Friday 1 November 2013

The Garden of Words


After watching The Garden of Words I found myself speechless, it's a beautifully made anime that leaves you thinking about it and yourself.

Out of all of the anime's I have ever watched, this has to be one of the most sophisticated. From the animation and the music, to the story, it really is a beautiful movie. I have so many feelings after watching it I hardly know where to start.

Takao is a 15-year-old school boy who aspires to be a shoe maker. On the rainy days he skips school to sit in a park where he sketches shoes in his notepad. Here he meets Yukino, an older woman who he doesn't know much about. Without any planning the pair meet in the park on the rainy days, but as the rainy season ends, they worry about when they will see each other again.

The art It was the first thing I noticed, the world that was created looked exquisite. I love water in anime. but this was really something beautiful. As it is set in the rainy season and the rain has a big role in the story it was made to catch your eye. I find in some anime's the water can look very...animated (I'm aware that doesn't make a lot of sense) with this water I found myself appreciating the art. The way the water splashed as it made puddles, the way the wind blew it out of rain gutters , and the way it created a mist as it hit the ground when it was heavy. The rain told you the mood of the scene, whether it was calm, or it was thick with emotion.

I'm not sure if other viewers will have interpreted the story in the same way that I have. But I'll give you my opinion and you can tell me how your feelings differed.

The two characters have imperfect lives, as a lot of us do. Takao isn't very good at shoe making but this is what he wants to do, his mother doesn't seem to be around a lot and he appears to be quite the loner. You don't find out much about Yukino's troubles until the end, but you do realise she is very alone and unconfident. The two imperfect people bond in this serine park environment and though their lives do not interact physically they seem to help each other with their troubles.

I feel like this is something a lot of us can relate to. Having suffered from anxiety I find that I connected with the story and interpreted it as how something so little can seem to hold you up and make you feel better. How finding that person (or thing) that helps you along with whatever worry you have is a small satisfaction in a busy world where we don't have a lot of time to think about these things.

Well...that's what I think.


What do you think?
さようなら

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