Kimi no Na wa.

Story: 7
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9

I watched this film at Anime Expo 2016 Los Angeles. I'll try to keep my review as spoiler-less as possible.

TL;DR:
... The film holds true to all the expectations of a Makoto Shinkai production, from heartfelt smiles to crying the 5th time within the last 30 minutes. His signature metaphorical use of trains, the idea of a hopeless and distant love, and beautiful scenery really dive you emotionally into the story, even for how generic and simple it may seem.

Story: 7
The story is fairly straightforward; It's very easy to guess where the story will head, but that doesn't mean to say I didn't enjoy it. It warrants a 7 simply because I felt a lack of emotional depth from the characters. This lacking depth makes me constantly question the characters' actions throughout the film, and because I am constantly searching for a motivation for their actions besides purely as plot devices, I am effectively removed from the immersion. However, this does not take away from my overall score which I shall highlight later.

Art: 10
As expected of a Makoto Shinkai film, the artwork is beautiful. The production quality is off the charts. The art in itself is enough to evoke tears, as it did for me during even the trailer. His choice of colors and use of movement and focus within the frame really help you pay attention to what you need to pay attention to, while also not skimping out and leaving out detail if your eyes do decide to stray, which I recommend you do while watching any Makoto Shinkai film for every blur, light flare, and particle floating along the screen really do add incredible amounts of emotion to the scene. My friends and I consider most Makoto Shinkai films as "5 Wallpapers per Second" and for good reason.

Sound: 9
Granted I watched this film in an auditorium with hundreds of people, I can't give an accurate score as of writing this review. I don't know who did the music for the film, but during the Q&A Panel held with Shinkai, he mentioned that he messaged one of his favorite bands that he was working on a film, and wanted them to do the music, to which they said yes.

EDIT 7/25/2016:
The music was done by the band RADWIMPS, a Japanese rock/alternative rock band. Some people have come to me asking whether or not this took away from the cinematic or emotional feel of the film, but in my opinion it helped in a way characterize the characters of Mitsuha and Taki. Rock music carries with it a sense of youth. Bringing that youthful feeling to the film's soundtrack helps to establish the sense of naivety to the characters and their interactions. It really helps establish the characters as teenagers who don't know or care about right from wrong, but rather would do what they feel in their heart is the right thing to do, which is exactly what motivates Mitsuha and Taki in their adventure.

Character: 7
I wouldn't say I have much of a complaint about main characters Taki and Mitsuha. We all can relate to the high school phase of our lives, it appeals to us because stories we read or watch in books or films set on characters that are going through this remind us of our own springtime of youth. Shinkai did a good job at portraying them and their relationships. My main gripe is that I feel they weren't explored enough to feel a strong sense of emotional attachment. Their lives, personalities, traits, habits, friends, lifestyles, etc are all explored in the first ~20 minutes, I personally felt that we only skimmed the surface of these characters and are forced to go further into the shallow end of a pool, only hoping that it gets deeper to actually swim around in this world of possibilities. I wanted to laugh, cry, and even relate more with the characters, but I felt that I only read about them in a story, or saw them in a film (which I did).

I wanted to feel they could have actually existed, but the film seems to be a bit too reliant on cliche tropes to incite certain emotions. The feeling I felt is similar to seeing characters smiling and laughing with each other, and having to individually accept that this is enough to establish their inner motivations, time spent together, individual goals, etc. I felt like it wasn't enough, and just had to accept that Taki and Mitsuha were the way they were. It felt sometimes that their actions were baseless and lacking a strong motivation to be deserving of the emotion the characters poured into their actions. As if acting on a limb to do something as insane as climbing a mountain alone. I will admit that this can be disputed, however, as they are still children/teenagers, and we all do weird things for no reason growing up.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10/9
As little as I felt I delved into the personalities of the characters, I did enjoy the film a lot. Shinkai's metaphorical use of trains just continuing to go along their routes that diverge in several ways really applies in this film, as much as it did in 5 Centimeters per Second. Everyone's lives diverge in different ways, things happen in dreams and are forgotten the next day, things happen in reality and are forgotten over a lifetime. I enjoyed Taki's and Mitsuha's struggles throughout the film to help each other, and as much as it made me well up tears in my eyes, I enjoyed his questioning of how much our memories make up who we are.

An absolutely stunning masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai.
Story: 10
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10

Edit: I watched this at the World Premier in Los Angeles on July 3rd. It was released in Japanese theaters on August 26th. It is set to be streamed online (for north america) via funimation, hopefully within the next month or so.

... The good:

Spectacular animation. There is one particular scene near the beginning which has a sort of "3D camera rotation" that looks so real that I thought it was rendered; but at the last second, the character turned their head, and I was able to tell that it had been entirely hand-drawn. There are scenes where basic physics are completely altered, yet they managed to make it 100% smooth, dragging me along through the character's experience.

Characters. Due to the movie format, most of the characters had very simple personalities. The depth of the characters was sacrificed for the overarching story, ultimately leading to the main characters having deeper personalities, with the side characters left behind. Don't be confused though. For the format, the character depth that they managed to convey was incredible. Small hints were blended into many scenes, discretely conveying the characters' backgrounds and personalities.

Sound. The depth of the musical score was incredible, though I will need to re-watch it with my usual headphones before committing fully. There was not a single sound that felt out of place. All the characters' voices suited their appearances, leading to a very immersive experience.

Story. The story is conceptually very simple, but a lot of depth is added as the story goes on. The show drives several important points, which can be very philosophical, without being too complicated for the average viewer to understand. Additionally, none of the story is sacrificed in order to drive these ideas, they are inseparably blended together.

Impact. During the show, I laughed, and I cried. Now don't get me wrong, that's a big deal. At the time of writing, only two other anime have made me cry. Also, I was at the premier, and thus out in public; I certainly wasn't the only one. Please don't approach this anime lightly. It's truly an experience that you can never forget.


The bad:

Timing. During the movie, there is a sequence where two characters get to know each other, which felt slightly rushed. It could have been better to have the full experience played out, or at least pieces of it, lengthening the movie as required.

World building. The depth of the story and characters took a toll on the world's completeness, leaving some unanswered questions. Most characters didn't have worldviews or ideas of right vs wrong, there simply wasn't time to develop them. Also, where the world came from, and what the ending implies for the world itself, is left unanswered.

-- I wrote this review immediately after leaving the premier. I will continue and edit it after I have had time to process the movie's depth.

Review of "Your Name."
Directed, Written, and Created by Makoto Shinkai

"Your Name." is, in a word, a journey. A journey into what will surely be the future of cinematography, as well as a journey on a grand emotional roller coaster.

Technically speaking, labeling this film a "masterpiece" is an insult by omission. Given that Shinkai is a master, anything he makes is obviously going to be a "masterpiece," but among silt there is gold, and among gold there may be diamonds. This movie is a diamond, easily the prettiest feature length film I've ever seen; more so than even fetishistic attempts to be just ... that such as Samsara.

Feats of the cinematography include impossibly vibrant and dynamic crowds, animation that is outstanding even among his other works-nay-ESPECIALLY among his other works, match cuts that would make Kubrick jealous, impeccable blocking, usage of the golden ratio in memory of Akira Kurosawa, domicile camera work reminiscent of Yasujiro Ozu (and Tokyo Story in particular), and ellipses reminiscent of the late Satoshi Kon. I'd also like to add that this film featured GENIUS uses of animation to do what I can only describe as Buster Keaton esque "impossible gags" and I am CERTAIN he must have spent many months studying the godfathers of cinema to have POSSIBLY seen the seeds for this type of genius cinematography.

Worthy of particular praise is the editing, and ESPECIALLY the sound design. Immediately, I was slammed by how immersive the atmosphere was. The music is so successfully integrated and the sound so visceral that you can't tell where your internal pace starts and where the score starts having its way with you. As the film progresses, the movie integrates full, soulful rock songs by the Radwimps (my favorite Jrock band, btw). Appearantly, Shinkai and the Radwimps worked together for more than 18 months as they constantly modified and worked on the audio of the film, as early back as letting the cuts and rythym of the storyboards dictate every aspect of the COMPLETELY ORIGINAL SCORE.

