Weathering with You

Marinate1016★ 8

Looks like i'm one of the first reviews here, I'll go in the history books, lol! Well, let me start by saying Tenki no Ko is a great continuation of the form that Shinkai's been in for the past decade starting with Garden of Words. The character designs, story, pacing, art, animation and sound are all top notch as to be expected. I, however do encourage you to lower your expectations. Not that the film isn't good, it is. Great even and really enjoyable for me. It's just not Kimi No Na Wa 2, which I feel many people will be expecting going in and bedisappointed. This is a different type of story and film that in my opinion feels closer to 5CM per second and Garden of Words than to Kimi No Na Wa. Keep that in mind going in. That doesn't spoil anything, the endings are different, before anyone(mod) complains. I'm just referring to the storytelling method and type of story being told. It's much more grounded and is its own unique thing involving a much more realistic narrative and a fresh MC backstory/internal struggle. What do I mean by that? I don't think I'm spoiling anything here by saying that the plot while being fantastical, is very grounded in nature. A huge part of Kimi No Na Wa was the magical aspect, here you've got that, but the story is much more rooted in the characters, their interactions and relationships. The whole "weathering with you" is more secondary to the actual inner struggle that the MC is going through and the hardships he's been through which will resonate with many. Art was top notch as I said before, usual Shinkai style with amazing detailed environments and amazingly detailed character designs. Sound was also really good, soundtrack was great and definitely set the tone for several scenes during the climax. Can't wait for it to be released. Additionally the sound design with rain, weather and other day to day things sounded extremely lifelike and added to the immersion of several scenes. Animation was mainly stellar, but there were a few choppy scenes that I noticed when the characters were running or moving rapidly and I found it a bit jarring, not the biggest deal, but it was there. Mainly, the way the characters' necks and legs moved. Pacing was good in my opinion, I didn't ever feel overwhelmed by the story, confused or lost. I felt that the script took me from A to Z properly and characters were given their time to shine. Main story and subplots progress smoothly. Now for the negatives. The CGI was, in my opinion, kinda iffy at times and was a bit subpar in general. I personally think that if I can tell there's CGI being used, it's bad. That could just be me, but there's several scenes where the CGI is really noticeable and so I have to dock points for that. That's my personal definition. I also saw very little actual growth out of the MC from start to end. I know it's a film and not a series, but I wish I would have seen more of his development. I like to see Protags grow and evolve over the course of a film and learn new things. I did not get that in this film. Additionally, By the end of the film, there are still some unresolved questions and plot threads that I really wish would have been answered during the film, but I do have the Light Novel and am hoping that we will get more answers in that. I also found the ending to be really abrupt and not well led into. Again, think 5CM per Second and Garden of Words type endings. I reiterate, that's not spoiling anything, I'm just comparing it to comparable works and types of stories. The ending is its own thing and completely unrelated. I just dislike how it was abrupt and left more to be desired. I like to see endings eased into. Hopefully the LN will tie up what the film couldn't. Overall, I really enjoyed it and while it won't break records like Kimi No Na Wa did due to its more grounded nature, it is a really solid film with a unique story, beautiful character designs, great soundtrack and amazing art that I definitely recommend checking out if you can. I imagine there won't be many people reviewing it on here for a year or so, so if you have any questions regarding the film or Light Novel, feel free to hit me up/add me.

VFB_Dej4n14★ 9

After having just watched Tenki no Ko in Koufu, I have decided I'll make this my first review, which I'll make spoiler free and using the categorisation format. I am currently stuck between whether I'd call this movie a 9 or a 10, so as I've only seen it once and don't want to over analyse, enjoyment comes first after all, I've put the lower to account for that hype we all feel when we first watch an anticipated release. Story-8: The synopsis provided on the site is ample, so you can read that yourself and I'll cover my personal takes. While manywill foremost associate Shinkai with Kimi no na wa and will expect connection to it, this takes on an approach far more grounded in realism and it's the characters constant interaction and chemistry which draws people in. More like say, Kotonoha no niwa, but still very different. There's no anime movie out there the same as this, it feels fresh and individual. Without giving any spoilers, it takes the very simple concept of a girl who can make the rain disappear by praying and really makes strong use of it, with a well paced and natural progression but also realistic, yet interesting issues which arise from having this power. There were one or two slight loose ends though, and I would have liked a slightly further drawn out ending. overall very well written and interesting. Art-10: This will have instantly gripped many people as early as the trailers to how well it was done. The character designs are simple and effective, continuing this realistic feel and there was nothing crazy. Underrated aspects even like the rain animation, or the more physical character interactions in the crumbled building with the police at the end are very well done to go with the realistic backgrounds. Of the many places in Toukyou referenced, anyone who has spent time in Shinjuku in particular will really feel a level of satisfaction watching this due to the well illustrated background references. These small details really help bring the movie to life and help create a connection with the audience. My one small complaint being the product placement early on wasn't overly discrete. In the grand scheme that's nothing though as this movie is truly visually stunning. Sound-10: Not a lot to say other than that it really brings a lot to the movie. RADWIMPS have really brung their A game again, as they did in Kimi no na wa. While theres no chart destroying song like Zenzenzense, the soundtrack perfectly adds to the emotions specific scenes try to convey. The falling scene with Grand Escape will sending shivers down near any viewer's back, but also more subtle ones like the more electro/beat backing in the chase scene adding a greater sense of urgency. Voice acting also can't really be flawed as they really brought the characters to life, with a personal special mention to Daigo Kotarou, the voice of Hodaka. There was nothing that sounded forced or out of place, really deserves huge credit. Characters-9: The characters are really refreshing and there is nothing stupid, over the top about them. Thankfully no annoying anime tropes. Two teenagers with their own struggles, one trying to make himself at home in a vastly new environment while the other tries to make ends meet supporting herself and her brother. To be safe incase some see it as a spoiler, the detail with Hina's age was a very good touch, anyone who's shared her struggle has been there. The interactions between the two main characters too are very refreshing and again realistic, with small details making all the difference and driving the story. I really found myself caring about the two main characters which is something I really highly value, watching the two of them get closer while their personalities compliment each other and actions perfectly reflect their ages. My one slight complaint being that while I loved watching Hodaka's relationship with Hina grow, I didn't really feel that he had personally grown outside this as much as I'd have liked by the end. The supporting characters too also all bring something to the table and are equally consistently written. Nagi, Keisuke and Natsumi really provide a likable bunch of different supporting characters, and seeing their efforts, or in Keisuke's case, conflicted effort, to support Hodaka towards the end was really beautiful. Seeing Keisuke make the necessary clutch decision really made me smile. They all bring important aspects which add to the story, while letting the main two characters shine. Finally shoutout the Taki and Mitsuha references! Enjoyment-10: I was hyped for this movie and it payed off, I really enjoyed it. While the story was great, the character in particular really resonated with me and I left that cinema thoroughly satisfied. One scene in particular, which you'll know if you've seen the movie really gave me goosebumps, and I'm a very emotionally monotone person, so that takes a lot of doing. Overall-9: To be precise I'd call this a 9.5 out of 10 for me. I don't believe it's perfect, but I very thoroughly enjoyed it and believe it could have been a 10 with a slightly more drawn out ending and one or two threads smoothed. To the international audience, be patient, you'll really enjoy this one. It's not Kimi no na wa, so don't go in expecting it to be. It's very different in how it carries itself, so please, judge it on it's own merit and don't go in expecting too much. A very strong showing from Shinkai as expected and I'll continue to look forward to his future projects.