Great little film to watch if you want an emotionally engaging experience

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2016)

#Spoiler Free This film could very well be Makoto Shinkai's best film to date. The films excels in creating heartfelt smiles that can turn to tears at the drop of a hat and back again. Similarly to many of his previous works his stories may seem a bit generic and lacking, however this allows the viewer to really focus on the characters and the emotions between them, rather than being caught up in a twisting plot. We are also gifted with Shinkai's train metaphor, however this time unlike 5 cm per second, they show the protagonist journey diverging down separate routes and coming back together all while moving in the same direction to the eventual end of the line.
The two protagonists are Taki, a boy from urban Tokyo, and Mitsuha, a girl from a rural Japanese village. Shinkai takes to dull husks and embellishes them into a pair of protagonists with personalities and traits that make them relate able and lovable. The characters chemistry is extremely entertaining and really grows throughout the film
The beginning of the film succeeds in quickly establishing the characters and there morals, all while creating an attachment between characters and the audience. The films also succeeds in changing pace and direction as soon as things start to get repetitive, allowing the viewers attention to always be grasped and leaving them wanting more. The films fantasy spin keeps things fresh and prevents the film falling into generic slice of life clichés.
The art like all of Shinkai's other works it breathtaking, making the film stick in the minds of the audience for long after the films over. Thanks to the detailed artwork the locations and backgrounds are well fleshed out and eye catching making it seem like real life location and not a poor imitation.
The soundtrack is done by Radwimps, a Japanese alt rock band, that breathes life and emotion into scenes due to their wide range of styles and atmosphere.
Overall i enjoyed the film thoroughly. The fantasy spin really clicked with my tastes and caused me to be engaged and entertain throughout. I also quickly fell in love with the characters and their chemistry together and due to being a similar age related to them both. Thanks to it being one of Shinkai's more happier works i'm now left with a strong desire to watch it again.