Make no mistake in correlating beauty and technical marvel with lack of emotional range, as this is Shinkais funniest film to date by A HUGE MARGIN, as well as the saddest, happiest, most dramatic, suspenseful, philosophical... this film is a superlative in every sense of the word.

Now, on the topic of the plot, it is not that I won't spoil the movie for you, it is that I genuinely cannot. Much like how Inception cannot truley be summarized, this film cannot truley be summarized. It contains complexity exceeding that which I thought truley impossible while maintaining any kind of narrative. And it not only maintains narrative, it DRAGS you nose first on the wildest emotional journey I've ever experienced. And it does so using an unprecedentedly real approach to subject matter too long fixtured to the perverse and otherwise absurd. I never thought the plot device he used was even capable of being used classily, but holy CRAP I was wrong.

The story is full of foreshadowing, "Iceburg effects", and such personal and visceral tradgedy the likes of which I've only seen described by Shakespeare.

The Wachowski's "Cloud Atlas" was a similar film to this one in a few regards (AND ONLY A FEW). Both have unprecedented scope, the likes of which are so human and so emotionally intimate that one would think the story doomed to the uncanny valley of unsympathetic characters. "Your Name." Succeeds where cloud atlas failed.

Layers of meta narrative and copious amounts of immersive shoehorning will glue you to your seat like an unblinking tear fountain.

Before the film, Shinkai said to the audience "I finished making this film 4 days ago" and I believe this absolutely. Not because the film felt rushed (because it didn't), but because I genuinely believe that there is nothing left he could have done to improve this movie in any way.

-10/10
-Five Stars
-Perfect Score
-40 minutes of my convention time compulsively writing this review
-The TOP of my reccomendation list

You get it all, Mr Shinkai. You earned it.

“Kimi no Na wa.” (Your Name) opens with a radiant comet traversing over the night sky, splitting apart into various meteors that illuminate and streak the heavens. Stars and celestial imagery often feature in Makoto Shinkai’s films, and the brilliance of the opening set piece could be dismissed as eye-candy. However, its significance is not fully understood until much later.

To speak of names, one does not invoke Makoto Shinkai in conjunction with the phrase “happy ending.” To say that he has made his fame off producing romance anime is only half the story, as his work’s exploration of themes such as distance and unrequited love ... often impart a wistful and bittersweet aftertaste. “Byousoku 5 Centimeter” (5 Centimeters per Second), his most famous title to date, is both loved and reviled for its directorial willingness to defy the sort of resolution that viewers have come to expect out of the romance genre.

While “Kimi no Na wa.” continues to incorporate motifs and concepts familiar to past Shinkai works, it reflects a maturation of his artistic vision to tell a tale of love and determination that transcends time, distance, and even apocalyptic odds.

The film centers on two characters, Mitsuha Miyamizu – a schoolgirl in rural Japan who dreams of going to the city, and Taki Tachibana, an aspiring architectural student in Tokyo. With the passing of a rare comet, the two start imagining out of body experiences in which their consciousness swaps with each other while they sleep and dream. This leads to no shortage of comedic moments, as the two characters take turns exploring and manipulating their alternate lives – and bodies. As the nature of their dreamlike, out of body experiences is revealed, the two resolve to meet each other. But in their attempt to do so, a dark truth of their relationship emerges, accelerating the story and replacing the comedic elements with a suspenseful quest to find each other and ultimately, race against time. “Kimi no Na wa.” weaves a complex, multilayered narrative that explores the struggle of human emotions against fate. You can feel Mitsuha and Taki’s determination, confusion, and desperation as they toil against temporal reality, a journey that leaves viewers equal parts thrilled and emotionally exhausted.

Makoto Shinkai reaffirms his place at the forefront of animation, as the film’s stunning backgrounds and fluid motion easily make this one of the most visually ambitious anime of the past year. Superb art direction and character designs with the assistance of Masayoshi Tanaka (AnoHana, Toradora, KokoSake) give the film a modern, colorful aesthetic.

Though some might be repelled or jaded by segments that feel like emotional manipulation – especially when considering Shinkai’s past filmography – “Kimi no Na wa.” succeeds in delivering an engrossing experience, complete with magnificent set pieces, laughs, and heart-wrenching, gripping drama. This film — the culmination of Shinkai’s skill in exploring the melancholy aspects of love and distance, is just as much a lesson on the value of finding happiness through unshakeable resolve, initiative, and overcoming doubt and hesitation.

Makoto Shinkai is a name that, to many, equates with “feels.” Whether it’s Voices from a Distant Star, the Children Who Chase Lost Voices, or the classic 5 Centimeters per Second, Shinkai’s films carry the guarantee of beautiful animation and emotional depth rarely seen in anime. Kimi no Na Wa, “Your Name,” is no exception to the trend. If anything, Your Name is the end product of years of experimentation with storytelling and filmmaking – the story that Shinkai has always wanted, and tried, to tell, finally made real, and done so in a satisfying, entertaining, and heart-wrenching way.

Your Name is the story of two ... people: Mitsuha Miyamizu, a shrine maiden in the rural Japanese countryside, and Taki Tachibana, a stock standard highschool student in Tokyo. Their irregular body-swapping isn’t the sort that leaves much of a solid mark – their memories of swaps are hazy, and they can’t exactly take notes with them, and more importantly they’ve never even met. Yet here, one of the first themes Shinkai communicates comes forward – the echoes left by a person’s life, by their actions and in the people around them, is just as good as meeting the person themselves. Mitsuha and Taki both get to learn about each other not only during their body swaps, but in seeing the aftereffects of each others’ antics while swapped, be it Taki’s boldness in her body or Mitsuha’s setting up Taki’s love life in his. Love, as told by Shinkai, is more than just affection for a person – it’s in the things we do for others and what they do for us.

The core theme of Your Name is “musubi” – a word that describes coming together and growing apart, starting a journey and reaching its conclusion, and the ebb and flow of time and fate. It is a word that, perhaps, summarizes the whole of Makoto Shinkai’s stories on the topic of love and fate – it describes the insatiable urge to find the one you’re destined to be with, as explored in Voices from a Distant Star, and likewise the unavoidable flow of time that pulls people apart and leads to new beginnings, as in 5 Centimeters per Second. The topic of musubi dominates the story of Your Name, in a manner that makes the movie both coherent in its own plot and insightful in its approach to the standard “red string of fate” story.

It is difficult to put into words exactly why Your Name resonates on the threads it does (pun intended), but it has to do with the raw elegance with which the theme of musubi is presented. It encompasses both the sappy and giddy optimism of true love winning out, and the melancholy acceptance of time moving on. It perfectly describes the “why” to the red string of fate, and why that symbol holds so much power in the mind.

Of course, it goes without saying that the fundamentals of Your Name – the animation, the voice acting, and the like – are of the top quality. The name that Shinkai has made for himself and his works in regards to raw quality is strong for a reason – Your Name does not disappoint visually, or audibly. Of particular note is the ear-orgasming soundtrack, provided by RADWIMPS, who provided both the trailer music as well as several in-film songs. Rather than simply searching for music that matched his artistic vision retroactively, Makoto Shinkai sought out RADWIMPS’ inclusion in the film from the get-go, and the result of integrating them so early into the creative process is evident every time the film’s soundtrack gets going. If nothing else, Your Name is a movie that can be watched for the music.

Your Name is, if anything, a classic Makoto Shinkai work. It is beautiful, both in visuals and in story. It tugs at the heartstrings, appealing to things that every viewer can identify with, either out of personal experience or out of desire to experience. But more than anything else, it leaves the audience satisfied, throughout its runtime and in its conclusion, with a story well told. Your Name handily takes its place as not just my favorite Shinkai film, but my favorite film entirely.

Yielded by some as a new generation Miyazaki equivalent, Makoto Shinkai has become an increasingly popular name within the anime industry. Shinkai's most well-known work, 5 Centimeters Per Second, has long since swooned the hearts of many, crafting a public fascination with his talent and immense potential for animated film. Kimi no Na wa (Your Name), without a doubt, captures the same feeling and style that is associated with Makoto Shinkai's past works, however also seems a bit more experimental and unconventional in comparison. Shinkai took a gamble at trying something new with Kimi no Na wa and, by all means, it certainly paid off.

