Weathering With You (MOVIE: 2019)

Promotional Cover for the movie.

RIM WEATHERING WITH YOU
Directed by Makoto Shinkai
2013
Genre: Anime, Animation, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life

Rating: 8 out of 10.

SPOILERS.
First off, I was disappointed with a lot of movies that were coming out as of late. Like, 1917...which I still have yet to blog about because honestly, I told a few people I was disappointed and it was like I had the plague... people were astonished I didn't like it. Before I get on that tangent, I'm here to talk about Weathering With You. Which was beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. I teared up at points. Let's get into it:

Hodaka Morishima is a 16-year-old teenage runaway. While on the ferry to Tokyo, a giant wave from the ocean crashes down on him and he's almost wiped off the deck. Luckily, Keisuke Suga, a business man, comes to his rescue and saves him. After being treated to lunch and a beer, he gives Hodaka his info in case he needs any help. While living on the streets in Tokyo, Hodaka is not doing well. Using internet cafe showers and being turned down from jobs. He first meets Hina in a McDonald's when she gives him a hamburger to keep him from starving. Hodaka swallows his pride and gets a job from Suga-san. He runs into Suga's "mistress" Natsume who he helps by investigating urban legends relating to the unstable weather in Tokyo. While he is out and about, Hodaka runs into Hina again. She's being intimidated into by working at a seedy ass club. Hodaka, who found a gun when he first got to Tokyo, rescues Hina by shooting it into the air. 

The top of the roof where Hina got her powers.

They escape to the place where Hina got "connected to the sky" and gained the powers to chase away the rain and bring the sunshine. After hearing the tales of the weather maidens, Hodaka tells Hina they should go into business together to use Hina's ability to bring clear weather to people for special events. They end up gathering a large clientele...everything from young kids wanting a day in the park to large scale corporations who want large fireworks extravaganzas. 

Unfortnately, it's not good timing. Hodaka was caught on a security camera with a club and the police are now after him. The police interrogate Hina at her place while Hodaka hides in the bathroom. Hina ends up in trouble because social services decides that they will take away her younger brother Nagi because there aren't any legal guardians around. Hodaka goes outside to Suga's car where he fires him, kindly, and gives him severance pay to tell him to go home. Suga is suspected of kidnapping Hodaka, thus he cannot stay because he is fighting for custody of his daughter. This starts the running away. 

L-R: Nagi, Hina and Hodaka.

Hodaka, Hina and Nagi decide to run away, which is bogged down by a crazy rain/sleet/snow storm. They are denied hotel after hotel until they find one that only worries about money. After calming down for the night, Hina shows that she is turning into water. She believes her existence is tied to the crazy catastrophic weather and thinks if she disappears into the sky, the weather will return to normal. Hodaka doesn't want her to go. He wakes up with her gone and the weather is sunny and beautiful. Hodaka tries to find her, however he is taken into custody. He escapes the hands of the police, trying to just get back to Hina's shrine that granted her original powers. Suga helps him escape away to the top of the shrine, after not intelligently holding everyone at gun point, screaming that he wants to see Hina one more time, and that he would do anything to see her again (here's where my tears were.) Hodaka runs through her shrine and escapes into the sky. He finds Hina surrounded by water bubble fish. They fall to the Earth with Hodaka asking her to live for herself, as the rain falls down again. 

Three years go by. Hodaka was sent back to where his family lived and was on probation. He graduated high school and immediately leaves to come back to Tokyo, which is mostly now underwater. He goes out to met Suga, who now has made his business much larger and expanded. Hodaka immediately sets back out to find Hina, whom he hasn't spoken to in all those years. While walking up a bridge on these frequently rainy days, he finds Hina praying on the street.

HOLY COW. I didn't expect this movie to be decent. I was bombarded with ads on Instagram and wasn't really sure if i was going to see it. I bought the tickets on a whim, hyped it to my boyfriend and then questioned my decision cause all the movies of late are disappointing. I'm glad...I was not disappointed. The animation to this movie is absolutely gorgeous. It was breathtaking FOR AN ANIMATED MOVIE. Like exceeded every single expectation of mine. If you happen to be near a theater that is showing this, take the time, whether it is dub or sub (I saw the sub). Please go in with an open mind. This is not Your Name (also by the director and same crew.) It's beautiful coming of age in its own right and should be treated as such.