Kotonoha no Niwa

I knew what I was getting into but still I can't help being a bit disappointed.

The art was breathtaking, obviously. I found some of the lightings and humans to be way too simple compared to the so-realistic-you-can't-help-wonder-if-it-really-is-drawn backgrounds.

The soundtracks sometimes hit the right spot at the right time but they aren't really that memorable.

But really the low point of Kotonoha no Niwa is the story and the characters.
Characters: I know, some people enjoy the just-sitting-in-silence kind of thing but it made it too awkward for me. So I'm not saying they were bad characters. But they weren't good either.
Story: They brought in this whole ... shoe thing and the teacher's backstory all for... nothing? They never really went any too deep with it. The love didn't end up completed.

So it was "just" a feels show. Which isn't >bad< but I find that making feels show work is almost impossible. Creating one of this kind of movies is like basically saying "We are going to make you have emotions and it's going to hurt" but it's like telling me "Hey here's a challenge, try to watch this through without letting a single tear drop." and I take that challenge and yes my eyes stay dry.

So all in all, when I started watching it I was hoping that they will bring in some kind of nice twists or some nice conversations, but other than some supposedly fun retorts here and there it really didn't make me feel...anything.

[Ah I'm so heartless.]

Makoto Shinkai is one of the most talked about Anime directors in Japan, and he gets better and better with each new project of his. When Shinkai and his crew sit together to work on a project, the final product is nothing short of a beauty in directing. The fact that a human tries his hardest to learn from their mistakes and work on them to become better at their profession, that alone deserves colossal amounts of respect. This review is not meant to attack Makoto Shinkai or any of his fans, nor is it written to try and ruminate over what kind of art ... the man produces when it comes to his animated features. This review is written for the purpose of criticizing what is yet another Shinkai film that scores in the audiovisual department, but falls flat from a narrative standpoint.

The whole entirety of The Garden of Words, from it's story, to it's characters, to it's music, to it's visuals are all based around the theme of rain. Rain in it's artistic merit, is filled with metaphorical symbolism and meaning. According to art, rain may be an indicator of loneliness, depression, good intentions, giving or life. This is generally speaking of course, as rain can also describe things and feelings that are very distinctive, depending on what is added to it from a narrative standpoint. In the movie, "The Garden of Words" the writer managed to use the rain to convey the meaning of freedom and getting rid of one's own shackles to find inner peace and self worth. The writer managed to use both the rain and the setting the two main characters socialized in to strengthen his themes, because the particular setting's presence with the rain complete the meaning of the film. Yes, the rain and the park create the body structure for the story, and that is something we rarely see these days in storytelling. It is a structure that is very unique, as it focuses on the weather and setting and makes both of them the center of the story.

Most of the time, writing a story can be focused on characters or certain circumstances. The structure for this story is easy, the characters could be written in an unlimited manner. However, the reality of this is that one should be really careful, because if the characters that were intersecting with the rain and the park were very well developed, but less immersed with those settings, then the originality of the idea would have been diminished. Luckily, the writer managed to create a story with characters and events that fit with each other in a nice and light manner. If we took a look at the characters, then they are all fairly realistic in accordance to the story. As for the events, they take place in a fairly realistic time zone, from the beginning of the rainy season until it's very end. There are many sights in the film that inspire awe and wonder, visually speaking, but nothing compares to the beauty of the rain falling, and the events that occur in that particular park, are the most beautiful. There is a great amount of concentration on how the rain begins, continues and then stops. The writer managed to convey it's motion perfectly, to the point where he was able to turn the rain into a concrete and distinctive personality of it's own. As for the ending, it doesn't add anything of value to the movie, nor does it ruin it.

The directing in this movie played a huge role in making the story stand out, most of the outer backgrounds in this film are realistic photos, aka real images, and then the staff draws and colors over them until they become a drawing. What is so impressive is the fact that they are very detailed, and they give an atmosphere to the film that is enough to immerse the viewer into it's setting, and that is something that is hard to accomplish, but the movie managed to do it effortlessly. The main reason for that is the fact that the drawings are realistic photos, and the fact that both the state of the weather and time reflect in a very big and realistic way on them. The inner place backgrounds that can be found in houses and what not, are filled with plenty of details, and those details reflect on the characters that live inside those houses and make them more believable as characters. The character design is very important for the body structure of the story that are the park and the rain, but there is a minor error that can be found, which is the fact that the characters do not look their own age. For example, the teacher looks like a student, and the school student, Takao, looks like he belongs in a college.

