Rainy Anime Ranked Top 19 “Weathering with You”“The Garden of Words”

In Japanese anime works, there are many famous scenes set in the rain, such as “Weathering with You” which has rain as its main theme, and the scene in “My Neighbor Totoro” where Satsuki meets Totoro.

To explore this topic further, “ANIME SAMURAI” conducted a survey of 100 Japanese people about “anime works with impressive rain scenes”. The results are presented here in a ranking format, along with the reasons for their selections.

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 1 “Weathering with You”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2019
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Original Story: Makoto Shinkai
Production Company: CoMix Wave Film
Theme Song: “Ai ni Dekiru Koto wa Mada Arukai:Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do? ” “Grand Escape (Movie Edit) feat.” by RADWIMPS
Official Website
Twitter

In first place is the film “Weathering with You,” directed and written by animation director Makoto Shinkai, who gained worldwide attention with his film “Your Name”. The story is about a boy, Hotaka Morishima, who runs away from home in Tokyo from a remote island in an era when the weather is out of harmony, and a girl, Hina Amano, who has a mysterious power, meet and “choose” their own way of life while being tossed around by fate. The film is filled with the sparkling light of rain, and the “Shinkai World” spun with beautiful colors has captured the hearts of fans.

Comments and Reviews

In “Weathering with You” there are many scenes where rain falls repeatedly throughout the story. Although there are scenes with dark rain that hangs like a black haze and makes the heart feel depressed, the scenes where the rain reflects the sunlight and creates a fantastic landscape are particularly recommended. (Harukaze Amber).

The depiction of rain and water was very impressive, such as the scene where the rain clears up and the sun shines through, and the scene where the main character’s body turns watery. The scenes not only exist within the world of anime, but also linked to the recent problems of abnormal weather patterns such as sudden heavy rainfall and linear precipitation zones, and makes the viewer think deeply about these things.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 2 “The Garden of Words”

Quote: U-NEXT

Year of release: 2013
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Original Story: Makoto Shinkai
Production Company: Shinkai Creative, CoMix Wave Film
Theme Song: Rain by Motohiro Hata
Official Website
Twitter

In second place is “The Garden of Words,” an animated film directed by Shinkai Makoto, just like “Weathering with You” in first place. Set in Tokyo, this is a love story about a mature 15-year-old boy, Takao, and a mysterious 27-year-old woman, Yukino, who meet by chance during the rainy season and begin to have feelings for each other. The sad story and the depiction of rain go hand in hand, with the two only being able to meet on rainy days, the depiction of various types of rain, such as heavy rainfall, an evening shower, and the beauty of the imagery that evokes emotions, has captivated many fans of “The Garden of Worlds”.

Comments and Reviews

The work depicts the rainy season, so there are many scenes of rain. The rain is expressed in various ways depending on the scene. The rain swells as if it were a living creature, and then it falls gently and calmly, much like the emotions of the characters in the story. The richness of the rain’s expressions is impressive in itself.

This love story depicts the meeting of a man and a woman who meet only on a rainy day. I was impressed by the depiction of a Japanese garden and its reflection on the water surface and the shaking caused by the rain. I don’t think there is any other anime that has put so much effort into depicting rain so realistic. This anime has changed my perception of rain.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 3 “My Neighbor Totoro”

Quote:Amazon

Year of release: 1988
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original Story: Hayao Miyazaki
Production Company: Studio Ghibli
Theme Song: “My Neighbor Totoro” by Azumi Inoue
Official Website

In third place is “My Neighbor Totoro,” a film produced by Studio Ghibli and written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the master of Japanese animation who has created numerous masterpieces. Set in Japan in the late 1950s, this fantasy film depicts the interaction between the Kusakabe sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who moved to a country town deep in the mountains, and a mysterious creature that is said to only be visible to children, Totoro. In the survey, many people said they would never forget the scene where Satsuki and Mei met Totoro at the bus stop on a rainy day.

Comments and Reviews

The first time Satsuki met Totoro was at a bus stop when it was raining. The way Satsuki lent her umbrella to Totoro and he smiled and jumped when he heard and liked the sound of the rain hitting his umbrella remains impressive in my memory.

