Weathering With You

       

Sometimes anime is made for the heart and not the mind, 'Weathering With You' is one such movie. Makoto Shinkai does it again! (that bloody genius) Even though 'Weathering With You' didn't do as commercially well as his previous movie 'Your Name', he still knocked it out of the park with 193 million dollars worldwide in box office collections. This movie will take you places and make you feel like you've had an actual experience. Forget the critics, forget trailers, forget reading reviews (except this one), just chance upon this movie and let the magic happen. 

I have an instinct when it comes to detecting good anime, if even one scene manages to make me feel enough to have the hair on my hand stand up, the anime has 'it'. While watching 'Weathering With You' (even after the first three times) I get full fledged goosebumps every 15 minutes just because of it's sheer beauty. The movie takes place in the same universe as 'Your Name' and explores an unnatural phenomenon. High schooler Hodaka runs away from home to try and make it on his own in Tokyo, and through a series of fateful events meets Hina, a girl who can change the weather when she wants to. The Tokyo depicted in this movie is one that seldom see's any sunshine because of its constant rain. Seeing this as an opportunity, they try to clear the weather for people who want to see the sun and charge them a small fee. It's all fun and games with cheery friendships across well developed characters, amazingly portrayed, until they realize that there's more to this ability and that the world holds many mysterious secrets linked to this phenomenon. Expect love, laughs, friendship, anticipation, fear and mystery all leading to excitement and one unforgettable experience- Weathering With You is an absolute must watch! Also expect brilliant music because The Radwimps whipped up a new album for this movie and it really lives up. 

I think I've made it clear that I'm in love with Makoto Shinkai's works and hence am not the right person to point out its flaws, but the main criticism 'Weathering With You' receives is that it draws too many similarities to the style of 'Your Name'. Now while I personally don't have any issues with that, many people ho came in expecting something completely new were a little let down, and I can understand why. Either ways you should watch it and decide where you stand for yourself. 
        My personal ratings are:

Story: 4/5
Character Development: 3/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Music: 5/5 
Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall recommendation: One Sunny Day

This movie holds a special place for me because it was the first anime movie to release in actual theaters in my home city (Mumbai). Its distribution rights were given to PVR pictures and it won't be found on OTT platforms for a while, you may have to rent it online or stream otherwise but still try to pay for your view if possible because I'd like to see more anime movies releasing here. 

Fruits Basket

 

If like me, you love slice of life anime or any show that allows you to kick back relax and forget your troubles while you watch, Fruits Basket has to be your next watch. Watching an episode is almost like meditation, it just soothes your soul with its calming and relaxing vibe. Fruits Basket was once animated in 2001 but has now gotten a remake in 2019 with a face-lift and boy was it worth it! The two new seasons of Fruits Basket have been beautifully animated and the story is evenly spread out for you to enjoy slowly. It's not exactly a tear jerker, but be ready to feel some emotions. 

The plot follows the life of seemingly ordinary college girl Tohru Honda who one day accidentally bumps into the Soma family while attempting to live in a tent on their property. She reveals that her parents have passed away and that she needed a place to stay without bothering anyone till her other relatives could renovate their house and take her in. Tohru is a bumbly girl who can be very clueless, but has a certain innocence or purity to her, this charms the two Soma cousins who agree to let her stay with them in exchange for some household chores. Straightforward right? But I forgot to mention that the Soma family is actually cursed by the Chinese zodiac signs and that 13 members of the family turn into a particular zodiac animal assigned to them at birth when they are hugged by someone of the opposite gender (I think you can see where this is going). Tohru accidentally hugs Yuki Soma who is also her classmate, and discovers their secret. The anime will take you on a journey about how she meets all the Somas' and how she accepts them when most people never could. There are dark elements that lurk in the background of Fruits Basket like the secret behind the curse, the horrible childhood each Soma endures and how they had given up on normal lives before realizing that all is not lost for them. But all cards on the table, it's a heart warming tale and easily narrates the intricate stories of many different characters without becoming slow or boring.  

No anime is perfect and Fruits Basket is not an exception, like many slice of life shows it does that annoying thing where there are ridiculously obvious plot points that need to be addressed and can be addressed easily but are instead stretched out over a long period of time. Also, and I don't know if this counts, but I know many people who find Tohru's voice annoying and it puts off the calming vibe the show normally has for them (not me Tohru, I support you a hundred percent). 

                     

My personal ratings are:

Story: 3/5
Character Development: 4/5
Dialogue: 3/5
Music: 3/5 
Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall Recommendation: 12 Zodiac Animals 

Fruits Basket is available in India on Netflix and outside India, Hulu.

