Ranking Makoto Shinkai Films

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Ranking Makoto Shinkai Films

Makoto Shinkai is one of the best anime directors working right now. Best known for his visually sumptuous romantic stories, this is a filmmaker who has a great knack at handling emotions and atmosphere. He is one of my favorite anime directors in spite of his spotty output that ranges from just solid to downright great. Here is my ranking of all seven Shinkai-directed movies.

7. Your Name

Yes, I am doing this. I am actually putting Your Name dead last on my last. This is a solid movie, don’t get me wrong. The animation is as stunning as always for the director. The score is also lovely. The romance for the most part was quite effective. However, there is so much repetition to be found in its main themes and overall plot as the director did the romance genre so much better in his best romance effort. But the biggest issue is the structure that was too episodic with way too many dreamlike sequences that rendered the viewing experience quite annoying. This movie brought him to the map for wider audiences, but for those of us who have been his fans long before, we know that it doesn’t quite stack against his previous or later efforts.

6. Weathering with You

Weathering with You is at its most interesting in the fantastical and mythological elements with the real world ones being less engaging. The leads are great, the romance is sweet and the animation is gorgeous. This movie was more of the same from Makoto Shinkai as he turned toward the romance genre way too much during this period. This movie is pretty much on par with the much popular above entry, but I ultimately put it a spot above it due to a more interesting and original narrative that was ultimately more engaging to me personally.

5. The Place Promised in Our Early Days

The Place Promised in Our Early Days was the feature debut for Shinkai after he produced a couple of shorts. While I do get why many would not favor this one, I did not put it last on my last because it’s so visually dazzling, gorgeously scored and featuring such a melancholic atmosphere that made the whole experience very moody. Yes, the plot is beyond messy, overly complicated and chaotic, but for his first effort, this was a surprisingly strong flick, one that deserves more love from anime fans.

4. Suzume

While not all storytelling elements in Suzume worked with the romance being its weakest and most rushed aspect, the thematic and emotional depth at the core of this seemingly simple story was its biggest strength. The movie explores the humanity’s relationship with nature as well as trauma, both of national and more personal variety. The pacing and structure are flawed, but the animation and score are beautiful while the fantastical elements and world building are top-notch. It’s his Shinkai’s newest and probably most underrated film.

3. The Garden of Words

Shinkai’s affinity for short format filmmaking shows in The Garden of Words, which is his shortest feature, clocking in at just 46 minutes. It is one of his least ambitious, but most accessible movies. The romance worked and it was quite moving while the dialogue was excellent. The highlight is its stellar animation that was almost photorealistic and among the best that Shinkai has ever done. It’s a short, but sweet romance that benefits from strong characterization, a moving ending and a great utilization of its stunning setting.

2. 5 Centimeters per Second

5 Centimeters per Second was a terrific sophomore feature for Shinkai. Yes, its brevity was an issue and the character development overall should have been stronger, but this story remains such an emotionally powerful take on long-distance relationships and how complicated they can be. The highlight is its gorgeous, polished animation and a sweetly tender score, both perfectly accompanying the movie’s very pensive, melancholic tone. If there is one movie that best exemplifies this director’s overall output, it’s this one. It should be a required viewing for all anime fans.

1. Children Who Chase Lost Voices

With astonishing lighting, impressive world building, magnificently designed creatures and a flawless mix of hand-drawn and computer animation, Children Who Chase Lost Voices is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful animated films ever created. It is also richly detailed, immensely adventurous and so epic in its high fantasy elements. The theme of loss and the importance of its acceptance is so well explored, the ending is quite emotional and the characterization is pretty strong. Consequently, it is Makoto Shinkai’s greatest film, one that really deserves more attention. It’s so fantastic, in fact, that it’s a shame that the director never quite returned to this genre afterward. It’s a deserver number one pick for me.