I love the scene where Mei and Satsuki are waiting for their father at the bus stop with an umbrella when it suddenly starts to rain, and Totoro comes and borrows their umbrella to wait for the cat bus. I chose this scene because I liked the sound of the raindrops hitting the umbrella, Totoro jumps and drops a lot of water from the tree, and the scene suddenly changes from a dim and uneasy atmosphere to a fun and happy one. It left a strong impression on me.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 4 “Wolf Children”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2012
Director:Mamoru Hosoda
Original Story: Mamoru Hosoda
Production Company: Studio Chizu
Theme Song: “Okaasan no Uta” by Anne Sally
Official Website
Twitter

In fourth place is the animated feature film “Wolf Children,” which won many awards in Japan and abroad, including the Best Animated Feature at the 36th Japan Academy Awards. The story is about a 19-year-old university student, Hana, who falls in love with a descendant of the Japanese wolf, and grows up through love, marriage, childbirth, and parenting. The couple’s children, who are half human and half wolf, grow up throughout the film. Fans said, “his movie condenses everything about rain in the rain and after the rain.

Comments and Reviews

The anime work conveys both the harshness and beauty of life in nature. Rain, a natural phenomenon, nurtures life for plants and animals, but at the same time it is a threat to the environment. In the rain scene in the latter half of the film, the sound of the rain, the way it falls, and other details are carefully depicted, adding precision to the entire work and grabbing the viewer’s heart.

As the title suggests, the rain is very impressive. I like this work because of the fineness and delicacy of the scene of heavy raindrops and light rain, and the realistic sound of thunder and rain that immerses the viewer in the beautiful world. I was attracted to the charms of director Mamoru Hosoda when “Wolf Children” was first released.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 5 “Naruto”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2002
Director: Hayato Date
Original Story: “NARUTO” by Masashi Kishimoto
Production Company: TV Tokyo, PIERO (studio PIERO)
Theme Song: “R*O*C*K*S” by HOUND DOG
Official Website
Twitter

No. 5 is the anime “NARUTO,” which is based on the popular comic series that has sold over 250 million copies worldwide and is loved not only in Japan but also overseas. The story follows Naruto Uzumaki, a clumsy ninja who has a nine-tailed fox sealed inside him, as he overcomes numerous trials with his friends to become the most powerful ninja in their village, the Hokage.

Comments and Reviews

I chose this work because I suddenly thought of the rain that was falling when Sasuke left his village and when Asuma died. It evokes a sense of deep sadness and grief that come with unavoidable separations, and the description is impressive in the way it painfully conveys the emotions of the characters to the viewer.

In Naruto, there are several ninja villages, but the village where the strongest enemy, Pain, is located was the village of AmeGakure. The village appears several times in the story, and as indicated by its name, it is always raining there. I chose this because of the strong impression of the rain left on me.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 6 “Fullmetal Alchemist

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2003
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Original Story: “Fullmetal Alchemist” by Hiromu Arakawa
Production Company: Bones
Theme Song: “Melissa” by Porno Graffitti
Official Website
Twitter

In sixth place is “Fullmetal Alchemist,” based on a popular comic book series that has sold more than 80 million copies worldwide. The story takes place in a world where alchemy, the art of changing the composition and shape of matter to create something else, actually exists. Edward, an alchemist who lost his left leg in an attempt to bring his dead mother back to life, and his brother Alphonse, who lost his entire body, set out on a journey to find the “Philosopher’s Stone” which has immense power that can restore what they have lost. The rain scenes in the story, which creates a sad and famous scene, have captured the hearts of fans.

Comments and Reviews

“It always rains during funerals and stories where someone dies, and I feel as if the anime itself is making a point that this is a sad and cruel place. Usually, the work feels comical because of the tempo of the characters’ double acts, but I think they are clear, and it is easy to understand the emotions of the characters” (Runa).

I chose it because I liked the scene when Colonel Mustang’s said, “No, it’s raining” in front of the gravestone of his colleague Hughes. After the funeral, as soon as he is alone with his subordinate, Lt. Hawkeye, Colonel, says, “No, it’s raining” despite that it was not raining. And when Lt. Hawkeye looked back at him and said, “It’s raining…” Mustang breaks down in tears and says, “No, it’s raining” . The scene of Mustang looking up at the sky with his hat pulled down and shedding tears is unforgettable. After that, the lieutenant says, “Yes, let’s go back, it’s cold here.” The scene is also breathtaking.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 6 “Kiki’s Delivery Service”

Quote:Amazon

Year of release: 1989
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original Story: “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Eiko Kadono
Production Company: Studio Ghibli
Theme Song: “Rouge no Dengon”, “Yasashisai ni Tsutsumareta Nara” by Yumi Arai (Yumi Matsutoya)
Official Website

Also No. 6 is “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” an animation film directed and written by animation master Hayao Miyazaki, based on the children’s literature by Eiko Kadono. Set in the beautiful town of Koriko, surrounded by the sea, the film depicts Kiki, a young witch apprentice who comes to Tokyo from the countryside, uses her unique ability to fly in the sky, opens the delivery service “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and grows up while experiencing various things. Kiki’s impressive figure as she makes deliveries in the heavy rain is so impressive that it has not faded over the years and remains a timeless masterpiece of popularity.

