Weathering With You – Whether It's Worth Watching

The finals season is almost upon us, and you might be looking ahead to when this is all finally over.

But whether you’re stressed to the point of tearing your hair out or you’re confident you will ace you test, here’s a movie that you will definitely want to watch once you have finished your exams: Weathering With You.

Taken from The Asahi Shimbun

While the movie is no longer in cinemas, you can easily catch it online, and I strongly suggest that you do. Set up a TV/laptop-streaming date with your friends, because this is one exceptional film, and lovers of Your Name would especially love it.

Coming out a whole 3 years after Your Name, many have already drawn comparisons between both films, likening both to coming-of-age love stories. While seemingly similar in terms of storyline at first, both films revolve around a boy and a girl meeting and eventually falling in love; the two films differ thematically. At its core, Your Name is a film about destiny and finding the one you were meant to be with. Weathering With You then promotes the message of fighting against destiny and what is meant to be for what one believes in.

Despite the differing themes, one strong similarity is Shinkai’s use of Japanese mythology. Both films have the uncanny ability to make everyday occurrences a little more magical and reality a little less boring. In this film, every shot of the weather makes it feel like a living breathing entity, from detailed frames of water droplets running down windows to wide shots of a sun setting in all its brilliance.

So, without further ado, here’s why you should watch Weathering With You, condensed into four quick points:

1. The story, however fantastical, is relatable. Okay, not all of us can claim to be runaways, but surely most of us have thought about it. The main male character Hodaka Morishima feels so stifled in his small hometown that no matter what trouble he runs into in Tokyo (he gets into so much trouble), he refuses to go back. His perseverance is motivational and touching.

2. The animation is extremely beautiful. This goes without saying, but it is true. Almost every scene is worthy of being your phone’s home screen wallpaper, and of course we expect nothing less from a Makoto Shinkai movie, but the sheer beauty really is impressive. It’s no wonder he took a whole 3 years to painstakingly finish this film!

3. The soundtrack is amazing. Another point that goes without saying, but a point that has to be made. After watching the movie, you will most likely spend at least some time trying to find the complete online playlist for the soundtrack. But fret not, for Spotify has the whole album for the soundtrack up!

4. You will get to feel some intense emotions. Watching the two main protagonists, Hina and Hodaka overcome various obstacles together will definitely tug at your heartstrings. This movie isn’t guaranteed to make everyone cry, but if you do cry after watching it, rest assured that some of the friends you brought along might be crying too.

-Shannen Ng and Janelle Wong Janelle is the human form of a sloth. For example, she is lazy to write this blurb. In her free time, she can be found making bubble tea, listening to day6 or crying over fictional characters in novels. Shannen enjoys lofi music and green tea. Her special talent is finishing entire shows on Netflix without breaks until she remembers she has deadlines.