The Japanese voice acting is great, especially with whom they picked to voice over the main cast. It is important for the voices to be calm and warm in a movie which centers around the idea of rain, and that is something that Shinkai managed to pick with certainty. The soundtrack is also good, where the most prevalent musical instrument is the piano, and this is a very suitable choice for the rain. The songs are all suitable when it comes to their lyrics, and they fit in with what occurs throughout the movie. The sound engineering is one of the best features of this movie, where it truly shines is the various sounds of the rain, whether it be the sound of the rain when it's windy, or when it falls on various objects.

The conclusion is that the harmony between the sound engineering, the drawing of the movement of the rain, and the various background layouts truly were the factors that made this movie an enjoyable ride. This chemistry between the three factors mentioned, created a unique atmosphere that is riveting and deserves a round of applause. The length of the movie is only forty six minutes, which is very suitable for all of the movie's content to a degree, and the movie doesn't even need one additional minute of content. Truly great choices by Shinkai.

However, even if the movie had all of the backing up in the audiovisual department, it is still not a movie for everyone. A lot of the viewers cannot chime in with the figurative art of the film, especially the movies where the main theme that is prevalent in them being the body structure of the story. Me being one of those viewers, as I thought the movie lacked any real character development, and the story was trite. This does not mean that the Garden of Words is a bad film though, it just means that it is a niche movie and it is not for every viewer.

Makoto Shinkai provides us with yet another stunning visual treat with his latest film. "Garden of Words".
For those of you who don't know this man, he was most famous for directing films like "5 Centimeters per Second" and "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" as well as "Children Who Chased Lost Voices from Deep Below" recently in 2011.

The hype train built up a lot of steam with this film, especially after watching the trailer a few months ago. Judging by the gorgeous artwork, fluid animation, and brilliantly simple piano score, this looked and sounded to me like a potential summer blockbuster in the ... anime community.

Sadly, the hype train did not quite live up to this potential as there were several glaring flaws which only became more prominent as the film went on.

Story: The narrative features a 15-year-old high school boy who aspires to be a shoemaker and a 27-year-old woman who happens to be his high school teacher. The age gap makes for an interesting premise, but falls far short because Shinkai, beating an already dead horse, once again revolves his story around the theme of the forlorn and distant lovers, and how they struggle and cope with their issues. This constant rehash of the same theme for what is now his 5th major production gets old very fast, no matter how much you change up the plot.

Character: While I do sympathize (somewhat)with the characters and find their motives reasonable, the ways in which they developed were almost too predictable. A fated encounter in a beautiful green Japanese garden followed by casual conversation and the characters gradually grow closer. Aside from feeling contrived, the film also felt too short, leaving very little room to explore the characters. The film's brevity is especially detrimental towards character development, which has been a hallmark of Shinkai's films in the past.

What with all this criticism, let it be said that this is still a Shinkai film, and therefore an excellent visual treat.

Art: Wallpaper worthy all around. With a combination of detailed character designs and meticulously drawn backgrounds, from the luscious green gardens in which our main characters meet to the raindrops from Japans stormy season that inundate them. I would personally like to give praise to Shinkai and Co. for his consistency in creating excellent visuals throughout his career, and his dedication to making his animation top notch and fluid in all of his films up to this point is something to be admired as well.

Sound: OST isn't particularly memorable. The rainy sound effects are of good quality, but the fact that it's almost all I ever heard in the film can get a bit monotonous at times. Nevertheless, the rainy effect combined with the minimalist piano make for a harmonic atmosphere that is both pleasing to watch and relaxing to listen to.

Enjoyment: While I can't say I was totally disappointed with the film, I was nevertheless somewhat dissatisfied that Shinkai had to fall back on his old and overused themes, and rely so much on his films appearance and sound. It would be a shame to see such a prominent director/producer go down like this, so I hope this is merely a bump in the road for what has so far been a remarkable career for Shinkai and I look forward in hopes that he will bounce back in the future.

Recommendations: For those of you who are Shinkai fans or familiar with his work, I recommend this film so that you can educate yourselves on how his directing career is progressing. For those of you who are new to Shinkai's work or anime films in general, I would recommend you start with some other film (perhaps one of the 3 mentioned in the beginning would interest you guys )

(((CAUTION: spoilers af)))

By all means, The Garden of Words had the potential to become an instant favorite for me.

