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Plot Summary

Weathering with You (2020) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 112 min · Japanese
Echo score 80
JustWatch #10,659 6
Directed by
Makoto Shinkai
Starring
Alison Brie, Riz Ahmed, Chieko Baisho, Kotaro Daigo, Mone Kamishiraishi, Yuki Kaji
Budget
$11.1M

Fleeing his home on a remote island, a high school freshman arrives in Tokyo, only to find the city shrouded in relentless rain. Struggling to adapt, he encounters Hina, a spirited young woman who possesses a unique ability—she can control the weather, summoning sunshine and clearing away the gloomy skies. Their connection brings hope to the city, but they soon discover that her power comes at a cost, and changing the weather has unforeseen consequences.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 How it ends
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Weathering with You
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Weathering with You (2020)

Where can you watch Weathering with You? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on HBO Max, Hoopla and Amazon Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Weathering with You: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Weathering with You (2020) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In June 2021, Hodaka Morishima, a freshman in high school, escapes his troubled home life in Kozu-shima by heading to Tokyo. His journey takes a dramatic turn when the ferry he is on encounters a torrential rainstorm, during which he is saved by Keisuke Suga. Struggling to find work in the city, Hodaka stumbles upon an abandoned Makarov PM handgun in a trash can.

As he navigates this difficult life, he crosses paths with Hina Amano, a kind-hearted employee at McDonald's who offers him food out of compassion. Suga later hires Hodaka as an assistant at a small occult magazine where they explore urban legends tied to the unusual rainy weather affecting Tokyo, including the tale of "sunshine girls," who supposedly possess the power to control the weather.

One fateful day, Hodaka witnesses Hina being coerced into working at a club. When he attempts to step in, he finds himself confronted by the club's owner, leading to a tense situation where he loses control and fires the gun—thankfully, missing. Hina quickly leads him to Yoyogi Kaikan, an abandoned site with a shrine on the roof, where he discards the weapon after realizing the weight of his actions. It’s then that Hina surprises him by using her ability to clear the sky through prayer.

As the story unfolds, Hodaka learns that Hina supports her younger brother, Nagi, and they lack adult supervision. Recognizing their shared financial woes, Hodaka suggests they create a service to clear the weather for events, which quickly gains popularity. However, their business takes an unexpected turn when Hina appears on television after a successful job clearing the sky for a fireworks display, resulting in an overwhelming demand for their services. Feeling overwhelmed, they decide to pause operations to recuperate.

Meanwhile, the police have been on the lookout for Hodaka as a missing person's report has been filed by his family. They identify him via security footage connected to the gun incident, prompting an investigation that directly impacts Hina as she realizes she and Nagi could be separated by social services due to their lack of guardianship. After a police visit, Suga, wary of the growing suspicion, dismisses Hodaka from his job.

In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Hodaka, Hina, and Nagi try to escape but are thwarted by worsening weather conditions. The situation escalates when two police officers confront them; however, in a moment of surprising power, Hina inadvertently unleashes a bolt of lightning, allowing them to escape. Taking refuge in a hotel, Hina reveals the toll her abilities are taking on her, explaining that her transparency increases with usage—her sacrifice is necessary to restore balance to the weather.

The next day, Hina mysteriously disappears, and the rain ceases. Hodaka, taken into custody, learns that Nagi has been sent to a children's counseling center. Realizing his profound love for Hina, he escapes with aid from Natsumi Suga, Suga’s niece. With Suga’s help, Hodaka reaches the rooftop shrine where he leaps through the shrine gate, ascending to the skies to find Hina. He implores her to release her burdens and prioritize her happiness.

Upon their return to the shrine, they all find themselves arrested, while the heavy rains resume. Subsequently, Hodaka is sentenced to three years of probation and sent back to Kozu-shima. Fast forward to three years later, Tokyo remains submerged due to the continuous downpour. In the spring of 2024, having completed his probation, Hodaka graduates high school and returns to Tokyo. He reconnects with Suga, who has expanded his business and encourages him to search for Hina.

Finally, Hodaka discovers Hina praying on a street that overlooks the flooded city. In a heartwarming reunion, he promises her that they will find a way to be alright together.

Last updated: November 15, 2024 at 16:17

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Plot questions answered

Weathering with You Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Weathering with You (2020): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Hina disappear in Weathering with You?

