| ANIME - Hyouka |

SYNOPSIS: Houtarou, a guy who wants to live a life not exerting much effort, gets entangled with a girl who gets curious about the small mysteries in life.

GENRE: Mystery, Slice of Life
NUMBER OF EPISODES: 22

RATING: 7/10

"If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, make it quick." 

(Houtarou Oreki)

I usually enjoy a slice-of-life anime, yet this one had such a slow-pace. I didn't hate it, but honestly, nothing happened at all. Most of the episodes after the first major mystery felt like fillers. Twenty-two episodes were too much. The story was okay, but most of the mysteries they encountered felt anti-climatic. They were mostly mundane things, but I guess the point is the rush of solving them. 

In terms of art and sounds, I enjoyed the visuals. KyoAni's animation is always stunning, and Hyouka was no exception. I love that the simple scenes were brought to life by the art style. The visualizations of the character's inner-thinking and the brightness in the eyes of the characters when they have intense feelings were some examples. The sound effects brought to life the narration, especially on the mysteries. I also liked the minor details that were added, like Houtarou's bedhead and Satoshi's drool. The only issue that I had was the lack of originality in some of the character's design. Many of them reminded me of characters from Beyond the Boundary or some other KyoAni creation.

In terms of characters, I feel conflicted about them. There were some aspects that I liked about them. Their issues and doubts on how to live their life was relatable. Houtarou was such a mood. However, most of the time, they seemed bland and unenticing. All four of them felt they were just there. Just stagnant in their current state. The lack of significant character development pissed me off. I guess that's because of the short timeline and setting, though. Still, I wanted them to have made at least some minor firm decisions in life.

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SPOILERY THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS

CHARACTER THOUGHTS

• In the beginning, Houtarou had promise. It felt like he's was going to undergo some change in his lifestyle or get a more firm resolve in his motto, yet as time passed, he seemed to go in a state of indecision. He can't seem to decide whether he wants a gray or rose-colored life. After solving the mystery of Hyouka, we got to see him think about what to do, yet he never got to a conclusion. I get that he is still young, and this is a slice-of-life anime, but damn man, get your act together.
• In the beginning, Chitanda was adorable. Her curiosity was intriguing, but as time passed, she got slightly annoying. She had nothing to her character except being the person who says that she's curious. Also, she was supposed to be the top student in their area, yet she seemed like an airhead.
• Satoshi was funny, and we got to see a deeper look in his personality and actions, yet we didn't delve deeper. It was just some bits and pieces of his whole character, so it felt kinda weird. 
• I got annoyed at Mayaka a lot. We didn't get to see her history with Houtarou, but I hate every time she attacks him. Sucks that she was bullied in her other club, though. Still, I loved her during the cooking competition part.

HYOUKA'S BACKGROUND

• It's heartbreaking to find out the mystery behind Hyouka. It's unfair what happened to Sekitani Jun. He wasn't even able to voice out his inner feelings and fight for his right. 'I scream' is such a satisfying answer to the mystery.
• Thinking about being alive, but being dead inside, is a horrible feeling. I get why Chitanda cried when she was young.
• I wanted to find out what happened to Chitanda's uncle. Is he still alive, or did he really commit suicide because of how much he didn't deal with the issues from his past?
•  I like that this is the part that Hyoutarou first thought of how he was living his life. His dilemma on what to feel was relatable.

MOVIE MURDER

• We didn't get to find out why Irisu was talking to Houtarou's sister when she was planning to do something about the film. How did they know each other? The conversation that they had felt really confusing and felt like an attack on Houtarou. 
• I felt bad for Houtarou after Irisu used his ending. Everyone told him that it's not what the original scriptwriter wanted, and he felt used by Irisu. 
• I didn't honestly care about this arc. I didn't feel enticed by the film that the students created. It felt weak and unoriginal. 
• The ending that the original scriptwriter wasn't good to me, although I did like the reasoning behind why she wanted that ending.
• Irisu reminded me of Izumi from Beyond the Boundary.

