4.5/5 Stars: ‘Weathering With You’ (Book #2 of ‘Weathering With You’) by Makoto Shinkai.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy Manga.
→ Trigger Warnings: Homelessness, Gun Violence, Physical Assault.

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★★★
→ Setting: ★★★★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★★★

General Comments: An emotionally vibrant fantasy and an excellent portrait of Tokyo, Japan. The art, made more alluring by an eerie, constant rainfall, is crammed with raw emotion. Loss and the urgency of life becomes the main theme as the reader begins to learn more about the cast of the main characters. It is a slow, otherworldly transformation of mystery and magical realism.

Favourite Quote: ‘That drop is a raindrop and a teardrop. At first glance, neither one seems like a good thing, but they’re not just bad things, either are they? Tears aren’t for only when you’re sad. And in dry weather, rain is a blessing. May you never be so blinded by sadness that you lose sight of what’s really important.’

Time Read: One Day.
→ Audiobook: No.
→ Audiobook Narrator: -

Just watch the movie to be swept away by the artistry. Or buy the manga to display.

Because really as a story, it's more of a concept than an actual plot. So many plot armors to drive the story forward that Shinkai wants to tell. No matter how unbelievable the circumstances are. For example: a kid without any special talents or pre-planning just waltzing out from a police station to escape. Nobody dies when they should have because death exists in this but the characters are NPCs with unkillable tag.

The story actually doesn't go anywhere. The issue was still unresolved. There are plot holes that are never given light. And the main characters are card board cutouts.

So just watch the movie. The Shinkai movie sheen will be enough to distract you from how mediocre the story actually is.