Your Name.What's that saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes? What if you walked around for a day in their body? Your Name (stylized as "Your Name.") is an anime about two high school students in Japan whose lives are affected dramatically by the appearance of a comet called "Tiamat". In the small, rural town of Itomori, there is Mitsuha Miyamizu, who comes from a line of shrine maidens tied to the town. In Tokyo, there is Taki Tachibana, who is somewhat shy and an artist, who works in a café at nights. After each awakens one morning, they discover that the other has inhabited their body the day before, and they are forced to adapt to this bizarre new bond they share.
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Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, Your Name is a stylish and technically accomplished anime, even if it is beholden to some predictable genre tropes. There are many virtues to be found in this movie, but as an animation enthusiast, I would first point to the incredibly complex animation, presented in a hyper-realistic way. Backgrounds are consistently photorealistic, with impressive effects that help to create an authentic setting. There are also instances where the characters are animated with a high degree of visual fidelity. The most notable example of this is during a shrine dance where Mitsuha--in her shrine maiden garb--performs an intricate dance, complete with subtle and nuanced hand gestures, all keenly animated here so that the line between cartoon and reality becomes blurred. This strikes me as somewhat ironic, given how the designs of the characters are otherwise very typical for an anime. This includes the characteristic "big eyes", but it is also found in other ways, like a little too consistent colorization of the characters and their clothing. The result is an occasionally jarring (yet not unwelcome) juxtaposition. The way that motion is depicted in Your Name is such that I suspect that this movie was originally conceived to be rendered in 3D--an idea that was probably abandoned once the fad had died down. Additionally, there are often key elements in the background that serve multiple purposes for the story, not just to satisfy an appreciation of the film's artistry. For example, a friend of Mitsuha's named Katsuhiko "Tessie" Teshigawara has a cluttered bedroom, peppered with what would appear to be a somewhat antiquated computer alongside other aged stereo equipment. These details are illustrated in great detail with a bit more attention paid to them by the "camera" than you would otherwise expect. The reason for this has much to do with the story, so it isn't unintentional; the less said about why this matters, the better for first time viewers.
In the interest of refraining from significant spoilers--beyond the whole "body swapping" thing--suffice to say that Your Name has plenty of tricks up the sleeve of its yukata. More than just being crammed full with expected twists, Your Name is adept at planting the proverbial seed for an event yet to come in your mind, its relevance waiting to be revealed. This is not always the case, but it happens often enough to keep most audiences engaged with its mystery, if not the romance. As a feature film, I found it fairly jarring, however, that Your Name opens with a credit sequence that includes a few scenes from the film to follow, which I've found to be more customary with an anime series instead. I believe that this is representative of who the film was specifically designed for: anime fans, first and foremost. There is a stereotype associated with anime fans--which the glut of anime these days does little to dispel--that they have little to no attention span, necessitating a constant barrage of visual and auditory stimuli just to keep their attention, drawn to stories that are rarely original but often melodramatic. It is a sad truth that with the widespread proliferation of anime aimed at younger audiences, what is offered up is rarely of substance. So Your Name has the unenviable task of trying to reach out to this audience with a compelling and tender story, while not alienating said audience in the process, who are sure to expect certain elements to be present in their story, no matter what. I believe that this accounts for that perennial cliché in anime where the main characters are high school students, who like to go to cafes, are romantically awkward to an extreme degree, and where there is always a shrine, the train in Tokyo, and so many other ubiquitous yet threadbare details found in virtually every romantic comedy/drama anime. That said, Makoto Shinkai steps up to the challenge and combines this staid backdrop with a compelling sci-fi/fantasy story that unfolds throughout, all with a highly detailed and gorgeous level of animation. The end result should invite anime fans to step outside of their comfort zone--even if just a little bit--and be willing to explore so many other more nuanced and exciting films because of it.
Recommended for: Fans of anime, especially those who are looking to have some clever sci-fi/fantasy blended into their familiar mix of romance, drama, and comedy. Your Name may not be the best film to introduce to anime neophytes, but it will probably engage existing fans and encourage them to explore other genres while playing into--and occasionally subverting--their genre expectations.
In the interest of refraining from significant spoilers--beyond the whole "body swapping" thing--suffice to say that Your Name has plenty of tricks up the sleeve of its yukata. More than just being crammed full with expected twists, Your Name is adept at planting the proverbial seed for an event yet to come in your mind, its relevance waiting to be revealed. This is not always the case, but it happens often enough to keep most audiences engaged with its mystery, if not the romance. As a feature film, I found it fairly jarring, however, that Your Name opens with a credit sequence that includes a few scenes from the film to follow, which I've found to be more customary with an anime series instead. I believe that this is representative of who the film was specifically designed for: anime fans, first and foremost. There is a stereotype associated with anime fans--which the glut of anime these days does little to dispel--that they have little to no attention span, necessitating a constant barrage of visual and auditory stimuli just to keep their attention, drawn to stories that are rarely original but often melodramatic. It is a sad truth that with the widespread proliferation of anime aimed at younger audiences, what is offered up is rarely of substance. So Your Name has the unenviable task of trying to reach out to this audience with a compelling and tender story, while not alienating said audience in the process, who are sure to expect certain elements to be present in their story, no matter what. I believe that this accounts for that perennial cliché in anime where the main characters are high school students, who like to go to cafes, are romantically awkward to an extreme degree, and where there is always a shrine, the train in Tokyo, and so many other ubiquitous yet threadbare details found in virtually every romantic comedy/drama anime. That said, Makoto Shinkai steps up to the challenge and combines this staid backdrop with a compelling sci-fi/fantasy story that unfolds throughout, all with a highly detailed and gorgeous level of animation. The end result should invite anime fans to step outside of their comfort zone--even if just a little bit--and be willing to explore so many other more nuanced and exciting films because of it.
Recommended for: Fans of anime, especially those who are looking to have some clever sci-fi/fantasy blended into their familiar mix of romance, drama, and comedy. Your Name may not be the best film to introduce to anime neophytes, but it will probably engage existing fans and encourage them to explore other genres while playing into--and occasionally subverting--their genre expectations.