KANYA FESTIVAL

• I love that we get to see their school festival. I love it up until the point of the cooking contest. Afterward, I got bored. There was too much going on in finding out about Juumonji, and honestly, I lost interest. Tanabe went through such lengths to communicate with the student council president, yet we didn't see what happened in that aspect. I understand his anger at the president for wasting his talent. 
• Koreyuki Tani was such a useless side character. I don't get why he antagonized Satoshi so much. I wish he was never introduced because he was annoying.
• I never noticed that Tanabe was voiced by Jun Fukuyama! He was so unrememberable to me that I kept confusing his character's role with the Student Council President. 
• Shouko, the head of the manga club, reminded me of Ayane from Beyond the Boundary.
• It was so cute to see Chitanda get distracted by the activities that the other clubs were offering. She kept getting dragged off and distracted on her task to sell the Hyouka Anthology. Her photoshoot session reminded me of the one in Beyond the Boundary. 
• It was adorable to see Chitanda try Irisu's way of making someone do something. She was too pure for it.
• It's funny that Chitanda enjoyed cooking too much that she didn't notice that she used all of the ingredients. It was a good thing that Houtarou was able to trade that flour.
• The look on Chitanda's eyes when Houtarou told her that he wanted to discuss an adult topic with Satoshi was hilarious. She looked so dead inside. Just emphasizes the fact that she was a pure character.
• I wanted Houtarou to go the backstage pass for the Fashion Club. It seemed like such a waste. He only traded the pin. I wanted to see him get a makeover even if he doesn't really care for it.

VALENTINE'S DAY

• I'm angry at Satoshi for breaking the chocolate that Mayaka prepared. I understand Satoshi's fear of his feelings for her, and he shouldn't be afraid if he isn't ready, but he should've told her properly how he felt. Being indirect would just hurt her more than knowing the truth. Still, I'm guessing that Mayaka isn't the type of person who would accept that easily.
• I'm proud of Houtarou for deciding that he would have punched Satoshi if he broke Mayaka's chocolate just for fun. He got mad at him for Chitanda and Mayaka's sake.
• I felt heartbroken for Chitanda when she thought that she lost Mayaka's chocolate. I'm glad that Mayaka informed her of the truth before they went home.    

NEW YEAR'S AND DOLL FESTIVAL

• Houtarou's reaction to Chitanda showing off her kimono was adorable. It was one of the rare times that he reacted to Chitanda like that.
• I'm proud of Satoshi for understanding Houtarou's call for help because they watch the same show.
• The setting of the parade was beautiful. However, the actual parade made me feel dizzy. The art was too overwhelming, and there was too much shaking.
• The ending was such a letdown. I was honestly proud of Houtarou for telling Chitanda that he would help her with her business, but it was just an imagination! That's an evil scene. He can't even decide if he truly feels something for Chitanda. It was maddening.

OTHER THINGS

• It's funny that Houtarou thought that Chitanda was his soulmate because she said that she didn't get angry about things because it was too tiring. 
• I love it when everyone overacts when Houtarou does something out of his energy-saving norm. I wonder why they don't overreact when he puts effort into helping Chitanda. Did they get used to it? I still don't know why he helps her. Was it because he was forced? Was it because there was finally someone to drag him away from his energy-saving life? We didn't get to find out. Their relationship was a bit weird and complicated.
• I don't know why Houtarou's sister was always not fully shown. She seems mysterious, and she keeps popping at random places when the last you know of her is that she's in another part of the world. I don't understand her role in everything that's been happening, except that she's the one who told Houtarou to join the Classics Club. Was there something more to it? Is she trying to push her brother into trying new things? 
• It feels weird to connect this anime to Sherlock and other famous mystery novels. I didn't feel their connection, except for the fact that Houtarou is observant about the different situations that he is in. I saw something about Houtarou's relationship with his sister being how Mycroft is to Sherlock, and I didn't feel that. I felt annoyed every time she was in some mystery aspect of Houtarou's life. In this aspect, it seemed like the anime was trying too hard to be something more than what it is. 

