- Director: Makoto Shinkai
- Year: 2019
Overview
Hodaka runs away from his rural home to Tokyo, where he struggles to find work under strict employment laws. He meets Hina, an orphan girl who has the magical ability to clear the rainy skies of Tokyo. They start a business offering clear weather for events, which becomes popular in the rain-drenched city. However, Hina's powers come with a heavy cost: she is a weather maiden who must sacrifice her body to stabilize the climate. When Hina disappears into the sky, Tokyo's weather clears, but Hodaka refuses to accept this. He rescues Hina, which causes Tokyo to slowly flood over the years.
Takeaways
Hina's power to bring sunshine to a rain-soaked Tokyo is a blessing that she and Hodaka quickly turn into a successful business. But they soon learn that clearing the skies comes with a terrible price, as Hina must sacrifice herself to stop the endless rain. When Hodaka rescues her, he makes the choice to prioritize her life over the safety of the city, even if it means Tokyo gets flooded permanently. The story shows that love sometimes means making impossibly difficult choices, and that people will adapt to whatever new reality they have to face.