Who is Hodaka Morishima?
Hodaka Morishima is the male protagonist of Weathering With You.
Voice Actor of Hodaka Morishima
The Japanese voice actor, Kotaro Daigo contributed his voice to Hodaka Morishima in Weathering With You whereas Brandon Engman has voiced for the English version of this character.
Appearance
Hodaka is a tan-skinned adolescent with large light brown eyes and an average build and height. His black hair is short and slightly messy, with soft forelocks and bangs that fall over his eyes. He’s dressed in a plain short-sleeved t-shirt in either white or black, four-quarter rare-folded jeans, white sneakers with two red stripes, and a small yellow messenger shoulder-type backpack.
Personality
Hodaka is a brave young man. He is impulsive and irrational, which plays a role in determining Tokyo’s ultimate fate. He may have been going through a rebellious phase before leaving his home island for Tokyo, which is one of the reasons he ran away. He felt lost and hopeless when he arrived until he met Hina. He loves Hina the most out of everyone in his life, especially because her treatment of him is humane and loving, in stark contrast to his father’s and presumably everyone else’s, including Suga’s malicious actions. In fact, his love for Hina takes precedence over all else, even if it has negative consequences such as flooding Tokyo.
Hodaka eventually matured out of his phase during his three-year probation, according to the light novel, as his parents softened and he became a successful student with new friends. When he returned to Tokyo, however, he began to second-guess his decision to flood the city until he saw Hina again, solidifying their relationship as his reason for living.
He also gets along well with children much younger than himself, such as Moka and Nagi.
History
Hodaka was born on the isolated island of Kozushima, located south of Japan, between September 2004 and May 2005 to upper-middle-class parents. Nothing is said about his childhood, but he seemed to have a rebellious phase in his adolescence. His relationship with his father was strained, according to the light novel; he physically abused him and had complete control over his actions. Hodaka also felt “chained down” by his father and his school.
2021
Hodaka, tired of his shallow lifestyle and the suffocating environment of his hometown, decides to flee to Tokyo in the summer of 2021. During the journey, he nearly drowns when a freak rainstorm hits the ferry. However, he is rescued by a man named Keisuke Suga, whom Hodaka rewards with a meal in return for his assistance.
As they board the ferry, Keisuke hands him his business card in case he ever needs assistance. Hodaka is struggling to make ends meet in Tokyo because he is unable to work legally due to his status as a runaway minor. He sleeps at a cybercafé for a few nights while looking for work online, but he is unable to find work anywhere and thus decides to save money by staying on the streets. On the bus, he meets Nagi Amano, Hina’s younger brother, as well as Ayane and Kana, and exclaims that Nagi is a player.
Hodaka meets a stray cat who he feeds one night while taking shelter in the doorway of a lift lobby, realizing that he and the animal are in similar situations. He’s awoken by the club’s host, who kicks him out and sends him crashing into a trash can, spilling garbage all over the place.
Hodaka picks up a package while replacing the trash in the can, which he later opens while sitting in McDonald’s. The package contains a gun, which frightens him at first, but he convinces himself that it’s just a toy and decides to keep it as a good-luck charm. As he sits without ordering, Hina approaches him and offers him a free meal out of pity.
Hodaka contacts Keisuke the next day and hires him as an assistant at his small publishing firm, K&A Planning Co., Ltd. Hodaka meets Natsumi Suga, Keisuke’s niece, whom he mistook for his mistress at the office. He and Natsumi look into urban legends about Tokyo’s unusual weather, and they hear about a ‘Sunshine Girl’ and a ‘Rain Girl’—beings who can control the weather—from a psychic.
On a rainy day, Hodaka watches as Hina is pressured into working at a shady club by the same man who had just thrown him out the day before, and tries to save her. He recognizes her as the girl who was nice to him, and the two of them flee together as the club host pursues them.
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Hodaka is pinned down by the host, but he manages to stun him by firing the gun he had discovered earlier. Hodaka freezes when he realizes the gun is real, and Hina quickly pulls him away so the two can flee to a nearby abandoned building—the same one Hina saw while sitting with her mother.
After being fired from her previous job at a fast food restaurant, Hina chastises Hodaka for interfering, explaining that she needed the job to support herself and her sibling. Before turning to leave, she criticizes his use of the gun, and Hodaka, terrified by what he’d done, throws it across the floor of the building.
Hina returns, assuming Hodaka is a runaway, and tells him she wants to show him something after noticing he’d realized his errors. Hina uses her ability to clear the sky by praying for Hodaka from the building’s rooftop. She introduces herself to an enthralled Hodaka as he does the same, boasting that she is 17 years her senior. They convene at Hina’s home for a meeting.
