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Remember that love-at-first-sight-that-you-will-never-forget-all-your-life moment? Well, this movie is exactly about that feeling, but in the bitter-sweet japanese style. Definetely a memorable movie that you have to watch.

The three things that captivated me are:
1. The general theme "One more time, One more chance" by Masayoshi Yamazaki with the beautiful though heart-breaking lyrics
2. The Cosmic artwork
3. How the movie follows the characters and their feelings and lives from childhood to adulthood
Now, for detailing:

1. Sound -10-

As I said before, the theme song is one of the best parts of the movie, fitting perfectly the story and most of all - the feeling. You will find yourself listening ... to it many times even after the movie is over and just drift away. I can't help but put some of the lyrics, but it's better to just listen to it (japanese and translated( I recommend listening to Beni's english version-really nice)) (spoiler)

"Itsudemo sagashite iru yo dokka ni kimi no sugata o
Mukai no HOOMU rojiura no mado
Konna toko ni iru hazu mo nai no ni
Negai ga moshimo kanau nara ima sugu kimi no moto e
Dekinai koto wa mou nanimo nai
Subete kakete dakishimete miseru yo"

"I'm always searching, for your figure to appear somewhere
On the opposite platform, in the windows along the lane
Even though I know you couldn't be at such a place
If my wish were to come true, I would be at your side right away
There would be nothing I couldn't do
I would put everything on the line and hold you tight"

2. The artwork -10-

Although I started with the song part (personal favourite) the artwork is of masterpiece level, beginning with the splending Cosmic colours of the backround- pastel like, the way the light falls on the characters, the interesting angles (especially when following a bird's flight-one of my favourite part) to the tiny detail of the sakura flower - the main symbol of the movie and actually from where all the story starts.
I really enjoy the way that the sakura follows up the entire story, starting as a petal (at the beginng), continuing as a blooming tree (in the second part) and finishing as the falling sakura tree flowers (in the third part and actually returning to the beginnig, the original memory) very beautiful symbol.
In my opinion this is the anime with the best artwork that I have seen until now and as I said before some of the scenes are Cosmic (this is the word that I find most appealing to the artwork, beautiful not being enogh to describe it)

3. The story and characters -9-

I give it a 9 because it's not your average, passionte romance and the pace may be slow for some, the story simple even, but none the less I sometimes preffer this kind than the latter because you cand emphasize more with the characters and somehow get to a more meaningful and profound feeling.

Akari and Takaki, yes...
You would think they are your typical girl and boy (so that you would relate more easily to the characters), but as you follow them through the story, listen to the characters dialogs or better said their thoughts, you can see a more profound way of understanding life (even philosophical) which I absolutely love.
At first their innocent love may appear as simple, in the first part -the beginning- where they as kids promise to keep in touch through letters (because of the distance between them), but after the sakura-snow scene you can say it blooms- this love gradually transforming into longing and "what could be?" in the second part (teenage) and ending with regret as adults-this love becoming a bitter sweet memory.


Overall this is a beautiful movie that does not lose its value in time, each time I rewatch it kind of becomes more beautiful that the last time and you should watch it regardless of gender or anime preferences.
As I said in the beginning this is the Love-at-first-sight-that-you-will-never-forget-all-your-life Movie.

Enjoy!

"There is no such thing as a coincidence in this world, there is only the inevitable" (as miss Yuuko Ichihara would say, this containing the essence of the anime and personally my favourite quote)

If you are into supernatural and think that there is more to the world that meets the eye and are looking for interesting characters than definetely this is you kind of anime.
I first found out about this amazing work through manga and then started watching the series but it also works the other way around- you can start watching the anime and then continue with the manga- which is actually better.

Story - ... Shortly said, you can say that the anime revolves around a shop that grants wishes, or better said around it's "owner" miss Yuuko Ichihara and the "trials" that Watanuki must go through in order to grant his wish and the wishes of others.
The story isn't continuous as it is formed from other smaller stories each of them very interesting to watch because in the end you realize that the vast majority of supernatural problems (unexplained accidents, ghosts, spirits) are caused from the inside out (strong feelings that ar not shared, deep sadness, etc). Captivating and with unexpected rezolve, the most interesting thing being the fact that if you wish to grant your wish you must give something of equal value (and I'm not talking about money).
Not very much action, but still a pretty nice complex story.

Artwork - The artwork at first seems simple, but as you continue to watch you get the feeling that it's like an ukyo-e (art of the fleeting world) especialy when inside the spirit world or the shop (the way the smoke is drawn, the symbol of the moon, yuuko's clothes (which I absolutely adore) (although not all of them, some being vicotian, modern, a lot of styles(you can see it better in the manga)
I also enjoyed the butterfly symbol how it was drawn and its segnificance.

Sound- openings definetely loved them, endings not so much and also "Lost memory"(very sand and beautiful from the ost)

Character- At first you think that the characters aren't so complex, but as the story goes on and you discover more about each of them, you begin to realise that each of them were created with a purpose.
My favourite character would definetely be miss Yuuko Ichihara because of her dual personality, or maybe she has that misterious, serious and all knowing gaze all the time and the fooling around laughing and getting drunk part is only for show. Who knows? But she is definetely very interesting and would never get you bored.

Overall, this show is definetelly worth watching, as it opens up your mind, makes you thing about life and everything that surrounds you and also teaches about some of the japanese folklore. It's an anime you won't forget!