-Prefix (No Spoilers): So, for the path couple of months ever since this movie came onto my radar I have been dragging my feet to watch it, because I just didn’t think this movie was right for me, and if it was really worth watching wouldn’t it be more popular? But boy was I wrong. This film is some of the saddest most heart-wrenching anime shit I have seen in my entire life, the amount of emotions this movie makes you feel in such a short amount of time is an accomplishment in it of itself. Like guys before I even get anywhere near spoilers, if you have not watched this movie, do yourself a favor and watch this film right now yes the name seems kind of weird at first, and yes it might not be that popular, but guys this movie makes you feel so empty in such a short amount of time it is actually incredible. Ok, the rest of this may contain slight spoilers for the film, if you are ok with that you can keep reading, there will be a point near the end where I’m going to spoil the ending, but I will mark that very clearly with MAJOR SPOILER in the title. - Animation (No Spoilers): The animation in this film approaches this story in a very subtle way, no objects or people really stand out that much from their surroundings, but within this subtleness, there is a sort of warmth and softness to the film that really gives it this intimate feel. From the very beginning of the film you trust these characters, you can connect with them on a fundamental level that I typically do not see in many other films. Because of this familiarity and trust, I found myself actively listening to what the characters were saying without even realizing that time with passing. The warms this animation radiates touches (at least me) on a level that I wasn’t expecting when I first saw the trailer for the film. At first, I thought this animation was bland and not distinct in their approach, but as I actually watched the film I realized that this warmth and familiarity given off by the animation made time fly by so much faster as the films goes through the story, and by building off this momentum of trust the character progression and plot of the film kept this flow alive till the very end of the film. - Characters (Minor Spoilers): Really there is only one thing I really want to talk about in this section and that is the connection between Haruki and Sakura. The dynamic between Sakura and Haruki is so heartwarming throughout the entire film that it really did make this film for me. Just how they really improve one another’s best qualities, as well as helping each other come to terms with their worst impulses, is lovely to see. For Haruki, Sakura is the one that finally convinced him to open up to others, before he was afraid of making interpersonal connections because of the inevitable hurt they bring, but now because of Sakura, he knows that those connections are what life is all about. And for Sakura, Haruki Is the one that finally made her feel confident about herself, he showed her how to find her self-worth, not by depending on other people, but by thinking for herself. Because of this connection, both of them were able to grow to be more fulfilled versions of themselves, and that it’s just another beautiful part of this story. - Story (MAJOR SPOILERS): Guys I don’t know about you, but this movie hit me so hard that I had to pause it TWICE and take a walk around the block to cool down, first when you realize at the cafe that that was the last text he sent to her, and then second when you find out that she didn’t die because of the pancreas disease but because of that random stabber that has been on the loose since the beginning of the film.

You know just earlier today I was criticizing a different movie for having heavy-handed metaphors forced into the film, but HOLY SHIT the fact that she died from a stabbing to show that death really comes unexpectedly, and no matter how prepared you think you are you never are prepared enough, WOOF, such a soul-crushing and appropriate uses of this metaphor. I actually really liked this twist, because the one thing the film keeps emphasizing to put your mind at ease about the sickness is that she has time, don’t worry about the sickness today that is for future you to worry about, and the one thing this curveball shows you is that you don’t have time, every moment is precious, and you should treat each one like your last, because you never know if it is going to be. This film really is the epitome of the phrase “roller coaster of emotions” because this film has such highs of happiness, and such lows of sadness, that it really is a rollercoaster of emotions, where it feels like you have to catch your breath at the end of the experience. I don’t even know how to end this section, because I’m still riding on the high of emotions after finishing this film, so let’s move on.

- Conclusion: In the end guys, I honestly loved every minute of this film, there was not a single moment in this film where I felt like checking my watch or seeing how much runtime is left, because I was glued to my screen for every minute of it. So, when reviewing this fact, I’m just going to give this film a 100/100 because I honestly cannot point out a single flaw big enough to justify not giving it a perfect score. A movie that (for the past few months I have been pushing off) ended up getting a perfect score, really just is a testament to how much of an emotional rollercoaster this film truly is. It is honestly mind-blowing to me that this film isn’t more popular in the anime community, because (for me) it did everything right. Not to mention, this film ties it’s name into the story a heck of a lot better than Your Name, so all in all, again if you haven’t seen this film yet I highly HIGHLY recommend you take less than 2 hours out of your day to watch this phenomenal film, I promise you will not regret it😉😉😉