The Garden of Words

Aired: 2013

A theatrical animation directed by Makoto Shinkai and produced by CoMix Wave Films. Inspired by the Man'yōshū tanka poem "A faint clap of thunder / Clouded skies / Perhaps rain will come / If so, will you stay here with me?", it depicts the tender romance between Takao Akizuki, a high school student aspiring to be a shoemaker, and Yukari Yukino, an enigmatic older woman, who meet on rainy days at Shinjuku Gyoen. A 46-minute medium-length film highly acclaimed for its breathtaking rain animation.