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

1. Oreki was living a 'conserving energy' type of life until his sister told him to join the Classics Club. She wanted him to join because it was about to be terminated. 
2. He meets Chitanda inside the clubroom. She wanted to join the club because of personal reasons. She is quite curious about mysteries.
3. She wanted him to solve how she was locked inside the clubroom. She was locked-in by the janitor. Oreki, Satoshi, and Chitanda became the members of the club.
4. Oreki created a mystery about a secret club called, Silk Spider Society, to distract Chitanda. He doesn't want to go to the Piano Club to check out another mystery because it was too far.
5. Oreki and Chitanda planned to create an anthology for the cultural festival. They went to the library to find past anthologies. 
6. While waiting for the librarian, they solved a mystery about a book that's been borrowed every Friday for a short amount of time. The students borrowed it for their art class. There weren't any past anthologies in the library. 
7. Chitanda asked Oreki to help her remember something her uncle told her when she was young, which made her cry. She wanted to remember before he becomes officially dead. He's been missing for seven years.
8. Oreki's sister told them where to find the old anthologies. They blackmailed the member of the Wall Newspaper Club to give them the anthologies. The guy smokes in the clubroom.
9. The old anthologies are connected to Chitanda's uncle. She remembered that she asked him what it was when she was young. Something happened to his uncle 45 years ago.
10. The Classics Club looked for information as to what happened to Chitanda's uncle 45 years ago. Oreki concludes that Chitanda's uncle became a sacrifice for the student protest during that era. Chitanda wondered if that was the case, why did she cry when she was young?
11. Oreki's sister asked him if the Kanya Festival term was still banned in the Classics Club, which made him wonder if his conclusion was right. They found out from an old member of the club, their current librarian, that Chitanda's uncle was forced to take the blame for the student protest. They had to punish someone after the Martial Arts Center burned down. Even though Chitanda's uncle wasn't the leader, he was the one who took the blame. The students just watched him get expelled. 
12. The Kanya Festival term was made in honor of Sekitani Jun. The title of the anthology, Hyouka, was a pun for what he truly felt. Chitanda remembered that she asked her uncle what Hyouka meant when she was young. They decided to use that story for the anthology. 
13. Chitanda's Math teacher lectured them for not knowing what he was discussing. He skipped a chapter in the textbook, and so Chitanda asked Oreki why the teacher made that mistake. He mixed up the sections because he used lowercase letters for A and D.
14. They took a trip to a hot spring owned by Ibara's relatives. Oreki collapsed in the bath. There is a rumor that one of the rooms in the hot spring was haunted. Chitanda and Ibara saw something swaying in the room during the night. Turns out, it was just a kimono drying. 
15. The Classics Club went to a movie showing of Class 2-F. They wanted to hear the opinion of others regarding their movie. Irisu wanted Oreki to think about how the movie would end. The scriptwriter got sick before she could finish it, so the class doesn't know what to do about the ending.
16. Irisu tricked Oreki into helping them by saying that he's special. Oreki's conclusion is that the cameraman is the one who killed the person in the movie. Satoshi, Ibara, and Chitandu thought it wasn't the ending that the scriptwriter wanted. She wanted a happy ending, which the class didn't. 
17. The cultural festival started. They had to sell 200 copies of the anthology because Ibara ordered the wrong amount. Chitanda, Satoshi, and Ibara joined a cooking contest.
18. A thief started taking different items from the clubs. Everyone got busy trying to find the thief. They made Oreki take the case by using it as a way to promote their anthology. Oreki figured out that Tanabe was behind it. He wanted to send a message to the Student Council President about the manga that he never made. Oreki managed to sell the anthologies by blackmailing Tanabe. They also agreed to make the Classics Club the final target of the thief.
19. Oreki became curious as to why he remembers one of his teachers being happy upon seeing a helicopter. They found out that it was because the helicopter was part of a rescue team of stranded hikers. However, they were too late.
20. Oreki and Chitanda tried to reach a wild conclusion as to why a student would be called into the staff room. Oreki said something about the student paying with fake money, and it turns out that they were right. 
21. Chitanda invited Oreki to a New Year's Festival to show off her kimono. They got stuck inside the shrine warehouse. Oreki sent Satoshi a message to help them, and Satoshi rescued them.
22. Ibara tried making the best homemade chocolate ever for Satoshi on Valentine's Day. She left it inside the clubroom, and it went missing. Chitanda was angry at herself for leaving it alone. Oreki told her to leave it to him and go home. He figured out that Satoshi took the chocolate, but didn't want them to know that he did. He didn't want to accept the chocolate because he doesn't want to change his way of life by accepting Ibara's feelings. He didn't want to become obsessed with her.
23. Chitanda asked Oreki to become the umbrella carrier for the Live Doll Festival. They had to change their route because road construction started earlier than they expected. They figured out that it was because the alternate route had beautiful scenery. 
24. During the walk home, Oreki almost offered to take care of the business side of Chitanda's family business.

