Weathering with You - La ragazza del tempo

Weathering With You is an anime fantasy film produced by CoMix Wave Films. Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, 5 Centimeters Per Second), it is yet another poignant story from the acclaimed anime artist that stands well above most other animated films of this era.

In Tokyo, young high school student Hodaka Morishima attempts to find work and a place to live after running away from home. At the time, Japan is going through severe rain, halting the progress of many important events. After finding work at a small publishing company, Hodaka is tasked with researching urban legends around the local area, interviewing people who may have knowledge of such a subject. Eventually, Hodaka meets a mysterious girl named Hina, who to his surprise, has the amazing ability to control the weather by simply closing her eyes and praying. Intrigued by her powers, Hodaka decides to befriend Hina to understand her better as a person.

Beautifully animated and touching, Weathering With You is guaranteed to provide just the right amount of entertainment for any fan of Makoto Shinkai's work. While it doesn't quite reach the level of cleverness as "Your Name", it still has enough originality to separate it from its predecessor and stand on its own without drawing too much comparison. The animation is simply gorgeous, easily on par with Studio Ghibli, perhaps even more so. The attention to detail on the raindrops and water is highly reminiscent of Shinkai's 2013 film "The Garden Of Words", another of his work that used rain as a plot device. The characters are likeable and well developed, particularly Hodaka and Hina. Every scene they were together I could always feel the growing friendship between the two. However, the one major gripe I had was that the story was highly predictable. By the time the third act has begun, it's very obvious how things are going to end. Aside from that, this anime film is certainly worth one's time. The version I watched was in Japanese with English subtitles, but I am interested in seeing a dubbed version when it is readily available.

I rate it 8/10

Rain, clouds, sky and the sun. these contrast is so beautiful. And scenery in Tokyo is great. I think these are the best points of this movie. If you've been to there, you notice where there is.

I can't help but suspect that writer/director Makoto Shinkai did make this movie because he thought he had an interesting story but simply because he wanted to play with rain animations.

I'm okay with that. The animation is stunning, and no one is quite so good as taking something as simple as drops in a puddle and creating a gorgeous symphony as Shinkai.

All the same, a story would have been nice and there really isn't much of one here, nor does what exists make any particular sense. But the characters are charming, the movie is funny and touching, and while it's no "Your Name" it is Shinkai's third best film (Garden of Words is 2nd).

Well worth watching.

This movie is still great. Smooth animation with great art direction, relatable characters, and even some fun parts too. The plot still runs smoothly, and has a nice flow to it. But when it comes to comparing to Kimi No Na Wa, director Shinkai's last movie... This movie doesn't quite add up to the qualities that Kimi has. The plot is less complex compared to Kimi, because it only happens in one timeline. The emotional impact is also felt less. The story still has a hidden message about extreme weather, but I still can't spoil too much, so here's the conclusion: Just don't expect you are watching another Kimi No Na Wa movie. So think as it were a teenage love story. Still a great tho.

Hina is literally sunshine. She walks through a rooftop portal and becomes the Sunshine Girl. She prays to bring sunshine to a rain-soaked Tokyo. Hodaka is a new arrival in the city. He rescues Hina from a street thug forcing her to work in a club. In order to make some money, they advertise sunshine for pay.

It's an animated Japanese fantasy romance. It's very sweet. That's my one word review. The fantasy element with the animation is very beautiful. It has a bit of comedy. It is certainly in line with a few of these Japanese animated fantasy coming-of-age romance in the real world.