Shinkai shows once again why he is a master at tugging the heartstrings, specifically in conveying the space between human connection. In just 7 minutes we get a sense of the all to relatable distance between father and daughter, as well as the quiet desperation of the daily grind of a working adult living alone, who has become disconnected from the joys of family and youth. In just 7 minutes we understand how things got to the place, through gorgeous character design and limited animation we are taken on this heartfelt journey of adulthood.
I think there’s an instinct to describe this short film (and most of Shinkai’s work) as sappy or melodramatic, but it’s so connected to something genuine that many of us experience that I don’t think it’s a fair description, even if I understand where that instinct is coming from.