Weathering with You – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Weathering with You

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2019

76%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous anime about a runaway teen and a girl who controls weather—stunning visuals, heavy themes, real feelings.

7.5/10

91%

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Weathering with You

movie

PG-13, 2019

76%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Gorgeous anime about a runaway teen and a girl who controls weather—stunning visuals, heavy themes, real feelings.

7.5

91%

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7.5/10

91%

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Screenwise Verdict

This is a legitimately beautiful film that treats its teen audience with respect—meaning it doesn't shy away from hard truths about how society fails vulnerable kids. The animation alone is worth the watch (seriously, every frame could be a wallpaper), but the story earns its emotional weight.

That said, this isn't a light watch. It's melancholic, deals with homelessness and exploitation, and asks uncomfortable questions about sacrifice and selfishness that don't have easy answers. The pacing is contemplative, not action-packed, so kids expecting a typical adventure anime might get bored.

For the right teen—especially one who appreciates thoughtful storytelling, gorgeous visuals, and is ready to sit with some heavy feelings—this is genuinely enriching. For younger kids or those who need clearer moral resolutions, it might just feel sad and confusing. Know your kid.

Age Fit

Best for teens 13-17 who can handle mature themes and emotional complexity. The gorgeous animation might attract younger kids, but the heavy subject matter—runaways, poverty, exploitation, ambiguous morality—really needs teen maturity to process.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A tender romance between two teenagers facing hardship, with themes of sacrifice and care. Models empathy and kindness, though the runaway premise and orphan circumstances create some emotional heaviness. The relationship is sweet but involves minors in adult situations (living together unsupervised). Pacing is contemplative, not chaotic, but the melancholic tone may feel heavy for younger viewers.

Imaginative

Stunning original concept: a girl who can literally manipulate weather in exchange for personal cost. Makoto Shinkai's signature breathtaking animation creates a visually immersive Tokyo during endless rain. The fantasy premise invites wonder about nature, climate, and human connection. Creative world-building around the 'sunshine girl' mythology feels fresh and emotionally resonant.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 13+. No graphic violence, gore, or explicit content, but contains mature themes: teen runaways, child abandonment, gun possession (brief), and implicit exploitation of minors. A teenage girl essentially sells weather services while homeless. Some mild sensuality and a scene in a sketchy club environment. The emotional weight of poverty, loss, and sacrifice could be distressing. Not inappropriate, but definitely requires context.

Enriching

Explores profound themes: climate anxiety, societal indifference to vulnerable youth, the ethics of sacrifice, and finding agency amid powerlessness. The protagonist's journey from selfishness to selflessness offers real character growth. Raises questions about environmental responsibility and what we owe each other. However, the resolution is somewhat ambiguous and may leave younger viewers confused about the 'right' choice. Strong emotional intelligence building for teens.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Absolutely breathtaking animation that makes Tokyo rain look like poetry—Makoto Shinkai's visual style is legitimately mesmerizing
Explores climate anxiety and environmental themes in a way that feels emotionally authentic rather than preachy
The central relationship is tender and earned, showing two vulnerable kids trying to protect each other
Raises genuinely complex ethical questions: is personal happiness selfish when the world is suffering?
Strong character development as the protagonist moves from running away from problems to running toward responsibility

⚠

What to Watch For

The setup is dark: homeless teens, a girl essentially commodifying her supernatural ability to survive, adults who exploit or ignore vulnerable kids
Brief scene with a gun and some sketchy club/entertainment district environments that imply seedier adult situations
The ending is ambiguous and bittersweet—not a clean 'happily ever after,' which may frustrate younger viewers expecting resolution
Heavy emotional themes around sacrifice, loss, and choosing between personal happiness and collective good

Conversation Starters

"Hina can stop the rain but it costs her something. Would you make that trade? What would you sacrifice for others?"
"The movie shows how invisible homeless kids can be. Why do you think adults in the story mostly ignore Hodaka and Hina's situation?"
"At the end, Hodaka makes a choice that floods Tokyo. Was he selfish or was he right to prioritize Hina? Is there a 'right' answer?"
"The movie feels like it's about climate change without saying it directly. What do you think it's trying to say about our relationship with weather and nature?"

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