10s Movie Review - Your Name

Director: Makoto Shinkai
Genre: Animation/ Fantasy/ Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryô Narita, Aoi Yûki, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kaito Ishikawa, Kanon Tani, Masaki Terasoma, Sayaka Ohara, Kazuhiko Inoue, Chafûrin, Kana Hanazawa

Description: Two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them apart?

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 10: A MOVIE FROM THE IMDB TOP 250

Review: An indication of its international popularity shows with “Your Name” being in the IMDb Top 250. And not undeservedly. Because “Your Name” is a wonderful film that is beautifully animated and strongly told. Moreover, the story lends itself ideally to an animated film. It’s a coming-of-age drama about two young people who fall in love under extraordinary circumstances. In this case, those circumstances are parallel timelines and exchange of body and mind.
As a comet approaches Earth, country girl Mitsuha makes a wish and she and city boy Taki swap bodies. Not permanently, but they regularly wake up in each other’s bodies for a day or part of the day. When they wake up again in their own bodies, they have no idea what the other has done with it in the meantime. Slowly they learn to communicate with each other via diary and text messages, to keep each other informed on their own experiences.
The body swap provides exciting and hilarious moments. Taki, for example, cannot get used to the fact that he occasionally wakes up with breasts, while Mitsuha builds up a romance in his body for him with a colleague, because he does not dare to approach her himself. Without realizing it themselves, they naturally fall for each other as they get to know each other like no other.
The approach of the comet with which this magical adventure begins clearly affects the frequency and length of their exchanges. As their bond grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach each other. Time and space get in the way of human connection. The ultimate tragedy of the film lies in the memory loss that occurs each time after the swap. Our memory is so important to our identity and relationship to others that its loss had a great impact on both without us fully knowing it ourselves.
This theme comes out beautifully in the final act, when Taki and Mitsuha make a disconcerting discovery about their magical connection, with dramatic consequences. It may have taken a while, and it was uncertain for a long time, but it is a good thing that the beautifully designed “Your Name” about the fragility of ourselves and our connection to others is still available to us on demand.
If you love anime, this is a definite must-see.

Rating: 4,5/ 5