Review: Your Name – Kimi no na wa. (2016)

Directed by: Makoto Shinkai | 106 minutes | animation, fantasy, drama, romance | Original Voice Cast: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryô Narita, Aoi Yûki, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kaito Ishikawa, Kanon Tani, Masaki Terasoma, Sayaka Ohara, Kazuhiko Inoue, Chafûrin, Kana Hanazawa

The anime hit “Your Name” (Kimi no na wa., 2016) has already captured many hearts worldwide. In Japan alone, the film broke records and brought the audience’s favorite amounts into the drawer that normally only a Hayao Miyazaki film can achieve. In the Netherlands the film has already been seen at a few film festivals, but in the end there is a distributor who dares to give the film a regular release. And we are very happy with that!

“Your Name” is about two teenagers. First we meet a girl, Mitsuha, who lives with her father (who is mayor), grandmother and little sister in the village of Itomori, an idyllic place between the mountains. But like many of her peers, Mitsuha longs for an exciting life in the big city. Taki, the second main character in “Your Name” leads such a life: he is at a high school in Tokyo and has a side job in a restaurant. Mitsuha remembers a strange dream one day. And when she talks to her family and friends, it turns out that she behaved very strange the day before. When this happens more and more, Mitsuha starts to remember details of the dream. In her dream she is Taki. But… the dream is not a dream, it is real: Taki and Mitsuha just switch bodies!

Because the two youngsters have no influence on when this happens, nor is there any regularity to be detected, they are initially insecure about this. They dare not talk to anyone about it, because admit it; they are already being laughed at because they sometimes behave differently than usual. But eventually the two manage to find a way to communicate with each other. They leave messages for each other and Mitsuha keeps a diary in Taki’s phone with an app. They now understand what is happening, but the why remains uncertain for a while. A special friendship develops, between two people who have actually not met each other and who have actually met each other …

After the funny and perhaps somewhat childish first half, “Your Name” suddenly takes a completely different direction and the urgency in the story is greatly increased. Everything you have seen so far, you suddenly have to see in a different light and that is an attack on your emotions. The pace and tension increase and nothing is certain anymore.

In addition to an ingeniously put together scenario, “Your Name” is also a visual spectacle. From detailed drawings of Mitsuha’s bedroom to breathtaking scenes in the metropolis Tokyo, the beautiful landscapes and images of the starry sky; this is one of those films that you can easily watch about ten times and discover something new every time. It has been worked with so much love and attention, and the result is so romantic, stunning and compelling, you can’t help but fall madly in love with this film.