Review: Weathering With You

Since having a highly memorable cinematic experience in 2016 after seeing 'Your Name', I have been catching up with the rest of the back catalogue of director Makoto Shinkai.

'Your Name' further branched my knowledge of anime and manga and for me is one of the best films of the decade.
Now with this new film, my anticipation was as high as you could imagine.

The story is a very interesting and engage one for the most part. I enjoyed the characters and believed in their sympathy. The beautiful animation Shinkai gets in his films continue to be as beautiful and detailed as ever with many gorgeous sequences further enhancing the imagery.
While it does have its moments of magic and joy, it doesn't reach the heights of 'Your Name' by a comfortable distance. The characters aren't rich enough, the story doesn't move along as well and it is nowhere near as satisfying in its ending.

I think riding on the coat tails of 'Your Name' will make seem like a disappointment for some people. I'm kind of in that same ball park. However, I still enjoyed this. The story makes it worth your time, has many memorable moments, the animation is gorgeous and the characters are likable. The final act is somewhat confusing as it feels it's trying to get multiple emotions out of the viewer all at once. While I wasn't sure what to make of the ending, I hope multiple viewings will rectify that.
For now, I will say this is an enjoyable watch with some flaws along the way.

Rating: 7/10