For a 46 minute long film, Kotonoha no Niwa has a simple storyline that is easy to follow. The narrative uses the 'show, not tell' method effectively. For example, when revealing Takao Akizuki's dreams on being a shoemaker, instead of him voicing out his dream, he was portrayed to be sketching shoe designs in the garden at Shinjuku Gyoen. There were many motifs explored in the film, such as rain and shoes. However, I won't be discussing that in detail because it includes spoilers. One downside to the story would be that the lack of completion. While the ending was not as rushed and emotional as 5 centimetres per second, it does not feel complete.
Art: 9/10
As expected of a Makoto Shinkai film, the visual appeal is strong. The art style of Kotonoha no Niwa utilises a mixture of reality and impressionism, producing beautiful scenery that seemed real. The colours and tone was beautifully done.
Sound: 9/10
Music-wise, Kotonoha no Niwa utilises classical music, apart from a song with vocals towards the end of the movie. The songs were well-picked and were able to convey the strong emotions felt by the characters.
Let's move on to voice-acting, something that I think that many reviewers hardly address. The voice actor for Yukari, Hanazawa Kana, was able to express a large range of emotions experienced by the character. Irino Miyu, the voice of Takao, did a great job voice acting as the lead. While many seiyuus can easily portray a 15-year-old boy, very few could express the anguish and raw emotions felt by Takao at the end of the movie. Irino Miyu is one of those seiyuus. Kudos to the voice-acting!
Character: 7/10
Now, this was what I thought to be the worst aspect of the movie. Emphasis was placed on Yukari and Takao, leaving the remaining characters as stock characters. Even on the main characters, character development is limited. Characterisation was mildly predictable.
Enjoyment: 8/10
I had enjoyed this movie very much because of its visual and auditory appeal. The brevity of the story made the story easier to understand and I liked the motifs Makoto Shinkai used, like rain being a sign of happiness, contrasting the typical symbolism of rain - sadness.
Overall: 8/10
I'd give this movie a B+/A-. Despite its aesthetic appeal, the film does need some work, especially on the characters. It was an enjoyable movie and for people with shorter attention spans, this movie is just right for you! Kotonoha no Niwa is recommended for teenagers and adults.
I hope you enjoyed reading my review. Have a nice day!