| UPDATE - Shows I'm Currently Watching |

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

• EPISODES WATCHED: 8
• I love the fairytale theme of this KDrama. The cinematography and art are beautiful. The background music and songs are so appropriate to the scenes that even though I don't usually notice that aspect, I did in this.
• I still don't know where the plot is going, but it is interesting to see different kinds of people with different reasons not to be okay. We get to see them be accepted and rejected by other people, and how that affects them. 
• Moon-Young is such a complicated character because you can't predict what she will do next. Sometimes her actions are disturbing, but I feel that her motives are good because she just wants others to show that they are not okay. 
• I love the effects of Moon-Young and Kang-Tae's interactions with each other. Their banters are sometimes funny, and sometimes heartbreaking. It's a wild ride to watch them together.
• I still don't like Joo-ri. I can feel that underneath all that kindness that she is showing, there's something she's suppressing. I want to know her backstory with Moon-Young.
• Soon-Duk is honestly the best person. Kim Mi-Kyung is always amazing in her roles, and I love seeing her here.

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Flower of Evil

• EPISODES WATCHED: 2
• I honestly just watched this to see Lee Joon-Gi, but the story feels very intriguing. Two episodes in, I'm hooked. The situation gives me the same feeling as Bad Guys (KDrama). I didn't feel like the episodes lasted an hour. The pacing is good.
• I don't care much for the crime investigation aspect. The people in the police station are kind of annoying. It feels like a generic crime show. Still, I find the crimes interesting, and the reasons why those crimes were committed.
• It's very interesting to see the relationship between Hee-Sung and Ji-Won. We get to see how Hee-Sung's mind works, so you won't know how much of it is real. Also, something about Ji-Won feels off. 
• The two episodes will leave you hanging for answers, so you will probably imagine/think about how things would play out. 
• I suggest to not watch while it is still ongoing, the torture of waiting every week is pure agony. 

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Mawaru Penguindrum

• EPISODES WATCHED: 5
• I love the penguins in this. They are idiots, but they are adorable as fuck. I actually started this anime just to see the penguins, and they did not disappoint.
• I love the family dynamic in this. The three siblings are adorable. Shoma and Kanba's motivation is so wholesome, even if their actions aren't.
• There are many weird and cringe-y aspects of this anime, mainly Ringo and the hat. It's kind of disturbing, that's why I stopped. I still plan on continuing it, but I'm not in the mood yet.

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My Next Life as a Villainess

• EPISODES WATCHED: 2
• I'm really liking this type of Isekai. It's interesting to see the action of the main character after they've realized what kind of world they are. It's hella entertaining.
• I've read the chapters of the manga (for the episodes I've watched), and I like how accurate they are. The only thing I wanted that wasn't in the anime is Catarina's inner thoughts.
• Catarina's actions are sometimes dumb, but you can't help but love her. She's very wholesome. Her motivations are for survival, but I love her interactions with the other characters. They keep getting attached to her, and it's hilarious.

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Tanaka-Kun is Always Listless

• EPISODES WATCHED: 2
• This is such an adorable anime. Tanaka's methods to stay listless are entertaining. I have only watched two episodes at the moment, but I'm already in love. 
• The animation is simple but very beautiful. I love how the characters look. 
• Ohta is the most precious character I have seen. His interactions with Tanaka is very lovely. I'd give anything to have someone like him in my life. 

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Fruits Basket Season 02

• EPISODES WATCHED: 17
• I love the new adaptation of Fruits Basket. The animation is wonderful. You'll fall in love with most of the characters. 
• At the moment, the second season feels more like a calm before the storm thing. Most of the episodes are focused on developing the characters and their relationship with others. If you want fast-paced anime, this is not for you. I'm not saying that the pacing is bad, but if you came here to know more about the zodiac issue, then don't expect much. We're here for the relationships and character developments.
• I've read the manga, and seeing it in anime format is much more heartbreaking. Some scenes are arranged differently, which gives it a heavier impact. 
• At this point, I still want to hurt Akito. I've seen scenes from the episodes I haven't watched yet, and I already feel that it will break me.
• I really love seeing Yuki's character development. He's finding his own way of life and becoming more independent. He's finding other people in his life that aren't part of the Soma family and not Tohru. I also love that his bond with Ayame is deepening.

