The film Weathering With You attempts to answer this question in both a literal and figurative sense. It tells the story of two young people whose lives become entwined in a Tokyo under a never-ending rainfall. Weathering With You is an interesting film to discuss. In many ways it is excellent, but I'm not sure it reaches the lofty heights that it's aiming for.

Visually, it is gorgeous. The character animations are smooth and crisp, with a realistic look that grounds the film in its setting. Tokyo is particularly well-realized. The city is lovingly recreated and everything from the sweeping skylines to intimate indoor locales is marvelously done. Tokyo is a well-trodden setting for anime yet Weathering With You makes you feel like you've never seen it quite this way before. The shattered building with the shrine on the roof is a really unique visual set against the backdrop of Tokyo's shimmering neon vastness.

A great deal of attention is paid to rain and water movements. When the rain falls, it's truly awe-inspiring to see the care put into animating each individual raindrop. The way the rain (and at times tears) roll down surfaces and interact with the characters and environment is remarkable and lends a surreal quality to many scenes in the movie without being outright fantastical.

The movie's themes are certainly resonant. There are elements of young people being harassed by authorities in a world that has no place for them. Hina gives up her entire being as a sacrifice – in part to a gig economy job, in part to the happiness of others – and the consequences of that sort of constant outpouring of the self are explored. There is also an unmistakable statement on climate change. There's a quiet undercurrent of dread for these people living under an unrelenting and unforgiving set of weather conditions that make normal life impossible and looking for any solution to the problem. But in that sense too there is hope. There's a scene in particular where an old man delivers exposition regarding the sunshine girls and humankind's relationship with nature. In particular, he points out that our perspectives are very short and limited, and that our need for the world to be in “balance” is a modern notion. In the end, our co-existence with nature has never been “normal” – all we have is each other in the face of a volatile and unpredictable world.

The cinematography is solid as well. Shinkai is a seasoned filmmaker and it's evident. The shot compositions are strong, and the film is visually exciting without being confusing. There is good use of occasional POV shots with fish-eye lenses and blurring at the edges to simulate the feeling of trying to look at something in the rain. My only gripe with the cinematography is the movie trailer-esque “black screen with dramatic narration” moments that pop up two or three times during the film. Otherwise though it is all here; visually, thematically, cinematically, the elements of the film all come together quite nicely.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/weathering-with-you-blu-ray/.163517

1. According to the passage, the Tokyo in the film is _____.

A. drowned in the heavily rain that lasts a few years.

B. a quite different city compares to the real world.

C. more attractive than the supporting cast.

D. an scene which is unremarkable for its rain.

2. What do you think of Hina?

A. The stories of her and Hodaka are enjoyable.

B. She is a person who is passionate about self-sacrifice.

C. She is an independent and strong girl.

D. She is a girl who likes Tokyo very much.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A. There is a hope of improving the climate change.

B. Each of characters has their unique quirks and charms.

C. The character animations are fantastic.

D. The interesting story in the film is about two young people.

4. What photography skills did the film use to show scenes in the rain?

A. Tilt down.?????????????????????? B. Occasionally shot.?????????????????????????? C. Zoom in.???????????????????????? D. Crane up.