This was a complete spur of the moment watch since I was just looking through my list and happened to stumble upon this in my planning again. I have a thing for both rain and for teachers, so I thought now was as good a time as ever to just get it done with. I saw that it was only 46 minutes and figured I would get it completed real quick, and wow, that was really good. I know that a lot of people say this is one of, if not the weakest Makoto Shinkai movie, but I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it. I've seen my fair share of fast paced shows at this point, and I've learned to really appreciate the art that can come from these slower works. You can't call it maturity per se, but as I get older I tend to more often lean towards the grounded stories. Things like this movie which can really express real human emotion in such a short amount of time.

The big criticism I see of this movie is that it's too slow, but unfortunately that's the whole appeal of the movie I believe. It's obviously okay if it's not your cup of tea and you're free to not enjoy it, but for those who are able to resonate with the message of the story, I think it goes without saying as to why this movie was so good. It's just a simple story about a spontaneous relationship that was built out of coincidence, but the way the movie builds is such a realistic way of showing how human relationships are created. Nothing grand or dramatic is needed, just two people who are regularly at the same place during specific times. It's difficult to put into words and it's kind of stupid now that I'm writing it down, but I think there's a real beauty in the way that this is done.

Feeling stuck in the monotony of life is something that I regularly feel, as do most others I'm sure, and I think the other great thing this movie did was showcase how refreshing it can be for such a small change in your daily routine to change your life so drastically. Simply meeting someone everyday that it rains, nothing more. Just that simple change in both of their everyday lives caused such a big shift in their individual outlooks. It can feel impossible to climb out of the cycle of drudging everyday doing the same things, and seeing how a tiny break in the sequence like this can cause such a relationship to grow felt lovely to watch.

The most obvious aspect of this movie that even people who don't enjoy it can agree is good is the animation. CoMix Wave is basically a staple now after their work in Shinkai movies, and even over 10 years later their animation still holds up beautifully. It truly goes without saying just how stunning the animation is. Paired alongside this animation was an absolutely phenomenal piano OST, highlighting the calm and slow paced atmosphere that has become so controversial among people when rating this movie.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this movie so much especially after seeing such mixed reviews, but I really did find it unexpectedly touching, to the point where I even cried during that last scene. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to everybody, but I'm happy enough being able to enjoy it with others who can understand what makes it such a wonderful experience.