I don't remember how I came to this book; I haven't yet seen "Your Name" though it's been highly recommended. But I'm glad I found Shinkai's recent work, because this is a gem. It expertly blends magic - a girl who can control the weather - with realism. You see relationships evolve across generations, genders, cities, and professions. It's a story about seeking and finding, on so many levels. And ultimately, a story of love, which is so delicate as to be a backdrop for the otherwise tangible plot.

One thing that didn't work for me was the change in narrator; and yet I was pleased the sections weren't named for the characters, so once I got the hang of it, it was a welcome mystery to solve. I wonder if this was a technique that didn't translate well.

Either way, the accompanying film is at the top of my list. That they were written simultaneously is a brilliant nugget I'm proud to explore. Shinkai's afterward, discussing what the different styles require and what he added for the novel, was fascinating. It opened my mind on many literary levels.

“Who cares if we don't see the sunshine again, I want you more than any blue sky."

A wonderful companion to the film.

I've been a fan of Makoto Shinkai's works for quite some time now, and although I missed the chance to watch his two latest films, "Tenki no Ko" and "Suzume”, when they were screened in theaters, I felt compelled to at least explore the light novel version of "Tenki no Ko" or "Weathering with You" (otherwise, I wouldn't be able to claim to be his fan!). The story unfolds at a measured pace. Initially, I found the protagonist, Hodaka Morishima, lacking a proper introduction. Everything starts briefly as Hodaka, a 16-year-old teenager, decides to run away, leaving his hometown on the island of Kōzu-shima in a boat bound for Tokyo. During his journey, his life is saved by a certain Mr Keisuke Suga, a company owner who, in turn, offers Hodaka a job during his brief sojourn in Tokyo when he has nowhere else to go.

Some aspects of the story are highly intriguing, particularly the central theme of "weather". In the story, there's a myth about "sunshine girls”, individuals who can influence the weather through prayer, essentially controlling it at will. As the story progresses, Hodaka becomes acquainted (and later, more intimate) with Hina Amano, one of these sunshine girls. Hina can bring sunny days when the weather forecast predicts rain, but this power comes at the cost of her eventual disappearance.

The way weather operates in the story contradicts the highly accurate weather forecasts in Japan, a country that invests approximately $570 million in weather and climate services. Given Japan's vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and irregular rainfall, it makes sense to allocate significant resources to meteorological forecasting technologies. However, this story introduces an element absent from meteorology: the influence of supernatural factors on the weather, embodied by the sunshine girl. It's reminiscent of an ancient Japanese myth about a colossal underground catfish called the Namazu or Ōnamazu, believed to cause earthquakes.

The story also emphasises the importance of preserving nature and considering the climate while asserting that everything on Earth is transient. When relentless rain inundates one-third of Tokyo after three years of continuous downpours in the story, it becomes evident that the submergence of Tokyo is an eventual reality, following the city's historical pattern. Beneath the concrete buildings and neon lights, Tokyo is a city built on water, where two ancient rivers, the Uda and the Onden, intersected. Over time, Tokyo has turned its back on its water heritage. Streams have been filled, and highways constructed directly over rivers. Waterways that once served as vital transportation routes and hubs of cultural life have become polluted, desolate, and nearly abandoned, something that happened to many major cities around the globe.

The story acknowledges that climate change is a reality but posits that it's not the first time in history that such climatic shifts or city submersions have occurred. Some events from the past are destined to recur as part of a cyclical pattern. Yet, this doesn't imply that Makoto Shinkai denies climate change or attributes it solely to divine intervention. Instead, he suggests that alongside technological factors, other supernatural forces may be at play in shaping the world's climate and destiny.