Main Characters:
-Hina Amano
Amano (天野) means "sky field", while Hina (陽菜) means "sun greens"
Hina is a young woman of average build and height with long, straight black hair which she ties into two low ponytails laid on her shoulder, and blue eyes. She usually wears a sleeveless white hoodie over a pink tank top and rolled-up denim shorts. Additionally, she wears a choker with a blue gem and carries around a small dark grey canvas backpack. On the day Hodaka saved her from hoodlums, she wore a pink dress under her hoodie.
Hina is a kind and caring young woman, as evidenced by her willingness to offer a free burger to the runaway Hodaka, and her newfound love for the happiness her sunshine power brings to people. She is cheerful despite her struggles to take care of herself and her brother.
-Hodaka Morishima
Morishima (森嶋) means "luxuriant island", while Hodaka (帆高) means "high sail"
Hodaka is a teenager of average build and height with short, messy dark hair, and light brown eyes. He wears a plain white t-shirt, four-quarter rare-folded pants, and carries around a small over-the-shoulder bag at all times.
Hodaka Morishima is a first-year high school student who lives on the detached island of Kozushima, located south of Japan. Unhappy with his shallow lifestyle in the remote area of his native village as well as his abusive father, he decides to move to Tokyo. However, he finds himself living his life as a NEET against the high living cost in Tokyo, and soon becomes broke and falls into isolation, also known as hikikomori. However, he finally manages to get a job as a writer in a shady & small Monthly Paranormal Occult Editorial.
After becoming a journalist, Hodaka is sent on a task to investigate the irregular weather in Japan. One day, in a corner of the crowded and busy Tokyo metropolitan, Hodaka meets a bright and strong-willed young woman named, who has the mysterious ability to part the rainy clouds through her prayer, and the two begin a small business and explore the undiscovered secrets of the world together.
Story
The story begins with a young girl named Hina Amano in a hospital room holding the hand of a woman who appears to be either sleeping or in a coma. Hina looks out the window at the buildings of Tokyo being drenched by a heavy downpour. In the middle of the rain, a small stream of light breaks through the clouds and illuminates a single building. Entranced by this light, Hina leaves the hospital and runs toward it. Just like in the Hina climbs the stairs and notices a single red on the roof of the building. She approaches the gate and clasps her hands in prayer. Hina steps through the gate and she is teleported to an unknown realm high in the sky. She flies through the air and sees translucent fish swimming through the air below her.
Next, Hodaka stands on a large ship approaching the shores of Tokyo. He is immediately excited by the sight of Tokyo's skyscrapers. As if it were an act of god, the weather takes a sharp turn and the boat is shaken by a torrential downpour. The boat sways and Hodaka loses his balance, nearly sliding off of the ship. He is saved by Keisuke, an adult man who has Hodaka buy him dinner and a beer to repay him. Keisuke gives Hodaka his business card when they reach Tokyo and tells him to get in touch.
Hodaka quickly finds himself in over his head in Tokyo when he's unable to find a job. He takes showers at cheaply-priced manga cafes and eats only instant udon and soup for his meals. The rest of the time he spends wandering the streets of Tokyo aimlessly and looking for alleys to sleep in and escape the rain. After knocking over a trash can, he finds a discarded pistol hidden in the trash. He decides to keep the gun for protection. One day, as he falls asleep in a McDonald's, a staff member gives him a burger out of pity. That staff member happens to be Hina.
Hodaka decides to give Keisuke a call and heads to his home to talk about a job offer. At the house, Keisuke is nowhere to be found. Instead, Hodaka meets Natsumi, a beautiful woman asleep on the couch. She wakes up and introduces herself as Keisuke's assistant. Hodaka asks what her relationship is to Keisuke and Natusmi flirtingly winks and says their relationship is exactly what he imagines it to be. Keisuke returns and explains the job offer to Hodaka: an assistant for an occult/supernatural magazine.
