bgerhold - 2015-02-04 02:23:51

Rain Town is a common favorite among those who enjoy short animated films, and for good reason. It’s not an eventful story, but it is meaningful. The story of the film is about a grandmother who used to live in “rain town,” where she befriended a friendly, quiet robot. After a while, she moved away and the robot was left behind. One day, in the far future, the girl’s granddaughter wanders into the town and plays with the robot, before reuniting him with her grandmother. The meaning I got from the story (which is probably different for every person) is that time won’t stop for you, but there’s still a sadness in moving on. This is a theme often subtly touched upon in an average coming-of-age movie, but rarely do you find a whole piece dedicated to it. Rain Town delivered this theme perfectly, somehow forging an atmosphere of melancholy, nostalgia, and tranquility. It’s sad, but not really in a way that will have you bawling near the end. It’s melancholic in a reflective way, something you may ponder on a while after watching the film.

A part of the atmosphere is weaved by the gloomy aesthetic of Rain Town. The nicely detailed backgrounds, all with different tones of blue, contrasts well with the girl in the yellow rain jacket. The colors seemed a bit dim, but looked good in the context of the film. Movements were nicely animated, including the rain and the flood of water in the town. A part of the background’s beauty is how every building and object is reflected in the pools of water, giving it much more depth and a sense of symmetry. Every moment of the film looked like a piece of artwork. The sound also supported the atmosphere a lot. There were no voices at all, which added to the impact of the story. The constant sounds of rain were relaxing and the music in the background was beautiful. There was only one track through out the whole thing, consisting of only a piano, but it also held a surprising amount of emotion and feeling.

Basically, Rain Town is a thoughtful masterpiece in every sense of the word, and I hold Hiroyasu Ishida in high respects for creating such a film. If you ever have ten minutes to spare, do yourself a favor and watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

Final Conclusion: 10/10