One ... of the most notable differences between Kimi no Na wa and Shinkai's previous films is the abundance of humor and a feeling of lightheartedness that one would expect to find in a seasonal airing slice of life. For a Shinkai film, which are notorious for being somewhat depressing, Kimi no Na was something of a pleasant surprise. There were many references to Shinkai's other works, most notably 5 Centimeters Per Second and The Garden of Words, which also offered a sense of excitement (if caught). The film plays out similarly to a quirky, fun slice of life until it begins to reach the movie's main conflict. While the first half of the movie, roughly, had a light, fun air to it, it transitions fairly abruptly to the more serious plot. As a slight directing mistake, it is similar to transitioning from a warm smile to a somber frown and one of the few blemishes that afflict the film.

Kimi no Na wa focuses heavily on the two main characters and the developing bond they have shared due to supernatural circumstances. Ultimately, the overarching story isn't anything complex or immensely special. It is a romantically focused movie and, as such, puts romance in front of everything else. Though the romance itself was nice, the resolution of the main conflict is both perplexing and contrived. Thankfully this and the previously mentioned halfway transition do not hinder one's enjoyment of the film. However, in terms of writing and overall story, Shinkai could still use some work. If nothing else, Kimi no Na Wa is a reflection of Shinkai's willingness to step outside of his comfort zone to improve his craft. Despite a few hiccups here, I believe he will have great things in store for us within his future projects.

Mitsuha and Taki are the two main characters of Kimi no Na wa, and most of the film revolves around their contrasting lives. Mitsuha lives in the countryside, while Taki lives in the grand city of Tokyo. Through supernatural circumstances, they form a bond with each other and have their fill of comedic, fun shenanigans. While both characters are enjoyable to watch, not much depth really goes into either of them. In fact, not much depth really goes into any of the characters of the film period. While it works with how the movie is constructed, it leaves characters feeling rather shallow. Aside from Mitsuha, we don't know all too much about Taki, or any of the other supporting cast, and it's a bit disappointing. Kimi no Na wa could have possibly remedied this simply by being longer, but adding to the already lengthy exposition could have questionable results.

In terms of art, sound, and animation, there really is nothing negative to say. Shinkai is very well-known for producing visually astounding films, with people occasionally joking that 5 Centimeters Per Second is essentially 5 wallpapers per second. Kimi no Na wa is no different. It is a very gorgeous film from start to finish. From the characters to the scenery, the film is stellar, with Makoto Shinkai pulling no punches. Sound-wise, the film is also very good. Soundtrack selection is very fitting, and nothing feels out of place.

Overall, Kimi no Na wa was a very good film, though not nearly as perfect as many people, who have also seen the premiere, are claiming it to be. There are a few issues that hold the film back, but it is easily still worth two hours of anyone's time. With Makoto Shinkai creating quality works such as Your Name, it has, and will, become increasingly difficult to forget his.

Kimi no Na wa

Story: 9
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 9-9.5

Story: Going into this without knowing anything about the movie; not even the trailer, I was kind of confused from the first 10-20 minutes until it became clear what was going on with their bodies. Both the MC’s come from different backgrounds, girl from a village/ small town and boy from the big city of Tokyo. Without spoiling the movie entirely, the film takes a huge turn somewhere around the middle where it becomes more than just an animated Freaky Friday.
Art: Even while watching this on medium-low quality I was amazed by how immersive ... the art-style is. The amount of great overhead shots of the busy city of Tokyo to the large crater-esque shrine was gorgeous sight to behold. There is one scene in particular, with the comet, that completely made me forget that I was watching something animated and not a laser light show in a planetarium.

Sound: There are several songs from this movie that are a must-have for me. Normally I don’t compliment an animated movie for its music but Kimi no Na wa did a smashing job. I found the montage/ recap style music to be great and helped summarize what was going on and in addition to that the editing to the music was phenomenal to go along with what was going on in the screen.

Character: I won’t include character design in art because the atmosphere and world-building in its own deserved a 10/10. Now for character design I will say that some of the characters look a bit generic and halfway through I thought to myself Taki kind of looks like the MC from Konosubarashi. Out of everything in this film I will say that the characters are the weakest point but their traits, friends and personalities make them relatable and appeal to viewers. For the better half of the movie, the MC’s are mostly doing regular student or after-school part time worker activates that most anime watchers have seen in other shows.

Enjoyment: As someone who is not big on the school/ drama genres, I was a bit hesitant to give this movie a shot. However, the school tag is not so relevant and aside from the main characters being in school/ around it; it has no huge implications to the story. As for drama, the family ties each character had, to their respective families, played a huge part in getting the viewer invested. I found myself feeling both happy and sad whenever a character was being pelted with bad news/ going through tough times. I also enjoyed all the small chit-chat and conversations Mitsuha had with her sister or grandmother.

Overall I found the film to blow-away any expectations I had from the first few minutes of viewing. It will make you laugh/ giggle, cry, feel happy, cry, then sad, cry some more.

Should you watch it?
Do you enjoy sad romance movies?
Do you enjoy movies about time/ space?
Look for relatable characters in movies?
Is art style and sound something you look for in a move?
Looking for a movie you can’t explain to friends without having them see it with you?
Enjoy crying?
If any of these were yes/ maybe, then please take a seat, get some popcorn, tissues and maybe some friends to enjoy it with. This is certainly a film you don’t just watch once.
Despite coming out recently, as I write this review, I’d consider it my favorite if not top contender for favorite anime movie.

Remembering names can be difficult.

*Review contains spoilers*

Kimi no Na wa is the new movie from acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai who’s behind 5 Centimeters per second, Hoshi no Koe and The Place Promised in Our Early Days.

His new movie tells a story about a high school student Taki and a high school student Mitsuha suddenly swapping bodies but forgetting what they did during their swap after it ends, so they begin to communicate via diaries and messages left behind by the other person.

The story of Kimi no Na Wa is simple. There are some themes but they are light. The movie however suffers from several plot holes and ... plot conveniences. They do not destroy the overall enjoyment of the movie since to me, it was never about some hard smart writing and complex ideas. It was about this interesting scenario of body swapping and how can you add different twists to it while still remaining true to your style of storytelling and visual art.

The characters are unfortunately not that interesting. What I however can praise is that both male and female main characters show strong sides of themselves when they swap. Mitsuha succeeds with her delicate and femine acting where Taki was not successful. Meanwhile Taki with his direct aggressive approach solves the situation where Mitsuha would potentially fail. The movie doesn’t simply go into “well Mitsuha is a girl so she’ll act cute while Taki is a boy so he’ll simply do boyish stuff which will lead into comedic moments” which makes me greatful for actually more realistic approach of this potential situation. Protagonists show their strong sides while as well showing their weaknesses. In a sense they complete each other

It’s not even worth to write about animation and music. We all know its top tier. We all know people love it.

So overall, is it good? Yes it is! It’s not 10/10 zomfg best movie of all time, but it’s a great fun movie. I enjoyed it a lot for what it is. I am going to do the unthinkable and throw logic behind my head. This one is not about that. It’s about atmosphere and feeling. Are there plot holes and weird coincidences? Yes. Does it matter this time? Not to me.

Story: 8
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 8

TL DR review: Solid all around romance movie. Not Shinkai's best but comes a close second. A Must watch.

Section wise review:
... Story:
Its a Shinkai film, meaning there will be a love story with a twist. 5cm/second had themes of love and effect distance can have over it. Garden of words had love between a student and his teacher while in Place promised, childhood friends took different paths as time progressed but were drawn back by a promise made during their early years.

Here we have a love story which starts off with body swapping but eventually becomes across different time periods. Its told in a sort of a non-linear way. The closest film I can think of with a similar plot is the Sandra Bullock starring Premonition.

