Garden of Words [DVD]

I must say, while I expected something great out of Makoto Shinkai, I did not expect what was given to me in the form of The Garden of Words. Guilty Count #1: VISUALS To this date, I have never, NEVER, seen an animated film with such flawlessness in the visuals. Reflections in windows or off the water were spectacular. There are some very beautiful scenes that definitely contribute positively to the story. I dare anyone to count the number of definable, individual leaves present on a single video still of the garden. Guilty Count #2: STORY/PACING Shinkai has found his niche in storytelling. He does a wonderful job with his focus on human emotions and relationship interactions. In my opinion, this is the FIRST time he has gotten the perfect pacing on a story. He has made many worthy attempts in the past, but this one takes the cake. Also, after the credits, he leaves you with enough to keep you from hanging endlessly off a cliff. I was very worried that would be the case, but I was pleasantly surprised with the end. Guilty Count #3: VOICE ACTING I cannot believe the quality of the English voice acting in The Garden of Words. It is outstanding beyond my wildest imaginations. The raw emotion can be felt in some scenes; it is shocking, dramatic, and immediately gets your attention. Never have I ever seen such great quality in voice acting before. OVERALL I like all of Shinkais' works, so I may be biased. When it comes down to it though, this would have to be my absolute favorite by him. I cannot wait to see another feature length from him. The only downside is that The Garden of Words is 45 minutes. I think it is perfect for the pacing, but I cannot blame others for wanting more out of the story. For $9, I would definitely recommend purchasing it before it goes up. It is a worthy buy for Shinkai lovers. If you have never seen a Shinkai film before, I would recommend starting with The Place Promised In Our Early Days. If you start with The Garden of Words, I feel that it would set the bar far too high.

It's been quite awhile since I've seen a visual masterpiece such as this! Even as the opening credits were on the screen I was blown away by the visuals. I don't care if it was hand-drawn or computer generated ( I couldn't quite tell) but the visuals were mouth-dropping. Simply gorgeous. Yes, you could say that this is a love story of sorts, and I understand some reviewers hated the ending. I put it this way...if you're used to watching TV anime with high episode counts (Naruto, DB, Bleach, etc.), this might not be for you. My question is, was the story told well enough in the time provided? My answer: HELL YES. In my honest opinion, if you've experienced real/true love and heartbreak or rejection in your life you will probably understand exactly why this story ended the way it did. But make sure you keep watching past the end credits-there's a bit more story. I also enjoyed hearing English voice talent I haven't heard before and I think the main characters actors knocked it OUT THE BOX, especially Maggie Flecknoe. When the film was at it's climax, I'm not ashamed to say that a tear or two did roll down my cheek and I got a rush of goosebumps. And THAT'S what great movies do. They move you. So, in conclusion, if this is your thing, you can't go wrong with this title. The cinematography is breathtaking, English dub was very well-done, stunning visuals and the musical score was spellbinding. I wanted to give this a 9 or 9.5 but I simply can't find a single flaw to warrant it. It's simply a masterpiece.

I really like this anime/film. The cinematography is amazing! it definitely one of the best I've ever seen, ever. The story is very well put together, even though the film is a bit short, 46 minutes to be exact. I really don't think this film is about a romantic love, but just about love. It's about having someone there for you that you could connect with, in a emotion and real level, but not in a romantic way. I love how the rain represents their feelings and it also represents love, because love will always be there, even when you push it away. The english dub is very well done, it does have a couple of parts where the lipsync was a little off, but nothing bad, nothing that would distract you from the film. The music is amazing, and it fit's the mood of the film perfectly. So, like I said before, I don't think this film is about love in a romantic way, but love in the sense of companionship. Overall, I really think it's a great anime/film and I really recommend it.

An absolutely beautiful movie. The art style is amazing and wonderful. The story though short really comes to life and told excellently you feel for the characters and understand them. The music is lovely and flows beautifully when it is there, but when it's silent and you only hear those footsteps it's perfect too. All around all the right choices were made for this movie and it makes it so enjoyable. The loneliness you feel from certain characters, the weight and dreams of another the pain from both it was truly felt at the right times and made you really hope for them in the end. A truly splendid movie that I'm glad is now part of my collection. I love the rain so when I saw the artwork of the rain in pictures of this movie I had to check it out. I was not disappointed at the attention to detail in the rain...as well as the attention to detail in practically everything else for the movie. It makes me want to go see where it was designed after.