In return for room and board, a cellphone, and meager pay, Hodaka becomes Keisuke's assistant and reporter for all things supernatural. Keisuke gives Hodaka the task of helping them investigate the rumors of someone known as the 100% Sunny Girl who has the power to stop the rain. Hodaka spends his days cleaning the house and office, interviewing people, and writing stories on supernatural occurrences. While the work is hard and the pay is low, Hodaka finally finds himself living a steady life in Tokyo.
ACT II
One day Hodaka notices Hina being pestered by two sketchy looking men who try to convince her to come to do an "easy job" for them. While the job isn't specified, these type of men often targets young women around train stations in Tokyo to work at Kyabakura clubs. At Kyabakura clubs, young women wear skimpy clothing and entertain older men while serving drinks.
Trying to act the hero, Hodaka lodges himself at them and grabs Hina's hand, telling her to run away. The two men catch up to them and one of the men pins Hodaka to the ground and starts beating him up. Hodaka pulls out the gun and the man eggs him on, confident he won't pull the trigger. Hodaka fires the gun, but luckily no one is hurt and both men are stunned into silence. Hina grabs Hodaka and the two run away together.
In an abandoned building, Hina scolds Hodaka for firing the gun and acting so carelessly. She tells him that she didn't need his help. He throws the gun on the floor in frustration. Hina comforts him and tells him that she knows he's a runaway. She officially introduces herself and takes him to the roof of the building, the same location as the red torii from the beginning of the film. As the rain continues to fall she looks at him and says "Don't worry, it's gonna clear up soon." The sun begins to break through the clouds and Hodaka turns back to Hina, astonished. Hina clasps her hands and closes her eyes in deep concentration and Hodaka realizes that she is the rumored 100% Sunny Girl. She smiles to confirm his suspicion.
The two become business partners and Hodaka visits Hina's apartment where he meets her brother. He learns that since the passing of their mother, Hina and her little brother Nagi live alone. Together, they create a website for people to order sunny weather at the price of 3400 yen (around $31 USD). They receive orders immediately and quickly get to work. From requests from young children to orders from large companies, Hina, Hodaka, and Nagi work hard to fulfill every order. During one job for an old woman, they learn about a world above the clouds that used to exist a long time ago. This story alludes back to the very beginning of the film where Hodaka says "On that summer day, above the clouds, we changed the shape of the world."
Hina even receives news coverage as she works her magic above one of Tokyo's tallest skyscrapers during a festival. Afterward, Hodaka and Hina watch the fireworks on the roof of the building, and Hina thanks Hodaka for helping her and that she really loves being the 100% Sunny Girl.
ACT III
As Hina's 18th birthday quickly approaches, Hodaka decides to buy her a ring as a gift. During a day out with Keisuke and his daughter, Hodaka introduces Hina to Keisuke and Natsumi. The two are happy to finally meet the fabled 100% Sunny Girl. After the outing is over, Hodaka walks Hina home and struggles to find the right time to give her the ring. As he summons up the courage to pull the ring out of his pocket, a violent wind blows past him and he braces himself. When he opens his eyes, Hina is floating in the air.
She comes back down to him and Hodaka notices that parts of her hand and arm are as transparent as the rain. Hina tells him that this is part of the burden that comes with being the 100% Sunny Girl. Back at Hina's apartment, the two of them dry off when the police show up looking for Hodaka. Hina tells them she has never seen him, but the police say that Hina and her brother are too young to be living alone. The police say they'll return some other time with social care workers to have a chat.
Hodaka meets up with Keisuke who tells him that the police came to his office as well and they were sent by his parents. Keisuke pays him all his owed salary in full and tells him to go home. Back at Hina's house, Nagi and Hina decide to run away for fear of being taken into foster care homes. Hodaka defiantly exclaims that he too does not want to go home and that the three of them will run away together. During one of Tokyo's worst typhoons, the three of them hit the streets in search of a hotel to spend the night.
