tend to be consistent in their thematic focus. Shinkai likes to explore the reality that not all romances are meant to be. Weathering With You follows this same formula. Hodoka and Hina meet under unique circumstances and as they get closer with each other we’re given reason after reason why this relationship shouldn’t happen. I’m constantly astounded by Shinkai’s ability to present these themes in different ways, while utilizing different genres as the vehicles for the story.
Shinkai’s characters are also a big part of why his movies are successful. Often times there’s nothing particularly special about any of the characters. They’re all flawed individuals that have problems in their lives that they have to deal with. This is true for Hodaka, but especially true for his boss, Mr. Suga. The ability to weave all of these real issues that the characters face with the fantastic premise of the film help to create something that simultaneously feels relatable and foreign.
Comix Wave Films is known for its amazing animation and this film does not disappoint. My favorite aspect of the animation is how they’re able to contrast colors. The movie takes place in Tokyo where it rains almost all the time. They utilize many shades of grey to create this gloomy atmosphere that sets the tone for the story. Whenever Hina uses her power to clear the sky, these greys are washed away by this radiant golden sunshine. It’s in these moments where the color does so much to bring the scenes to life. It’s the combination of these color choices, mixed with Shinkai’s masterful direction that created these visual moments of spectacle.
By the end of the film, it became clear that Shinkai had a message for his audience. Aside from the clear message about protecting the environment, there’s a deeper message presented through the decisions the characters make near the very end of the film. It’s one that immediately started conversations between members of the audience in the theater I was in. People really didn’t know how to react to this decision, and before they processed it fully the credits started rolling and the movie was over. It’s definitely going to be looked at as a controversial ending, but I admire Shinkai for going in that direction and posing questions that doesn’t necessarily have a right or wrong answer.
Weathering With You is proof that Shinkai and Comix Wave have so much left to give to the anime community. It’s exciting to think that both Shinkai and the studio are continuing to improve at their craft. Between the amazing cinematography and the gorgeous animation, Shinkai’s films have never looked this good. I understand that the movie is only being shown in limited theaters, but if you get a chance to watch Weathering With You, do it. It’s one of my favorite Shinkai films to date and easily the best animated film of 2019.
