SPOILER DISCUSSION

1.The most incompetent set of police officers ever. First they can’t catch a Hodaka multiple times. Then they can’t hold onto Hodaka in their own building despite having multiple officers everywhere. Then when Hodaka points the gun around and then makes a break they still can’t get him. It just makes it feel more cartoony, especially given Japan’s strict stance towards firearms. I get how the gun helps draw parallels between Hodoka’s shooting and Hina’s lightning bolt and that it stands in for the emotional frustration, but I think it could have been handled better.

2. I love the ending and it makes the whole movie work for me. The fact that Hina comes back and the rain keeps raging on is beautiful and gives the movie a hopeful melancholy. It thematically ties the whole thing together, gives us a happy ending that confirms the relationship (stars at Your Name) , and is poetic. It’s those at the margins that have to deal with environmental damage the most- they get sacrificed for the “progressive” worlds growth. The movie is a reversal of that – instead of sacrificing people for development, we find a way to live in nature without throwing away anyone.