Art:
It's a Shinkai film. That really should be certificate enough. The scenes are dripping with detail. Shinkai has a knack of taking everyday, normal stuff and making them seem magical. A simple train ride can be made to appear to be out of a fantasy setting and here it is no different. There is a section in the story called "Kuchikamizake Trip" which is hauntingly beautiful. Like "making of cyborg"/parade scene in GITS/Innocence or the classroom destruction scene from Aku no hana, the scene stays with you long after you have seen the film.

Sound:
The music was an eye-opener. Music in other Shinkai's works hadnt really impressed me and I always thought of it as a weak link. No more, the songs here are truly breathtaking. Some of these songs, I will add to my playlist. My fav songs are Kuchikamizake Trip and Kataware Doki.

Character:
Here is where I feel the movie could have slightly been improved. Bear in mind that these are mostly nitpicks on my side. I feel Mitsuha got a better character arc than Taki. Taki was just some guy in Tokyo who had a crush on his sempai from work. His family status, his friends and other details about him were generally left open for interpretation. Mitsuha got a good character arc but towards the ending the entire confrontation with her father curiosly occurred off-screen. We were just told that Mitsuha's father finally believed her and got the villagers to safety. Kind of a cop-out IMO. It wasnt organic.

Enjoyment:
Nothing to complain here. Strangely I even liked the usually jarring j-pop songs Shinkai uses in his films.

Overall:
It doesnt approach the greatness of subtle storytelling that 5cm/second employed but in terms of Shinkai's works, it is a very, very close second.

Alright to start this review off, I'm going to be overly critical. This movie has been over-hyped to hell. That said, this is by no means a bad movie. In fact this movie is absolutely incredible, just not the Otaku-culture ending, divine master work that everyone seems to be making it out to be. So I'm going to break things down for you while avoiding as many spoilers as possible.

Story (8): The story was pretty good. It followed a pretty unique genre that isn't given much attention to in mainstream media. The pacing was quite good throughout the entire movie. However, to those of ... you looking for a more impact inducing thriller type experience i suggest you look elsewhere as this movie is bound to bore you. This movie is filled with drawn out scenes designed to help you feel the atmosphere of the film and focuses less on huge ground-breaking events.

I don't count this as a spoiler, as i'm sure you're already aware of this, but this movie is a romance. My main issue with this story is this: The romance seems to bloom out of nowhere, with almost no indication of it occurring. Because of this, the story gives a very forced romance cliche feeling. Because of this it was very difficult to empathize with the characters and their emotions throughout the film.

Art (10): The art of this anime is absolutely insane. Every aspect about it is breath-taking. From backgrounds to character design the art is flawless. The art shows off the tranquility of the country side and the hectic lifestyle of the busy city perfectly. The animation runs like silk, coupled with brilliant and realistic character design.

Sound (9): The voice acting is wonderful. The sound effects throughout this movie is perfect. As the movie progresses, you encounter multiple songs coupled by montages that grace the movie perfectly. Some of the most brilliant moments in this movie are coupled along side the emotion filled songs.

Character (10): Every character is designed realistically and perfectly. This movie happily moves away from the "useless otaku" character genre the has permeated anime so deeply. It does this by giving the main character actual skill and a bright future. Throughout the movie, no character is left without development. You even begin to grow attached to minor characters as the movie progresses.

Enjoyment (9): I enjoyed this movie thoroughly, i would easily consider this my second favorite anime movie to date. I look forward, to when this movie arrives on the shelves as i will be happily purchasing it.

Overall, I give this movie a 9.16. Almost everything about this movie was expertly done. From the art to the character development there are very little issues to be found. Again, the biggest issue i feel this movie suffers from is the over-hype surrounding it. The only other issue is the forced romance feeling this movie gives off. While the movie is well paced, despite its drawn-out atmospheric scenes, the movie still feels that it speeds by any chance to show any actual feelings beginning to grow between the main characters. Quickly jumping from "I just met you" to "I love you" gives the only unrealistic feeling in this whole film.

All of that said, I highly suggest you watch this great film.

[Spoiler Warning]

Kimi no Na wa is Makoto Shinkai's latest work that has been well-received so far to the point of being over-hyped. While I don't see this as a masterpiece, it has a lot of strong points and at the same time has weak points as well. First off, the premise is not that original yet it still tries to grab the viewer's interest. I like how the body-switching gimmick is handled with a sense of realism in it. For example, an individual's natural curiosity towards the opposite sex and also how the voice actors of the protagonists handle the role of a person trapped ... inside a body of an opposite sex very well. As the story progress the two protagonists know that they must set ways to deal with the problematic situation such as leaving notes before they switch back to normal which I find quite creative. Accompanied with the Shinkai standard visuals and soundtrack, the overall atmosphere of the movie is lighthearted.

On the weaker side of things, the movie takes a blow by the introduction of time-travel elements in the second half of the story. The lighthearted atmosphere gradually grow intensely into an emotional rollercoaster. I like plots that tend to be intense and emotional but the way the movie transitions the atmosphere is kinda off-putting. As the movie absorbs you into its change of atmosphere, there is a noticeable inconsistency in pacing. It's probably because the time-travel makes it sort of convoluting. The flow of time and memory begins to distort. There are plot points that, while emotionally packed, are hard to take seriously. It takes a while for the suspension of disbelief to sink in at the idea of switching not only with bodies but also with timelines.

Now why the score of 8 out of 10 when I've been addressing quite the heavy complaint? While the second half starts to crumble the strong start the movie has, I still enjoy and love the movie overall. The ending is satisfactory that, despite having traces of forcefulness to it, is a good change of storytelling in comparison to his previous works such as 5 Centimeters Per Second where there is no definite resolution like a happy ending. I do think that the movie deserves credit for trying to do more with its story despite being partly a failure and a success. Unlike Shinkai's previous films that tend to be overwhelmingly melancholic and distant, Kimi no Na wa assimilates the feeling of a passionate youth which I really like and find beautiful. I like the contrast of the two settings albeit I hoped for a better world-building. I kind of blame myself for having a soft spot for these kinds of coming-of-age stories. The production is great from the gorgeous visuals to the heartwarming soundtrack. I believe that Shinkai can still put out better projects given that his story writing ability has more consistency and substance to it. Whatever the consensus is, this movie will definitely leave an impact to the curious viewer.

I, like countless others, have been hearing a fairly constant stream of praise and hype for Makoto Shinkai's supposed be-all-end-all of anime. I was never a huge Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fan, but seeing a movie about teenage romance (at least, so far as I was aware at the time) surpass it handily for the #1 spot on MAL was still a bit of a shock. After that, it was record and awards out the gates for months without so much as a glimmer of the actual product.

Now, finally, I've had the chance to watch it. I went into it obviously expecting it to not be ... the be-all-end-all of anime, half because I find the concept ridiculous and half because anything that appeals so well to such a wide audience is unlikely to strike a very specific chord with me in particular. It's just hard to be universal and personal at the same time, and that's just dandy. Kimi no Na wa is a blockbuster and a family movie first and foremost, which is a tricky enough task in and of itself. Getting an emotional reaction out of millions of people is no easy task! So, here I am, both to try to halt the hype train a little bit and to give the movie the recognition that it very much does deserve.

Let's start with the hard truth. This isn't the greatest anime, movie, or anime movie ever made. The hype surrounding this work is borderline poisonous, and anyone who actually believes it is bound to be disappointed. Even from a technical standpoint, it isn't perfect. I appreciated the pacing of its individual scenes, but it could've afforded to add up to 20 minutes of content to the first half to better establish the status quo and a few of the characters. Almost all of the animation is creative and immersive, with spinning shots and dynamic scenes, but because of this the few deadpan scrolls present felt woefully out of place, like they belonged to a Pokemon showdown. The main characters are fundamentally likable but not especially complex, and most of the side characters feel like they exist primarily to support the movie's thematic objectives. This movie might change your life, but it definitely isn't going to change everyone's life and it isn't going to go down in the halls of film history as a masterpiece. I know many people who haven't seen it probably already suspect as much, but here's confirmation: Kimi no Na wa is remarkable, but it isn't mind-blowing. The anime community has a tendency to overreact. It happens.

There, that's out of the way. Let's move on to the positive part.

