💦✨💧𝒲𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒴𝑜𝓊💧✨💦
3.25 Stars
Hodaka hasn't seen Hina in a long time, ever since the sunny days came. The police are looking for him because he has an illegal firearm. Hina is stuck in a mystical place of weather beings and peaceful days. Yet she yearns to be among the ones she loves, but the cost would be the flooding of Japan. Kei (Suga) watches as Hodaka crumbles under his determination as the stakes grow higher. Will he be able to save the girl he loves at the price of gradually submerging Japan in a storm?
"A few rays of sunshine pierced through the heavy rainclouds. And I decided then and there-I'd go into that life. And at the other end of that light, I found you. I had a dream. The day we met, you looked like a lost cat. But before I knew it, you were the one leading me."
-Hodaka to Hina
Weathering With You was a good ending to the trilogy, but for me, not on par with the first volume. The conclusion, from the character development to the plot, was tied neatly. It was a bittersweet ending. I wished for Hodaka's past to be explored, as well as for the side characters to be focused upon. It felt as though Hodaka's determination blotted out his personality and character, almost making him an AI with one purpose: finding Hina.
Keisuke was a character I really wanted to learn more about. I adore the art style in this story with all my heart. The quiet panels and the whimsical ones all set the tone. I appreciated that the tone in this whole trilogy was fairly consistent, as was the overarching plot. This delved into a really interesting topic. Hina has a life and was gifted a power that was meant for only her. Yet she is empathetic and sacrificial in that she used this power for the greater good at the cost of her own free will.
"Deep down everyone knows . . .that we're standing because there's something underfoot. That we can't live without someone else's sacrifices. That they got their blue skies in exchange for Hina. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting everything on your shoulders. I wanted to go into that light. And now everything is in your light. So, I'm coming. Not for the light this time, but for you."
-Hodaka to Hina
I felt like the endless storms flooding Japan reminded me a lot of the effects of climate change. While I'm not sure if it is Makoto Shinkai's intention, this felt a lot like a story about how these effects were inevitable, but humanity will find ways to overcome such situations. Hodaka was a character who was noble and caring. Their romance was beautiful and platonic. I loved the emotional bond that was formed and the lengths they would go for each other.
The stakes were high, and the storytelling was well done. In conclusion, this is a nice trilogy to pick up, and I'll hopefully watch the anime someday!
☑️PLOT
🆗CHARACTERS
🆗PLOT TWISTS