The Garden of Words is a breathtaking animated movie with photo-realistic images. They evoke a mood that reflects the inner thoughts and emotions of its characters, while also standing as a visual metaphor for the development of their relationship.
Apart from the age difference, you can also see that Takao and Yukino are at a different point in their lives. The characters are plausible – he’s a mature guy immature at love, she’s an immature girl mature at love.
The movie doesn’t exploit the age gap but the love story and characters are lacking. The movie spends a lot of time showcasing its animation, but doesn’t provide any insight about Takao and Yukino, and what led them to the garden.
Still, the Garden of Words is a relaxing movie about loneliness and longing. It shows us how love can be unpredictable and complicated yet serendipitous and life-changing.
Garden of Words (Kotonoha no niwa)
The Garden of Words has a contrived story but its photorealistic animation, believable characters, and themes on loneliness make it memorable.
