Anime Legend — Makoto Shinkai

Hailed as the next Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai is praised for his exquisite animation incorporating vibrant colors, digital lighting, and beautiful scenic background. His films are often about tragic romance with sci-fi and fantasy element. Here’s my ranking.

1. Your Name. (2016) — visually stunning, captivating leads, cheesy but emotionally satisfying, a masterpiece, 10 out of 10

2. Weathering with You (2019) — beautiful animation, adorable characters, a safe but enjoyable film, 8 out of 10

3. The Garden of Words (2013) — a short (46 minutes) but sweet story of an innocent boy meets girl romance with spectacular visual, 8 out of 10

4. 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007) — another wallpaper of a movie, depressing love story, and a cool soundtrack, 8 out of 10

She and her Cat (1999) / Voices of a Distant Star (2002) / The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) / Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011) are all 7 out of 10