The Forecast of Weathering with You is Clear Skies Ahead

It is difficult to imagine how Makoto Shinkai would have been able to follow up his masterpiece work “Your Name,” perhaps the best anime film of the 2010s and one which made Shinkai a much more iconic and well-known individual.  His works prior to “Your Name” always had a heavy dose of soul and heartbreak, with a very rich, dense flavor of storytelling, and while the films had a small following, they always felt a bit niche.  His works take a bit to get used to and require one’s full attention, fully immersing yourself into the very layers of what is going on to get the best experience.  “Your Name” tones it down slightly, with the resulting film much more approachable than his prior works.  But there was always a feeling that “Your Name” was Shinkai’s peak, and that no future film of his would be able to surpass it, with a question being how would he follow up on such a masterpiece.  Would he continue with the “Your Name” approach of having the film be slightly more palatable to others or go back to a bold, complex and perhaps slightly too sophisticated method of storytelling?

Shinkai’s next film is “Weathering with You,” and first impressions were a level of excitement and enthusiasm that the film was going to bring, with feelings more of passion than sadness.  The film takes a while to wake up and the plotline to start moving, but the steady buildup keeps your interest as the characters establish themselves and the setting comes into view.  The somewhat sluggish plotline is an asset here, as it gives viewers time to appreciate the stunning detail work that has been incorporated into the film, especially with the water.  Rain and the weather are constant recurring themes in this film, used as a mood enhancer, as a tool of cleansing, and as a tool of rebellion, and being able to actually see the splashing and dripping effects plus pick out individual droplets just shows what sort of detail work has been put into the film.  However, while the constant rain and dreary grey skies bring the mood down a bit, it doesn’t drag down the film and smother it with a constant Debbie Downer layer of depression, mainly because the film infuses the water with a sense of dynamism and pairs it with the determination of the two main characters.  The predominant sense of grayness also highlights the detailed bright lights of Tokyo more, and somehow still lends itself a sense of dynamism- an unsettled sense of moodiness and refined anger.  Just look at all the television reports of the rainy weather and flooding, including all the flood warnings and delays to the train system.  There are a certain number of scenes showing characters running or fleeing to showcase the movie’s smooth animation, but this is still a character and dialogue driven film.  The color palate thankfully does brighten up in the scenes of bright sunshine, though it lacks a little bit of vibrance and contrast of previous Shinkai works.  If there could have been perhaps a sunset scene or a scene during golden hour, that would have been perfect.

The next thing that one notices is the collection of slightly idiosyncratic characters.  From the owners of the publishing company which main male character Hodaka Morishima first gets employment with (a man named Keisuke Suga and his family) to the main female character Hina Amano, it sets up for a story which is cut from the same slice of life cloth of trying to make it in the world, but there are also enough interesting components to support the whole story and make it distinct.  The relationship between Morishima and Amano develops first by chance encounter but a subsequent chance meetup really sets it in motion.  The relationships which develop would seem to be inherently fragile and wobbly but somehow Shinkai manages to make them come across as solid and sturdy, more like girders that support the heavy weight of the story.  Perhaps it is through the intense and passionate dialogue between Morishima and Amano, and also especially between Morishima and the secondary characters.  Perhaps it is because of how the Morishima/Amano relationship has to evolve through multiple aspects and manages to overcome a significant number of obstacles.  The relationship is enhanced by support from the Suga family and also put to the test through interactions with the police, with each bizarre test strengthening the relationship between the two individuals.  The interweaving of Amano’s supernatural powers of being the “weather maiden” is done very well and enhances the drama and mood of the whole story.  The effects are animated well and the supernatural components enhance the plotline, managing to coexist and integrate themselves into the real-life setting of Tokyo while still transporting the viewer into a supernatural “other reality.”  Do note how the weather is very reflective of the main characters’ moods, and also the main message the entire film portrays as a much larger problem- the environment as a whole.  There are a whole rash of other secondary messages being portrayed here- rebellion against society, success through hard work, sacrifice for the better good, and destruction for the sake of justice, and the film manages to send all of these messages in a way which does not feel patronizing or preachy, but the overarching and encompassing message is still the environment.  Shinkai does not relapse into his prior flaw of infusing so much plot into the story that it becomes confusing and heavy- “Weathering with You’s” plotline and story is even easier to approach and follow than that of “Your Name,” though the subject matter and usage of destruction make it a much darker, moodier film.  However, what is noteworthy here is the storyline feels all integrated as one unit and moves gracefully and steadily from one aspect to another, rather than being in blocks where events occur in certain places or cut into separate timelines.

But in the end, “Weathering with You” still has the disadvantage of being the movie which Makoto Shinkai made right after “Your Name,” and will probably be judged in a harsher light.  This is not really fair to the latter as the only crime it really has committed was being made after its critically acclaimed predecessor.  But taken as a whole, how does “Weathering with You” fair?  Quite well, actually.  The film is very approachable and easy to follow, using a steady plotline and an excellent story that manages to be paired with great messages and great characters.  The film’s scenery and detailwork is magnificent, and the juxtaposition and transition between reality and the supernatural is well done.  This is a film that wholeheartedly deserves to be judged on its own merit.  There are themes and elements of old Makoto Shinkai films present, namely heartbreak and lost love, plus chance encounters, and of course gorgeous backgrounds.  But this is not an entirely a feel-good film, as there is a dark mood which hangs about as much as the monsoon-like rains, all the way up to the ending.  But it is a purposeful darkness, and leaves a lasting finish that keeps the viewer going back to reference and think about it.  Perhaps that is how the film should be judged and looked at instead.  If you get a chance to watch it whilst it is in theatres, do so- it is well worth your time.  Do check out the trailer linked below.

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