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Shokugeki no Soma Season 05

• EPISODES WATCHED: 5
• I like the contest this season. It’s different, and the level of difficulty is higher. We get to see new enemies and new themes for the cooking competition. They are weird but entertaining. 
• I think it’s better not to know anything about the BLUE arc before watching this. I know what happens, and I’m kind of just watching it for the contest now. 
• Something bugs me about Erina’s hairstyle. It looks so weird. 
• I dislike the aspect that Asahi’s desire is to marry Erina. I get that Erina’s god tongue is important in their culinary world, but I hate that they had to put the marriage subplot. Also, Asahi’s creepy. All of the noir members are.
• It's cute that were are getting to see more of Soma's mother.
• I'm so proud of Megumi for getting the first place in the BLUE preliminaries.

| ANIME MOVIE - I Want To Eat Your Pancreas |

SYNOPSIS: The story about how Haruki met and befriended Sakura, and how it changed his life.

GENRE: Drama

RATING: 7.5/10

Nothing new with the story, but it was okay. I enjoyed watching the bond between the main characters develop. It was beautiful to see the friendship between someone who was the opposite of each other. I don't know if I wanted them together or I just enjoyed their bond, but the important thing is that they were able to make each other happy. For me, that was enough. 

Since you know what would happen from the start, it just gave a bittersweet feeling. I still don't know what to feel about how the whole thing played out, but I didn't hate it.  

There are two things I learned/felt from the movie: 

• Don't just imagine scenarios in your head. Try to see how they would play out in real life first. Make an effort to at least try. 

• Nothing is sure in life. Value each day and do your best. Make each day enjoyable. 

In terms of art, it was simple yet beautiful. The characters looked alright, but nothing stellar. I got slightly dizzy at the end part where Sakura was narrating her diary, but I liked that it followed the aesthetic of the Little Prince. I'm not sure about that, but that's what it felt to me.

In terms of the characters, they were okay.  I liked Sakura. She was fun and cheerful. However, underneath all that, you can feel that she's just hiding her worries. She didn't want to worry about her future, but it was still nagging behind her mind. However, there were times when she was annoying and didn't respect boundaries. Haruki was adorable, but there were times when he was dull. There was nothing wrong with how he was living his life, but you can feel that he was just afraid to try something new. I'm glad that we got to see him try new things and enjoy them. 

Overall, the movie was simple, but it was meaningful. 

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SPOILERY THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS

• I felt sad that Sakura never told Kyoko the truth about her disease. It was admirable that Kyoko lets her do what she wants and tried to protect her from getting hurt. Still, why didn't she push enough to find out why Sakura did that? It was unfair that Haruki is the one she gets angry at.
• I agree with Sakura's reason for living. We need to interact with others to live life to the fullest, but still, you should be able to enjoy being by yourself from time to time. Haruki's lifestyle is okay too. I didn't get mad at her for dragging him away from that, because I felt that Haruki just wanted someone to open his world to the possibilities. He wasn't the person who strongly just doesn't like interacting with others. He just hasn't tried before. If he was, I think he wouldn't have agreed to Sakura's whims.
• I hate Takahiro. He was such an asshole. He was so jealous when he wasn't even the boyfriend. He thinks that he's better than Haruki, which he is not.  I don't know how Haruki sees his actions as actions of someone who cares about Sakura. I was happy that Sakura didn't want to do anything with him.
• I hated the scene where Kyoko got mad at Haruki, and his book fell and got wet because of the rain. The poor book!!!
• It annoyed me that everyone in their class was so judgemental. Haruki didn't do anything, yet they treated him wrongly just because he doesn't act the way they expect him to. 
• It annoyed me that just because Sakura was hanging out with the opposite sex, they automatically assume that they were dating. Why couldn't they be just friends? But I guess this is a high school setting. It could probably be the norm.
• I honestly didn't see the twist coming. It made me pissed. Why was there a guy randomly stabbing people?
• It was heartbreaking that it took Haruki ten days before he could accept what happened, and he finally broke down after reading Sakura's diary.

