UlasanAnime.com – It took me three attempts to fully appreciate “Hoshi o ou Kodomo,” so if “Kotonoha no Niwa” requires a similar number of viewings, I can at least accomplish that in a significantly shorter timeframe. The film is undoubtedly gorgeous enough to justify multiple watches.
However, I find myself still uncertain about my overall reaction to the film. My initial feelings are a mixture of being genuinely moved and, paradoxically, somewhat irked by the peculiar composition of the romantic relationship depicted. The way it all unfolded felt slightly off. Fortunately, this doesn’t detract from the underlying emotions or the profound impact “The Garden of Words” has on the viewer.
It’s best to approach this film without any preconceived notions. The revelation that occurs later in the movie can be quite disruptive. Even for dedicated fans of independent Japanese cinema, it might not be entirely predictable. And for those new to this genre, this anime might deviate significantly from your expectations.
Nevertheless, this is precisely the kind of anime that fans of Shinkai’s work anticipate. Visually, it is stunning. Tokyo has never been rendered with such breathtaking beauty. Short of inundating this post with screenshots, I’ll simply state that I eagerly await the Blu-ray release. This is especially true given it’s part of an order that includes the “Festiv@l of Winter” blargh, which means it might arrive when I’m not home during AX.
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The film features numerous scenes bathed in rainy sunlight, yet surprisingly few rainbows. Perhaps it’s not Shinkai’s style to include them.
