This blog post may become a bit cheesy, but bear through here, as a famous Anime masterpiece, Kimi No Na Wa ( Your Name ) will be explored.
What causes people to drift apart? What are the things that make connecting with someone special very challenging?
Be it a significant other, closest friend, family member, or anyone beloved, there is a multitude of causes. Anime movies teach us about these, and one of the most pivotal people to do so is Makoto Shinkai sensei.
Makoto Shinkai sensei is a true master at bestowing audiences with an emotional roller coaster of a movie, which beautifully portrays these barriers.
Thus the world was gifted with the Makoto Shinkai sensei anime films.
The most noteworthy being Weathering with you, Your Name, The Garden of Words, and 5 Centimeters per Second.
There are quite a few more, but these four portray Weather, Time, Age, and Space respectively as barriers to connecting.
Kimi no Na Wa is also known as “Your Name” was bestowed upon the world masses by Makoto Shinkai sensei in 2016.
Both written and directed by sensei himself and produced by CoMix Wave Films.
To say Kimi No Na Wa was a major success would be an understatement, as it grossed over a total of $358 million.
Even good old Rotten Tomatoes gave this masterpiece a 98% positive review and an awe-inspiring average rating of 8.22/10.
Kimi No Na Wa follows the stories of two characters simultaneously, Taki Tachibana who is a high school boy living in Tokyo, and Mitsuha Miyamizu who is a high school girl living in a rural town.
Along with her younger sister, she is one of the maidens of the Family Shrine.
While being mostly upset with her life, she wishes to be a hot dude in Tokyo instead, reveling in the city life.
The wish of Mitsuha comes true in a bit of an unexpected manner, as Taki and Mitsuha start body-swapping out of nowhere.
The movie dynamically switches between the characters as they go about their own and each other’s lives, in two contrasting landscapes to boot; one in a modernized, buzzing, urban city and the other in a traditional, quiet, rural town.
Other than Taki and Mitsuha, there is yet another contrasting element at work here, which viewers probably won’t fully comprehend until halfway through the film.
The best aspects include light comical humor, mostly as Taki and Mitsuha adjust to each other’s lives via body-swapping.
The beautiful portrayal of the traditional Japanese Shrine maidens’ lives and practices, a solid portrayal of the down-to-earth lifestyle of a teenaged Taki and Mitsuha in Tokyo.
How the meeting of one special person instantly changes so many things about oneself.
How Taki and Mitsuha (he or she) view the world afterward and how people can connect through the most unbreakable of barriers such as time.
The plot relays all the events so smoothly, flowing like a river, and gives viewers a waterfall dive when the setting is just right.
Stunning animation, beautiful music, a deep and complex plot along so much emotional weight are guaranteed.
This unique fantasy romance film is truly immortal and surely is one of the best anime movies.
Thanks for Reading!