• PARTS I LOVED:
• Sakura kicked a guy for harassing an old lady.
• Haruki's mother teased him if he had a girlfriend. It was adorable that she was happy that her son found someone to spend time with.
• The hint that Kyoko is dating the Miyata, the gum dude. 
• Haruki interacted with Miyata and asking him for gum. I love it because it was the first time Haruki interacted with anyone on his own.
• Haruki thought that the Truth or Dare was a game created by Satan.
• It's cute that Haruki tried to befriend Kyoko because he knew that it was what Sakura wanted. Their relationship was adorable, even if they argue a lot. I'm glad that they didn't start a romantic relationship. It remained pure and dedicated to Kyoko.


• HARUKI AND SAKURA MOMENTS:
• Haruki thought that Sakura was trying to make him fat because she kept taking him to food establishments.
• Haruki kept asking wholesome questions about Sakura throughout the Truth or Dare game. 
• Haruki admitted that he had fun on the trip. The look on Sakura's face was hilarious.
• Haruki admitted that he was waiting for Sakura to contact him during the summer vacation.
• It was heartbreaking when Sakura was hospitalized. It was great that Haruki visited her. The best moment was when he caught her dancing in the hospital room. The embarrassment on Sakura's face was adorable.
• I never noticed that they never used each other's names. I love that their names go hand in hand with each other.
• It was adorable that both of them remembered the line I Want To Eat Your Pancreas and used them for what they felt for each other. I loved that. It was beautiful, even if the line was sort-of creepy.
• I like that Haruki kept accompanying Sakura. I think he was scared of her situation, but he was able to continue acting naturally because that's what Sakura wants. He's the best person for her to be around.
• I hate the part where Sakura teased Haruki by making a move on him. It's not okay to do that to somebody. Haruki's response was also not good. 

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

1. Sakura befriended a reluctant Haruki. She informed him of her terminal pancreatic illness. They started hanging out - restaurants, the beach.
2. Sakura's school friends became curious as to why she was friends with Haruki. They didn't like him because of his anti-social personality. They think that he's weird.
3. Sakura didn't want to tell her best friend about her disease. She only told Haruki because she knew that he wouldn't treat her differently.
4. Sakura and Haruki went on a trip.
5. Kyoko confronted Haruki about his intentions with Sakura.
6. Haruki went to Sakura's home, and she teased him. He almost went too far in response.
7. Sakura's ex-boyfriend, Takahiro, confronted Haruki and punched him. He thought that he was better than him. Sakura told him never to show his face again.
8. They continued hanging out together and finished half of her dying list.
9. Sakura was suddenly admitted to the hospital. Haruki visited her every day.
10. They went to a fireworks festival. Haruki told her that he wants her to live.
11. Haruki interacted with another person. He realized that he had changed.
12. On the day of her discharge, they planned to meet. Haruki waited for her, but she never came. Later that night, he found out that she was stabbed and died.
13. It took her ten days before he accepted what happened. He went to Sakura's house to ask for the diary that he knew she was keeping. He cried after reading her words. She thanked him for making her feel that she was needed. She was glad that they met.
14. Haruki met with Kyoko and told her that Sakura was sick. He asked if they could be friends.
15. One year later, Haruki and Kyoko went to Sakura's tomb. They were friends. Haruki started opening more to others.

| ANIME MOVIE - Weathering With You |

SYNOPSIS: In a world full of rain, Hodaka meets Hina, a girl who can bring sunshine.

GENRE: Drama, Romance, Fantasy

RATING: 5/10

I didn't have high hopes for this, and that was a good thing. During the first half, the movie was quite okay. I enjoyed the bonds that developed between the characters. They felt like a family. However, when the conflicts were introduced, it felt too absurd, unrealistic, and unconnected. I really don't understand why it had to be Hina and Hodaka's problem. Also, the police aspect was too much. Moreover, I think that the story had some flaws and plot holes, especially about Hina and Hodaka's backstories. Some parts felt like they were just randomly inserted in between scenes. 

The art was still beautiful, and the music was okay, but it wasn't really that impactful. Some scenes felt lacking. The music didn't make me want to listen to it again after the movie. I really loved the design of the food, though.

In terms of the characters, most of them were okay, but I honestly didn't care about them. The main characters aren't really that likable. I think that Hodaka is stupid, impulsive, and immature. He only does what he wants without thinking about how it would affect the future and other people near him. Hina was alright, but she felt shallow. There's not much to her apart from being the sunshine girl. I didn't really care about their romance.

