its hard to write this review. this film is stunning.

going in blind was a great decision - only hearing "hey, if you loved 'your name' then you're going to love this too" was enough to encourage me to watch it. and just like 'your name,' this movie broke me.

throughout this film, i saw myself in it's reflection. and i couldnt help but love the central theme of appreciating the beauty of slowly finding reasons to continue living. finally seeing a proantagonist grow and become a better individual definitely fills the hole that 'weathering with you' left in me when i watched it.

this movie has its flaws, and i think another rewatch would help me cement my opinion on it. some characters are whiny and undeveloped. a feeling of repition is omnipresent. but everything else counterbalances it.

EDIT: i read some discussions online. these two viewpoints point out my vague thoughts better than i could.

• from u/honestlytbh: "That said, was it just me, or was the ending not fulfilling at all? They tried to make it seem like he had all these friends now, but his relationships with the Nishimiya sisters were ones that felt genuine. Everyone else just felt fake, even the first kid he befriended. That guy just reeked of desperation for friendship."

(tl;dr the development at some points feels forced and the 'friends' just seem like they're there to be 'friends' for the MC. but maybe thats so the audience feels like those people are pushovers but to the MC they feel like something more because he had nothing? either way more character development was needed.)

• from u/cheby92: "And at very end, [there] is a strong message that life is good and the world around you is pretty darn nice... [Ishida] now looks all the way up and sees everyone around him, strangers in the crowd, his friends and Shouko are...enjoying life."

(tl;dr: i really, really like the core premesis of this story. again, 'appreciating the beauty of slowly finding reasons to keep going' is such a captivating premesis, and seeing someone capable of throwing off the shackles of their former selves is lovely, lovely to see.)

ALSO for the first 45 mins or however long the first part of the movie is, ishida is possibly the most hatable MC in a movie ive ever seen, fuck people who make fun of those who are disabled.

~

this film left me slighly conflicted. on one hand, its one of the best films ever made about mental health. on the other, it has some strange character flaws that undermine the deeper points of the plot and character development. honestly, ill probably have to update this review in the morning (i did). much like many of my other reviews, im finishing this up at around 2am. its hard to think much at this hour, and thats fine. theres always tomorrow, and after watching 'a silent voice,' i cannot be happier to say ill be able to wake up tomorrow to see the sunrise.

8.5/10