I, personally, love walking alone amongst the trees, and I do it on a regular basis. It's a good way to escape the loneliness of the crowded, dense city, to go outside to be intentionally alone. It is calming and refreshing. The one thing I like more than this, however, is to share the same calming, refreshing, quiet experience with another. Maybe talk some nonsense, have some laughs, then spend some time just absorbing sunlight and nothing else.

What I've just described is pretty much the set ... up for The Garden of Words. Our transparent-umbrella-wielding protagonist has wandered into Yoyogi Park to enjoy the rain, and the solitude that comes with it, because life can be shitty and who else goes to the park in the rain? Unexpectedly, however, he finds another person, a lady, who has came there for the exact same reason. When the two notice each other, they stumble for words, both unsure whether or not they are annoyed that someone else is at their hideout or if they're happy to have found such an instant kindred spirit. They're both immediately embarrassed and vulnerable, caught by surprise in the rain. It's immensely cute, and it's genuine. The protagonist sits himself down awkwardly, as far away from the love interest as he can while still being under the protection of the gazebo, and stares down at his sketchbook as she stares off into space, sipping her beer.

Then he looks at her feet. Her feet which he is drawing.

One thing I've noticed about anime and Japanese culture is that elements of fetishism, specifically female dominance/male submissiveness, are way more commonplace than here in the States. Most of the time it's innocent enough; no shonen is complete without a sexual female villain showing up and probably enslaving someone. Sometimes, it's explored intentionally and in an interesting way (see: Aku no Hana). But in this case, the moment the "camera" focused on those feet, a red flag immediately went up and any hope that this movie would be unique or original began to slip away, being replaced with the all-too common la la land of the manic-pixie dream girl story. It's old hat (seriously, the trope even has its own wikipedia page), and you can see right through it just like the main character's umbrella. The lady of the film, Yukino, is a hopeless, mysterious loner who cannot find any shred of meaning in her life whatsoever until this 15 year old kid comes through and touches her feet. Then, she just can't think of anyone else, and when he leaves, she bursts into tears, bursts through her door, runs straight into a wall, and falls down her apartment's stairwell all to catch up with him, to stop him, to stop him from leaving, to keep him with her, because he has utterly revolutionized her life. It's absurd. It's laughable. And the classic, emotionally-manipulative orchestra comes in right on cue, absolutely SWELLING as this unfolds. And, for chrissake, it turns out she's a TEACHER at HIS school, because this plot wasn't enough of a cliche sex fantasy already. Would it have been too much to make her profession something unrelated to the MC? I mean, in and of itself, her being a teacher is not necessarily a bad character detail, and given a longer run time, her life as a teacher could've been explored. But we all know that's not REALLY why the writer chose to make his muse a high school teacher. It's similar to how the main character is conveniently obsessed with shoes and wants to make them; not a bad detail at all, but its primary function is solely for the sake of setting up the foot scene, which, again, is the moment that absolutely revitalizes Yukino's whole outlook on life, which is, again, pathetic.

Of course, the art is breathtaking. I give it a 10. Of course, the sound editing is top-notch. I give it a 10. Even the dialogue is very well crafted, excelling at capturing people in a natural state. But at the end of the day, The Garden of Words is really just a boyish fantasy about wanting your hot teacher to fall in love with you whilst dangling a shoe that you made for her from her toes that *thinks* it's a moving, poetic story about two very different people who bond over walking in the rain.

The anime was slow paced in the beginning, but that didn't matter because the environment was well suited for such a speed (rain, thunder and moody in general). I loved how it depicted the life of normal people, nothing too imaginary. But the real deal breaker was the love story, for me personally it was too cringe to bear... the age gap, even how things escalated in the last 5 minutes, i couldn't make any sense of it at all.
I believe its a personal opinion derived from my own mentality.
The art was really nice and the music too, other than that i disliked everything else...

A 27-year-old woman falls for a 15-year-old boy. I would love for you all to reverse the roles of this movie and tell me how you really feel. The movie has amazing animation and camera work, with many shots focusing on feet all in the name of the main male character wanting to make shoes. It was an entertaining movie but I can't get that age gap out of my head. my overall feelings are mixed but the animation does help.
The characters needed more time but for the short length, I think they are just ok at best. the character acting was very ... good, from voice acting to character movements.

