The creators of “Your Name” return with the UK box office hit drama that earlier in the year became Japan’s first anime entry for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film in over 20 years. Now coming to Digital, Blu-ray, DVD and a Collector’s Edition, the critically acclaimed Weathering With You is an uplifting timely arrival for the world we find ourselves in.

Directed and Written by Makoto Shinkai (Your Name)
Produced by Genki Kawamura (Mirai)
Animated by CoMix Wave Films (Your Name)
Music by RADWIMPS (Your Name)

Stars:
Kotaro Daigo (Yowamushi Pedal Stage Production)
Nana Mori (Tokyo Ghoul S)
Shun Oguri (Harlock: Space Pirate)
Tsubasa Honda (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Yuki Kaji (Attack on Titan)
Kana Hanazawa (Night is Short, Walk on Girl)

High school freshman Hodaka Morishima leaves his home on an isolated island and moves to Tokyo, but he quickly finds himself in financial trouble. Living his days in isolation, he eventually lands a job as a writer for a shady occult magazine. Then one day in an alley, Hodaka meets a young girl named Hina Amano, bright and strong-­willed, who possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky.

Ever since we were swept away by 2016’s phenomenal “Your Name”, the question perched almost nervously on our lips, has been how Makoto Shinkai could top what many consider to be his magnum opus. The answer is a story that both improves on what we love about “Your Name”, while also crafting an identity that is uniquely “Weathering With You”.

The sensational animation of CoMix Wave Films returns us to the incredibly detailed and lifelike Tokyo, where even neon lights are reflected in puddles with pinpoint realism. This isn’t the same bright metropolis where Mitsuha delighted in upmarket cafés, however. This Tokyo is unforgiving, with its decaying, seedy underbelly on full display. Not being able to go out and play in the sun doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy those rainy days in though, and the connection forged between Hodaka and Hina in spite of this backdrop, is the film’s marvellous rainbow.

Like how “Your Name” captured Japan’s cultural zeitgeist with the backdrop of a natural disaster, the freak rainstorm central to “Weathering with You” and the story that builds around it taps into the collective consciousness about the ongoing climate disaster. The film also wonderfully blends themes of traditionalism versus modernisation that have been central to Shinkai’s other works, creating a detailed, and delightfully complex world that reflects our own.

★★★★ Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
★★★★ Chris Hunneysett, Daily Mirror
★★★★ Andy Lea, Daily Express
★★★★ Radio Times
"Dazzling" ★★★★ Matthew Leyland, Total Film
"A Masterpiece" James Perkins, Starburst Magazine
"Blissful" ★★★★ Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
“Breathtaking Animation! Will Make You Cry Oceans!” Collider
“Stunningly Beautiful” Indiewire
"Will sweep you up and away" ★★★★ SciFiNow
"A soaring, poetic journey with a potent emotional heart" ★★★★ Flickering Myth
"Emotive and Poetic" ★★★★ Vulturehound

Collector's Edition and Standard Blu-ray Release Extras:

Interview with Director Makoto Shinkai
Talk Show: Makoto Shinkai and Yumiko Udo
“Weather Front” Featurette
Exploring Makoto Shinkai’s Filmography
Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots

DVD Release Extras:

Interview with Director Makoto Shinkai
“Weather Front” Featurette
Exploring Makoto Shinkai’s Filmography
Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots

About Makoto Shinkai:

The visionary director behind the body-swapping romance “Your Name”, which earned him international acclaim. Shinkai has been celebrated for stories exploring young love and distance, like “5 centimeters per second” and “The Garden of Words”. A graduate of Tokyo’s Chuo University, Shinkai made his debut 20 years ago with the award-winning short film “She & Her Cat”, before quitting his full time job to produce, write and direct “Voices of a Distant Star”. Since then, he has helmed feature films including the Sci-Fi infused “The Place Promised in our Early Days”, the fantasy epic “Children Who Chase Lost Voices”, (released in the UK as “Journey to Agartha”), and his first break-out mainstream success, “Your Name”.

About Anime Limited:

Based out of Glasgow in Scotland, Anime Limited brings a fresh approach to delivering the best of anime direct from Japan. As an independent company, their emphasis is on breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing new theatrical favourites like “Your Name”, “A Silent Voice” and “Mirai”. With a focus on bringing more anime to the big screen, beautifully packaged home video collector’s editions and new ways to reach fans digitally, Anime Limited is committed to offering a wide range of experiences for UK audiences.