Rain Town

“Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants pain. But you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.” In our current society a good majority of people have been far too desensitized by the simpler forms of entertainment. We've become too entranced by pop culture, repetitiveness, and fitting in with the trends. Most forms of entertainment nowadays are filled with cliché explosions, overly sexualized figures, and cheap antics to keep us entertained. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. Entertainment varies based on its audience, and different people enjoy different things; our opinions on what we like are constantly changing. Sometimes, however, something strays away fromthe norm and presents a graceful story for people to enjoy. It presents itself to us in a subtle, serene, and humble way to be appreciated by those who are willing to watch and listen. Rain Town is a story that doesn't require words for one to appreciate and fathom. It’s a story about an ambiguous town subjected to an unending rain. It's a story of friendship despite differences, patience, love, nostalgia, and being left behind. It's a simple, surreal, somber, and symbolic story that captures one's heart and imagination in just under ten minutes. The visuals of Rain Town are nothing short of beautiful. It was made in 2011 and could easily compete with any modern day animation to boot. From the meticulous ripples of raindrops in puddles to the scenic, melancholic town and its charming characters, Rain Town is truly spectacular. The soundtrack is quite good for a short film; it's simple, yet hits all the right notes right from the beginning to set the mood. The sound of the rain leaves sets a calm, drab atmosphere which depicts the environment of the rainy town quite well. I think the only issue I had with the sound portion was that the tone of the piano did get slightly repetitive after a few minutes. Though it would have been nice if it had adjusted the tempo slightly, it isn't really a big issue considering you could watch this film without sound and still enjoy it. There are only a couple characters in Rain Town, but their speechless charm and allure makes them all the more endearing. The little girl is so innocent and sweet that one can't help but adore her every action. She loves playing in the rain and that's a fairly accurate depiction of most children her age. I really liked the realistic side of that. Though the little girl was adorable, I believe that the robot is what takes the cake for this particular short. It's such a good friend and companion to the little girl in the short amount of time they are together that you can't help but love it as a character. The robot essentially is the embodiment of the perfect friend; it is loyal, patient, and understanding. The background history of the robot simply broke my heart. In roughly a minute you can see why he was sitting on that particular bench, why he takes a liking to the little girl, and why he falls apart, both literally and figuratively. Rain Town was inspiring and heartfelt. It's a wonderful piece that reminded me a lot of Tsumiki no Ie, which is another superb animated short. If you haven't seen that one, or this one for that matter, I would profoundly recommend you to do so. It's rare to find something that succeeds in touching our hearts, but it is seamlessly done in a simple short film about a rainy town, a little girl, and a robot. Bravo.

Alone, a little girl explores her dreary town. Only the sound of the rain can be heard. The only shred of life/light seems to beckon her through a dark ally. The scenery consists of low hues of blue and this town is reflected perfectly in the puddles below... The things that were lost and never found lay dead and lifeless in these reflections. But she will always cherish the memories and the friend she made that day... Rain Town evokes a feeling of melancholy and loneliness, however there is also a reminiscent feel of childhood. There is some symbolism in this anime.

Walking down a rainy isle, listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops makes Rain Town a magnificent short film I have ever seen. No words could describe of how the story was really well mad. Original and ground-breaking music that always calms me deep inside. This was a worthwhile film to watch. First of all, I'd like to say that actions speak louder than words. Notice that there aren't words being said in this film, basically means words are not necessarily needed to be understand. Just the sound of the rain needed to make this film beautiful as it already is. The way the characters actaround each other was amazing. The bond both the robot and the girl made was inseparable, not obstacle could break them, even fate could break how they loved one another. Second of all, the breathtaking story that makes you want for more. A story about a robot and a little girl that is so full of unexpected destiny and fate that brought them together. Definitely, the ending was more than a happily ever after. This films makes me cry buckets of water, and of course inside made me hope like no other. Third of all, the music is seminal. Really beautiful, with the sound of raindrops and the sound of piano mixing together to make a perfect harmony exceeds my expectations. Of course that way the music fit well into the film makes it an benefit of how amazing the film really is. Fourth of all, the characters are really well drawn. It's not just about the way the way they are drawn too, but the way the characters express themselves without the help of words. Like I said in the beginning, "actions speak louder than words" amazingly fit well in the story. Rain Town takes us to the future then to past. Remembering friends that the main character met during the rain. As the story goes the title rain town means that the robot the the main protagonist character's grandmother met was waiting a bus stop. Waiting for the child the robot met in the past. Hoping to be found again and played with. This story magically extravagant. In one of the scenes, on how the robot fell because of the rain and oxygen made the metal rust and kept the robot sedentary in it's past position. However, meeting with the current little girl change the way the robot looked at the world. In fact, the film showed us how we can never be alone in life and how fate can bring people together, but most of all how we can always find a way to bring our loved ones closer to us.

Rain Town, a serene, atmospheric short, is the polar opposite of Ishida Hiroyasu's first animation, Fumiko's Confession, which is, by contrast, a manic, zany, and cartoonish ride. Both works show off Ishida's animation talent, but it seems that Rain Town is merely a portfolio-building exercise for the young man. The beginning scenery evokes memories of La Maison en Petits Cubes, but Rain Town offers hardly any story. Still, the animation looks great, and the music is fitting.

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