In both films, Shinkai turns a seemingly ordinary juvenile romance into a magical-realist journey — and a meditation on real social concerns. AdvertisementSuccess brings Hina, Hodaka and Nagisa happiness and more money than they’ve ever seen in their hardscrabble existence in the post-bubble Japanese economy. AdvertisementThe constant rains that flood Tokyo in “Weathering” suggest a metaphor for global climate change. Like young people around the world, Hodaka and Hina are trapped in the warming, increasingly inhospitable planet previous generations have left them. Shinkai’s sensitive treatment of these real-world problems gives the fantasy of “Weathering With You” a thought-provoking edge many more lavish American animated films lack.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 16, 2020 02:15 UTC