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There’s something comforting about a rainy day. The soft patter against your window, a warm cup of tea, and a cozy anime that wraps your soul in a blanket of gentle weirdness. With You and the Rain brings all of that energy, blending wholesome charm with delightfully absurd moments in its premiere episode. It’s based on With You and the Rain, a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ko Nikaido.

From the first frame, the show pulls you in with its muted blue palette and gentle animation style that feels like slipping into your favorite oversized sweater. Our main character, Fuji, is a soft-spoken novelist with a no-nonsense haircut and a wardrobe that screams “I’m practical, but I’m tired.” One rainy day, umbrella in tow, she does what many of us would do: she stares at an animal in a box for an awkwardly long time, debating life choices. The catch? Said animal is a pudgy tanuki (yes, a raccoon dog) with a leaf on its head, holding a sign that says, “Please take me home.” Classic dog behavior, right? Right??

Fuji, with the weary resignation of someone who knows she just signed up for an unknown adventure, brings him home. Thus begins the wholesome chaos.

The Dog Debate That Will Define a Generation

Is he a dog? A tanuki? A small, fuzzy cryptid with a fondness for arts and crafts? He says he’s a dog. He writes that he’s a dog. Who are we to argue? This mysterious little guy, whom I’ll just call ‘You’ because that’s what the teaser calls him, is the kind of pet that steals pens, writes “Thank you” in your notebook, and makes leaf masks for his part-time gig. He’s weird. He’s wonderful. He’s all of us.

The first episode rolls out like a slice-of-life hug, with little gags that feel lived-in rather than forced. The vet visit alone is comedy gold. Imagine trying to explain to a medical professional that your tanuki-shaped roommate is, in fact, a dog. Then picture your pet holding up a sign mid-vaccination that reads, “I’m a dog. Please be gentle.”

Same, buddy. Same.

Life’s Big Questions, Answered in a Bathtub

But With You and the Rain isn’t just about laughs. There’s a quiet melancholy woven through the drizzle. One of the most beautiful scenes has Fuji and her new friend soaking in separate tubs, bathed in moonlight and rain sounds. She ponders where they both came from, and what home really means. It’s understated and human in a way that sneaks up on you between all the visual gags and raccoon antics.

Fuji’s musings hit home for anyone who’s ever felt adrift. “Where do we come from? Where do we go?” she asks aloud. (No, “Cotton Eye Joe” is not canon, but now you’re thinking it.) Her little companion simply scribbles on the steamed-up wall: “Me too.” And somehow, that’s enough.

A Gentle Start to What Feels Like a Comfort Watch Classic

With You and the Rain doesn’t scream for your attention. It’s not loud or overly energetic. Instead, it invites you to sit down, have some tea, and maybe cry a little into your cardigan. It’s quiet, warm, and odd in the best way—perfect for fans of series like My Roommate is a Cat or Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, but with its own flavor of gentle weird.

I haven’t read the manga yet, but after this first episode, it’s definitely on my list. If episode 1 is any sign of what’s to come, this feels like it will be a tender comedy about loneliness, connection, and embracing life’s little unknowns. Honestly, I can’t wait to see where this slice-of-life story goes next.

With You and the Rain airs on Crunchyroll beginning July 5, 2025, at 11:00 AM PT with new episodes streaming every Saturday.

Production Staff:

• Original Work:
  Based on the manga With You and the Rain written and illustrated by Ko Nikaido
• Directed by:
  Tomohiro Tsukimisato
• Series Composition Written by:
  Toko Machida
• Character Design by:
  Ayano Owada
• Music Composed by:
  Rei Ishizuka
• Animation Studio:
  Lesprit

Japanese Voice Cast and Characters:

• Saori Hayami as Fuji
• Anna Mugiho as You
• Yuna Kamakura as Mimi
• Satomi Sato as Ren
• Yuzu Yumoto as Kii
• Yoji Ueda as Tatsuo
• Mie Sonozaki as Michiko
• Kikunosuke Toya as Teru
• Yumiri Hanamori as Wako
• Chafurin as Veterinarian
• Shūhei Sakaguchi as Hiura
• Mitsuho Kambe as Hojo
• Yume Miyamoto as Arata

About Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.

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The post Finding Comfort in the Storm: ‘With You and the Rain’ is the Comfy-Core Anime You Didn’t Know You Needed appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.