Kimi no Na wa is, I believe, an extremely important film in this day and age. In a world where the only internationally and even domestically respected anime comes from Studio Ghibli, a studio who's iconic creator Hayao Myazaki is in his twilight years no matter how many times he comes out of retirement, having a new, widely-successful film made by a new studio and a new director is fantastic. Sure, those of us deep in the rabbit hole have seen the wonderful works of Masaaki Yuasa or Satoshi Kon, but none of those ever made big enough waves worldwide to cement their creators as household names. Beyond this though, all of the aforementioned directors work(ed) in ways that oftentimes seem to differentiate themselves from what many anime viewers would consider "anime". Outside of a love for fantasy and sci-fi, few of the tropes and traits that in many ways help to define anime as a genre are found in Myazaki's films, much less Yuasa or Kon. Which brings us to my central point, and what I believe to be Kimi no Na wa's greatest triumph:

Kimi no Na wa is anime.

It's the anime you know and love (or hate with a burning passion). It's got the tropes, the character types, the insert songs, the OP, the fantasy elements, the tried-and-true rom-com elements and sex jokes and blushing and high school and little sisters and tender emotional moments. It has all the usual, but it presents them in a way that is tasteful and cohesive and well-executed, taking so much of the stuff you'd find in your 20-a-season grab-bag of anime goodies and turning it into something that you can actually sit down to watch with your family. As I briefly mentioned already, Shinkai has a sense of pacing and comedic timing that most anime either lack or sacrifice for the sake of filling an episode, and it shows. Purely on a scene-to-scene basis the movie is enjoyable to watch, because it's fast and snappy and it never points at its own jokes. Kimi no Na wa also has all the bizarre-ness of an anime storyline. What starts out as a pretty simple Freaky Friday premise evolves into something much grander and unexpected. I've always strongly believed that a great way to keep a movie engaging is for it to have two parts: the premise, or what gives the audience something to hold onto, and the turn, a half-way shift that draws a new conflict out of the original set-up and puts what's already happened into perspective. For example Howl's Moving Castle begins with Sophie getting transformed into an old lady and embarking on a journey to reverse her curse, but as the movie goes on the focus turns to the horrific war that Sophie learns is destroying her country. Kimi no Na wa does an impeccable job at implementing this technique--just when I was beginning to fall into a rhythm and started subconsciously solving the rest of the events of the movie, it pulled on a new face and kept me on my toes until the very end. It's a film that, despite its Hollywood structure and execution, isn't afraid to get its nose out of the books when it comes to the actual content. It's not just what the story is, either: the presentation is delightful, jumping forward when it chooses and filling in the details of events later for impact, a tactic that is so very anime.

Shinkai's directing also does something important: we've all heard that the movie is drop-dead gorgeous, and it is, but even more important than that Shinkai demonstrates why this specific story should be an anime, and not live action. His repeated emphasis on closing doors, for example, is impactful due to the extreme exaggeration of the perspective. And his use of thought bubbles above character's heads, as if in a cartoon, is a choice afforded him only because of the medium. Shinkai also maximizes his use of human expressions, something that live footage cannot replicate due to the limitations of the human face. Because we often envision ourselves hyperbolically, watching characters make faces or strike poses that are legitimately impossible actually makes sense to us. Even the music is discernibly anime; a tag-team of touching instrumentals and empowering rock songs complement all the movie's significant moments, pulling on that fundamental hunger for fantastic animation set to catchy music that drives so many anime fans. And, as I mentioned earlier, there's even an OP, a la Rebellion style. Who doesn't love a good OP? There's nothing like vague plot-hints sowed together into a colorful two-minute music video to get me excited about what I'm about to watch, and I mean that with complete sincerity. And, if you weren't convinced by all of this, the movie even has the audacity to open with a boob gag. I haven't seen a move that bold since Bakemonogatari. Fortunately it actually managed to fit right into what the story was doing and not feel remotely voyeuristic, but the fact of the matter stands: only pure, unfiltered anime would open with a girl freaking out over her chest.

So why is it so important that Kimi no Na wa is anime? Well, regardless of its actual merits, I firmly believe that this movie marks a new era for the medium. Shinkai has shown that pure, well-crafted anime can turn heads internationally, and people across the world are seeing that perhaps anime has more to offer than just Disney-dubbed Myazaki movies. I see the film as a sort of bridge, a piece of work that enamors anime fans and average people alike without sacrificing any of the things that make anime what it is. I think it's also helping to remind a lot of people why they got into anime in the first place. In an era where people keep insisting that anime is dying, seeing the fundamentals executed so well in a brand-new way has to mean something. We may not get another End of Evangelion or Ghost in the Shell for a little while, but for me at least getting to watch two hours of the medium I fell in love with prove that it can produce something that is thoroughly and completely competent and enjoyable made me quite glad, and considering Shinkai's dismissal of his own work I find myself excited to see what he'll create next. An artist who's never content with that they create can go great places.

So yeah, at the end of it all, I'd say it's well-worth the watch. The movie is a spectacle, and you're unlikely to find yourself bored even if you don't find yourself particularly emotionally impacted (like myself.) I predict it will have a significant impact on the future of anime, I give it a hearty recommendation, and I hope that because of this review at least a few more people will go into with enough sensibility to fully enjoy it.

By no means is this a bad anime, however it is far from worthy of the number one spot on MAL. The story is well-written and one of the most well-structured anime I have seen in a while, however the story itself is quite lacking in that it doesn't show enough character development. The concepts that the director have instilled in the characters are very pronounced and admirable, however it is belief that others see this as true character development. Even at the end of this show, it felt that the characters themselves were rushed and were easily predictable, making them quite cheesy (though that ... seems to not be something the director focused on). All in all, it IS a movie; this does not, however, mean that it is better than anime series just because it can compact many ideas.

Although the main concept of alternating lives is an intriguing one I haven't come across before, it does not make up for the rest of the story, which lacks in depth. It is good to watch as a simple, well-constructed movie, but it does not have all the characteristics required for the most astonishing and creative anime.

Verdict sentence: Over-hype.

Seeing this movie so high, at the top ratings, made me incredibly curious about it, and I watched it with the highest expectations possible.
So, overall, I can tell that I enjoyed it, and that it was as fun as it was emotional... HOWEVER, Kimi no Na wa, has its flaws:

Let's start by briefly explaining what the plot is:
SPOILERS AHEAD
A boy and a girl, suddenly ( and I doubt it's ever explained why ), start switching bodies, each time they go to sleep. They also wake up with amnesia-like symptoms, not remembering what each other's names are. So, they start using ... diaries to contact each others when they switch, and living with this mysterious phenomenon.
However, once they stop switching for a good while, the boy finds out that the girl died in a natural disaster ( in this case, a comet crashed onto her village, killing pretty much everyone ), three years prior to this supernatural phenomenon. The boy then, finds a way to switch bodies with her once again, and tries to change the past by warning everyone about the incoming catastrophe. Unfortunately, he fails, and the girl dies once again.
The ending is quite odd. Both the protagonists find each others in their adulthood, and there the movie ends.

So, I honestly can enjoy seeing the interesting experience of two individuals switching bodies, especially when they are both of different gender and live in completely different settings... However, I was not happy about how they simply went along with it, didn't question it, or simply have not figured out that they lived in different timelines. In this regard, I feel like the movie skips very important parts of storytelling, and stretches itself out in useless scenes that do not advance the story at all. The beginning itself is very confusing, and slow.

The animation and effects are beautiful, but when it's about a movie and not an anime series with several episodes, there has to be more than godly animation to impress me. The sound was pretty good, but doesn't quite fit as I wish it would have.

The main characters, just as the plot, concern themselves too much on romance, and almost never on drama, despite the situation and the circumstances would require them to. And also by the fact that these two haven't even actually spoke to one another. Their personalities are also very difficult to pinpoint. You may say that the side characters are actually written, or interpreted better.

The ending made no sense, and it's unexplained as well, plus it is also a cliffhanger.

Honestly, I can say that I enjoyed this movie a lot, but the ratings are absolutely overrating it. This is NOWHERE near the best between every anime series and movies! WAKE UP, PEOPLE!

Anyway, despite its flaws, it was a really fun and kinda unique movie to watch.
A good 7/10. I would give it an 8 if at least a few things would have been handled in a better way.