A faint clap of thunder
Clouded skies
perhaps rain comes
If so, will you stay here with me?

The answer to this tanka was rather poetic, but my answer would be a simple 'No'

Movie starts of brilliantly, proving Makato Shinkai's excellence once again in his beautiful landscape designs and detailed city art. Especially few scenes of raindrops and reflection are visual treat. But that's it, movie was nothing more than a visual extravaganza.
Art: 10/10

We are introduced, a 15 year old boy who skips morning class in rainy days to sketch his shoe designs in a garden, where he meets a young woman. With romance as it's ... main genre and a very less run time of 46 minutes, detailed character backstories are expected early on, but we are never provided with one. Lots of time is wasted on picturesque shots and less interaction between the two main leads. Side characters are too shallow, not even tried to develop. Pacing is slow adding it to the seasons changing really fast makes it excruciating to watch. Midorikawa's Hotarubi no Mori e 's movie adaptation did a very good job at developing character in a short run time which Garden of words failed to do. Only plus point was when we get to know her profession in latter half of the movie. Climax is rushed and abrupt and ruined the flow, the movie had previously created.

Minor spoilers ahead(skip through this para, if not watched )
We get to know Yukine wants to walk on her own and her life is clumsy. With shoe being the metaphor. Shinkai wants us to believe Takao helped her. But execution of this was completely miserable and felt forced towards the end of the movie, especially the confession scene.
Character and plot: 4/10

Background scores were brilliant and simple and kept the flow of the movie continuous. Vocal piece at the end of the movie was not that memorable, easily forgotten.
Music: 8/10

So 'Garden of words' is a movie filled with metaphors and slow pacing. I would not recommend it unless you want to watch a wonderful art and are into romance and slice of life genre or this movie is best avoided.
Overall: 6/10

I was practising how to walk too. One day, when I can walk much farther on my own...I ll go meet her.
- Takao Akizuki, Garden of words

Sorry... I think this movie is boring...

I watched Kotonoha no niwa because of the high score given by the MAL users... However, it turns out that I don't like the story at all..

It was so quiet... and slowwwwww....

The art was superb though....

But still, I think, the storyline was plain... It's just that this movie focuses more on deep emotions of the MCs in their struggle to make a choice for future.

... Those who love a slow-paced movie that full of emotions, this is for you...I think, some scenes even have deeper meanings that you have to explore it by yourself...Full of symbolics...

The place that both MCs meet have a very beautiful and peaceful scenery... the sound of the nature was good too...

However, I really despised the weak resolution took by the main character... I mean, the teacher... some students caused a problem and because of that, the teacher choose to go away, and stay far from the current place. Such a weak character... I expected the teacher fights back for her rights.

Since I don't like slow pace, I became sleepy before half of the movie... A slow-paced movie that I could ever accept is The Place Promised in Earlier Days...

Anyway, there must be reasons for everything... You can just give Kotonoha no niwa a try... 😊

Well that was...ok.

I went into this movie not expecting much and it certainly wasn't what I expected. When I first saw the synopsis, I thought it sounded lovely. I'm a sucker for pretty animation and stories regarding human nature and the beauty of connection, so it seemed like a wonderful watch. I got a bit worried when I saw the genre tagged as 'romance', however, as the synopsis makes it very clear our protagonists are a high school student and an adult woman. After doing a little digging, it seemed the general consensus among people I know who've seen it was that it was platonic ... in nature and that the real connection in their relationship was more important than any romantic feelings.

Perhaps I've just consumed too much Western media (a common thought seems to be that Western viewers are more likely to misinterpret this movie), but I simply could not find it within myself to enjoy it. Even when there were nice moments, scenes that showcased the beauty a friendship can have, all that was nagging in the back of my mind was their age gap.

A lot of this film is quite subdued and quiet, and this is reflected in how their relationship is treated when (spoiler) he confesses his feelings for her. She just smiles, reminds him of her teacher title, and then soon after they share a heart-to-heart and a hug.

I think I understand what this movie was trying to be. And I wish it was that. I wish it was a movie about two people, outcasted by their normal lives, able to find comfort within each other in a park. Human connection is so beautiful and I would've loved to see a reflection of that. Especially since the animation is so gosh darn pretty! (Seriously, I'm almost inclined to say the animation makes up for everything else). And maybe I've completely missed the point of the movie, and that's exactly what it was. I just couldn't see it that way.

