Weathering With You

Directed by Makota Shinkai (2019)

My family and I picked this movie because we had previously watched Your Name, by the same director, which probably elicited tears from all of us. Weathering With You has similar emotional tones, but with a more whimsical feeling that made it more like a Studio Ghibli film. I don't think this movie is as good as a typical Studio Ghibli, but the art was beautiful and there were scenes that evoked feelings of awe, inspiration, and heartbreak. There were times where you are rooting for the main character like he's you, and times that make you think about the beauty of life and what drives you. It was a little slow at times, and the musical numbers got a bit out of hand in my opinion - I think this movie would have worked better as a more serious anime, or if it had fully embraced the music and artsy-vibe and been a feature-length music video. What do I know, though? This movie was still really fun to watch. (03/20/21)