This review contains spoilers, kindly read at your own risk.

Content: This review is not meant to discuss Weathering With You in its entirety. Instead, I aimed to highlight the implications of the ending, and why I found it impactful.

This film reminded me of what The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter could have been. For those unfamiliar, this Japanese tale ended with Kaguya, giving her lover, the Emperor an elixir of immortality before she returns back to the moon. The Emperor, however, burns the elixir as he does not want to live forever without her. My interpretation of Weathering With You is derived from this old narrative, and how Makoto Shinkai reimagines it into a story of what could have been.

Unlike the Emperor who watched Kaguya return to the moon in the The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Hodaka, from Weathering With You stole Hina back from the sky. This, moreover, is what Shinkai so unique, and what makes Weathering With You so special. Although it is described as a 'typical modern tale' which 'may' not be on par with its predecessor, Kimi no Nawa, it is able to reimagine a classic trope into one with a fresh new twist and a completely different ending.

Weathering with You encapsulates the essence of young, desperate love.

"Who cares if we don't see the sunshine again?"

Even when fate itself was against Hodaka Morishima and Hina Amano, the love of Hodaka did not falter. Instead, he stood tall, against all odds to be with Hina. Sacrificing the safety of the whole world, he chose selfish, desirous, brave, yet foolish love. Watching Weathering With You made me realise a few things. First, the allure of young love; and second, the bubbling jealousy which erupted inside me thinking, "I too, want to be loved selfishly".

Weathering with You is captivating. Not just in visuals, but also in depth of sound (Kudos Radwimps) which always comes at the right time; and in story, which makes you yearn for something just as special as what Hodaka and Hina had (even if it was rooted in a form of selfishness).

Ratings: Plot (9), Characters (9), Visuals (10), Audio (9.5), Enjoyment (10), Personal Impact (9), Pacing (9), Ending (9).

All in all, I loved Weathering With You. It was heartfelt, warm, and stunning in many ways. Through its ability to reimagine a classic tale, this film rejects the tragic tropes of sacrificial lost lovers (which I thought it was going to do). Instead, it delivers a yearnful message that we can all learn from – Love without holding back.