Natsume's Book of Friends

                 

Natsume's Book of Friends or Natsume Yuujinchou has aired six seasons and a movie, with season seven on the way. This is a special anime for me because it has such an immense calming effect that you can't help but smile and de-stress as you watch. I watch an episode of Natsume Yuujinchou exclusively on days that I need a pick-me-up and I refuse to watch the last episode of season six till there are more, because I won't be able to handle not having more to look forward to. It's not just me, Natsume Yuujinchou has a massive fan following due to its chill vibe and peaceful motif. This is a must watch for those of you who have a lot going on and want a few minutes of real peace in a day. Just shut off your phone and watch a single episode, I guarantee you tranquility (otherwise you're just not human). 

The story is that of a boy called Natsume (duh), who unlike most humans could see ghosts and spirits since he was a child. He also lost his parents at a young age and understandably had it really rough moving from one home to another and never finding any real friends. Thankfully Natsume finally gets taken in by an understanding and loving couple, and gets a stable school life with friends who find his behavior strange at first but eventually begin to understand him. The story really picks up when he inherits his grandmother's 'book of friends' which has entrapped the names and powers of several spirits and can be used to control them. Instead of looking for more power, the mild mannered Natsume decides to return each spirit's freedom to them and in the process meets Nyanko sensei, a cute cat like creature who can turn into a powerful dragon at will. Nyanko has never met anyone like Natsume and decides to help him and keep him out of danger as his 'pet cat'. Natsume who wants no trouble out of life is constantly pulled into various extraordinary situations and eventually learns how to rely on others to get through them. The rest of the story is an astonishingly good blend of making us see the world through his eyes and how others perceive him. In no time you'll find yourself invested in finding out what happens next. 

While Natsume Yuujinchou has the makings of a show that is full of exciting battles and riveting plot twists, it just isn't that. There are several powerful beings and potential mayhem causing plot points but the anime refuses to indulge in much action or trepidation that will harm its chill vibe. While I don't see this is a fault, turn away if you want to see any of these things or if you're looking for a fast paced show. 
                                                

My personal ratings are:

Story: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
Dialogue: 3/5 
Music: 4/5

Overall Recommendation: One of Nyanko Sensei's Jelly Sweets 

Unfortunately options to watch Natsume's Book of Friends are limited in India. You'll have to find a streaming service online, but if you like what you see try to support the creators by buying the manga as well: https://www.amazon.in/Natsumes-Book-Friends-Vol-1/dp/1421532433/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=natsume&qid=1596127228&sr=8-2 

Your Name

          Your name or 'Kimi No Na Wa' is an iconic anime movie. Not only is it the world's highest grossing anime film with box office earnings just under 358 million dollars (hot damn!), but also has won more awards than I can list here. Why is it so good you ask? Well for starters it's because the creator of Your Name, Makoto Shinkai, is an artistic and creative genius. The visuals and animation style are in a league of their own. In fact every image is so vibrant that you'll be watching with a guaranteed glimmer in your eyes and you might even shed a tear just because of its beauty. Strange thing is, if you ask me to categorize this movie in just one genre, I simply can't. Your Name has everything in it, it's the very definition of a multi-layered plot. But more than that, this one movie encapsulates everything good about anime as a medium, not because of what qualities it has, but because of how it makes you feel.

I don't want to give away much here, but I'll describe he basics of its story. We follow the lives of Taki and Mitsuha who are starkly different people. Mitsuha lives in a rural town and wants nothing but to get out of there and live a fast paced city life. Inversely, Taki lives in Tokyo and is a student struggling to find a corporate job while working part time as a waiter. They one day realize that they're connected somehow and switch bodies from time to time, just for a short period. The story continues to explore the reason for this phenomenon and how the two begin to understand each other, without really meeting. Now I know you'll think this is a sappy and overdone body switching plot, but trust me this doesn't even scratch the surface, there's so much more to it that I can't talk about without spoilers. I'll say it again, the story is genius and unexpected, just go watch it (all hail Makoto-san). Now the cherry on the top here is an absolutely amazing soundtrack done by a band called The Radwimps. They even redid all their songs in English to go with the English dub of the movie which is just some sheer dedication. I genuinely listen to at least one long from this soundtrack everyday. 

I have no criticism for Your Name. I think it has everything a great anime needs and anyone who finds faults here is just reaching for something that isn't there. I actually think I just wrote this post as an excuse to re watch the movie despite having seen it eleven times before. Just go watch it, bring your non anime watching friends along and you might convert them too (I've used Your name to convert many a person into anime lovers).
        My personal ratings are:

Story: 5/5
Character Development: 5/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Music: 5/5 

Overall Recommendation: One Casual Introduction 

You can rent or buy your name on Amazon or Google Playstore for under five dollars. If you need to stream it illegally then at least try and buy its DVD in the future when you have the money.