I saw a trailer of this movie and was taken aback with the stunning art. It was absolutely beautiful, and it easily convinced me to watch this movie. So I did...and was quite disappointed.

In short the art was what I expected, which was gorgeous. The plot, however, was very lackluster. Nothing really happens and that which does is forced and unnatural. When I finished the film, I just sat there thinking what the whole point was. This wasn't because I failed to understand its message. I did, but the execution was poor and the ending was abrupt. I would recommend watching this movie strictly because ... it has some of the best art I've seen, but don't expect much in terms of plot.

In the end, the art can carry the film only so far which is why I give it a 5/10.

The only thing I knew about this when I went into it was that it's about two people who keep meeting in the rain. That was enough for me. I love the rain, I love the idea/trope of "strangers meeting in the rain", and so I was sold. I'll start off with what I enjoyed about this short film.

* The art-style. Whilst the scenes where it rained were, of course, particularly beautiful, you also get some nice attention to deal. There's some Ghibli magic going on when it comes to food too, it's delightfully drawn.
* Plus, the "camera direction" is really well done. You ... get some very fluid and interesting shots in this film.
* The music's good, too. I found the addition of the piano to be very welcome, and the voice actors did a decent job.
* Finally, I'm a sucker for just... the general depiction of Japanese day-to-day life, and Kotonoha no Niwa does it well, in my opinion.

Now, for the cons.

* I just didn't care for the characters. They felt very generic, very bland, and they're just not memorable.
* The age-gap. He's 15, she's 27, and a tutor at his school. I appreciate that I'm getting to see an entirely different culture to my own, and different cultures do/see things differently, but for me, that sort of age-gap isn't going to sit well with me.
* Whilst the initial concept interested me, my interest didn't develop further. You could see where things were going, and I would've liked for things to be longer, and more fleshed out, so I could be properly absorbed into and impacted by the plot.
* Plus, kind of spoilery but not really, the "plot twist" where the main guy suddenly seems to have a foot fetish? It threw me, and all I could think of as he went to touch her foot was the "ET phone home" moment where ET's finger is glowing. I struggled to take things seriously after that.

I know I'm in the minority with my opinions, and that's fine. I think I just wanted more.

This Garden of Words was fertilized by the cow manure of its poor characterization and story.

Story: 6 for Fair.

It's clear, at least. I was also a big fan of the ending.

Other than that, it was pretty dry. There wasn't anything interesting going on except for the plot twists, but I feel like anyone more well-versed in anime/cinema trends than I am could have spotted them from miles away.

These people sat on a bench and complained about issues they caused, or just things that didn't matter. There's only so much of that you can take before you realize that the endeavor is pointless.

It was genuinely ... boring, especially when the characters were being introduced.

Art: 8 for Very Good.

The art was ... Very Good. Easily the best part of this movie. The settings were nicely animated.

Sound: 7 for Good.

Nothing too special, nothing too shabby.

Character: 5 for Mediocre.

There was nothing interesting about these characters. The woman was flat and dull and just unpleasantly weird, despite any attempts to provide her with an "interesting" backstory. The male character wasn't interesting, even though he was obsessed with shoes. Who cares? I didn't. Other characters were stereotypically flat and boring, if they were present at all.

Were we supposed to be rooting for the romance? If so, it didn't work. I wanted it over as soon as it begun. Someone in the forums raised the question: if the genders between the protagonists were switched, would this continue to be seen as romantic?

I try not to operate under those double standards.

Enjoyment: 6 for Fair.

Enjoyed with a friend, but as I said before, the beginning is horribly boring.

Overall: 6 for Fair.

Good art is the highlight of Kotonoha no Niwa. The sound was not bad. Everything else wasn't remarkable or was bad. Bad story and bland characters, but at least the resolution was entertaining.

I recommend Doukyuusei, instead ... a romance with similar poetry to this one, but without all the corruption.