They are approached by concerned police officers who identify Hodaka as the runaway boy they are looking for. Hina inadvertently summons a lightning bolt which causes a parked truck to explode. The police are distracted and Hodaka, Hina, and Nagi are able to getaway. They rent one of the few rooms available for a whopping 30,000 yen (around $280 USD).
Finally able to relax, they take a bath, raid the mini-fridge, and sing karaoke until Nagi falls asleep. After a roller coaster of a day, Hodaka finally has some alone time with Hina and summons up the courage to give her the ring he bought her. She is happy and loves the gift, but immediately devastates Hodaka with bad news. Hina's powers come with consequences and those bestowed with her gifts cannot stay in the normal world. If they do, the area will be met with constant rain. She tells Hodaka that she feels her time to go is soon approaching and she can't control it. She tries to be strong and asks him to look after Nagi, but her composure breaks and the two embrace each other. Hodaka asks her not to leave and they cry together.
The next day, Hodaka wakes up and Hina is nowhere to be found. The police break into the room and Hodaka and Nagi are taken to the police station.
ACT IV
On the way to the police station, Hina's ring drops from the sky onto the ground. Hodaka picks it up and realizes she must have gone to the fabled world above the clouds. At the police station, he begs the detective to let him go to save Hina, but the detective doesn't believe him. Hodaka learns from the detective that Hina is actually 15-years-old too and she lied about being 18 to try to act more adult in front of him and her little brother. Instead of going quietly, Hodaka runs out of the police station with numerous officers on his tail. Natsumi comes to his rescue on a motorbike and tells him that Nagi called her.
Hodaka guides her to the building with the red torii gate on the roof. On the way, they reach a dead-end where the roads are completely submerged in water from the typhoon. Hodaka continues on foot and runs along the train line to get to the building. He arrives at the building and finds Keisuke there who tries to convince him to return to the police station. Keisuke tells Hodaka not to worry, as he hasn't committed any serious crimes. As Keisuke drags Hodaka out of the room, he bites him on the arm and pushes himself away.
Hodaka finds the gun he had thrown on the ground from the last time he and Hina were there. He picks it up and points it at Keisuke, refusing to go without finding Hina. The police storm in and restrain Hodaka. Keisuke feels an overwhelming rush of sympathy for Hodaka and fights the police off of him. Nagi also arrives at the building and helps Keisuke fight off the police. Hodaka runs to the roof of the building where he hurriedly jumps through the torii gate.
Immediately, he finds himself above the clouds falling at a great speed. He sees a large cloud with fields of grass above it. He shouts Hina's name and tries to move toward her. Hina awakens at the sound of his voice and sees him falling. She runs to the edge of the cloud and jumps toward him. The two falls through the sky, desperately trying to reach each other. They finally join hands and pull each other close. Hodaka tells her he doesn't care about the rain. He doesn't care if Tokyo is forever plagued by cloudy skies. Hodaka tells her that she is all that matters and that he loves her.
ACT V
The police find the two of them asleep under the torii gate. Hina is taken into police custody and Hodaka is sent back to his hometown. He is watched heavily for fear that he may run away again. Over the next three years, Tokyo remains under constant rain and becomes almost completely submerged in water. Some buildings are completely engulfed by the sea and instead of the numerous Tokyo train lines, people are forced to get around by ferry.
In those three years, Hodaka and Hina remain out of contact. However, as soon as Hodaka graduates high school, he moves back to Tokyo to attend university while living on his own. He meets up with Keisuke, whose business has expanded into an office in a Tokyo high-rise with two hired assistants. Hodaka also visits the old woman who hired their weather services all those years ago. She tells him that many centuries ago Tokyo was all ocean, so in a way, they are just returning to how things were before.
While walking the same path he and Hina used to walk, he sees a young girl in a high school uniform clasping her hands with her eyes closed. He recognizes Hina and calls out to her with tears in his eyes. She runs to him and the two embrace each other, telling each other everything is going to be okay from now on.
Thanks for reading :)