Movies
With all circumstantial arguments out of the way, Voices of a Distant Star remains above all a sweet, touching little short set to a rather violent and typical anime background.
The first time I watched this I was genuinely surprised by the bitter undertones, and even now it still baffles me how icy this film is below its stylish, warm and fuzzy exterior.
An even higher level of stylistic finish, a 90-minute plus runtime, and an ending that is easier to swallow for mainstream audiences, and it's no surprise Your Name turned out to be a smash hit.
Garden of Words is everything you'd expect from a Shinkai film.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
For a 10-year old animation film The Place Promised in Our Early Days still looks and feels remarkably fresh.
The latest Shinkai is pretty much what you'd expect from Shinkai doing a more elaborate fantasy film. There's still some melodrama, but the focus shifts to adventure and fantasy, which some pretty grand and apocalyptic imagery. Suzume is a perfectly fine film, with superb animation, solid pacing, and an interesting premise that doesn't simply retread familiar fantasy tropes. The only critique I have is that it doesn't really push the boundaries like earlier Shinkai films did. Then again, anime features in general don't seem to be doing that nowadays, so Suzume still manages to stand out.
A little lighter on fantasy compared to Your Name, which isn't that bad really. The animation is stunning, the music (i.e. the J-Pop) an acquired taste and the budding romance pretty much expected. Weathering with You is another great Shinkai film, not his best work but fans won't be disappointed.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below
That said, there is still plenty to be excited about. Shinkai serves you 116 minutes of visual wonder.
She and Her Cat: Everything Flows
Sweet but sad. A follow-up of Shinkai's very first project, revisiting and expanding on the story of a girl and her cat. While this short is quite light on plot, the drama is touching and cat owners are sure to recognize a thing or two. Not quite as stunning as Shinkai's feature films, but a very sweet and adorable short that is very much on point.