Comments and Reviews

There is a scene in which Kiki, soaked to the bone, delivers packages with all her might, but it seems to imply that her situation will not improve in the future, leaving a strong impression.

In the scene where Kiki had no other clothes, despite Tombo’s invitation, Kiki told Osono that she could not go in such a state and went back to her room to avoid catching a cold. The afterward scene where she lost the use of her magic left a strong impression on me.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “rain town”

Year of release: 2011
Director: Hiroyasu Ishida
Original Story: Hiroyasu Ishida
Theme Song: “Old Capital” “Candle” by Masafumi Komatsu

No. 8 is “rain town,” a graduation project by director Hiroyasu Ishida, known for his animated feature film “Drifting Home”, which was released as a graduation project when he was a university student. The film won the New Face Award in the Animation Division of the 15th Japan Media Arts Festival. The story is a 10-minute short animation depicting the interaction between a girl who wanders into a town where the rain never stops, and a robot left behind in the town. The film attracted many viewers who said they were attracted by the nostalgic atmosphere created by the rain.

Comments and Reviews

As the title suggests, the story takes place in a rainy city. The gentle sound of the rain and the main character in a raincoat are impressive. Although it is a short film, the nostalgic scenes and the loneliness of the forgotten town resonate in my heart. It is indeed an award-winning anime work from the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Art Festival.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “Still world is beautiful”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2014
Director: Hajime Kamegaki
Based on the book: “Still world is beautiful” by Shiina Dai
Production Company: Pierrot Co.
Theme Song: “BEAUTIFUL WORLD” by Joanna Koike
Official Website
Twitter

No. 8 is “Still the World is Beautiful,” an anime based on the popular comic. The love story begins when the main character, Princess Nike, “The fourth and youngest princess of the Rain Dukedom” who has the ability to “to call forth the rain” with a beautiful singing voice, marries Livius I, the king of the Sun Kingdom who rules the world within three years of his accession to the throne. The scene where she sings and makes the rain fall is so beautiful and mystical, and one cannot take one’s eyes off the beautiful world that the two create together.

Comments and Reviews

I was moved by the scene in which the main character, Nike, is able to use her ability of “to call forth the rain” and make it rain while singing a song, it was mysterious, very beautiful, and moving.”

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “Drifting Home”

Quote: NETFLIX

Year of release: 2022
Director: Hiroyasu Ishida
Original Story: Hiroyasu Ishida
Production Company: Studio Colorido
Theme Song: “Kieteshimai So desu” by Zutomayo
Official Website
Twitter

Also at No. 8 is “Drifting Home,” a feature-length animation produced as a Netflix movie by director Hiroyasu Ishida, who also directed the aforementioned “rain town”. The story is an adventure fantasy that begins when Kosuke and Natsume, childhood friends in the 6th grade, enter an apartment complex before its demolition with their classmates. As the apartment complex they board is adrift in the ocean, they experience many things as they grow up, which is very moving.

Comments and Reviews

As the title suggests (in the original Japanese title), there is a scene in the middle of the movie where a storm comes, and I chose that scene because it was a very moving scene of friendship and love.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “Ponyo”

Quote:Amazon

Year of release: 2008
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original Story: Hayao Miyazaki
Production Company: Studio Ghibli
Theme Songs: “Umi No Okasan (Mother of the Sea)” by Masako Hayashi, “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” by Fujimaki Fujioka and Nozomi Ohashi
Official Website

No. 8 is “Ponyo” a feature-length animated film produced by Studio Ghibli and written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. Set in a town by the sea, the story is a heartwarming fantasy depicting the heartwarming interaction between a five-year-old boy, Sosuke, and a fish girl, Ponyo, who wishes to become human. Through Ponyo’s free-spirited swimming in the ocean, the viewer can experience the joys, wonders, and even the fear that comes with water.

Comments and Reviews

It starts with an underwater scene with lots of fish and other creatures swimming comfortably, and the main character, Ponyo, is swimming around in the water, which is very impressive.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “Iroduku: The World in Colors”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2018
Director：Toshiya Shinohara
Original Story: Yashio Natsuka
Production Company: P.A.WORKS
Theme Song: “Seventeen” by Haruka Tomiyuki
Official Website
Twitter

Also in No. 8 is “Iroduku: The World in Colors. The story is a coming-of-age ensemble drama set in the year 2078 in Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan, where magic remains a part of everyday life. The story revolves around a 17-year-old girl Hitomi Tsukishiro, a descendant of a family of wizards who lost her color vision at a young age. Hitomi is sent back 60 years to the year 2018 by her grandmother, a great wizard, who is concerned about her future as a child with little emotion hoping Hitomi to recover her color vision.

