YOUR NAME | Movie Review

“That day when the stars came falling. It’s almost as if a scene from a dream. Nothing more, nothing less than a beautiful view.”

Have you heard about the highest grossing film of 2016 in Japan? If you haven't, then let me tell you to watch out for it!

Your Name, also known as Kimi no Na Wa, is a Japanese anime fantasy film that has conquered the box office of Japan since August and has already grossed over 13 billion yen. It is written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, known for his works such as 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007) and The Garden of Words (2013). It was animated by CoMix Wave Films and distributed by Toho.

Mitsuha, a high school girl living in the remote mountain town of Itomori, and Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo, are complete strangers living separate lives. Then one day, Mitsuha woke up in Taki's body and Taki in hers which continues to happen randomly. However, they can't remember each other's name whenever they wake up.

When they realized that their consciousness were transported into each other's bodies, they tried to adjust their lives around each other which begin to have a dramatic impact, weaving them into a fabric held together by fate and circumstance.

I haven't watched any works of Makoto Shinkai, but this movie is the best amongst anime films I have watched so far. This may sound like your typical body-swap romantic comedy situation but there's more into it. There is this kind of tension between the characters and it's interesting to know what would happen next. There is a bigger story here and you'll surely appreciate it more once you've watched it. You'll ask a lot of questions and will be surprised they'll be answered as the movie goes. It has an excellent plot and the twist was brilliantly executed. It worked astonishingly well.

Although it's a romantic fantasy drama, it has a slice of reality that makes you appreciate all the characters that made the story a hit. It is a story about human emotions that transcends both space and time. It explores the nature of life, relationships and changes in quiet ways rarely seen or discussed. And I didn't imagine the twist would be that good! Saying more will spoil the movie so I will just encourage you to watch it personally.

With an amazing story combined with an excellent animation, it managed to keep attention from start to finish. And as you watch, the movie gets better and better. The whole time I was watching the movie was spectacular.

We shouldn't forget how good the music is. Every songs and score perfectly fits the movie, the tone, the visuals and the characters' emotions.

Kimi no Na Wa was cleverly planned out from the first minute to the last. This work is a masterpiece. I started watching this movie with high expectations and somehow it managed to exceed them.

Your Name reminds us the full potential of animated films and how it offers audiences wonder and tears in a dazzling narrative effect.