Hina disappears because her weather-controlling powers require her to sacrifice herself to restore balance to the world's weather. Each time she clears the sky, she becomes more transparent and ethereal. Eventually, she fully dissipates into the sky to end the endless rain, though she is later restored when Hodaka finds her and asks her to prioritize her own happiness over sacrifice.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Hina explains to Hodaka at the hotel that her transparency increases with each use of her powers, foreshadowing her eventual disappearance.

  • hina disappearance
  • weather powers cost
  • sacrifice
  • transparency
Q2

What caused Tokyo to flood in the movie?

Tokyo floods because the weather has been thrown out of balance, likely due to climate change or natural forces beyond human control. The endless rain is not directly caused by Hina's powers, in fact, her abilities temporarily clear the sky. However, the film implies that her choice to sacrifice herself is what ultimately restores some balance, though the city remains partially submerged even after her return.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with Tokyo already experiencing relentless rain, establishing the environmental imbalance that drives the narrative.

  • tokyo flood
  • endless rain
  • weather imbalance
  • climate
Q3

Why is Hodaka arrested at the end of Weathering with You?

Hodaka is arrested for multiple reasons: he fired a gun (even though he missed), he is a runaway from home, and he was identified through security footage connected to the gun incident. Additionally, he escapes from police custody to find Hina, which adds to his charges. He receives three years of probation for his actions.

Foreshadowing: The gun incident at the club, where Hodaka fires the weapon while trying to protect Hina, directly links him to the police investigation.

  • hodaka arrest
  • police
  • gun incident
  • runaway
Q4

What is the cost of Hina's weather powers?

The cost of Hina's powers is her own physical existence. Each time she prays to clear the sky, she becomes more transparent and begins to fade away. She explains to Hodaka that her body becomes transparent as she uses her abilities because she is giving parts of herself to restore the weather. The more she uses her power, the more she loses herself.

Foreshadowing: Hina's gradual transparency is visually shown throughout the film, particularly after she clears the sky for the fireworks display, where she appears noticeably more ghost-like.

  • hina powers
  • transparency
  • sacrifice
  • cost
Q5

Why does Hodaka return to Kozu-shima at the end?

Hodaka returns to Kozu-shima because he is sentenced to three years of probation as part of his legal consequences for the gun incident and escaping police custody. He is sent back to his home island to serve this probation period. After completing it, he eventually returns to Tokyo as a free person to search for Hina.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Hodaka ran away from his troubled home life, making his return to face consequences a narrative necessity.

  • kozu-shima
  • probation
  • return
  • legal consequences
Q6

What happens to Nagi at the end of Weathering with You?

Nagi is taken to a children's counseling center after Hina disappears and the police locate him. He is separated from Hina due to their lack of adult guardianship. By the epilogue three years later, it appears Nagi has been placed in some form of care, though the film does not specify his exact situation when Hodaka returns.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the social worker visit threatens to separate Hina and Nagi, which becomes reality after Hina's disappearance.

  • nagi
  • children's counseling center
  • separation
  • hina brother
Q7

How does Hodaka find Hina three years later?

After completing his probation and returning to Tokyo, Hodaka is encouraged by Suga to search for Hina. He eventually finds her praying on a street that overlooks the flooded city. The film does not specify exactly how he locates her, but it implies that she has been living in Tokyo, and their reconnection seems fated.

Foreshadowing: The emotional weight of Hodaka's promise to find Hina, combined with Suga's encouragement to search for her, sets up their reunion.

  • reunion
  • hodaka finds hina
  • epilogue
  • 2024
Q8

Why does the weather get worse when Hina uses her powers?

The weather does not necessarily worsen when Hina uses her powers, but her abilities come with consequences. When she uses her power to clear the sky, it temporarily restores balance, but the act of using her powers gradually drains her life force. The film suggests that the world's weather is fundamentally out of balance, and Hina's sacrifice is necessary to restore any equilibrium at all.

Foreshadowing: Hina explains at the hotel that she must give parts of herself to control the weather, indicating the delicate and costly nature of her powers.

  • weather worsen
  • storm
  • lightning
  • power drain
Q9

What is the significance of the shrine gate in Weathering with You?