How do I describe the greatest piece of media to ever grace my lowly existence? Well, let’s start with what’s immediately obvious about Kimi no Na wa, because just the surface layer of this masterpiece is enough to impress even the most cynical of critics.

Without getting into spoilers, I’ll sum up the plot as convoluted and poorly paced. The sloppiness in storytelling really touched me and added an immeasurable amount of weight to the gorgeous animation. That’s right, the rumors were correct. This movie is beautiful. The sheer amount of lens flares present during the runtime shone brightly on my soul and illuminated what ... life really is about. If I had a body pillow for every time the rays of the sun were enhanced to unsightly levels in the post-production of this movie, I’d have my own cotton harem.

Besides the presentation being obviously exceptional, the writing takes spotlight at the same time and plays like a symphony to accompany the art on screen. Both protagonists are incredibly complex and distinctive, as is typical of Makoto Shinkai’s films. In fact, I was so dazzled by the natural characterization that I can’t even remember the personalities or features of either the girl or the boy! How incredible is it that the title of the film, ‘Your Name’, would tie in so seamlessly with how I can’t remember their names? It’s like I’m constantly finding new masterful brushstrokes in this Mona Lisa of an anime.

In the end, this movie’s message poignantly shaped how I think. Previous to my first viewing (of dozens), I would have thought that if I got switched into the body of a random person consistently over weeks, I should probably figure out her location relative to mine or at least try to call my number. But now that I’ve watched Kimi no Na wa, I know that in order to advance the suspense in the plot I should just partake in such classic antics as living her life for her and groping her boobies! How else would the movie sell well to the widest audience possible? All I can say is, thank you Makoto Shinkai. You’ve given meaning to my life, and I’ll forever cherish this gift of enlightenment.

Overall 10/10, but actually 7/10 because on my eleventh rewatch I realized that it was supposed to be a romance.

[7.0/10]
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So I finally got around to watching Your Name and it was a pleasantly surprising movie. It didn't intrigue me much from the trailer. While the idea seemed at least sort of interesting, these kinds of teen romances haven't ever been an object of enthusiasm from me. They often feel overly naive and cloying. I can't control my own cynicism, can I?

Your Name surprised me in two ways. One, it provided a fairly hefty twist midway through which thankfully wasn't spoiled in the trailer. Two, its focus on romance was less abrasive than I expected. I was pleased with how little the focus ... got in the way with the story that was actually interesting to me, which both serves as a criticism and a compliment. The objective of Shinkai was to create a romance, but the romance he was creating wasn't that interesting. Ethereal connections rarely peak my interest.

That being said, the story around the romance was much tighter. A refreshing dose of like-able secondary characters, at least from one side, provided an added bonus. Inject some beautiful animation and serviceable voice acting and you get a product that feels both easily like-able but also oddly detached from any emotional core. Regardless, it was a good, yet somewhat unremarkable movie.

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[Chemistry Class]

The story of Mitsuha, a seventeen year old girl born in the countryside; who's sick of the countryside, wishes to be an attractive boy living in Tokyo. Enter Taki, an attractive seventeen year old boy living in Tokyo. Her wish gets granted, inexplicably, and she switches bodies with this boy for a day. Obvious hi-jinx ensues and they keep switching bodies until one day they don't.

This entire concept takes place within around forty minutes and while it is nice, compact, and tidy. It never actually resonated with me. There were a few visual gags here and there, mostly played towards the girls expense, but they really didn't craft a solid, cosmic relationship between the two. Don't get me wrong, it is very difficult to create chemistry between two characters that never met. However, that is what Shinkai set out to do and unfortunately, he didn't succeed. This tight summary and introduction to these characters was decently interesting but, as I said, it lacked any emotional attachment. I never felt as though they were bonding with one another through stepping into each others shoes.

Perhaps this served to bring the story into its more dramatic second act, however, the total lack of dramatic storytelling felt at ends with the romance that the viewer needs to believe in. What i'm trying to say is that they learned nothing about one another. I suppose that's the point. To create a cosmic connection. However, I don't believe it. Maybe i'm just a victim of my own bias and interest in different kinds of stories, but the whole "fate brought us together" is such a unbearable cliche to me. This is my cynicism talking, but you can't just form a connection through vague metaphors about time.

The story itself, though, was very well structured. While the connection between characters was never intriguingly romantic, the connection they had to their environments and the narrative that weaved through them was most definitely interesting. Especially come the second act where your notions about the story are completely derailed in the best way possible. Suddenly I cared, not about the two protagonists, but about the concept of the story.

While Mitsuha's side of the narrative was better, as she had more developed secondary characters that played a significantly more important role in the story. Taki's side felt extremely barren in comparison. The secondaries never felt lively or engaging and hardly had any fun interactions with one another. This even permeates to Taki himself. A character is only as good as the characters he or she bounce off of, if that is what the writing requires. So the lack of decently realized secondaries really drags his character down as well.

Since Mitsuha's side was more prominent, the story never felt meandering. When Taki eventually dominated the scene by himself, it was more compelling since he wasn't in need of bouncing off the lifeless corpses that were the side characters in his story. I'll speak about the concept of scenery later.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Sound and Visuals]

What can I say. This film is beautifully animated. Was there ever a doubt? The designs are slick, the landscapes are gorgeous, and everything is perfect and easy on the eyes. Apart from one moment towards the second half of the second arc where you are taken through some pretty surreal and awesome imagery, the movie never really flexes the animated muscles. It's a beautiful film to look at, but it never makes a statement about that.

If I had to point out a minor complaint it's that there was a lot of noticeable CGI utilized in various scenes. Particularly the vehicles moving around the highway. Especially in shots that are closer, it becomes a bit too clear that they are totally computer generated. In other words, the compositing could've used some work. However, other moments where blatant CG was composited within the image were smooth and easy on the eyes.

What a lot of viewers don't realize is just how much CG is being used in animation now a-days. Even this kind of cell-shaded animation utilizes fully rendered CG landscapes with some well-placed cell-shading to make it look like what you'd expect from two dimensions. This allows the director, in this case Shinkai, to do more complicated shots without the need of painstakingly redrawing certain frames and images. For example, there is a panorama early on in the movie and it was completely rendered, thankfully, very well made and virtually unnoticeable.

Great compositing mixed with slightly below-average compositing occasionally detracts from a few of these more atmospheric scenes. However, it never makes a big enough impact to ruin any of them. In fact, you don't even see many cars on the highway. It's fine. The directing, as well, is serviceable. A few dazzling and creative segments intertwined with less-inspired imagery dominated the film. Some moments I can't help but admire the shot composition, other moments are kind of boring. I wish directors played around with dialogue a bit more in general, since a lot of the dialogue here rarely actually looks interesting apart from maybe the scenery in the background elevating it.

The sound is good. Again, some great sound effects mixed in with music that I personally don't really care for. I think there was one moment later on in the film that felt completely dissonant in terms of the song being played and the events happening. The people are in a panic but there is this up-beat pop-song in the background. It was jarring and completely unnecessary. Your Name also included a series-like opening introduction which felt unnatural and baffling. Even the montage, while the smallest offender here, still didn't work that well.

Sonically, it wasn't bad, it just had a hard time fitting in. The sound effects themselves, such as the rain pouring down and Shinkai's fetish for opening (and closing) doors all sound great. The music itself could use some work. It felt as though the producers got a few people to write this music and they just had to shoehorn it into the film somehow.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Place Over People]

Towards the third act of the movie, I began realizing something kind of strange happening. I started to realize that I care more about the land than I do the people inhabiting it. I personally can't tell if this was intentional or not, but the countryside that Mitsuha inhabits is so detailed and gorgeous and has such a alluring whimsical appeal that I couldn't help but fall in love with it. The focus on this little town was abundant, but it never felt as if it was the purpose. It was written in as a story point, rather than a character in and of itself. Yet I had a better connection with this town than I did any of the characters.

Once again, I'm not sure if it was intentional or not but in art I always love giving the benefit of the doubt. Even as our two protagonists forget each others names and that's the emotional string being snapped, Taki, an aspiring architect, remembers the town Mitsuha inhabits. The fact that he forgets her name, yet remembers this world she lives in creates this wonderful connection that was never elaborated on. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Would that connection lose its value if Shinkai elaborated on it?

