The Garden of Words

Takao Akizuki is a 15-year-old high schooler who has decided to skip first period whenever it rains. He goes to a small, sheltered area where he meets a woman who has decided to skip work and spend her morning drinking beer instead. At first, they don't talk to each other, and Takao simply spends his time drawing in his notebook. But every time he goes to the sheltered area on a rainy morning, she's there as well.

They eventually start talking about life, and Takao opens up about his dream of becoming a shoemaker. He tells her that he is already working on a pair of shoes, though they aren't as good as he would like them to be. She then asks him to make her a pair. While he agrees to do it, the rainy days eventually stop, and with them, his visits to the sheltered area come to an end as well.

Naturally, they meet again, but in the least likely place Takao expected to see her. Will things stay the same once Takao discovers who this mysterious woman really is?

The Garden of Words is exactly what you would expect from a film made by Makoto Shinkai. The animation and artwork are absolutely breathtaking, but I found the story a bit dull. None of his films have really captivated me the way Your Name did, which was the first film of his that I saw. Suzume came close, but ultimately didn't quite reach the same level for me.

The main reason I watched this was because the runtime was less than an hour, so I didn't have any high expectations going in. Despite that, I ended up enjoying it. The music is soothing, and the overall vibe is mellow and peaceful. Everyone dresses modestly, and there isn't any swearing. If you enjoy Makoto Shinkai's films, I would definitely suggest giving this one a watch.