The shrine gate (torii) at Yoyogi Kaikan is the location where Hina connects with the sky to control the weather. At the climax, Hodaka leaps through the shrine gate as a symbolic act of ascending to find Hina in the sky. This moment represents his determination to reach her and bring her back from her sacrifice, acting as a threshold between the human world and the spiritual realm.

Foreshadowing: The Yoyogi Kaikan rooftop with the shrine is introduced as the place where Hina first demonstrates her weather-controlling abilities to Hodaka.

  • shrine gate
  • torii
  • yoyogi kaikan
  • ascension
  • leap
Q10

Why does Hina decide to sacrifice herself?

Hina decides to sacrifice herself because she feels responsible for the wellbeing of her younger brother Nagi and believes she must do whatever it takes to protect him. When the police investigation threatens to separate them and the weather continues to worsen, Hina chooses to use her full power to stop the rain, even though it means disappearing completely. She prioritizes others over herself, believing her sacrifice will end the crisis.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, Hina is shown working multiple jobs and caring for Nagi alone, establishing her selfless nature and willingness to sacrifice for family.

  • sacrifice
  • family
  • responsibility
  • nagi
  • choice

Ending explained

What Happens at the End of Weathering with You?

How Weathering with You (2020) ends, in short: the final scene, the last twist and what it means for the characters. The full ending explained, with every spoiler, lives on its own page.

Read the full ending explained

The ending of “Weathering” is a powerful reflection of resilience and self-empowerment in the face of overwhelming trauma. Throughout the film, Gemina is haunted by the loss of her baby, which she couldn’t save during childbirth, and this grief consumes her, making her feel hollow and lost. Her conversations with her mother and the dismissive treatment from her doctor reveal how societal expectations, misogyny, and racial prejudice exacerbate her suffering. Despite these hardships, Gemina’s dreams and inner voice struggle with guilt and fear, pushing her further into despair. However, in a moment of clarity, she realizes that she cannot let the judgments and prejudices of others define her or break her spirit. She chooses to take control of her life by channeling her pain into writing an article about protecting Black women, symbolizing her reclaiming her voice and strength. The film ends on a hopeful note, showing that even amid immense suffering, a woman like Gemina can rise above her circumstances, weather her storms, and emerge resilient, determined to fight for what she believes in and to rebuild her life on her own terms.

Weathering with You ending explained in full

Movie threads

More Movies Like Weathering with You, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Weathering with You tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Magical Realism Teen Romance Movies like Weathering with You

Young love blossoms under extraordinary circumstances, leading to poignant sacrifices. Discover movies like Weathering with You, featuring young love stories set against a backdrop of gentle magic or supernatural phenomena. If you enjoyed the blend of heartfelt romance, personal sacrifice, and a touch of the extraordinary, you'll find similar emotional journeys here.

  • romantic
  • yearning
  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • dreamlike
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: hopeful, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow young protagonists who discover a unique ability or encounter a magical being. Their romance develops alongside the challenges of managing this power, often culminating in a significant personal sacrifice that leaves the ending feeling poignant and hopeful rather than purely happy.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their core combination of a sincere teen romance and an element of magical realism. They share a tone that balances hopefulness with melancholy, a steady, character-driven pace, and a focus on the emotional weight of youthful decisions made for love.

Environmental Fantasy Movies with a Cost like Weathering with You

Humanity's interaction with nature leads to beautiful yet costly magical interventions. Explore fantasy movies similar to Weathering with You, where weather manipulation or environmental magic comes with a heavy price. These films blend stunning visuals with serious themes about responsibility and the impact of our choices on the world around us.

  • atmospheric
  • thought-provoking
  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • dreamlike
  • emotional
  • Tone: hopeful, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot revolves around characters who gain the ability to alter their environment, initially bringing joy or relief. The central conflict arises when the true cost of this power is revealed, forcing a moral dilemma between personal desire and the greater good, often resulting in a permanent change to the world.

Why they belong together: This thread unites films that use fantasy to explore ecological and ethical themes. They share a specific narrative structure of cause-and-effect, a medium emotional intensity from the weight of the choices presented, and a visually distinct, atmospheric setting that is integral to the story.

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Movies Like Weathering with You

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Every angle

Weathering with You (2020) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Weathering with You in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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