Listen to me first before reading to the rest of the review
after I finished the movie I was just like ... " what the hell is going on " I did understand the idea of the movie and all but in the same time I didn't understand the ending nor the goal of the story

My overall rating to the movie is 6/10 as u can see .. and here are my reasons

1/Story : 5/10

I just did not like the idea of the story ... what the hell is happening ? a young 15 years old boy falls in love with a 27 ... year old teacher in his school ? beside the poor story writing there is a very obvious poor storytelling .. at least give me time to understand the fast things that are happening 46 minutes with 2 minutes of beginning scenes and entire 4 minutes of ending makes the movie 40 minutes ... how am I supposed to understand and like a story that is only 40 minutes long ?
my problem with the idea is the ENTIRE idea of a young 15 years old boy falls in love with his teacher is just unrealistic ... and do not give me the thing of " love doesn't know age " ... the story deserved 5/10 .. no more and no less


2/ Art : 9/10

Art was a great thing in this movie the drawings of the characters/Places/Rain ... etc was really great ... art was a good point to this movie



3/Sound : 8/10

just like art ... sound was great too with the OSTs/Ending and all were great and good for the story



4/ characters: 7/10

however you look to it ... it was only the TWO main characters who got camera time ... NO MORE
but on the other side we took a good look on there characters which make the characters get 7/10


5/ the enjoyment : 5/10

this is a personal point now
I really did not enjoy the movie well
I only enjoyed the final parts but still I was bored in the other parts


The movie was not satisfying for me and I did not really like it sadly it did not deserve my expectations .

It is difficult to score films like Garden of Words . The visuals alone make you feel like giving it a 10, but then the vague tedious story gets your experience down to a 2.

Should you watch it? Of course, but watch it as a brilliant exercise in animation and mesmerizing backgrounds rather than the pretentious character study it claims to be. Every frame has been drawn out meticulously creating some of the smoothest animations in anime history. Just check out how Takao makes shoes. The backgrounds are brimming with details down to the last pixel. And the raindrops, damn! Garden of Words is painting ... in motion. Sadly, that is all it is.

The Garden of Words is the most aesthetically beautiful anime I've ever seen. The combination of minute detail and the modelling of reflected and refracted light in sun and rain creates something which has beauty in every frame, which makes you constantly pause it to appreciate frames as still images.

Much as its visual beauty comes from a careful, slightly glossy depiction of the real world, the film seems to have aimed to bring out the same poetry-of-the-ordinary concept in its story and its characters. Two lonely, somewhat lost and unsure people meet coincidentally because they both like to skive off their responsibilities when it ... rains in the mornings and go to watch the rain and light play on a garden pond. Slowly, they begin to understand a little more about each other and connect, opening up to each other as they don't to anyone else.

The main character, Takao, is a high school student in (more or less) modern Japan who wants to be a shoemaker, the sort of quirky ambition which combines nostalgic outdatedness with a half-artistic/half-blue-collar feel. His chosen profession figures into the film in a couple of significant ways - since it's more than a little odd, it leaves him feeling lonely and alienated because he feels people would laugh at his dream, and it becomes a metaphor for the way he helps Yukino, the mysterious and secretly-traumatised older woman he meets, to "walk", to stand up for herself and engage with life again.

This is a sufficiently promising premise to become something special if put in the hands of a keen observer of human connections - someone who can realistically write the conversations a 15-year-old and a 27-year-old might have in the context, and find the spark for their growing relationship. The problem is, Shinkai isn't all that keen an observer, preferring the glossy, artificial perfection of montages that conveniently skip to the required moments in their continued friendship - Takao tells Yukino he wants to be a shoemaker but is frustrated in this, Yukino offers to let him use her feet to model the shoes, they share food, etc - in order to give you the digested version of what would surely have been a far more complex narrative (especially given what we learn about who Yukino is), with a lot more hesitation on both sides.

Sometimes a lean film is good, but at 46 minutes, The Garden of Words is simply rushed. This doesn't ruin it, but it does ensure that it can't be better than quite good, as it fails to find anything insightful or specific to say about how strangers can fall in love with each other due to shared loneliness; it just assumes they will if they're both nice enough and lonely enough, and cuts in a great many gorgeous shots of pouring rain on flowers and trees with serene piano music to convince you of the illusion.

The visuals are godlike and so is sound design, the story is a bit barebones but that's to be expected from a 40-minute OVA, my only real gripe is that an ending was a big fucking nothing. Like, the entirety of plot and all its subplots never got tied up and were just left to dangle quite awkwardly, like a penis of a 50-something dude who scored a girl twice younger than him but predictably failed to get an erection. Nothing in this anime is given conclusion.

