As the trailer of the upcoming Japanese animated science fantasy adventure "Suzume, no Tojimari" was interesting and the comment section was full of praise of Japanese animator, author and manga artist "Makota Niitsu", I was eager to watch his work. So I started with "Weathering with you".
"Weathering with you" is an environmental power fantasy that puts the power to stop climate change into an individual's hands. This anime is plainly about the imminent climate catastrophe, the creeping awareness that in a decade or so the earth's increasing temperature could bring with them rising seas, wildfires, and extreme weather. Let's say this anime is a symbol of a fever dream that one person can forestall an environmental crisis.
This anime is a "climate catastrophe romance" about Hodaka and Hina- scrappy teenagers without a support network who reap success from their sunshine- bringing work partnership. The anime starts with Hodaka Morishima escaping from his troubled home life to Tokyo where he is saved by Keisuke Suga. The first meeting between Hodaka and Hina takes place in McDonald's restaurant where she takes pity on him and gives him food. After knowing Hina is a sunshine girl, Hodaka proposes to start a business with Hina with the ability of a sunshine girl; to clear weather for events. During this partnership, Hodaka gets close with Hina and her brother; Nagi. Having already fallen in love with Hina, Hodaka tries to confess his love to Hina when Hina explains that she is the cause of the abnormal weather and is intended to be a human sacrifice and her disappearance will return the weather to normal.
At the end of the story, Hodaka is in regrets the flood in Tokyo due to rainfall and apologies to the old lady to whom Hodaka and Hina had provided services before. But the old woman does not accept his apology. She opens a plastic wrapper containing a snack. Two hundred years ago, she explains, Tokyo was a bay and little by little, human beings and weather changed it." I think it's just gone back to its original self." she said.
The anime has beautiful animation. All the sounds of horn choking, musical chiming, and rain pattering are added with scenes which makes anime look real. The anime makes you feel like wanting to live in the anime's world with the beautiful sky, detailed graphics featuring the characters' landscape, natural phenomena, detailed buildings and soft and colourful light reflecting off every turn and corner. The soundtracks were amazing and worked so well with every scene. As the characters fight for trouble, I cheered up for them. The movie makes you feel as if you were the character.
As the name suggests, the anime reflects how weather affects our feelings through Hodaka's words:
Weather is such a mystery. Seeing a beautiful sky can really make you feel things.
The human mind works in a mysterious way. Sometimes, you just need to see the sun shining in the morning to feel energized. A blue sky can make you feel happy that you're alive. It makes you feel more in love with that someone special by your side.
Makota Shinkai sure knows how to make rain look pretty. I really loved the way he delivered the exposition scenes in the anime. Here, environment is used to appeal than solidify as a breathtaking experience for most audience. The writer has beautifully described the universe as a sky - The sky's more vast unknown world than even the sea. In the harsh weather of global warming, "Weathering with you" is a truly heartwarming film about unorthodox weather, romance, and suspense.
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