Rain Town

Have you ever peered through the window on a rainy day, and, against all sense or reason, felt like venturing through the quiet outdoors?

Rain Town is a 10 minute short depicting such an experience. Ishida Hiroyasu (at only 25 years old) is a name that is quickly becoming known throughout the animation industry, and with a work such as Rain Town, it is anything but undeserved.

What makes Rain Town such a special anime is how much it accomplishes with so little. There is no dramatic storyline about humanity's survival, nor is there complex characterization to grab the audience's attention. Rain Town seeks instead ... to capture an ordinary moment in one's life, and it does so with splendor.

Following a young girl and her friendship with a solitary robot, Rain Town evokes a strong sense of nostalgia. Do you remember the times as a child when you would play with a complete stranger, never expecting to meet again? Or perhaps there was a time where you went to explore the vast outdoors, feeling as if you were the king of the universe. Rain Town reminds us of such distant memories - it reminds us of what it is like to be a child again.

There is no dialogue in the story; what little we know is revealed through a short title sequence at the beginning. But it is never confusing or difficult to follow. Rain Town respects the viewer's intelligence, instead contextualizing the story through imagery and body language. And despite its simplicity, the story still ends up becoming one of the most touching tales in modern animation. You may even shed a tear or two by the time it ends.

Rain Town is a beautiful anime to look at. The blue hues of the town effectively capture the feeling of isolation and melancholy, while the rain and scenery are rendered with meticulous detail, making each shot feel lucid and meaningful. In one particular scene, a bleak alleyway slowly transforms into a dreamlike city, bustling with human activity and sunshine. Simple scenes such as this are all that is needed for Rain Town to stand out as one of the best-looking pieces of animation to date. It is truly a delight.

As with the art and story, the sound design is kept minimal. Over the course of ten minutes, we hear only two sounds: a touching 4-note piano piece and the sound of raindrops. And it is plenty. What little we hear is more than enough to create a powerful atmosphere - almost as if we could close our eyes and be transported to another place. It is deliberately ordinary, never forcing emotion from the viewer.

If there has ever been an example that bigger does not necessarily mean better, this would be it. As Rain Town shows, we don't need explosions and melodrama for an anime to leave a lasting impression.

While rain may at times remind us of our loneliness, we will always, surely, be comforted as the rain dwindles and the sun begins to shine.

“Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants pain. But you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.”

In our current society a good majority of people have been far too desensitized by the simpler forms of entertainment. We've become too entranced by pop culture, repetitiveness, and fitting in with the trends. Most forms of entertainment nowadays are filled with cliché explosions, overly sexualized figures, and cheap antics to keep us entertained. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. Entertainment varies based on its audience, and different people enjoy different things; our opinions on what we like are constantly changing. Sometimes, however, something strays away from ... the norm and presents a graceful story for people to enjoy. It presents itself to us in a subtle, serene, and humble way to be appreciated by those who are willing to watch and listen. Rain Town is a story that doesn't require words for one to appreciate and fathom. It’s a story about an ambiguous town subjected to an unending rain. It's a story of friendship despite differences, patience, love, nostalgia, and being left behind. It's a simple, surreal, somber, and symbolic story that captures one's heart and imagination in just under ten minutes.

The visuals of Rain Town are nothing short of beautiful. It was made in 2011 and could easily compete with any modern day animation to boot. From the meticulous ripples of raindrops in puddles to the scenic, melancholic town and its charming characters, Rain Town is truly spectacular.

The soundtrack is quite good for a short film; it's simple, yet hits all the right notes right from the beginning to set the mood. The sound of the rain leaves sets a calm, drab atmosphere which depicts the environment of the rainy town quite well. I think the only issue I had with the sound portion was that the tone of the piano did get slightly repetitive after a few minutes. Though it would have been nice if it had adjusted the tempo slightly, it isn't really a big issue considering you could watch this film without sound and still enjoy it.

There are only a couple characters in Rain Town, but their speechless charm and allure makes them all the more endearing. The little girl is so innocent and sweet that one can't help but adore her every action. She loves playing in the rain and that's a fairly accurate depiction of most children her age. I really liked the realistic side of that. Though the little girl was adorable, I believe that the robot is what takes the cake for this particular short. It's such a good friend and companion to the little girl in the short amount of time they are together that you can't help but love it as a character. The robot essentially is the embodiment of the perfect friend; it is loyal, patient, and understanding. The background history of the robot simply broke my heart. In roughly a minute you can see why he was sitting on that particular bench, why he takes a liking to the little girl, and why he falls apart, both literally and figuratively.

