Written By: Candy Tai
Who is Makoto Shinkai?
Makoto Shinkai is an animator, filmmaker, manga artist and an author of multiple iconic films. His works are permeated across various social media platforms, gaining worldwide recognition rapidly ever since 1996.
The icon of Makoto Shinkai
When people hear the name ‘Makoto Shinkai’, automatically they may think of ‘Your Name’, or ‘Weathering with you’ as those two films are the most prominent and ‘iconic’ representations of his stories. However, there are two other films I watched that I fell in love with almost immediately, more than the well-known films that you usually see in the media. Thus, I will talk about what makes those films so personal and unforgettable to me, as it’s a shame for films that delve into deeper meanings about human nature & destiny be overlooked.
What makes his works so memorable?
Droplets of rain finding its way down the street. Bits of water cascading down the rooftop as they join into abundance. In these moments, I found myself as a character inside this cinematic tape, as the flickering image of his work came rushing back into my mind. Makoto Shinkai’s animation evokes a melancholic and almost reminiscent effect in his movies. Beginning with the rich, shimmering details in his animations and music that paints a realistic yet gratifying artwork, (almost unable to distinguish its quality from real life), it ultimately transcends the character’s feelings vividly into our imagination. Whether it’s “Garden of Words”, which sparks opportunities and connections between two people beneath Tokyo’s sheltering rain or “5 Centimetres per second” where it presents how external forces, destiny, and the inevitable plans that fate has for humans can either destroy and build human connections, no matter the gravity of their desires.
The underrated works of Makoto Shinkai
5 cm per second → the turning cogs behind fate
The title symbolises the gradual separation between individuals, occurring at a pace resembling 5 Centimetres Per Second, as if they were cherry petals from a tree. At the beginning of the movie, Akari discovers that it was the speed of the petal falling from the tree. However if you look at it from a more abstract perspective, the tree is insignificant without petals, it looks incomplete, yet it will eventually leave the branch as part of its growth. This process is an inevitable trajectory of life. Now if you apply it to the same principle for the movie, Akari and Takaki both met each other at a young age, discovering similar interests and eventually developing feelings for each other. But even so the universe acts against them from the very start of their growth that they hope to experience with the other, starting with Akari leaving, Takaki’s letter being blown away and so on. This leads the reader to ponder upon questions such as; this prompts contemplation, raising questions like whether refraining from placing his hand in his pocket could have enabled him to express his feelings to Akari. Nevertheless, Akari carried her own letter, potentially embarking on a courageous endeavour to alter their relationship's trajectory. Her inability to do so, however, serves as confirmation that their connection was not destined to flourish.
Garden of words → more than just nature
This movie isn’t just about the magic behind how earth works to bring two people together. Garden of words is the story of a student who falls in love with an adult woman. Rain united them underneath this shelter where they learned crippling, raw, vulnerable secrets and personal desires about each other. Despite centering around their romance, Garden of Words also revolves around the theme of loneliness, and how solitude can help you recognise things greater than what you normally see superficially.
The faint smell of petrichor almost seems to linger in the background as this short film proceeds, enveloped with reminiscence and a strangely familiar sense of nostalgia.
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