Soon after, at K&A, Hodaka tells Natsumi about Sunshine Girls, and the woman swoons at the prospect of being a Sunshine Girl, before inquiring about Hodaka’s date with her. As Natsumi gets up to leave, Hodaka protests that it isn’t a date.
He meets Hina and her younger brother, Nagi, at their home later that day, and she cooks lunch for Hodaka while they discuss jobs. Hodaka proposes that they start a business together, inspired by the Sunshine Girl’s idea; Hina could provide her mysterious ability to people who want clear weather for special events. Their company becomes a huge success, and they attract a wide range of customers, from kindergarten students to corporate behemoths.
A few months into the job, Hina is asked to provide a clear sky for the Jingu Gaien fireworks festival. She then sits with Hodaka on the roof of the building, telling him that she’s glad she started her job as they watch the fireworks together.
Hina, Nagi, and Hodaka accept a job clearing the sky for Fumi Tachibana at her home so that she can light a fire for her deceased husband. Fumi laments the fact that they’re leaving the job, but Hodaka explains that they don’t have a choice because Hina was caught on camera at the festival and wishes to remain anonymous for the time being.
Taki Tachibana arrives at Fumi’s house and lights her fire, prompting Fumi to suggest that she do the same for her deceased mother when she learns of her death. While Hina, her brother, and Fumi play in the garden, Taki and Hodaka talk about her. Taki encourages Hodaka to buy Hina a gift because her birthday is coming up in a week.
Hodaka asks online what the best gift for an 18-year-old girl would be while watching Nagi’s school soccer match, but receives no useful responses. Nagi finishes his game and sits down with Hodaka, who tells him that he has no idea what to get Hina because Natsumi and the Internet have failed him.
Nagi asks if he’s in love with Hina, and he denies it with a furious blush. Nagi gives Hodaka advice on love while the two talk about Hina. Hodaka eventually decides to purchase a ring for Hina and visits a jewelry store to do so. He asks Mitsuha Miyamizu, the saleswoman if she thinks Hina will like it, to which Mitsuha responds that she’s sure she will, given how long Hodaka took to choose it, and then wishes him luck.
Keisuke and his daughter Moka Suga are playing with Nagi in the park, while Hina and Hodaka sit and watch. Hina’s last job was to clear the sky for Moka, allowing her to play outside despite her asthma. Hodaka questions Keisuke about how he knew this was his job and whether or not he has a daughter, but he is ignored as Keisuke compliments Hina on her abilities.
The three converse for a while until Natsumi arrives, at which point Hodaka exclaims and turns to Keisuke, asking if he’ll be in trouble with her because he has a wife. Hina and Natsumi accuse Keisuke of being a pervert because of his misunderstanding. Nagi and Moka summon Keisuke and Hodaka to join them in the park, where the four of them play together.
As the night falls and the rain returns, the six split up, Nagi accompanying the Sugas to a restaurant and Hodaka and Hina returning to the Amano abode together. Hodaka is worried about giving Hina the ring and confessing his love to her as he walks behind her, but Hina interrupts him to tell him something. A gust of wind carries her away, shocking Hodaka as she floats back down to him from the sky. He notices she’s becoming invisible as a result of the Sunshine Girl’s curse. As they walk back to her place, Hina tells him the story of how she became a Sunshine Girl at the rooftop shrine, the ring and confession forgotten.
As the police question Hina about Hodaka’s whereabouts, Hodaka hides in the bathroom at Hina’s apartment. Hodaka’s parents have filed a missing person report, and police officers are looking into his illegal firearms use and possession. Because Hina and her younger brother, Nagi, are minors without a legal guardian, an officer informs Hina that social services will be called in to take them away. After the police officers have left, Hodaka drives up to Keisuke in his car, fires him, and pays him severance pay. Keisuke apologizes for not being able to assist Hodaka further, as he does not want any complications to prevent him from filing for custody of his daughter.
Hodaka decides to flee with Hina and Nagi, but the weather becomes even more unusual as snow begins to fall. The three are apprehended on the streets, and Hodaka is apprehended by two police officers as he tries to flee, but he is saved by Hina, who distracts the cops by praying for lightning to strike nearby. As a result, the trio is able to flee to a hotel.
They stay at the hotel for the night. Hina tells Hodaka that her body is slowly turning into water, and that she learned about the story of the weather maiden who becomes a living sacrifice from Natsumi; the weather will only return to normal if she vanishes permanently into the clouds. He vows to protect her and refuses to let this happen. However, Hina goes missing the next day, and the rains stop as a result.
Hodaka sets out to locate her, but the police apprehend him and Nagi before they can leave the hotel. Hodaka manages to elude the police station in order to locate Hina, and enlists the assistance of Natsumi, who happens to be passing by. The cops pursue Hodaka until he reaches the shrine where Hina first gained her abilities. He runs into Keisuke inside, who tries to stop him from fleeing any further.
The cops have infiltrated the building and are encircling Hodaka. Keisuke, motivated by his concern for the desperate Hodaka, assists him in eluding the cops, only for Nagi to appear and stop Yasui. Hodaka climbs to the top of the structure and leaps through the shrine. He is then transported into the sky, where he rescues Hina. Hodaka begs Hina to start living for herself as they fall to earth, and the rains resume with no end in sight.
2024
Despite his life on Kozushima improving (his parents changing their minds, making more friends at school, and becoming a successful student), Hodaka never forgets Hina, despite never speaking about her to anyone, including his parents, schoolmates, or probation officer.
Hodaka returns to Tokyo after graduation to find it three-quarters submerged in the sea. He finds a new apartment, goes to check on Fumi and Keisuke, and, after reminiscing about his decision, he and Hina are reunited on a road, with Hodaka assuring her that everything will work out in the end.
Relationships
Hina Amano
Hodaka has been developing romantic feelings for Hina since he saves her from the club owners and she reveals her ability to clear the sky. Hodaka proposes to start a business with Hina by clearing the weather for events such as weddings and parties, which later becomes a success, inspired by the legend of the weather maiden. Following the fireworks festival, Hodaka realized that wielding the power to change the weather was having an adverse effect on Hina, so he decides to take a break from fulfilling Keisuke’s request for one sunny day to spend with his daughter Moka as their final task.
Soon after, the police arrive at Hina’s apartment and question her; Hina realizes that because they have no legal guardians and their mother recently died, social services will take them into custody, and Hodaka is asked by Keisuke to return home. Hodaka and Hina then decide to flee with Nagi, but they are stopped by a torrential downpour and falling snow.
They finally found a luxurious hotel to stay in for the night after a long search for hotels and lodging. Hina then proceeded to ask Hodaka if he wanted the rain to stop falling, to which Hodaka carelessly replied yes, unaware of the implications for Hina. Hina reveals that she is the source of the unusual weather, and her body is slowly turning to water in preparation for a human sacrifice so that the weather can return to normal.
Hodaka promises to protect her, but Hina has vanished into the sky and the rain has stopped the next morning. After falling in love with Hina, Hodaka decides to bring her back to Earth. Hodaka eluded the cops with the help of Keisuke, Natsumi, and Nagi, jumped through the shrine gate, and was transported into the sky, where he found Hina and asked her to leave with him together.
Hina was deeply moved when Hodaka confessed his feelings for her, saying that he wants her more than the blue sky, despite her concerns about the weather. Hodaka tells Hina to let it go and start living for herself as they fall to Earth together; when they reach the rooftop shrine, the heavy rains resume, but Hodaka is forced to return to his island home by the police.
Hodaka graduates from high school three years later and returns to Tokyo, where he tearsfully discovers Hina praying on a street overlooking the drowned city. They embrace each other once more, both surprised and overjoyed to see each other again, and the film ends with Hodaka promising Hina that everything will be fine from now on.
Nagi Amano
Nagi considers Hodaka to be an older brother figure. Hodaka carefully considers Nagi’s advice about what gift he should give Hina so that he can also look after his sister. Hodaka admires Nagi so much that he affectionately refers to him as “Sempai.” When Hina is about to be sacrificed, Nagi assists Hodaka in eluding the cops.
Keisuke Suga
Hodaka was on his way to Tokyo by boat and was about to fall off due to the heavy rain when Keisuke saved him from falling off. Hodaka looks up to his own boss as a father figure and mentor because of his father’s horrible and abusive behavior. With the cops closing in on them, their relationship deteriorated, and Hodaka began to see Kei as a counter-force attempting to prevent him from reaching Hina. After Hodaka returned to Tokyo three years later, they reconciled.
In Weathering With You, little is known about Hodaka’s relationship with his parents, though the light novel reveals that his father physically and emotionally abused him on numerous occasions. Hodaka even says that his father made him feel “chained down,” implying that he was also strict, domineering, and controlling.
Hodaka, on the other hand, described his parents’ welcome back to Kozushima after saving Hina’s life as “awkwardly, but warmly.” During his absence, his mother and father are very likely to have made amends. Since Hodaka writes a letter to her at the start of the manga adaptation, little is said about his mother, though she may not be as bad as his husband.
Quotes
- Who cares if we don’t see the sunshine ever again? I want you more than any blue sky. The weather can go crazy.
- Dear God, if you exist, please don’t take anything more, and don’t give anything more.
- I was rushing desperately, trying to reach the light. When I thought I did, I reached a dead-end instead. Then I decided I wanted to enter that light. And at the edge of it, I found you.
- The human mind works in mysterious ways. You just need to see the sun shining in the morning to feel energized. A blue sky makes you feel happy you’re alive.
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