Kotonoha no Niwa

Art and animation alone are some of the best I have ever witnessed in my entire life. I can tell the budget for these 40 minutes has been astronomical. Attention to detail is incredible, and you can see the love and effort they’ve put into bringing this masterpiece to life. It’s truly fun to see these animators create something as fantastic as this in such a short amount of time. It just feels like feels like they’ve added extra 4K ray tracing to the rain, making it thousands of times better than what was originally drafted. Little details, like scenes of cooking, drawing, and the ... attention given to props throughout the anime, are incredibly well done. The city and town are perfectly drawn. I’m not an artist, so I can’t speak much about the technical aspects of art or animation, but as someone who can appreciate film and cinematography, this is an outstanding piece of animation that far exceeds expectations. Initially, I thought I was watching a commercial for something, but even if that were the case, I couldn’t care less. I just want to watch and see what it’s truly worth, beyond this incredibly stunning animation that is so beautiful, even a crown jewel couldn't compare. Music is quite calming—something you could listen to at night with the sound of rain in the background, which perfectly complements the rhythm of the film itself. There's no doubt that this is what you would expect to happen. If you enjoy calm atmospheres, what unfolds in this film might very well resonate with you. Voice Acting didn’t particularly stand out to me, but not in a bad way. It feels natural and realistic, more like how people would normally talk to each other, without leaning too much into the exaggerated anime-ish style. I think this suits the film well, as it maintains a grounded tone rather than going down a more typical anime route, which I find to be a good choice. Plot feels like a simple, one-shot type of series that you can watch for a quick, calming experience. It’s very straightforward, focusing on two people who find solace in each other’s company in a garden during the rain and talking about the healing power of human relationships and how the loneliness of a busy world can be alleviated by uniting in moments of tranquility leading to the conclusion of escaping personal struggles together.

Worth experiencing really. If you like anime movies, you can take this good 45 mins soaking it into you.

The Garden of Words. Ah yes, the anime that asks, “What if we took two people, one is a sad high schooler and the other a mysterious older woman, and had them talk in a garden while it rains... for 45 minutes?” Sounds like the setup for the world’s most artistic, yet strangely awkward, therapy session, right?

Let’s be real: The visuals are absolutely stunning. Like, ridiculously stunning. It’s basically a masterclass in how to make you feel like you’re standing in a rain-soaked Tokyo garden, while also questioning your life choices. Studio Shinkai (yes, the same guy behind Your Name) really outdid themselves. The rain ... looks so real, you might get soggy just by watching. The scenery is gorgeous, and if there was ever an anime that made you want to go outside and think deeply while staring at some leaves, this would be it.

Now, the plot. It’s basically two people — Takao, a teenage shoe designer who skips school to hang out in a garden, and Yukari, an adult woman who spends her time drinking beer and reflecting on her sad life — making awkward eye contact and sharing moments of silent emotional turmoil. The amount of subtext is almost a whole novel’s worth, yet no one can just talk. Instead, it’s just a lot of quiet stares, rain sounds, and deep sighs. For 45 minutes. It’s like the world’s most intense staring contest, but with more feelings.

I mean, I get it — it’s a metaphor for the awkward, fleeting nature of human connections. It’s deep, it’s poetic, it’s vague, but man, it’s also a bit of a snooze fest. There’s only so much rain-staring you can do before you start wondering if you missed the memo on what’s supposed to be happening.

Is it bad? No, not really. But it definitely won’t give you the same level of excitement as, say, a Dragon Ball Z fight or a Demon Slayer sword battle. It's more of a "sit down, sip your coffee, stare at the window and think about life" kind of anime. It's a solid watch if you're into quiet, emotional moments where nothing really happens except two people slowly realizing they probably shouldn’t be hanging out in a garden with their unresolved emotional baggage.

If you’re into watching anime where the main conflict is "will they or won’t they get the courage to talk about their feelings," then congrats, this is your emotional rollercoaster! But if you’re in it for something with a little more action or a plot that doesn’t revolve around rain and existential sadness, maybe look elsewhere.

When I was watching this anime, I felt like I was watching a summer day in my (boring) life.
This anime has nothing wow, but let's talk a little

1. Characters
Let's be serious, does anyone else remember a character from this anime besides the boy and that girl?? Oh and even if you remember, they were too boring, even the two protagonists, they didn't have anything special

2.Too short
How can an anime of less than 40 minutes be good? There are anime movies of at least a grade 11, but this one is too bad

3.Hype
... (Spoilers alert)
How can you be hype to a character like that guy, who all he does is give him a pair of slippers, bro nobody cares, there was no hype at all when he offered him the pair of slippers, but it should have been at least a little hype

The only ok thing was the ending, maybe a grade of 7 maximum