It's refreshing to see Shinkai working on a mundane project. After all, most of his works have an element of inexplicable, a problem that can't be fathomed within the mind of a realist. However, in this movie Makoto really shows us his true power of fabricating reality using only animation. I have to say, you will be surprised to watch this film.

Details

• Directed by: Makoto Shinkai
• Produced by: Noritaka Kawaguchi
• Written by: Makoto Shinkai
• Music by: Daisuke Kashiwa
• Studio: CoMix Wave Films
• Licensed by: Madman EntertainmentAnime LimitedSentai Filmworks
• Released: April 28, 2013 (Gold Coast); May 31, 2013 (Japan)
• Runtime: 46 minutes

Synopsis

From MyAnimeList.net:

On a rainy morning in Tokyo, Takao Akizuki, an aspiring shoemaker, decides to skip class to sketch designs in a beautiful garden. This is where he meets Yukari Yukino, a beautiful yet mysterious woman, for the very first time. Offering to make her new shoes, Takao continues to meet with Yukari throughout the rainy season, and without even realizing it, the two are able to alleviate the worries hidden in their hearts just by being with each other. However, their personal struggles have not disappeared completely, and as the end of the rainy season approaches, their relationship will be put to the test.

Story

What's there to complain about the romance? That's Shinkai's choice to create a May-December romance between a 15-years old aspiring shoemaker and a 27-years old literature teacher. Most of you will probably close this tab once you discover what you're in for a ride. I admit, even though I do quite enjoy the reversal (older man younger girl), this movie isn't really about all of that. To call it a simple romance film would be insulting to its grand machinations.

It's about too slow and too quick to mature. Being a teenager myself I certainly can relate to Takao, because I am frequently told to have grown up too fast. (years of watching the forbidden content). The problems that Yukino faces are also real life situations that many of my relatives, cousins especially, struggle to overcome. This is what I think the most brilliant thing that Makoto can offer at this film. I can also say that this film is a critic to issues of modern Japanese culture and society..

There are recurring motifs in the plot, which are: Japanese garden, poetry, and rain. These themes will be shown several times (I think the rain is constantly there, you can count the scenes where it wasn't raining with your hands) and of course, play large roles in defining the plot. While in my opinion the garden and the poetry are there simply as aesthetics devices, I saw the rain as something bigger than the characters themselves. Even the train which is Makoto's signature theme this time can also be seen having a larger role. Foreshadowing and imagery are there for your pleasure and disposal, so I think Makoto succeeds in bringing the atmosphere to me.

While the plot development is a success for me, I only like the climatic end, I don't love it. Well, it's not bad but sadly not the best for me, because I think there are still more rooms for improvement. Given the running time, I don't think I can comment much further about the plot. It's all there is. A very efficient time consumption by Shinkai himself because the pacing is great, while many of his longer films are usually slow paced.

With that being said, a number of "cliches" have been spotted throughout the film. I suggest you not taking them by granted and let the movie flow as it is. Because, while in some cases cliches can be annoying, The Garden of Words carefully subverts your eyes to things you might not think exist before. Maybe you can have a different opinion about life in the end.

Visual

I am speechless. The cuts, the transitions, the cinematography, the lighting composure, and everything about it is perfectly executed by Shinkai. I was really surprised upon watching The Garden of Words. I watched Your Name before it, so I don't really have a high expectation, because in my opinion Makoto clearly presented Your Name with a degree of proficiency.

But, my concept of good animation was quickly torn apart and burnt to ground just after watching the intro. The animation really exceeded the standard of Shinkai's works, which is already high enough. This is the best visual on any of his projects. Full stop. No buts, no ifs.

The characters, equipped with the perfectly just right colors & tone, also having possessed details that only a god can design, are the most well-designed and have the most depth I've ever seen in a Japanese animation. No large eyes, no moe designs, no cuteness overload. They are people, just like you and me. It totally changes the way I see and interpret it. It's like watching a real film with real actors and the sceneries are shot from real locations. The rain is hyper-realistic. I think Shinkai really wants the rain to look like a living thing, getting back to how it plays a significant role as a connector or a bridge between these very opposite two people.

Absolutely gorgeous. It makes Your Name looks like a doodle and 5 Centimeters Per Second a sketch with its godlike character designs. Its backdrop ridicules Children Who Chase Lost Voices with its superiority and feels, especially with its normality and simplicity. After all, they are just Japanese gardens, bruh!

Sound

The soundtrack is not composed by Tenmon, Shinkai's composer buddy, but by Kashiwa Daisuke. I was quite a sceptic before listening to it, but man it was a mindblowing experience. The sheer depth of emotions captured while simultaneously listening to the score and watching the scene was absolutely sparkling. Apparently, I read that the approach Makoto take for making the score is what sets it apart from other animes, which is basing it on one of the albums that Kashiwa Daisuke sent him.

Okay, now getting right to the ending theme. What makes it so special? Well, to be honest, I don't really know. It's the feeling that resonates within me while listening to it. I repeatedly played it on rainy or stormy days (there is no storm in my country, but you know what I mean) and it was epic! Even now, when I listened to it at night, I still get the eargasm from the movement of instruments. To get what I mean by saying this is the best ending theme of Makoto's film, please try listening to it:
Rain, which was originally sung by Senri Oe and quite popular at the time of its release, now is turned to another piece that really harmonizes with the themes and overall feels of the film. It was covered by Motohiro Hata, described by Shinkai himself to carry an "underlying loneliness" and "sounded a little like an anxious young man"'.

Characters

While the same old shallow characterization syndrome draws upon this film, the inner and outer conflicts of both of the main characters are portrayed evokingly. The sense of loneliness of Yukino and Takao, both having to mature not in their pace was really the one that ties it all together. Makoto plays with concept of old Japanese poetry such as solitude, emptiness, and all of those existential things. I'm sure you can read deeper reviews about the characters if you want, because the ideas that Makoto uses are really rooted in Japanese poetries, the kinds that I'm not familiar with.

I don't think what Yukino and Takao experience is love in a sense that makes them fond of each other, rather it's how they both try to fill the gap between their hearts that are left devoid. Takao who on the surface looks quite normal actually misses many things from his early days. His mother who is not only irresponsible but a messed up and his brother who is occupied with his own life give him the pressure which makes him kind of depressed. Yukino is also trying her best to move on with her own life which at this point seems so stagnant and stale. Her failed relationship and being bullied are amplified with the fact that she doesn't really care anymore. They are both in a sense longing for their old comfort, and they are brought together with that sense of companionship.

This movie also has the aura of maturity that I haven't seen anywhere else other than in 5 Centimeters. Shinkai really blends the overall themes at ease and it results in quite remarkable character developments.

Conclusion

I'm quite tempted to say that the film itself is a visual masterpiece. However, that doesn't mean anything else about this film is garbage. Erase all preconceived notions about silly romance with large age difference. Your concept of what animation can achieve will be shattered to pieces. It is not too long with a running time below an hour.

P.S: If you watch this before or after Your Name, try examining Mitsuha's literature teacher.