Otherwise it would be 10/10 but the ending is really worth subtracting 4 points. I mean, it made ... me so mad I went and wrote this review, and I'm usually a very reserved person.

P.S. Came back to mention that not even the screenwriting is all bad, the dialogue was written pretty well and pacing was really good(made the show feel longer than it really was, which is a big plus considering the length), it's really the plot that ruins it all. What a waste.

This anime has some of the best art and best music of any anime that I have ever seen. I watched this with my kids in 1080p on a 4k player that upscales on a 65" screen with surround and let me tell you the visuals and sound were incredible. There were points in the animation where the kids asked if "this is real" meaning if it was a live shot. Yeah the animation is that good. The sound was absolutely immersive. They did a lot better on the sound than a lot of hollywood movies do. It ... was incredible. The only downside is that the story absolutely sucked. We were all bored through out the movie and at this point I'm sorry that I subjected my kids to it. The characters are .5 dimensional the story is super slow and it builds up to basically nothing.

I was rather strict with this movie, because the start set me up for expectations of a much deeper plot that would be heart-wrenching, much like Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. However, I was somewhat disappointed when all that happened seemed like a rainfall that left no trace of its coming on the earth. The storyline was also disappointing in the fact that there was a lot of "telling" and not "showing", so when the mysterious lady was in deep waters, Takao's informants had to tell him about what happened to her. As the audience was not shown what happened, the storyline was quite shallow ... and under-developed.

The art in itself is commendable. I liked the fact that there was a very natural set of palette and even setting in which the story took place. There is no over-done "sparkle" in the world this was set in, and everything was very grounded and realistic, which gains my respect. Many little details were paid great attention to. However, the characters were very simplistic and were drawn without much emphasis on special effects whatsoever. It was a refreshing art piece that has my admiration.

There are very realistic sounds, but nothing special about the entire soundtrack that caught my attention, which is a bit disappointing. I did notice that there was emphasis to the raining sounds that set most of the ambience for the show, but mediocre for me.

Character development was not established, which is fair, because for such a short show, you cannot expect expansive character development. However, I feel that some details about the characters are... unnecessary. For example (slight spoiler here) the lady has a taste deficiency — how does that relate to the story? Was it crucial to the plotline? I also feel that more could be said about Takao. He seems very shallow to the audience; as shallow as his understanding of the lady.

Overall, I enjoyed this piece because it was an idyllic plot which allowed me to kick back and relax and take my mind off things as I watch the story unfold. Gets a 6/10 from me.

The garden of words is an anime with a beautifully animated environment which along with its sound can make watching it into quite the experience. The story however I liked less and is the reason is can't recommend it to everyone.

The story is a story is 40 minutes long and you experience along with the characters. There is no clearly defined goal or purpose but you just follow the characters and their interactions, simply experiencing where the story goes. The story is mostly about two people meeting in a garden on rainy mornings where they then interact. Initially you barely know anything about the ... characters which can make this interesting to watch. The story ends in a somewhat inconclusive manner.

The characters are interesting, both clearly having their own life going on. Them meeting and interacting can be fun. Some of the actions the characters take in the later part of the movie are human but not well thought out and I didn't enjoy watching it.

The animation of the environment was, as stated before, beautiful. The art of the characters however didn't match this at all and was pretty standard animation. The characters also sometimes had weirdly coloured outlines which was occasionally slightly jarring. The music and sound were good but didn't always match the scenes, though I guess that's a good thing considering how much it rains in the anime and how deafening the rain can be.

Overall this is a pretty beautiful anime that can be unique experience and may resonate with certain people. Personally I didn't like the story, romance, actions of the characters and inconclusiveness at the end which is why I can't recommend it to everyone.

It is an incredibly beautiful work of art, but truly has no substance. The art is 10/10 while the plot is flavorless.

One of my main issues is that I feel that characters do not develop or grow. I understand that the author wanted a more realistic romance story to juxtapose with some of the romanticized stories out there, but at the end of the film, I just don't see the point. What do the characters learn from their experiences?

Although I have problems with this, there are some strengths to highlight.

As mentioned, the art is phenomenal, truly breathtaking visuals of nature.

On the topic of nature, ... I feel that the film's focus of nature and the garden is refreshing as I fail to see this in other anime.

Overall, I think that the visuals and emphasis on nature make this film worthwhile, but the plot and characters holds this back from greatness.