Rain Town was inspiring and heartfelt. It's a wonderful piece that reminded me a lot of Tsumiki no Ie, which is another superb animated short. If you haven't seen that one, or this one for that matter, I would profoundly recommend you to do so. It's rare to find something that succeeds in touching our hearts, but it is seamlessly done in a simple short film about a rainy town, a little girl, and a robot. Bravo.

Alone, a little girl explores her dreary town. Only the sound of the rain can be heard. The only shred of life/light seems to beckon her through a dark ally. The scenery consists of low hues of blue and this town is reflected perfectly in the puddles below... The things that were lost and never found lay dead and lifeless in these reflections. But she will always cherish the memories and the friend she made that day...

Rain Town evokes a feeling of melancholy and loneliness, however there is also a reminiscent feel of childhood. There is some symbolism in this anime.

Walking down a rainy isle, listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops makes Rain Town a magnificent short film I have ever seen. No words could describe of how the story was really well mad. Original and ground-breaking music that always calms me deep inside. This was a worthwhile film to watch.

First of all, I'd like to say that actions speak louder than words. Notice that there aren't words being said in this film, basically means words are not necessarily needed to be understand. Just the sound of the rain needed to make this film beautiful as it already is. The way the characters act ... around each other was amazing. The bond both the robot and the girl made was inseparable, not obstacle could break them, even fate could break how they loved one another.

Second of all, the breathtaking story that makes you want for more. A story about a robot and a little girl that is so full of unexpected destiny and fate that brought them together. Definitely, the ending was more than a happily ever after. This films makes me cry buckets of water, and of course inside made me hope like no other.

Third of all, the music is seminal. Really beautiful, with the sound of raindrops and the sound of piano mixing together to make a perfect harmony exceeds my expectations. Of course that way the music fit well into the film makes it an benefit of how amazing the film really is.

Fourth of all, the characters are really well drawn. It's not just about the way the way they are drawn too, but the way the characters express themselves without the help of words. Like I said in the beginning, "actions speak louder than words" amazingly fit well in the story.

Rain Town takes us to the future then to past. Remembering friends that the main character met during the rain. As the story goes the title rain town means that the robot the the main protagonist character's grandmother met was waiting a bus stop. Waiting for the child the robot met in the past. Hoping to be found again and played with. This story magically extravagant. In one of the scenes, on how the robot fell because of the rain and oxygen made the metal rust and kept the robot sedentary in it's past position. However, meeting with the current little girl change the way the robot looked at the world.

In fact, the film showed us how we can never be alone in life and how fate can bring people together, but most of all how we can always find a way to bring our loved ones closer to us.

I'm a big believer in the idea that things which are simple and brief can be powerful. But when I read the description for "Rain Town," I was skeptical to say the least. And I believe that skepticism was justified: This short film was made entirely by one man. It contains no dialogue, and has a running time of just under ten minutes. And yet, five minutes into Rain Town, my doubts had disappeared. It wasn't quite enough to blow me away, but this short's, artwork, music, and emotionally appealing story are definitely worth praising.

Rain Town has a simple and touching storyline that could, in ... terms of theme and execution, be compared to the work of Hayao Miyazaki. I can't get into great detail (since the plot could be summarized in one sentence) but suffice to say that Rain Town is about a curious child's interaction with the world around them, and how this curiosity uncovers the past. With ten minutes and no dialogue, there's only so much you can do in terms of developing a story, so don't be expecting a heavily layered plot. But what's there is effective. The story does lack a little bit in the originality department, and at the end, you'll probably get the feeling that you've heard Rain Town's moral before, perhaps on numerous occasions. However, Rain Town does have enough grace to say it in a way that's more endearing than average.

Despite the handicap of having no dialogue to explain thought or emotion, the characters in Rain Town get by just fine. Again, don't expect biographies, because you're just not going to get them. But facial expressions and gestures, combined with appropriate cinematography (such as lingering on faces or particular characters to emphasize importance) successfully say everything that needs to be said.

