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Written by: Lewis Knight
We all know the film Your Name - one of Shinkai’s best films out there. But let me tell you about another hidden gem from Shinkai. It is the film Garden of Words. Some of you might’ve heard before, and some of you might not.
WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!
Why do I like Garden of Words?
The story is about a student who always skips school and ponders upon this mysterious lady in the park. They always bump into each other at the park almost every day. The story has a vital role in any film. And visuals have somewhat of a role in you watching this film. Focusing on the finer details of the film: Such as the cinematography, colouring, and music, it's safe to say that Shinkai does a good job of nailing this. Another film which does a good job
of this is 'Weathering With You'. A film which, in my opinion, does a solid job of nailing the visuals.
Firstly, the storyline is just a simple 45-minute film. It’s quite hard to tell a story in less than an
hour, but the way Shinkai did this film, it almost mimics an hour-plus film. Takao has ambitions to become a shoemaker, with Yukari working as a school teacher. In the film, you can see huge character growth in both of the characters, starting as strangers and eventually building a bond with each other. As the film progresses, you might pick up on some things you might not have known about. Such as: why they always meet with each other, why they come out to the park on a rainy day, and why the location in the park is a common meet-up place for the pair. Especially how Takao defended Yukari when students were saying bad things about her. These little things you tend to pick up when you watch the film. The only negative I would have to say is, well, I don’t have any negatives about the film. Maybe it could have been longer. But I feel like 45 minutes for this film is just the sweet spot.
Secondly, cinematography. Well, I am a
sucker for cinematography. You can see
that most of the film took place on a
rainy day. Some might say that thanks to
the rain, is a reason for the pair of them to meet up, hence, they tend to bump into each other when it rains. It can show that they can
forget about all of their respective problems and focus on the moment when with each other.
Some of the shots used are purely focused on the moment and on the pair of them getting to know each other. You can see it through their body language, their emotions, and the way they talk to each other. Some shots used look random but have meaning to them. Such as you see shots of people walking - which gives you an insight into perhaps why Takao wants to be a shoemaker for people to walk better with a good pair of shoes. Perhaps it also showcases how a pair of shoes will give you the strength to get up off your feet and begin your journey.
Thirdly, its colouring. The way the film looks through colour. I would say that one of the most
dominant colours in the film is green - this can symbolise a 'fresh start'. You can see it through the colours of the leaves and nature around some of the scenes. Well, who would imagine a student being able to connect with a teacher on a personal level? Through colour, it can help with the story because of how a colour looks and how it makes you feel when seeing the colour. Each respective character is going through their respective journey so the colour is used to help tell the audience that they have the opportunity to make a change for themselves.
You might say that most of the film takes place whilst it's raining. But once you reach the end of the film, you can see how the two characters confess their love for each other. The moment Yukari confesses her love for Takao, there's a change in the sky - from the sky going from dark into a
bright yellow colour. It represents how there's a new purpose for each of the characters. They
want to leave behind all of the problems they faced in the past, and pretty much hit that reset button on life and decided to give it another shot - which was shown with each character going about with their respective goal. The story does not always have to be people talking or through a character's interaction, but colours can have a hidden message in telling a story.
Lastly, sound. I think that music has a somewhat significant role in aiding the visuals and the
storyline. Music has that role in having an impact on your emotions. In the film, most of the time, the piano tends to be one of the dominant instruments playing through the film - with a touch of violin playing from time to time. It compliments each other very well. In some moments, the music has a steady tempo to it, whereas in other scenes, it builds up to something significant. Some quotes in the film help aid with the visuals. &"I was practising how to walk on my own, there in that place, even if I’m barefoot" and "I realised now, I was learning how to walk as well." These two quotes stand out to me in the film. The first quote was from Yukari and the second one is from Takao. After getting to know each other, you can tell that the pair have their own goals and ambitions for them to achieve. Through seeing each other, they have a connection - they both want to do the best for themselves.
Overall, all of its components work well with each other. Through the sound, story, colouring,
and cinematography. I think that this film is underrated. But people tend to go for popular films from Shinkai, such as Your Name and Weathering with You. Give this film a go. Every film deserves a chance.
Why do I like Your Name?
Mitusha and Taki, live in two different parts of Japan, with the pair of them having different
hopes and dreams, and one fine day, they switch bodies with each other. They get an insight
into what it's like to experience the other half’s life.
