Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

super conflicted on this one because while the first half was a 10/10 for me, and maybe the most wholesome piece of cinema i've seen, i was so disengaged from the later half of it for some reason, which is a problem i've had with all of hosoda's stuff i've seen. hosodas artstyle is probably my favourite out there, and visually this movie is one of the more beautiful i've ever seen. the sound design is also genious. if this movie wouldve kept the same narrative quality to the end, it wouldve been an easy 5/5 for me, but unfortunately it did not. still absolutely great, but it couldve been so... read more

the good earth meets twilight, in modern tokyo. a touching tale of a single mother and her semi-lupine children. a fresh look at isolation, community and freedom. a bildungsroman for both son and daughter, filled with hope for tomorrow despite tough struggles. lovely rustic visuals too: hosoda's style is quite distinct in feel and form from miyazaki and shinkai, and excellent in its own way. it feels like we're living in the golden age of japanese animation. read more