Let me just say this on the matter:
The artwork is the most beautiful thing in this planet. You will never see anything like it. It has blessed your soul with the very thought that anime could surpass reality--Shinakai looked like he really HAS invaded reality with his art! Have you seen how the rain fell, in its small driblets? Have you seen how the leaf-studded trees touch the pond softly and carefully? Have you seen food in anime--food that'll make you wish you were in Japan? Have you seen a beautiful person? A beautifully sketched one? Everything in the art is solid and will make you wish you were an animator (at least, that was what I felt). The director/editor/writer's efforts--he who was the magnificent creator of Kimi No Na Wa, too--were clearly fused into this, turning it into a masterpiece. A very work of art, in this modernity.
Most people will look back to this a hundred years later on, for its spectacle.
On the other hand, just like love--I do believe however that no matter how outragously handsome or beautiful a person is, if their heart or personality is not something you are fond of, good bye.
But I wouldn't say 'Sayonara' to Garden of Words. Rather, 'You could have been better'.
I've probably read three reviews to align my thinking, or to find the opposing ones to find a justifying answer. And there it is: many have also seen through the lackluster of the emotions found in the two. It's almost as if they lacked chemistry, because their love really confused me. True, it was forbidden. True, they were mostly...carried away. But the art nevertheless doesn't resolve for an unspoken romance.
There were metaphors, and again, rich in imagery, but the story could have had a greater potential. It had, but somewhere it felt like it got lost in the way.
But since majority find the anime a must-see for its lovely visual components and satisfying romance genre, I do believe my review has little effect on the convinced mind. To each his own! You might love this anime for its simplicity and appreciation for bizarre relationships. :)
