At this point, almost every single anime fan around the world knows the fact that Makoto Shinkai is one of the most talented anime creators of all time. While he only truly started to gain worldwide attention after the release of Your Name in 2016, Makoto Shinkai had created a lot of other successful anime movies before it as well. The Garden of Words is a movie by Makoto Shinkai that released back in 2013, and it is filled to the brim with romance and drama. In this article, I’ll give you guys a list of the top 5 places to watch The Garden of Words Online. I will also tell you guys where you can find the Blu-Ray version of the movie for the ultimate experience.

The Garden of Words Plot:

The Garden of Words follows the story of an aspiring shoemaker named Takao Akizuki. One day, he skips class and decides to go sit in a beautiful garden in order to gain some kind of inspiration. Here, the boy meets a mysterious woman named Yukari Yukino, and the two build a strange bond with each other.

We follow the story of these two souls as they help each other cope with their troubles.

Please Note: This list is only going to include legal options to watch The Garden of Words online, so you might have to pay for a better experience.

1. Netflix

Number 1 on our list is one of the most popular streaming platforms of all time, if not the most popular. Netflix has an abundance of popular anime titles available, so you can watch other anime series as well.

Pros:

  • You can watch other anime, dramas, and movies as well.
  • You can watch anime together with your friends with the help of Netflix Party.

Cons:

  • The library of anime available on the platform is small compared to some other platforms.
  • The Garden of Words movie is only available in Japanese with English subtitles.

Price:

Netflix has three different plans. The basic one costs 8.99 USD per month, and the most expensive one costs 17.99 USD per month.

How to Watch Garden of Words on Netflix via VPN

This method works on both desktop PCs and mobile phones or tablets.

  1. Purchase (or start a free trial) of a VPN. I can confirm that NordVPN works for this purpose.
  2. In the settings, choose Canada or Australia as your location.
  3. Fire up the VPN and wait for it to do its magic
  4. Once you’re connected, navigate to Netflix (browser or app)
  5. Search “Garden of Words” in the Netflix search bar and you should see the series pop up.

Enjoy! Please note that if your Netflix library doesn’t update to reflect the country you selected in your VPN, you may have to clear the Netflix cache first and try again.

To to do this, go to settings -> apps -> Netflix -> clear cache. I’ve had no trouble using this method, and I still use NordVPN to watch anime from various Netflix country libraries daily.

2. VRV

VRV is not as popular as Crunchyroll or Funimation when it comes to anime streaming, but it is still one of the best places to watch The Garden of Words.

Pros:

  • You can watch The Garden of Words for absolutely free in HD.
  • There are tons of other anime titles available on the website as well.
  • Close to no ads.
  • Most anime series can be streamed for free.
  • The English dubbed version of the movie is also available.

Cons:

  • You can only watch anime.

Price:

While many series are available for free, you can get the most premium and ad-free experience on VRV by paying 9.99 USD per month.

3. HIDIVE

HIDIVE is another anime streaming platform like VRV that doesn’t seem to get much attention. This anime streaming platform lets you watch The Garden of Words online, but you do have to pay.

Pros:

  • The movie is available in English and Japanese.
  • Tons of other anime series are available on the platform.

Cons:

  • The library of available anime is smaller than VRV.
  • You can only watch anime.

Price:

The monthly subscription of HIDIVE costs 4.99 USD, and the yearly subscription costs 47.99 USD.

4. Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is another famous option like Netflix, and it also lets you watch other kinds of TV shows and movies as well.

Pros:

  • Not only does Amazon Prime let you watch all kinds of TV shows and movies, but you can also listen to millions of songs, read millions of books, and get exclusive discounts while shopping at Amazon.

Cons:

  • The library of anime available on the platform is pretty small.
  • You can’t watch anything for free.
  • The movie is only available in Japanese with English subtitles.

Price:

You can get the monthly subscription of Amazon Prime for 12.99 USD.

5. Microsoft

Wait, why is Microsoft here? Isn’t this supposed to be a list of the top 5 places to watch The Garden of Words online? When you hear the word Microsoft, you might not think about a platform for watching anime. However, you can really purchase different anime movies on the platform.

Pros:

  • You get to keep the movie forever if you buy it.
  • You can even rent the movie for a lower cost.

Cons:

  • You don’t get access to any other anime series.
  • The movie is only available in Japanese.

Price:

You can buy the SD version of the movie for $8.27 USD or rent it for $3.44 USD. You can also buy the HD version for $9.65 USD or rent it for $4.82 USD.


If you are a die-hard fan of Makoto Shinkai’s work, then you will most definitely love to see the outstanding visuals of this movie in the best quality possible.

The Blu-Ray version of the movie will cost you a bit more, but it is totally worth it! Below is a list of some websites that let you purchase the Blu-Ray disk set of The Garden of Words.

  1. ZenMarket
  2. Amazon

Want to watch some other awesome works of Makoto Shinkai as well? Then make sure to check out our other article for a list of the top 5 places to Watch Your Name online.

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