Anyone who is seriously interested in the art and craft of modern animation should put this short movie at the top of his or hers "Must Watch" list. As an exercise in depicting the world around us, it is one the best animated films in the realistic style I have ever seen. The portrait of nature and the urban landscape is remarkable in its beauty and richness of detail. The blu-ray version includes an hour-long interview with the director and the two Japanese voice artists that impersonate the main characters. The story has been stripped down to the barest of plots: it has essentially two characters -- and there is hardly any conversation between them. (In fact, the narration felt a little too thin to me, that's why four stars.) They are, for most of the 46 minutes of the film, an enigma to each other, and to the audience. We know more about one of them because the "camera" follows him for much of the time, so we learn that he is a rather mature and serious 15-year old in middle school, who thinks he has found an uncommon vocation (making beautiful shoes) that might take him somewhere else, beyond the confines of his unremarkable life, and is keen to find out if he is up to it. The other one is a 27-year old woman going through a rough patch. They meet repeatedly, at first by chance, at a gazebo in a park in central Tokyo during rainy days (he uses rain as an excuse to cut classes). This gives the animators plenty of opportunity to show some masterful visualization of clouds, rain and running water. There is a little drama towards the end, but nothing much happens that can be seen - there is plenty going on deep down, but one can only guess what that might be based on one's own experience of life. Definitely a movie for adults. This short piece of graphic chamber music comes after Shinkai's previous full-orchestra, operatic fantasy-action movie "Children Who Chase Lost Voices", and shows that he can do equally well telling such different types of story. After Hayao Miyazaki's retirement and Satoshi Kon's untimely death, Makoto Shinkai should be welcome as one of the most promising and brightest stars of Japanese animation.

My introduction to Makoto Shinkai's works was through his wonderful film "Your Name" I had to see the rest of his work. I was intrigued by the picture of the rainy garden and Takao measuring Yukino's foot. One thing I really like from his work; his backgrounds. They are practically pictures. The rain drops hitting the pond look quite real. Just watching the garden shots and city shots are worth the time alone. I found the story moving. Takao is a new high school student who lives a lonely existence dreaming of making shoes. He is truly alone. His mother (seen once in a background scene) appears to be an unhappy alcoholic who spends much time away from home. His brother moves out. Not really fitting in with the "normal" expectations; he likes to cut morning classes on rainy days sit in an arbor and sketch shoe designs. How he becomes attracted to shoe design is both touching and sad. It's not clearly defined; it's what I interpreted. In the arbor is a young woman. Obviously older as she is drinking beer and eating chocolate. Never mind the fact it's morning. She is another lonely person and carries pain. Hidden but I perceived it. They start talking to each other and over time start an unusual relationship. He has a crush and over time I noticed the beer consumption drops and she starts eating better. You almost wish they could be together. But the age difference makes this impossible. There is a final show down which is bitter sweet. Do watch the scenes through the credits. The disk also includes interviews, the usual trailers, a story board example, and an English commentary. What to watch next?

With VOICES OF A DISTANT STAR (2002), director Makoto Shinkai proved that one person, working essentially alone at a desktop personal computer, could create breath-taking anime. Working with others, he later fashioned longer more complex stories [THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS (2004), 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (2007), CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES (2011)], All of these films are visually stunning, but they remain centered on young people caught in the toils of emotions they can not clearly articulate or fully understand. With GARDEN OF WORDS Shinkai takes on adult emotions and presents a situation that is both highly unconventional yet at the same time fully believable. The director's unique ability to capture visual beauty in anime form is evident here in every frame (the story unfolds almost entirely on a series of rainy days and the views Shinkai gives us of water in its many forms are simply magical). But now there is also a clear plot with "grownup" goals at its center to capture and focus our minds as Shinkai's images delight our eyes. The productions of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli team, and works like this one by Makoto Shinkai, convince me that the medium of anime itself is slowly maturing. Just as "manga" in Japan and now "graphic novels" here in the West have evolved beyond plots and images calculated to interest adolescent boys (i.e., violence and sex), thoughtful, well-crafted anime capable of being watched again and again over the years, as you might keep coming back to a really good book, are out there if you look for them. In my view, GARDEN OF WORDS is clearly one such work.

