anime: THE GARDEN OF WORDS 言の葉の庭

title: THE GARDEN OF WORDS

言の葉の庭

romanized: Koto no ha no Niwa

director: Makoto Shinkai

studio: CoMix Wave Films

Japan release date: May 13, 2013

genre: Drama, Romance

total gross: unknown

trailer ~

CHARACTERS:

TAKAO AKIZUKI 秋月孝雄 - a hardworking, aspiring cobbler (shoemaker) who also takes care of his mother and brother, works as a dishwasher part-time so he can finance his dream

YUKARI YUKINO 雪野百香里 - a secretive woman who loves to drink beer and chocolates for breakfast and loves to playfully swing her pumps

SYNOPSIS:
A hard working 15-year-old male student Takao Akizuki plays hooky from his first-period class whenever it rains. He then walks to Shinjuku Goen garden, sits in a gazebo and relaxes.

Yukari Yukino is a 27-year-old Japanese literature teacher who is going through a rough time, so she dawdles in a beautiful gazebo overlooking a pond drinking her beer and eating Meiji chocolates.

A chance encounter leads both characters in the same gazebo on one rainy day. They will create a bond of unique relationship.

REVIEW:
First of all, I love anime director Makoto Shinkai from his previous works such as "5 Centimeters Per Second" and "Voices of a Distant Star" (if you haven't seen this go watch it now! ^_^); so I was very excited to watch this movie. His animation style is very nostalgic and relatable that it will touch your heart, I promise!

As expected, every shot of The Garden is beautiful and very aesthetically pleasing. Besides that, it will give you goosebumps and make your heart soft. And as the movie progresses, you will fall in love with the lead characters and when the ending comes you are yearning for more. This is Shinkai's hook-line-and-sinker in all of his movies (that I've seen). You will be left wanting more but at the back of your mind he tells you and gives you satisfaction.

It is a short movie (46 minutes running time) so if you end up not liking it, you didn't waste so much time. I highly recommend watching this film!! ^_^

re-watch value ~ 5 out of 5 hearts!!!

watch the full movie English dubbed here ~ your welcome!

FAVE QUOTES:

"A faint clap of thunder clouded skies,
perhaps rain comes
Will you stay here with me?" ~ Yukino to Takao

"A faint clap of thunder,
even if rain comes or not,
I will stay here,
Together with you." ~ Takao's response to Takao

*this is a Japanese tanka (short poem) from Man'yoshu, Book 11, verse 2,514*

“In the evenings, before I went to sleep, and in the mornings, in the moment I woke up, I realized I was praying for rain.” ~ Takao

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