With each passing year, Japanese anime movies are becoming more recognized globally, captivating several viewers. Your Name is arguably one of the most successful anime movie of all time, which introduced many Western fans to the little-known world of anime. The fantasy drama film is a masterpiece of its director, Makoto Shinkai, that celebrates love, determination, and kindness.
Owing to its immense popularity, Your Name became a box office smash hit and generated enormous revenue with its release in over 100 countries and regions. Besides Your Name, Makoto Shinkai is famous for his other box office hit, Suzume, which became an instant hit in 2023 because of its excellent visuals. Makoto Shinkai is globally recognized for his cinematic movies, which are also widely praised and loved by fans.
Although Your Name and Suzume stand as Shinkai’s biggest hits, the famous Japanese director considers his true masterpiece to be a lesser-known film that many fans may not recognize.
Your Name Director Reveals His Masterpiece, Still Unfamiliar to Many Fans
Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name is a brilliant and vibrant piece of art that leaves viewers yearning for more. It is the sixth anime movie that is directed by Shinkai, featuring the story of two high schoolers, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu. The Japanese movie broke several records back in 2016, instantly becoming a global sensation and box office hit.
Despite being the most popular Japanese movie, Shinkai once disclosed his thoughts on all his films, with one being his most beloved creation. In an interview, he named ‘The Garden of Words‘ as his masterpiece, which sadly is underappreciated.
The Garden of Words features Takao Akizuki, an aspiring 15-year-old shoemaker, and Yukari Yukino, a mysterious 27-year-old woman. Shinkai narrates the story of a lonely teenager who prefers sitting in a lovely garden and missing his morning lessons. There, he meets a mysterious older woman who shares her feelings of loneliness. Shinkai favored The Garden of Words as his masterpiece and added:
I think most directors and people who make anime would agree that their latest film is probably the one they feel the most confident in, that they have done their best and put everything into. So I do believe that The Garden of Words is my best film so far.
Besides the two lovely characters, Shinkai’s masterful use of rain and intricate scenes drew fans in, making the movie’s aesthetics unforgettable. Moreover, The Garden of Words highlights the key concept of finding someone in the midst of solitude.
The whole purpose of ‘rain’ (which is the main theme of the story) is to reinforce this idea of finding love at a time of loneliness, as rain symbolizes the theme of sadness or even loneliness in many cultures. Apart from that, Shinkai was eager to see their cinematic masterpiece transition to the manga medium.
Makoto Shinkai Shares Insights on His Fascination with The Garden of Words Manga
The Garden of Words is an unpopular Shinkai masterpiece that many fans are still unfamiliar with. Despite being confident in his work, Shinkai didn’t intend for the movie to be played in theatres. However, upon release, The Garden of Words instantly became the center of attention in the community, captivating viewers with the emotional climax of the film.
Interestingly, Shinkai was highly fascinated with his title transition to a manga series. The popular director also revealed that most of his works are brought to life by female manga artists, which makes him eagerly anticipate their manga work. In the interview, he mentioned:
Every time I produce an anime I have been approached in regards to making a manga version of it. I completely leave it up to the manga artist to make the book. Coincidentally it has always been a female artist who has made the manga. I’m always interested as a reader to see how a female writer has reproduced the anime into a manga, but as I said earlier, I don’t give any input.
Despite being released in 2013, The Garden of Words is outshined by popular titles such as Your Name and Suzume; however, fans who have witnessed this masterpiece consider it Shinkai’s best work of all time.
The Garden of Words is available for streaming on Netflix.