What's even stranger is that Mitsuha wants to desperately leave this place. She thinks it is boring, lame, and totally not what she wants. She waxes on about how much she rather live in a bustling city like Tokyo, with cafes and people surrounding her being. Yet Tokyo, while pretty, never has even remotely the kind of life and vibrancy that this town has. Yet this is never addressed. She never talks about this again. If this is subtle storytelling it comes from a completely unexpected place since, for the most part, everything is explained pretty well within the world. Of course they don't touch the "time" and technical aspects of the body-swapping. But I never expected them to. With stories like these, stories which aim to tell an ethereal experience with a celestial connection, there is no need to bog it down with a technical side of the whole ordeal.

Regardless, this fascinating location helped elevate the stakes of the story for reasons I dare not spoil. I will say, however, this connection I drew added so much more than the romance these two characters are explained to have.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Conclusion]

Your Name is a good movie. I can definitely recommend it to just about anyone, anime fan or otherwise. I can even see why it is so highly rated. It is an infinitely accessible story with just enough nuance to become a narrative people feel is original and making a statement without ever becoming something esoteric or avant garde.

There are a few issues here and there that often detract from certain scenes that I won't harp on. For example, the amount of out-loud monologuing that happens is just unacceptable. It feels as though it is there simply to explain, bluntly, to the viewer what these characters are thinking. Visual storytelling is never really utilized, which is unfortunate since the movie itself is so beautifully drawn. There are also a few logical lapses that cause character motivations and decisions to be extremely questionable and occasionally stupid. However, it is almost wholly a positive, albeit somewhat unremarkable experience.

Your Name brings gorgeous animation, decently realized characters, just enough charm, and a surprisingly interesting premise. What it lacks is heart. Apart from the little town that I drew a connection to, I felt almost completely detached from everything in this movie. It never felt like a passion project. Which unfortunately caused me not to become invested in a lot of the scenes being created. Thankfully, Your Name's restraint on overly-cloying and obnoxiously dramatic romance deserves praise. Anime, often rightfully so, is criticized for presenting emotions way too bluntly. Romance is often overly-saccharine, anger is often overly-angsty, and so on. While Your Name isn't devoid of sappy sentimentality, it doesn't indulge in it.

Which speaks for the movie as whole. It has this extraordinarily talented group of animators with all the budget and time in the world working on it, yet it never feels the need to show off. The story is surprisingly understated, albeit for an absurdly huge blockbuster that it is, and was meant to be. The romantic themes may not be fully realized, but the film itself feels like a whole. I appreciate that.

TL;DR: If you’re watching for the plot, wait for one of your friends to pick this up on blu-ray. If you’re here for the overall experience, it’s totally worth your twelve bucks to see this at the theater. In fact, it’s worth it to go twice.

STORY (5/10)

One of my favorite authors is Ray Bradbury. If you’ve read any of his stories, especially “Night Meeting,” it’s difficult not to compare Kimi no Na wa. to his work. The mix of heartfelt slice-of-life and compelling, almost breathtaking science-fiction is what initially made me love his writing so much, and it is exactly this that is the ... strong point of Kimi no Na wa. We are introduced to our main characters as they find themselves inhabiting each other’s bodies, and, instead of delving into the (probably boring and obnoxious) science behind this, the story simply plays out in a very enjoyable and easily digestible way, showing how they cope with each other’s everyday life. About halfway through, a very well-foreshadowed plot twist hits, which was what really sold me initially on this movie. In truly Bradbury-esque fashion, we watch as the bonds built up between these characters are slowly broken down by a cosmic force beyond their control.

If you’re determined enough to find plot holes in something, you will find them. Obviously, Kimi no Na wa. is no exception. This is especially true because of the inherently convoluted nature of its premise - it explores understandably confusing topics like dreams, soul-swapping, time travel, unconditional love, and hallucinations. The fact that all of these intriguing ideas are blended together does make the plot at times difficult to understand, but luckily, thanks to Shinkai’s great directing, the viewer can always tell what emotion they are supposed to be feeling and what details are important at any given time. However, if you choose to dig a bit deeper into the concepts presented, you can find some plot holes (I can't describe them without delving into spoiler territory). Of course, because of how little is known scientifically about all of the topics explored in this movie, it's also equally easy to find justifiable explanations and cover-ups for these plot holes.

What really bothered me about the story, though, was not the presence of plot holes, nor its confusing nature. After the plot twist halfway through, the movie starts to pile on more and more plot twists, which range from clever to goofy. Shinkai is known for making his viewers cry during his movies, but it felt as though this movie was trying a bit too hard to affect its audience near the end by piling on new ideas that neither meshed with the overall message and themes of the film nor made logical sense with the rest of the plot. There's a time about a half hour before the end where it feels like the movie is going to be over soon, but it keeps going on for a while, trying out all of these new ideas that almost feel like alternate endings. It's as though this movie has planned out ten possible endings but can't decide which to use, so it tries its best to use all of them at once, using time travel as a cheap excuse for the inherent convolution which follows. Naturally, it feels sloppy, and the scenes which focus on romance actually subtract from the movie’s effectiveness by straying from its focus on fate and supernatural forces in favor of throwing in desperate attempts at making the audience cry, which feel wholly unnecessary. Emotional appeal does not necessarily equate to a good story. Just look at Scum’s Wish - it felt uncomfortable to watch, but that didn't make it good, did it?

ANIMATION (10/10)

Breathtakingly beautiful. Some of the opening shots are of a comet streaking through the sky, and it only gets better from there. At one point, it even turns multimedia, with colored pencils and a different drawing style… There's really not much to say here other than GO WATCH THIS F***ING MOVIE.

SOUND (8/10)

There were three tracks that really stood out to me here. The opening theme, the ending theme, and the song that plays during a montage about halfway through were all great. Besides being a bit generic (teen romance movies always need rock music, right?), they are certainly good. When I went to see this with my friends, we were rocking out to the soundtrack during both car rides. I’ll probably be listening to that montage song for the next couple years.

Of course, because there is rock music used in this anime, it is impossible not to make jokes about Naruto.

CHARACTERS (4/10)

This was by far the weakest part of the film. I find it ironic that I couldn't even remember their names after the film was over. Both the male lead and the female lead were the most generic possible teenager characters, with neither characterized by anything other than where they worked. Their reactions to being in each other’s bodies were quite well handled, with an emphasis on initial surprise and confusion, and this helped to demonstrate their personalities. However, because we were given minimal background on these characters and therefore no reason to believe that they would act any other way, it is worth noting that these were the most generic reactions possible.

Even worse are the side characters. If the motivations of the main characters were foggy, these characters have no motivations at all. We are told about their relationships with one another, but these relationships never end up being explored. Some are simply forgotten about. The best example of this is near the beginning, when characters complain about how the mayor’s daughter gets along with the son of someone the mayor is working with, and it is hinted that nobody likes the mayor. Following that scene, the topic is never revisited. This seems like a genuinely interesting side plot that could really lead us to understand our characters better, but it is absolutely dropped for no reason.

Perhaps it would have been interesting to see how the side characters reacted to our heroes switching bodies. In a few cases, we do see how the body switches have impacted their lives. But we never see the side characters legitimately concerned about the sudden changes in personality that they see the main characters undergo. They mention the characters acting strange, and leave it at that. Never do they actually grow suspicious, even when it is hinted that other characters have experienced the same phenomenon. This becomes especially problematic after the main plot twist, when one side character just accepts a seemingly impossible story told by his friend because the plot requires him to provide the exact materials needed by the main character.

Near the end we have one of our leads going in for a job interview in a hilariously blatant show of forced character development. The main idea of character development is that it is supposed to help the hero grow out of a flaw that they somehow developed for themselves long ago. This scene does not connect to any problems the main character had had earlier.

Another thing that you will notice is that the only possible ending that the writers decided not to visit in the final half hour would have offered an opportunity for much more coherent character progression. However, it was left untouched.

