6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
With You and The Rain – Season 1 Episode 1 Recap & Review
Rainy Days
Episode 1 of With You and The Rain opens on a rainy evening where Fuji gives her umbrella to a stranger, saying she no longer needs it. Drenched from the downpour on her walk home, she comes across a strange animal who calls itself a 'dog' and asks her to take it in. Fuji is hesitant, until the creature hands her an umbrella.
She brings the 'dog' home and notices it quirkily folding the cardboard box it had been sitting in. Fuji offers it water, and the 'dog' responds by holding up a cue card with a simple 'thank you' written on it. Touched, Fuji heads to the convenience store to buy some dog food, which the dog enjoys enthusiastically.
The next day, Fuji takes the dog to a veterinarian for a check-up. The vet quickly notes that this isn't quite a dog—but before anything else can be said, the dog raises a cue card firmly declaring himself, 'Dog.' After the treatment, Fuji takes it home, with the dog announcing that while the vet was kind, it will never be returning there.
On their way back, they pass a park where a man is petting cats. The dog sneaks into the circle of cats, joining them and asserting, through its cue card, that it's also a cat, just so the man would pet him! Fuji explains the situation, and the two continue home.
Later, while Fuji works, the dog asks her what she does for a living. She replies that she's a novelist. She then gives the dog a long bath, before soaking in the tub herself with a book—only to find the dog mimicking her, doing the same in its own way.
The episode closes with Fuji and her 'dog' sharing a peaceful, quiet moment. As she gazes off thoughtfully, she muses, 'Where do all of us come from?'
The Episode Review
With You and the Rain begins with an absolutely adorable and charming first episode. The anime seems to follow an episodic format, focusing on the interactions between Fuji and the still-unnamed animal—quirky, funny, and heartwarming. It's immediately clear this show has been made with a lot of love, and that care comes through in both the storytelling and the soft, inviting art style.
This is definitely for those who love a slow, slice-of-life experience, like soaking in a hot spring with your favorite book. If you enjoyed shows like Yuru Camp, there's a good chance this gentle, whimsical anime will find a place in your heart too.
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