This film does not need an introduction, everyone is familiar with this film. Well, if you’re not, I would say this is another Shinkai masterpiece, too. First time watching this… I must say, I was not ready for it. This film has a good job of building an emotional connection with the viewer.
Without the help of Garden of Words, this would not be the film that Your Name is today. I love this film for its complex story, visuals and music. Hence, it manages to gain positive reviews on websites such as IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and more.
Firstly, the storyline. I like to say it's a 'complicated mess' but executed in a way which makes
you understand the story, experience the life of Mitusha's and Taki's everyday life and how they switch bodies on some days of the week, and they experience what it is like living different lifestyles, which eventually led the pair to want to meet each other in person.
Mitusha, who is a student, stays with her Grandma and her sister in the countryside in Japan, where she has dreams to go to Tokyo and experience what it's like living in the city. Taki, on the other hand, is a
student and works at a restaurant, and has
ambitions to become an architect. What made it interesting is the fantasy element added into the film, and how each respective character is going through obstacles to meet each other. Despite not knowing each other in real life, it shows a bond that they
gained through living in each other's bodies. Let's say, for example, Mitusha enters Taki's body, and Taki will expect unexpected things to happen to him - which is shown when he manages to go on a date with his boss, and through Mitusha's work, he expects the unexpected. They had moments where they were at the same location at the same time but had no idea about each other's existence. Throughout the film, you can see how Mitsuha and Taki develop throughout the film. I just find it unique about a person who's used to living a certain way, but one fine day, they're living a different life.
Secondly, the visuals. Wow. I think it took details from Garden of Words and made it into
something better. I especially like the finer details of how each character is designed, followed by some stunning camera movements and camera shot sizes.
Through certain camera movements, I would say it helps you feel like you're in the actual film. It's like living in a fantasy dream and imagining that this is happening to you. But in Shinkai's film, you can see he has standards for cinematography - he wants to ensure that each shot has its purpose for it to be
there. Not only cinematography but detailing is a common trait of Shinkai. He likes to focus on the smaller details to make them stand out. Through visuals alone, there are hidden messages which connect the two characters spiritually. You can see there were several shots of the train. If you watch Shinkai's films, you can see that he showcases trains in a number of his shots. For example, Garden of words
has a shot where Takao is on the train, 5 Centimetres per Second, there's a shot of the main character using the train to meet his friend in another city. So safe to say, it's a common thing which is used in his films.
So, for Your Name, the reason behind the train is, to show no matter how far the pair are from each other or the moments they're nearby each other, you can see they are connected. Obviously, with
a train, they only go in one direction and they have to stay on the tracks. So these tracks, this is one of the ways for them to be connected. Not only that but the main character, Mitsuha, wears a red thread. In Asian culture, people see red as a good luck colour. You can see through the thread that is
worn by Mitsuha, the message behind it is, it does not matter if the pair of them are close or not, no matter the distance, there'll always be a bond between each other. This is seen throughout the film where there's always something in the way which is preventing the pair from meeting up with each other.
Lastly, the music. Where do I begin... I like the music so much, I have my own Spotify playlist for this film! Whilst listening to it makes me remember the good moments of the film. I remember when Mitsuha and Taki meet each other on the top of the mountain and once that music kicks in, it just suits the moment. The song which was used for that moment is Date 2 by RADWIMPS who did the music for the film. They were smart in writing songs to match the scenes. Each significant moment of music just helps build a better emotional value with the audience.
Final Summary
These are two solid films here. Garden of Words for me, is 'Less is More'. Every component is nailed to perfection. I just respect the fact that telling a story in 45 minutes is somewhat
challenging, but Shinkai managed to take this film and make it into a true masterpiece. It's one of the highest-rated films out there for me in terms of Anime films of all time.
Your Name, well, I do love the film, it's probably rated as one of my top 5 films from Makoto Shinkai, and it can make a person cry. I like the complexity the storyline adds to it. The film was almost two hours long, which is something rare for an anime film to hit two hours almost. However, it's still worth a watch and I think the visuals and the music did a good job with the
film. But if I were to give a winner, I would give it to Garden of Words, due to its simplicity and how it gave way to Your Name. Because with Your Name, it gave Shinkai a lot more space to add in more of his ideas without him being so constrained for time. Sometimes with films, 'Less is More. I, too, make the mistake of adding more things into something, but at the end of the day, it's a matter of quality over quantity. But still, give credit where credit is due, these two films in their rights are two solid films.
Ratings:
Garden of Words: 10/10
Your Name: 9/10
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