Justin's Japan: ‘Weathering with You’ at Anime NYC
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
On Nov. 17, more than 3,000 fans gathered in the Special Events Hall of the Javits Center for the East Coast premiere of “Weathering with You,” the latest animated film from celebrated writer/director Makoto Shinkai.
The screening servedas the Closing Film event of the annual Anime NYC convention, which in itsthird year drew a record 46,000 fans over three days. This hotly anticipatednew film from Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura is the follow-up to their criticallyacclaimed global smash “Your Name” (2016), the highest-grossing Japanese filmof the decade.
Produced in Englishand set for national release in January by New York’s own GKIDS (who backedlast year’s Academy Award-nominated anime film “Mirai”), “Weathering with You”follows high schooler Hodaka, who runs away from his remote island home toTokyo and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits.After befriending the bright and strong-willed Hina, Hodaka witnesses her strangeand wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky. Togetherthe two develop a successful “sunshine” startup, but what happens whenmanipulating the weather leads to even greater problems?
A crowd-pleasingstory with elements of comedy and romance that wed the supernatural elements of“Your Name” with the more adult concerns of Shinkai’s earlier work “The Gardenof Words” (2013), “Weathering with You” serves up unforgettable animation inits exquisite lensing of an unusually gloomy and rainy Tokyo. Japanese rockband Radwimps, also returning from “Your Name,” provide solid music and songs.
“Weathering with You” premieres in the New Yorkmetropolitan area with dubbed and subtitled fan preview screenings Jan. 15-16.The film opens nationwide Jan. 17. For more information, visit https://gkids.com/films/weathering-with-you.