My Thoughts on Weathering With You – Makoto Shinkai 2020 Film

So many ani bloggers are writing about this movie so I thought I should join in on the fun. The director is Makoto Shinkai, who also directed Your Name/Kimi no Na Wa. I watched Weathering With You today in the theatres. Tickets sell out really fast, which speaks a little to how popular Shinkai’s movies are. I’ll try not to spoil plot points.

There was an interview with Makoto Shinkai after the credits, which was extremely cool. Some things made more sense and I appreciated other things more after learning about the development of the movie.

I don’t like comparing works but I feel like it is inevitable to compare Weathering With You with Your Name. Most people I know liked Your Name better, but I actually liked this one more. I think it is an unpopular opinion but these are my reasons:

1) The side characters have a bigger presence. In Your Name, the memorable characters are Mitsuha and Taki. I barely remember anyone else. In Weathering With You, my favourite characters are two of the side characters.

2) I really, really appreciate all the rain scenes. Shinkai talked about the challenges of animating rain but the team went above and beyond. There are so many rain scenes.

3) I like the take on nature. Shinkai talked about this but in his previous films, nature was something celebratory. In this one, he takes on a darker turn with nature. I think that this is especially relevant with climate change. It motivates me to do more for the environment. This might be the pessimistic side of me coming out, but I really liked how things ended.

I am so happy that RADWIMPS’s songs are in this movie. I do think that the songs were catchier in Your Name, but I am not sure if catchy songs would suit Weathering With You. I think the songs were appropriate to the film. Another thing I liked more in Your Name was the cultural piece. Culture was a significant theme in Your Name, which made it really unique.

I think the ending could have been a little longer. It did feel a little unsatisfactory. They could have given us something while the credits were rolling but it’s a minor thing.

The movie had a lot of funny moments and emotional moments as well. I definitely recommend this movie. You will like it if you enjoyed Your Name. It is my favourite Shinkai film so far and I feel very happy to have seen it. ^_^ Go watch it in theatres!

Korean Film Recommendation: Always (2011)

I’m writing this immediately after I finished watching Always, because that’s how good it was. My nose is still stuffy and my eyes are still sore from crying so much. It’s also almost 1 AM.

Synopsis: During his shift at his job as a parking lot attendant, Cheol Min is visited by Jung Hwa, a woman who is blind. She was friends with the former parking lot attendant. Cheol Min and Jung Hwa develop a friendship, which turns into something more.

So much happens in this movie and I really cannot spoil too much. This is a romance movie and they do become a couple. That’s the focus of the first part of the film. They are in a serious relationship and they intend to have children together.

In the second half of the film, Cheol Min and Jung Hwa’s happy life together is disrupted. Sad events ensue, and that’s when the ugly crying happens. The film has a happy ending, which I had to make sure before I even watched it. I can’t spoil what happens, so you’ll just have to watch it.

I loved this film because one, it evoked such a strong reaction out of me. Two, because I really enjoyed watching the daily life of the two together, and the simplicity of it. Three, because of how strong their love is. I think it’s inspiring to watch a story of a couple that have such an unbreakable bond. The film was really good at producing motifs and stories that only the two of them would know.

The only major thing I would have liked to be different is that I wish they gave us some more scenes in the end. I know, I’m greedy.

Ore Monogatari!! (2015) – Japanese Film Review

Ore Monogatari!! (2015), also known as My Love Story!! is the Japanese live-action film adaptation of the anime with the same name.

Fun fact: I watched this film years ago. Yesung from Super Junior recently watched this film, which prompted me to write a review.

Synopsis: Takeo Goda is a sweet and thoughtful guy who wants a girlfriend, but he is always unsuccessful because of his scary and huge appearance. His best friend, Suna Makoto, on the other hand, is extremely popular because of his good looks. One day, Takeo saves a young girl named Rinko Yamato from a man who is harassing her. Yamato thanks him for saving her, and wants to get to know him better!

Thoughts: This was so cute! However, it was also frustrating because there were so many misunderstandings. It’s worth watching to the end though. Since it’s a movie, a lot of characters from the anime aren’t introduced. The focus is on Takeo, Suna and Yamato.

This is one of the better live-action anime adaptations. Shojo manga adaptations are generally better than shonen titles because they are realistic and don’t require a huge budget. I think it’s crucial to have a good cast. The cast for this film is great. The actress who plays Yamato is perfect for the role, and Suna is great too. Takeo in the anime is bigger than the actor who plays him, but I think it would be hard to find someone as big as him in real life.

I really enjoyed watching this, and recommend this film if you’re looking for a cute high school romance.