Arriving in the middle of a seemingly endless rainy season in Tokyo, “Weathering With You” feels like it’s benefitted from an ingenious stealth marketing campaign. Little has been left to chance with Makoto Shinkai’s follow-up to “Your Name.” The film raked in nearly $360 million globally, turning its creator into the most commercially successful anime maker since Hayao Miyazaki.
Some people would be overwhelmed by the pressure to repeat such a feat, but Shinkai barely flinches. “Weathering With You” doubles down on a lot of what made its predecessor such a hit with audiences, from the maximalist visuals to the Radwimps soundtrack, without feeling quite so much like it was focus-grouped to be as addictive to 16-year-olds as bubble tea.
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