Apparently some people here in America still think that animated features are all meant for kids. This is not true at all, especially when the animation in question is from Japan. Your kids would probably be bored by this film anyway because it is mostly talking. The animation is gorgeous and the rain sounds mixed with the animations make me want to head to a green park somewhere. I agree the story choice with the teacher and the student forming a bond is a bit weird. However, it isn't meant to be as taboo as some people here in the states are viewing it. In Japan the age of consent varies from 13 to 18 depending on the municipality in question. In Japan, their status as teacher and student would probably be considered a bigger obstacle (but someone FROM JAPAN can correct me if I am wrong) The teacher does eventually move away too and I don't think it is implied that a physical relationship was formed between the characters. I think that the point of the movie is not the romance, but the idea of life being a journey that no one has completely figured out. Having two characters of varying ages actually helps with this concept because it is certainly true that people don't suddenly figure out the world after they pass a certain age.

I bought this movie on the basis of comments I have seen about it on various anime forums, which all seemed favourable. Well, it is safe to say I was not disappointed! The first thing you notice is the stunning detail in the animation; it is super-lifelike, and looks gorgeous. At times it is hard to distinguish it from real 'live' footage, and things like the rain, and daily life scenes like the trains and the station, are breathtakingly realistic. In fact, only the characters themselves look like 'cartoons', and even they are beautifully drawn, with realistic shading, colouring and lighting effects; awesome - a visual feast! Coming to the story itself, the only down-side is that it is short, at about 45 minutes; I wish it had been full-length, say 90 minutes or more. It was touching, heartfelt, emotional, and made you feel for the characters. I loved every minute of it! The English dub is excellent, with many of the 'usual suspects', including Patrick Poole as male lead Takao, Maggie Flecknoe as Yukari Yukino, the female lead, plus Shelley Calene-Black, Brittney Karbowski, Hilary Haag, David Matranga, and Blake Shepard all putting in appearances. I won't summarise the story here, as the product description covers that; but it was totally excellent, and very moving. I strongly recommend this movie - it is a definite keeper!

La película es maravillosa, que no os eche para atrás la duración. Visualmente es arrebatadora, y la historia que cuenta es estupenda. El blu-ray es una reedición que solo trae el disco con la película, y caratula reversible. Tiene varios extras, como una entrevista con el director y un storyboard. La imagen y el sonido son estupendos. Muy recomendable (en el momento de escribir esto cuesta 8 euros solo).

何回見たかわからない。名作でしょこれ、絵も色も綺麗すぎる。

Un film touchant et unique, « The Garden of Words » déborde d’inspiration avec son histoire douce et son animation très réussis. C’est une histoire d’amour, mais dans un sens très japonais (dans le sens de ‘koi,’ ou sentiment de peine et solitude, et non de ‘ai,’ ou sentiment d’amour générique). J’ai eu l’impression d’une allure similaire mais plus mature que celle de « 5 cm par seconde. » Comme ce dernier, le film me laisse avec un sentiment de vide, comme si quelque chose me manque ou plutôt que j’aspire à quelque chose ou à quelqu’un toujours inconnue. Bref c’est cette évocation d’émotions qui me mène à adorer ce film, et je le recommande fortement aux fans d’anime japonaise et surtout à ceux et celles qui apprécient les petites nuances de la vie sur lesquelles peut s’établir un amour puissant. L’édition collector comporte le blu-ray, le dvd et un petit livret détaillant les personnages ainsi que quelques membres du staff tout emballé dans un beau coffret d’artwork. Il y a toutefois une petite bêtise dans le livret : les photos de Hata Motohiro (chanteur de l’ending theme) et d’Irino Miyu (voix japonaise de Takao) sont inversées. Mais ce n’est pas grave quand la qualité en général est si haute!

The animation quality of this movie alone is worth your money. It's a pretty short movie only lasting around 46 minutes, but every second is a pleasure for your eyes. Just the attention to detail in each and every scene is out-standing, plot-wise the anime is very realistic and doesn't feel like one of those "only in anime" scenarios. Without trying to spoil anything, I really like seeing believable stories like this where it ends how it would if the situation took place in real life and not a "defy all odds and a miracle happens" kind of thing. It's unapologetic in the sense that that's how life goes, sometimes you're just going to have to accept it and shed your tears.