With You and the Rain - First Impressions

Written by Bloop on 24 Jan 2026

With You and the Rain is a gentle, healing series that can soothe even the most stoic of souls. It follows Fuji, a quiet novelist, whose life shifts when she meets a strange dog-like creature that communicates through a sketch pad, leading to a calm daily life and small moments of connection.   

I actually had with you and the rain on my radar, but it got pushed aside, with all the other shows I picked up. Honestly, I’m glad I finally picked it up. I’m really enjoying the slow-paced feel - it’s the kind of series where you can just sit back, stop thinking and let it wash over you. Describing the feeling it bestows as calmness is almost an understatement.

Fuji met the nameless dog (named You), which uses a sketchpad to communicate with people. And they bonded really quickly. I think with any Iyashikei anime, you’ll quickly notice that the companion is pretty much a tanuki, though they pass it off as an odd-looking animal.

The nameless dog even wears an angel-like mask, which adds to the mysterious charm. The - especially the rain and flowers - is gorgeous! not only that,and Fuji’s striking blue eyes always catches my attention every time. The soft gentle music played really helps set the mood. Nothing dramatic happens, but watching Fuji smile and seeing the nameless dog and their daily life is incredibly calming and honestly very charming too.

Fuji is an introverted, reserved novelist, who happens to cross the nameless dog. Her striking blue eyes stand out immediately, and despite saying she isn’t a sweet person, her interactions often suggest otherwise. Beyond that, the series hasn’t revealed much about her yet, which adds to her charm. 

You (the nameless dog) is instantly lovable. His sketchpad‑based way of communicating is both funny and surprisingly charming, and it gives him a lot of personality without saying a word. It’s also strongly hinted that he’s actually a tanuki — the leaf on his head is a pretty big giveaway — which only adds to his quirky appeal. I’m completely charmed by him already.

Would I recommend watching it? Yeah, the series is a hidden gem, it has that soothing, calming, gentle, atmosphere that can be watched as a come-down from all the other shows

These impressions are based off of on the first three episodes of With you and the rain, which is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Trailer: