We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for an American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

Weathering With You (2019):
Makoto Shinkai, director

What’s it about?

Hodaka is an incoming high school student from one of Japan’s outlying islands, and the film begins with him running away from home to Tokyo. On the ferry into Tokyo, he meets a man who actually saves his life when the boat travels through a freak thunderstorm (and Hodaka decides to go to the top deck to watch the weather).

Once in Tokyo, Hodaka quickly burns through what little money he has and soon finds himself homeless. Since he’s only 16 (and a runaway), he can’t find a legitimate job or place to stay. On top of that, the weather is unusually rainy every day, with no reprieve in sight. Desperate and with nowhere else to turn, Hodaka contacts the man he met on the ferry – who turns out to be a “journalist” who writes tabloid articles for occult magazines – who takes Hodaka under his wing and offers him a job and place to stay.

One night, Hodaka crosses paths with Hina, a young girl who is clearly in distress. The two quickly become close, and Hina reveals that she has the power to control the weather. Well, she has the power to stop the rain and clear the sky for brief moments in a specific location. She’s a “sunshine girl.”

Hodaka and Hina waste no time capitalizing on this power, and they market her ability to people willing to pay for sunshine (such as for weddings and outdoor parties). But each time Hina uses her power, part of her disappears. Literally. Being a sunshine girl is causing parts of her to turn invisible; the power will ultimately make her a sacrifice.

Meanwhile, the weather in Tokyo continues to get stranger. It’s been raining for two months straight, and even though it’s August, the temperature plummets and it begins to snow. Hina realizes she must sacrifice herself to make the rain stop. But will Hodaka let her?

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

Weathering With You is set in a near-future Japan. There’s really not much here that could be a cultural barrier to understanding. Suspend your disbelief to accept Hina’s power, and you’ll be fine.

Even though I almost always recommend watching films in their original language, you won’t regret choosing the English dub here. Main characters Hodaka and Hina are voiced by relative newcomers Brandon Engman and Ashley Boettcher, respectively, and both absolutely knock it out of the park. The film also features Lee Pace, Alison Brie, and Riz Ahmed in prominent supporting roles, and each is (obviously) remarkable.

Actually, you probably should watch both versions. Weathering With You merits multiple viewings, and this is the rare film with both a subbed and dubbed version worth watching.

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

The plot isn’t terribly hard to follow, and there’s nothing objectionable for kids, so I’m gonna go ahead and say yes. Yes, your kids will probably like it. Aside from the slightly supernatural elements, the story centers on the budding love that develops between two early teenagers. Your mileage may vary, but we saw the trailer ahead of every film during last year’s Studio Ghibli Fest, and my daughter (10 at the time) was super intrigued and has been asking to see it since.

Will I like it?

Makoto Shinkai is a genius. He’s one of the few filmmakers working in animation today whose every film is a must see. His previous film, Your Name, is the highest grossing anime film of all time, so Weathering With You had a lot to live up to. And it succeeds.

The film is set up to make you think it’s a young romance with a slight supernatural spin, which isn’t wrong, but it’s much more. It’s a 2-hour film without a lot of extra fluff, it’s got a compelling story with interesting characters, it’s stunningly animated, and it has one of the darkest, last-10-minutes-of-the-movie, I-did-NOT-see-that-coming twists I’ve seen in a long time.

How can I see it?

The film has been available digitally since August, but GKIDS and Shout! Factory are releasing a Blu-ray edition of the film today with a handful of special features: most prominent is a 70-minute extended interview with director Makoto Shinkai (from a Japanese TV show), a 24-minute featurette called “Weather Front” that features interviews with cast and crew, a feature on Makoto Shinkai’s filmography (with clips from his previous films), and trailers and TV spots.

However, if you’re a fan of the film (or just love taking extra deep dives into the films you watch), GKIDS and Shout! are releasing a collector’s edition of the film on November 17. In addition to the above features, the collector’s edition will also feature a 4K UHD presentation of the film and include a feature-length making-of documentary (on a separate Blu-ray disc). The whole thing comes packaged with the film’s soundtrack (on CD), a 104-page book, a mini poster, and a decal sticker.

Final word?

Like I said, every Makoto Shinkai film should be required, appointment viewing. Weathering With You is no exception.