Watchlist #41 - Garden of Words (Makoto Shinkai Film)

Recently, I've gotten myself to invest more time into not only watching more Anime series, but also Anime movies. I now have dove into the worlds of both Hayao Miyazaki & Makoto Shinkai, two fascinating directors whose work is unmatched & unparalleled. The storytelling, animation & just the spontaneous creativity going into these films leaves my jaw dropped ~ I've never before seen Anime films so beautiful, serene, gripping, & emotional that, to me, American Animated Films don't really explore as much. Don't get me wrong, I love Pixar & Disney films, but with Studio Ghibli & Makoto Shinkai ~ it seems as if I'm more invested into these movies than that of Pixar/Disney. Is it a matter of preference or simply taste? Who knows. I love both American & Japanese Animated films, but I feel as if Japanese Animated films have more heart than that of American animated films. Again, not bashing on American Animated films, but there are many notable differences in the direction of how Animated movies go. Take for example Makoto Shinkai's 45 minute movie released in 2013 titled: The Garden of Words. When I watched this movie for the first time, I was stunned, amazed, fascinated, and in awe of the animation. According to what I've read, the director using techniques such as rotoscoping, hand-drawing, & CG. Incorporating all those elements into a 45 minute film, the reactions could be mixed. IT dragged me in the second I laid my eyes on it and it is a piece of artwork. The one thing I got to give it credit it to is its realism ~ the raindrops especially and the shoemaking are considered metaphors for the general theme of the movie: loneliness. The story, in a cliff-note version, introduces us to a man who starts unexpectedly becoming acquainted with an older women. Each time it rained, the two met, chat, & formed an unexpected bond that couldn't be explained easily at first, but you could say that the notion "you find friends in every place" seems to fit that perfectly. Now, people may argue of its length, but to me ~ I think it ended pretty touchingly. Sure, it isn't Miyazaki OMG WHOA material, but my goodness ~ the animation in the film is just so compelling to look at that it's impossible to look away. The story of two strangers meeting & becoming friends has been done before, but for an Animated film to accomplish it AND drive me to almost cry at the end ~ that's an impressive feat I must say. To me, I love Garden of Words. Sure it's short, but I found a lot of enjoyment and replayability just from the realistic storytelling & the beautiful animation. Makoto Shinkai's films cannot be missed!

I hope you enjoyed this week's Watch-list post. Look forward to Watch-list posts on Thursdays. If you're a fan of Anime, I highly recommend checking out Hayao Miyazaki & Makoto Shinkai's works, they must not be missed. They are all MUST-SEEs. Stay classy as always! BF II Round 16 + WBCR will be up tomorrow.