About Your Name 

Your Name (Kimi no na wa) was first released at an anime expo in July 2016, before it was shown in Japan in August of the same year. It got a wide American release and a dubbed by Funimation in 2017. Your name’s release was massive, on release, this film made up 10% of Japan’s total box office. It has replaced Spirited away as the highest-grossing anime of all time.

Twisted Plot 

Watching the film is not straightforward, as the events are told out of order which can add to the twisted plot. I will summarize Your Name Anime Movie and attempt to explain the events to demystify some of the details that you may find while watching this film, during my recap and review of the film, there will be some spoilers which I’ll try to keep to a minimum.

Anime Art Styles  

Firstly, I must admit from most of the anime I’ve watched before, I think the director, Makoto Shinkai did well with the art style, his signature use of beautiful colors in the movie gives the sensational visual pleasure his films are often known for, but they also play a role in juxtaposing beauty with trauma: in this case, the asteroid disaster in the movie with the beautiful meeting of the main characters and their connection.

Directors Initial Vision 

Initially, the director could not decide on what to call the film, it went from “I knew it from a dream”, based on a Japanese poem “your connection”. Before settling on “your name” he also thought of calling it “you are half of this world”.

Themes

Why? one would probably be wondering. In the film Shinkai incorporated themes of love, transcending times, and space yet at the same time it might be very emotional for some viewers as well.

Anime Life Comparison 

Imagine meeting a really pretty girl at first glance. Then you never see her for many years. Suddenly one day the very same girl passes by and it feels like you know her from somewhere. That deep feeling of connection is the journey we find and learn through the eyes of the main character. Hence the reason the director had different approaches when he decided on the title.

The main Characters 

The main characters (Mitsuha and Taki) spend the majority of the movie at different times. Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl, yearns to live the life of a boy in the bustling city of Tokyo. A dream that stands in stark contrast to her present life in the countryside. Meanwhile, in the city, Taki Tachibana lives a busy life as a high school student while juggling his part-time job and hopes for a future in architecture.

Your Name Explained

In the beginning we find them reciting a cryptic message which leads to them body swopping and experiencing life in each other’s bodies when they swop. This same reciting while the comet fly’s over Itomori happens in the middle of the film.

The comet disaster forms the central plot of the movie, with it being the driving force behind the main climax of the film. However, there was a real-world inspiration behind the disaster, an inspiration that didn’t come from outer space.

The comet from Your Name wasn’t inspired by a real-world meteor strike. It was inspired by the devastating events of the Great Eastern Earthquake that hit Japan in 2011.

The search 

In pursuit of an answer to this strange phenomenon, the main characters begin to search for one another. In the end, we find a twist, which you will have to watch to understand.

A big Wow!

It might leave you speechless, the way the build-up of the event was set out, was done realy well. The response to this film has been positive. With the interesting rising action and climax of the film, it will leave you astonished.

Recommendations

I would definitely recommend, that you watch “Your name”. Find out what will happen to Mitsuha. Will Taki be able to find her alive in time or will she be struck away by the meteor strike?

If you enjoyed this review read on: Why do so many people make a hype about Anime

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