``Your Name'' as seen in ``Weathering with You With You.'' ” A striking difference! A challenging work that pulsates with his will as a writer.

An awareness of “dirt” that has never been seen before

Director Shinkai's works often have patterns in which men and women are separated in some way. “5 Centimeters Per Second” “The Garden of Words” “Your Name.” In ``, the physical ``distance'' between nature (rural areas) and the city stands as a wall that separates men and women, adding a poignant tone to the story. He has imprinted the ``separation'' between the hero and heroine in the minds of his audiences by realistically depicting ``nature,'' which is the original landscape of many Japanese people, and the distant ``city.'' The relationship of ``I want to see you but I can't'' is the same as ``Your Name.'' ', the concept of 'time' was newly added, and ' Weathering with You' added the constraint of 'heaven and earth' (Higan and this shore), and continues to evolve with each work.

In the early works, the main stage of the story was mostly in places close to nature, but it seems like the story has gradually moved to the center of the city. ``The Garden of Words'' is set in the ``nature in the city'' of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, concentrating the two in the same area. This story depicts a ``happy isolation'' in which the ``extraordinary'' space of Shinjuku Gyoen saves a man and a woman who escape from the ``everyday life'' of school or work. (This gives the impression of a link with ``Weathering with You'').

“Garden of Words” preview

Like ``The Garden of Words'', ``Weathering with You With You'' is a story that takes place almost entirely in Tokyo. Compared to previous works, ``Weathering with You'' consciously depicts the dirty parts of the city, the dark side of human beings, and the laws and ordinances of the city. It goes as far as to delve into the ``separation'' between yin and yang, rich and poor. This sense of "contamination" has never been seen before, and is very interesting.

In the first place, there is a reason why director Shinkai has drawn realistic depictions of everyday life. When I was an office worker, I had a harsh life where I would take the last train home, sleep for a few hours, then go back to work, and I had this desire to create a story where my daily life itself became the stage. (From a past interview). Director Shinkai, who has advocated ``private'' craftsmanship that aim to purify the soul by depicting everyday life beautifully, why did he dare to depict dirty things?

From “I want to be saved” to “I want to be saved”