Throughout the movie, "Kotonoha no Niwa" chooses to not clearly articulate a story. Instead, viewers are given visual cues and short dialogue to figure everything out. From the artwork in Takao's sketchbook to the items in Yukino's room and to the few words that Yukino actually says, we find out about the main character's pasts and future anxieties.
Yukino admits to herself that despite the fact that she is 27, she is no smarter than she was when she was 15. Takao, who is 15, is uncertain about his future as a shoemaker, and Yukino, who is 27, is uncertain about whether or not she wants to continue her career as a teacher. "Kotonoha no Niwa" shows how two characters of different ages can share a similar uncertainty about the future, and together, they fell in love in the Garden of Words, where they put down the labels of who they were and expressed their innermost thoughts.
But of course, their labels and their age difference prevents this love from actually developing, and "Kotonaha no Niwa" does a great job at placing its climax in the last 5 minutes of the movie. Viewers rode the calm waves, watching the characters live the happiest moments of their lives until Takao realizes that it was best to end things until he can walk on his own towards her, or until he is old enough to actually be with her.
"Kotonaha" is beautiful, heartwarming, and definitely worthwhile.