ENJOYMENT (7/10)

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you're seeing this at a theater, you're going for the visuals, not the plot. And, as a Bradbury fan, I even found the plot to be pretty enjoyable. I knew most of the storyline going in, so I could see that there was a fair amount of rewatch value included in the movie as well. I’m a stickler for Chekhov’s Guns and plot holes, though, so I was a bit more bothered than most by the film’s storytelling problems.

Also, I found it difficult to be emotionally affected by the movie because I felt no attachment to the characters. As explained previously, if the ending had handled itself differently or if we had seen some more background to these characters, especially the male lead, I would have cared about them much more.

Nonetheless, this was still a treat to see in the theater.

OVERALL (7/10)

The car ride home from the theater was spent with my three friends (all who gave the movie a 10/10) trying to convince me to raise my rating. I don't see that happening, but I completely understand why they enjoyed it as much as they did.

It's not hard to see why this is ranked number one on this website. It may not be the best anime, but I'm certainly comfortable with Kimi no Na wa. remaining as the face of MAL for quite some time.

I went into watching this movie expecting a masterpiece but I was left kind of underwhelmed at the end. My review will focus more on the flaws of this movie because this movie has been praised many different ways and nothing can be said that hasn't been said before.

Don't get me wrong this movie was really enjoyable. Animation, visuals and soundtrack are amazing and top notch.
Story was good as well.

But there are some issues with the execution of the story. In the beginning there is a problem with story-telling like some events critical to the plot occurring off-screen then being told about in third person ... the next day. Its always better to show, not tell. Because of this for the first 30-40 minutes, at times, there were some pacing issues where the plot seemed to drag. The plot seemed unfocused at times where important plot points are put aside in favor of side stories. This kind of story-telling would have been fine if it were a 12-episode anime but for a 106 min movie every second counts especially when you are dealing with 2 stories that could have been 2 separate movies.

The main characters' relationship was somewhat under-developed. First there is some body swapping with accompanying comedy and then there is some hint of mutual appreciation and care. Then a montage happens and then we are literally told "they like each other, so root for them". For a movie that relies heavily on romance to drive its plot there needed to be some significant development of romance early on. So it could act as an effective catalyst for the last half of film.

There were also some major tonal shifts at times from standard rom-com to straight up tragedy but this was somewhat necessary to keep the movie enjoyable without being too heavy handed.


Before watching it I was kind of pissed about this movie not being nominated for an Oscar. But after watching it I get why it didn't get nominated.

Overall this movie is really good and enjoyable but don't expect it to be a masterpiece.

Let me start off by saying this is a movie that is heavily "supernatural" driven. While other shows may contain supernatural elements, they fail to lay out the foundation of those very elements until it is convenient; in other words, they usually wait to explain until the very end. However, with Your Name, it was laid out from the very beginning. By doing so, it marks a consistency and gives itself time to explore its world while not leaving you in the dark about the paranormal that is at play. This was one of the movie's essential strong points.

From the starting point, a comet ... was able to be seen by people from many places - two in particular. While the heavily populated city life brings up this sense of individuality and independence, the more community-based counterpart has a motif of connectivity and unity. Understandably, the contrasts of living in an exciting city or serene countryside - reinforced by the undeniably attractive visuals - is enticing to any eye. One could argue that anime, a form of art, is intended to make you feel, or make you think, or simply to be enjoyed. Although, one should also ask themselves what the perspective really is when viewing someone's story. Every good story should have a purpose, and every purpose should be supported by its story. Makoto Shinkai's works are similar in the sense that they are on an emotional spectrum with a sensitive side rather than a philosophical one more grounded to reality. You could debate about whether an anime is "realistic" or not, but then you would lose sight of the point. Kimi no Na wa ends up fabricating an interesting spin on the theory of time travel by implementing a supernatural twist of body switching along with it. However, by creating a reason that triggers these two elements, it manages to combine them both.

The body switching aspect playfully reveals the lives of our two main characters, the adventurous Mitsuha Miyamizu and the diligent Taki Tachibana. Mitsuha lives a more traditional and spiritual life while Taki lives a more modern and covetous lifestyle. While being in each other's bodies, they learn the little details about each other and grow to understand or respect one another's viewpoint. They, quite noticeably, influence and grow as individuals despite the unconventional role of communication or interaction. The prevalent theme of being connected is both shown from a direct and indirect position; from a straightforward supernatural approach to a much more broader concept of the "universe" in an intangible, spiritual sense. This theme is particularly supported by the comet itself that is present from start to finish. While the themes were certainly consistent, Kimi no Na wa's message is made evident by the "divide" in time and polarity of differences.

Overall, Your Name has an unyielding story right down to the title. Although it may not be on the realistic side, it is certainly an interesting and engaging experience that manages to deliver its overarching message of looking at the bigger picture.

"Your name", nostalgic isn't it?
Two powerful words used in the conversation between two people who have just meet, thinking that bond will last forever, yet as years go by and "your hair eventually turns gray" we tend to forget who we are and who we were.
Who you loved, who cared about you, who helped you, who...was always there for you when you were younger. We cant go against this law of nature, this flow of time, this forever lasting curse that is called memory. For we humans are the peak of evolution who have a built in instinct to survive,adapt and overcome any obstacle ... that is in our way including human emotion and memory.
Yet this movie gives you the impression that there is still hope, that there is still that one shinning star in a gloomy sky who illuminates the way in front of us.
I do not write reviews, so bare with me my brothers and sisters for this movie is such a masterpiece that you cannot just write this review with minimal effort.
Note that i will try NOT SPOIL this movie for you in any way, if you think that i have in any way overstepped my boundaries feel free to inform me and i shall remove/edit it asap.
Now without further ado let me begin.

Story: 10/10
The plot is simple and unusual, and yes i have already watched 5 Centimeters Per Second, i mean who hasn't?
So maybe i am giving it a 10/10 for the plot simply because i can somewhat relate to the movie + i am a sucker for romance, overall its just my opinion.

Art: 10/10
Nothing to say here, if you watched the trailer for this movie you already know that these people put in a lot of effort into making it thus it would be unfair to give it anything less than a 10, heck i would rate it even 11 if i could.
The animation is breathtaking and flawless, simply said : Omigoto *claps*

Sound: 9/10
Well if you watched the movie you should have noticed that some scenes are just "Wow the feels", what i mean by that is some soundtracks are perfectly selected for some scenes,for example scene 1 and soundtrack 1 are in perfect harmony which equals to perfection, while some are like scene 2 + soundtrack 5 equals to just "meh", there is no harmony in that, if you catch my drift?
If you don't understand what i mean ( cant blame you tho, i am a complicated individual) then just watch the whole thing and you will hopefully notice these little details.
But overall i gave it a 9/10 because they almost did it flawlessly, note that this little thing is not going to affect my overall opinion.
But like they say "You watch it, you rate it. "


Characters: 6/10
I am always rough on the whole character thing to be honest, but to keep it plain and simple.
I am a sucker for romance, the emotions are there, the voice actors did their part yet why am i giving it only a 6 out of 10?
Cliche friends, cliche.
You can notice all these traits almost in every genre/tag in the Romance section.
The two MC are nothing new in this department, clumsy, likable and did i mention clumsy. If you find this sentence to be a spoiler then my man/girl you probably forgot to do your homework. I know its harsh, i know i am a baka but please do not hate on me for this one people..

Enjoyment: 10/10
Nothing to say except Shinkai Makoto, you the man.
If you watched 5 Centimeters Per Second you know what i am talking about.
This man know his stuff, he knows how to punch and always saves his best punches to finish you off.
Just watch it and you will know what i am talking about.

Overall: 10/10
Really enjoyed this work of art, haven't boarded the feels train in like a week, you know the rest.
Moral of this story is quite simple and quite the hard hitter.
I won't give you the details but know this.
Enjoy your life, never forget the bonds you already have, try to keep and cherish them for as long as possible.
Value your opinion and of course respect yourself and your family.
Keep moving forward without looking back because you never know what the future hold in store for you, maybe just maybe you get one more chance from life to try something with someone you love and cherish.


Keep it real you beautiful people and i hope you have a nice day.
Much love, from meh <3