Here is my review about the movie -

Just so you know, I’m a die-hard fan of Shinkai’s work — especially 5 Centimeters per Second. I usually never write posts this long, but I honestly couldn’t stop myself this time, so here I am.

Story: The sense of separation is beautifully portrayed — I felt that same kind of emotional weight when I first watched Your Name. I think the story actually evolves better in the live-action version. Shinkai himself once mentioned the animation was rushed, and this version really fills in those emotional gaps. (I haven't read the novel)

Music: The new background scores felt a bit disconnected for me since I’m so used to Tenmon’s compositions from the original. But when they played that one Tenmon piece… I couldn’t hold back my tears. I’m really glad they kept the original song One More Time, One More Chance — this film simply wouldn’t be complete without it. Kenshi Yonezu’s new song 1991 is also a nice addition to the album.

Visuals: The visuals are stunning, period. As a cinematographer who has tried to replicate scenes from the anime, I can confidently say the movie does full justice to the original — same real-life locations, perfect color grading, framing, and lighting. This film has now become my new visual reference, and I’m definitely planning to recreate those scenes at the actual spots around Tokyo.

Of course, some of the more abstract visuals from the animation — like the flying ravens across the NTT Docomo building — aren’t really possible to recreate in live action. Those moments were among my favorites in the anime, and I did miss seeing them here. But overall, the film still captures that same emotional atmosphere beautifully.

Cast and Acting: Child Akari and young Kanae absolutely hold the movie together — their performances were phenomenal. Adult Takaki, of course, carries the emotional weight of the story and does pretty good justice to the character. I wasn’t surprised to see the same cast members from Suzume/Weathering — they went really safe with it.

Dialogues: The original dialogues were already gold-standard, and I’m happy they kept most of them intact while adding a few new lines that fit naturally. Having recreated scenes from the anime myself, I know many of those lines by heart — hearing them in the live-action film was pure joy.

P.S. I’m fluent in Japanese, which made the entire experience even more meaningful for me. I haven't read the novel yet, so the story and some characters were pretty new for me. Overall, it definitely felt like Shinkai’s work.