Artistically and musically, Rain Town is a triumph. The art itself is slightly more gritty and realistic than what most of us are probably used to, and looks a little more similar to Western animation than is traditional of an anime. The abandoned town is rendered in fantastic detail; every line is sharp and crisp, and no two buildings, signs, or piles of garbage look alike. The ever-present rain falls in sheets onto the already slick ground, and the effects used to animate the liquid meeting the earth are beautiful. I can only imagine how long it took one person to do all of this. Rain Town's soundtrack is composed of slow, elegant piano tracks that perfectly capture the nature of the film itself. The piano's notes mingle with the sound of the rain to form a low-key but powerful element of background noise. The combination of the art and the audio result in a unique atmosphere which, in my opinion, is the single strongest element of Rain Town.

There's not a whole lot more I can say about this, other than that it was ten minutes very well spent. Again, my socks were not quite knocked off, but I have to sincerely compliment this charming little film. It accomplishes more in ten minutes than many full-length series do in eight hours.

Rain Town, was simply beautiful! It was a joy to watch and made we cry way too much for it only being 10 minutes long. The art work is just outstanding, it is absolutely gorgeous! I love how tranquil the world is with the rain in the background! You can also clearly understand the story with out a single spoken word. This work is a masterpiece, well done Hiroyasu Ishida!

Rain Town is a independent animation by Hiroyasu Ishida, known by his original works with a specific trait of art and animation. I cound't expect less than good from a artist like him.

Indeed, this show was beautifully designed with the purpose of insert the viewer in to a rainy environment, where the Simple makes art. I cannot describe how they touched me with a 10 minutes episode without plot or characters. It's like they appeal to times where everything were more simple. Where questions like "what the meaning of this?" could be overcome by child actitudes and a simple dripping alley was like a whole ... new world of adventure.

The art is great and the sound, composed mostly by raindrops, were also successful in transfer ourselves to another place, like a trance state. About story, there's nothing like that on this show, because the point is make the viewer feel something from inside, like if he's looking to a mirror. A mirror to the past, where sun and rain were equally understood by our innocent minds and adventure made its way through anyone at any place.

How beautiful it is to just press pause and stop this chaotic world for just ten minutes. In the complete absence of thought I found myself appreciating what I was looking at, a beautiful piece of art. Art doesn't always have to picture a realistic portray of the world, but this time it does just that. You look at the background imaginary and you see yourself finding similarities with places you have been to in your life. The color of the sky, the houses, the streets, everything reminded me of pieces of the world i experience daily. Never before I had felt this sensation watching ... an anime. This is where you understand the director's meaning behind this little film, he wanted to paint a world where you can breathe freely and that at the same time leaves you breathless.

How beautiful it is to find peace for just ten minutes. What a privilege it is to watch the work of an artist. I can't always call an anime director an "artist"because it wouldn0t be the correct term to use in this community where art becomes a mere product. But little gems like this are worthy of all that trash. Don't waste your time, watch Rainy Day.

(Not to mention that the story is pretty emotional, Shelter doesn't even come close.)

Rain Town is a punchy short story that tells what needs to be told with without exaggerations or understatements.

The anime truly shines on its art. Because of the lack of the dialogue, the depth of the scenery and art direction brings up the themes. It's more of a location study than it is a narrative. The characters are given some level of analysis but it's rather flimsy and superficial. Their individuality is mostly undistinguishable and blends in with an existential and somewhat larger-than-life narrative on the nature of memories and childhood. And in that it's pretty impactful, although somewhat tongue-in-cheek and not so elaborate.

However, the ... establishing shots on the city (both past and present), specially if taken into account the use of watercolor technics and dissonant, unsettling and slightly eerie piano arpeggios as the dominant soundtracks, turn the anime into a great study on locations and how they themselves produce a feeling of order, chaos, distance, closeness, brightness and loneliness. The simple contrast on the girls' bright jackets against the rusty blended earth tones of the robot-thing are enough to portray the distance between the subject and object of a memory. Many other imageries could be included here to tone in with the other themes, such as the cramped alleyway versus the open space with electric cables or how the use of watercolor in a rainy town makes it feel like background and foreground are constantly dissolving in each other.

Overall, the use of art to pack in so many interesting themes in a short anime, despite the lackluster narrative, makes it a definitive worthwhile watching experience for those willing to spend their 10min of streaming.