Comments and Reviews

I especially recall that scene where Kohaku disappears by magic while he is telling his lover that he has remembered his colors and may have regained his color vision. This scene was impressive because it was raining and I loved the happy and sad expressions on their faces.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “Spirited Away”

Quote:Amazon

Year of release: 2001
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original Story: Hayao Miyazaki
Production Company: Studio Ghibli
Theme Song: “Itsumo Nandodemo” by Yumi Kimura
Official Website
Twitter

Also No. 8 is “Spirited Away,” an animated feature film produced by Studio Ghibli and written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Ponyo”. The story is a fantasy about the growth and friendship of Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl who gets lost in a world where humans are not allowed to enter. In the story, after Chihiro invites No-Face, who was standing in the rain in the courtyard of the oil house, into the oil house thinking he is her guest, Yubaba says, “I wonder if something strange has gotten mixed in with the rain…” The quiet rain falling during that scene leaves a strong impression.

Comments and Reviews

When her first customer came to the bathhouse, Yubaba opened the window and checked the outside to see if something strange had wandered in through the rain. The sound of the rain that continues far into the distance and the feeling of water drops falling from the window create a sense of calmness, rather than anxiety or fear.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “5 Centimeters per Second”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2007
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Original Story: Makoto Shinkai
Production Company: CoMix Wave Inc.
Theme Song: “One more time, One more chance” by Masayoshi Yamazaki
Official Website

Also ranked No. 8 was Makoto Shinkai’s “5 Centimeters per Second” following “Weathering with You” and “The Garden of Words”. It is a series of three short films depicting the changes caused by time and distance between a man and a woman who have been attracted to each other. The film won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prix, the highest award, at the Future Film Festival in Italy.

Comments and Reviews

This film is a perfect example of the visual beauty of director Makoto Shinkai’s art. One of my favorite scenes in particular is where falls and water droplets are reflected on the window and there is a woman standing behind it.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 “After the Rain”

Quote: Amazon Prime Video

Year of release: 2018
Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Based on the book “After the Rain” by Jun Mayuzuki
Production Company: WIT STUDIO
Theme Song: “Nostalgic Rainfall” by CHiCO with HoneyWorks
Official Website
Twitter

No. 8 was “After the Rain: Koi wa Ameagari Yoni”, based on a popular comic that has sold more than 1.85 million copies in total. The story follows 17-year-old Akira Tachibana, a former track and field ace who was forced to give up due to injury and is now working part-time at the family restaurant “Garden”, and Masami Kondo, the restaurant’s manager, a pure love story set in a seaside town.There are many rainy scenes in the film, and some viewers commented that the characters’ emotions matched the sad scenery of the rain.

Comments and Reviews

The story is about a high school girl who falls in love with the restaurant manager, the imagery of rain is prevalent throughout the story. The crossover between the rain scenes and her feelings for him left a strong impression on me.

Ranking of Top 8 Rain-themed Anime: No. 8 and below

No. 8: BLEACH
No. 8: PSYCHO-PASS
No. 8: THE IDOLM@STER SideM
No. 8: Dragon Ball GT
No. 8: Bambi
No. 8: ONE PIECE
No. 8: Kimi to Boku.
No. 8: Kids on the Slope
No. 8: Girls’ Last Tour
No. 8: Tokyo Revengers
No. 8: Detective Conan

(19works)

Rain Anime Ranking Q&A

Q1 What are the top 3 Rain-themed anime?

Based on the survey, here is the ranking of rain-themed anime.
1.Weathering with You
2.The Garden of Words
3.My Neighbor Totoro
For more information, click here.

Q2 What is the best rain-themed anime?

According to a survey conducted on 100 Japanese people, Weathering with You is selected as the best rain-themed anime. For more information, click here.

Q3 What rain-themed anime I should watch?

Here is the list of what you should watch.
Weathering with You/The Garden of Words/My Neighbor Totoro/Wolf Children/Naruto. For more information, click here.

In this article, we have introduced “Ranking of Top 8 Rain Based Anime”. We hope you found this ranking useful and enjoy the anime.

※ This information is for 05/19/2023. Please check the latest delivery status on each site.