Weathering With You: a Quick (and Extremely Informal) Review

Ever since I saw Your Name in theaters a few years back, I’ve been convinced that Makoto Shinkai’s the Hayao Miyazaki of our generation. It was one of the best anime films and one of the best romance films I’ve ever seen. Thus, you’d think I’d be first in line to see his new hit, Weathering With You. I’m ashamed to say I dragged my heels until this weekend.

Having now seen Weathering With You, I regret not seeing it sooner.

The film’s about Hodaka, a 15-year old boy who runs away to Tokyo to get away from his (apparently) neglectful parents. By chance or fate, he meets Hina, an orphan girl with the power to stop the endless rain falling on the city. Together, the two try to use her powers to earn money to support themselves. However, they eventually learn that such actions have consequences.

I just got done seeing the film and reading what others are saying about it, and there seem to be two main themes to the film. The first is that Weathering With You’s a love story with a supernatural twist. From the looks of things, that appears to be Shibkai’s go-to theme.

That said, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Weathering With You and Your Name. From the supernatural love story and structure of the plot to the use of music by RADWIMPS in important scenes, there’s a lot the two have in common! The main characters from Your Name even appear, showing the two share a universe.

That said, the big difference in Weathering With You is the films second theme: consequences. In the movies climax, Hodaka and Hina are separated, with the former having to outrun the police to get her back. While I won’t say how it ends, let’s just say that Hodaka’s going to be in a lot of trouble and that Tokyo’s never the same. In other words, the film’s basically asking us how far we’d be willing to go to be with the one we love. Furthermore, can we live live with the consequences by doing so?

So, the film has a lot in common with Your Name, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. Shinkai makes sure Weathering With You unique enough to set itself apart, letting us still enjoy it despite the similar plots. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Go see it in theaters if you can. If you can’t, stream it once it’s available!

I Give “Weathering With You” a 4.5/5. Great Love Story

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