Since Makoto works in animation his style mainly includes stunning visuals, beautiful soundtrack to mix with the song, and tons of meaning behind every word, song, and frame of each second of his movies. Watching a Makoto film once will never be enough due to all the Secret meanings and hidden story(s) or feelings behind small details are everywhere in each frame. His movies seem to have a very outline using other stories such as "Kimi No Na Wa" feels like Romeo and Juliet, and "The Garden Of Words" feels like Cinderella. While Makoto uses songs to move along with the animation smoothly the songs are very light and where there is not music there is other background noise (bird chirping, wind blowing, water flowing, etc.)
Makoto first worked for a video game company named Falcom on video clips for games and graphic design including web content, after 5 years Makoto quit in order to follow his dream of animation and directing, he created a number of short films by himself with only other voice actors. Such as Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko, After making "5 Centimeters per Second" Makoto took a year in London, in that time he refined his drawing ability as well as getting a better understanding of the world, nature, and styles of drawing.
Your Name Has Won, Best Animated Feature Length Film, Best Animated Feature Audiences Prize, Best Animated Film (Los Angeles Film Critics Association/Mainichi Film Awards), While Makoto has won Best Director (Nikkan Film Award) and was nominated at the Blue Ribbon Award for best director, and even fighting to be a Oscar Nominated, although it did not make it.
Makoto has been one of the top directors in short films and recent animated films, he has set the standard of animated films to be very high, for other companies, and for himself. His influence with his other films will not compare to the influence his newest film will have. Makoto although feels that his film was incomplete, rushed, and even hoped it wouldn't get the nominee for the Oscar, everyone is waiting in suspense for his next film.