With You and the Rain Anime Review: Finding Magic in a Story With No Goal

"Sometimes, just because you hang out, talk, and have fun, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll become close"

Fuji and her new "dog" enjoy themselves in the bath on their first night together

Slice-of-life is one of the more well-loved genres in anime. Every season, there’s usually one that revolves around a hobby. The formula is familiar: a bubbly, extroverted newbie discovers a new interest and becomes the kohai of an introverted expert. Their shared love for the hobby brings out the best in them as they work toward getting better.

But what if there is no goal? What if the two main characters are an introverted, reclusive writer and a tanuk... I mean, a dog whose only means of communication is through a pen and a notebook?

Well, we get With You and the Rain.

From the first episode, it is clear that With You and the Rain will not present an extraordinary tale of adventure. The atmospheric sounds of the rain, the footsteps wading through small puddles, and the soft piano during the first forty seconds give the show the relaxed first impression it needs as an introduction to our two main characters.

Fuji is a novelist who takes things slow and loves taking walks. Her soft, calm demeanor is a stark contrast to that of her father and two close friends, who also play supporting roles in the story. She doesn't seek out interaction with others as much as the average person and prefers to read books during her free time. In other words, she is an introvert. But her introversion is not portrayed as something she needs to overcome or as an obstacle in her life.

The cute, unnamed "dog" gathering chestnuts

Fuji is a contrast to her unnamed companion. Only referred to as “You,” he is a curious, playful little fella who has a pretty good appetite. He loves his chew toys and will climb on Fuji from time to time to get a few head pats.

Unlike the other animals in the show, You, as previously mentioned, is capable of communicating through a pen and a notebook. But this does not mean that Fuji can always take his words at face value. Not unlike human interaction, she still needs to read between the lines to understand what her companion is really trying to say.

And this is where the story, or lack thereof, shows its magic. Throughout With You and the Rain, Fuji is shown to have no extraordinary issues in life that would warrant a setup, a climax, and a resolution.

Fuji is a published novelist with projects coming in. She has a loving family and two good friends who long for her company. Though introverted and reserved, Fuji does not exhibit any social issues and can easily navigate conversations with strangers. Fuji has a good relationship with her neighbor, close enough to be trusted with their child, but not creepy enough to make us wonder, “Where are this kid's parents?”

With You and the Rain just picks up with Fuji finding You and seamlessly fitting him into her life.

Fuji and You are joined by Kii-chan and her dog Kinako at the park

Fuji continues on with life with You. As before, she is socially exhausted by her bombastic father, and she enjoys the company of her high school friends, Mimi and Ren. She takes walks around the neighborhood as she seeks a reprieve from work. She still has her deadlines and has to attend meetings with her editor and other members of her project. But this time around, she has You.

Now, You is there to play with her dad. You is there to show off to her friends. You is there on her lap to be her cute little mascot when she has a Zoom meeting with the team asking her to write a script.

And You is a responsibility. The usually reclusive Fuji, who rebuffs her friends' invitations to the beach because she prefers to go there alone, now has to bring You with her. When going bowling at night, she makes sure You is tucked into bed before leaving so he doesn't feel excluded.

You is also there for Fuji to hand her a towel after she is soaked by the rain

With You and the Rain's magic is not rooted in some immense challenge, intense battles, or grand goals. It is in the subtlety of life. It's in the relatively quiet interactions and soft glances. It's in the sighs of exasperation and the groans after stretching while working.

With You and the Rain sells this magic, and it sells it very well.

With You and the Rain's subtlety is accompanied by a lush soundtrack. The jazzy, bossa nova-style opening, coupled with the minimalist animation style, perfectly captures the relaxed vibe of the show. The lo-fi style of the ending doesn't deviate from this. Both do a wonderful job of enveloping each episode.

But as good as the opening and ending songs are, With You and the Rain's sound design and soundtrack throughout the actual show really elevate it.

You cannot talk. He would make small, cute noises here and there, but he is vocally challenged otherwise. Fuji, as previously mentioned, is introverted and reserved. The other characters, though more expressive verbally, are not around as much as our two main characters. This lack of dialogue is filled out wonderfully by the sound design and soundtrack of the show.

Fuji and You enjoying the rain

The drops of rain on the windowpane, the sound of You shaking when he does some naughty pet things, the melodic piano legatos whenever we are taken to a beautiful scene, and the playful staccatos whenever we get cute, funny moments—these are all incorporated wonderfully into the show and elevate the story.

What With You and the Rain lacks in conflict, it more than makes up for in its presentation. It doesn't need Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer levels of animation. It needs the right vibe. And it has it in spades.

Who would want to watch With You and the Rain, a show without conflict, goals, or even sex? Well, I know a fat office worker who took off his rose-colored glasses of idealism and loved it so much that he had to write about it. Maybe you should give it a try.