Overall, I think that the story was okay, but it had flaws, wasn't really that impactful, and the characters weren't stellar. It wasn't on par with Makoto Shinkai's other works. 

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SPOILERY THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS

• I didn't really see the connection of the non-stop rain to their story. In the real world, they wouldn't be able to stop the rain. I guess it was just to high-up the stakes on their romance, but honestly, who cares? It's admirable that Hodaka chose Hina over the sunshine, but I don't really see why Hina had to sacrifice herself in the first place. It shouldn't have been her job to do that. I don't even know where and how she got her powers.
• Some posts say that the movie shows global warming, but in my mind, the scenario is different. Global warming would be brought about by humans abusing nature. In their case, it didn't stop raining, which caused the flood. Humans can't stop that. Maybe the idea was to just show how the world would look like if it became too flooded? I don't know.
• It's insane that Hodaka thought that Natsumi is Kei's mistress. 
• I found Kei's story, heartbreaking. He just wanted to be with the one he loves. Even her daughter was taken from him.
• I found it weird that Hodoka calls confessions as proposing.
• It was sad that Hina had to sacrifice herself to bring sunshine to other people, but I don't really get why she had to do that. She focused on other people's happiness, yet she didn't even think about how her brother would feel. 
• It was cool and scary when Hina prayed for something to save them, and then a thunderbolt struck a car.
• Hodaka's thoughts are so immature. I disliked him a lot. I still don't know why he ran away. What was his goal of going to Tokyo? He almost threw away his life for a girl. I get that it's supposed to be admirable to sacrifice things for the one you love, but it's not practical. I think he would have just made their life harder if they weren't caught by the police. Even after three years, I didn't think he matured. I really don't want him to end up with Hina.
• Kei was stupid for opening his window and letting the flood inside his house. That irritated me so much.
• It's funny that Nagi escaped the custody of the police by calling his ex-girlfriend and making her pretend to be him.
• I hated the scene where Hodaka pointed the gun at Kei because he was trying to stop him from seeing Hina. There's no excuse for pointing a gun at someone who helped you. He was too impulsive. What if he accidentally pulled the trigger? Then, Kei's daughter would've lost him. Still, I loved that Kei still helped him go to Hina even after everything.
• It's cute that Nagi still spends time with Kei, Natsumi, and his daughter.
• It's adorable that Kei is the one who bonded with the cat that Hodaka took home. I love that by the end, the cat became fat.
• I loved the cameo of Taki and Mitsuha. I fangirled a little bit.
• It's funny that Nagi had a lot more experience with dating than his sister. Hodaka even calls him master. I hate that he's a womanizer, though. He was still so young, and he's already like that.
• I felt bad when Kei told Hodaka to go back home. Still, he was right. Hodaka should've gone home and grown-up. 
• I love the bond that developed between Kei, Hodaka, and Natsumi. I honestly wish that Hodaka never met Hina.

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

1. Hodaka ran away from his home. He tried to live in Tokyo on his own but had a hard time surviving. He went to Kei, a guy he met on his way to Tokyo, and got a job. 
2. Hodaka met Hina when he saved her from a pimp. He found out that Hina can change the weather if she prays. It hadn't stopped raining for a while now. They decided to make Hina's powers into a business, and so she started being the '100% sunshine girl'.
3. Natsumi and Kei found out the story behind the sunshine girl. She is destined to have a tragic fate.
4. They stopped the business after Hina was filmed. They decided to help Kei see his daughter.
5. Hodaka bought Hina a gift for her birthday. He found out that Hina was disappearing because of her powers. She became the sunshine girl after she prayed to see the sunshine with her mother one last time.
6. The police started looking for Hodaka. He was filed as missing by his family. The police thought that Kei kidnapped him. They searched for him at Hina's and found out that Hina is living alone with her brother, even though they are underage. The social service was going to take them and separate them. 
7. Hodaka decided to run away with Hina and Nagi. They managed to evade the police and stayed at a hotel. 
8. Hina thinks that if she sacrifices herself, the rain will stop. The next day, Hina disappeared, and the rain stopped. 
9. Hodaka ran away from the police to get Hina back. Keisure and Nagi distracted the police so that Hodaka can get to the shrine and bring Hina back. He managed to get Hina back, but it started raining again.
10. Three years later, the rain never stopped. Hodaka came back to Tokyo after graduating. He was able to reunite with Hina.