Your Name(君の名は。) Japanese anime Film Thoughts

   I could have spoken about Your Name in a post a few months ago but I wanted to wait until I got my hands on a physical copy. Everyone has been raving about this film since the summer. I saw all the hype from Japanese audiences but I figured that I would have to wait awhile until I got a chance to see the film. Thankfully, an opportunity came for me to view the film. The film was created by Shinkai Makoto and is considered one of the most popular animated films of 2016 in Japan. It also gained quite a following worldwide. Japanese rock band, Radwimps also gained fame in Japan after doing the soundtrack for the film.

   Two high school students lives become connected suddenly. One student lives in the countryside of Japan and the other lives in the big city of Tokyo. What is this relationship?

   My experience watching Your Name in the theater was a good one. I went into the theater not knowing the plot of this film at all. All the hype around the film basically got me curious to see what Your Name was all about. Then I watched the film again after I purchased a copy of the film. My first time watching the film was in Japanese. Later I watched with the English overdub just for personal preference. Third time I watched to show the film to my family. Each time I watched, I noticed the the film hows me a detail that I didn't see the first two times I watched. Shinkai wrote a plot that presents a little bit of information at a time. Viewers start watching without knowing much about whats unfolding in this new world. The window opened up to show the lives of the two main characters is big but narrow at the same time. More questions arise as you watch because you ask yourself how what you saw at the very beginning of the film relates to the events that happen afterwards. Things settle a little around explaining the world of the two lead characters. It could have gotten pretty slow moving here but the story uses enough humor and drama to make you feel at home in each character's everyday activities. After you find out how the characters are intertwine with each other, the film steps into a fantasy element that takes the film to it's conclusion. A bit of drama mixed with comedy is still presence here and there. Your Name just truly shines after the audience watching is given a solid base for the questions of Who? What? When and Why? Because the flow of time plays a huge part in the film's presentation as well, many details pointing to the truth might be missed the the viewer the first time you watch. I recommend watching Your Name several times in order to find the full picture. Shankai is one of the few anime creators that I know who can insert a short musical clip randomly into his films without turning the film awkward. He's done this for many of his other films that I'm actually a fan of. Even if some of them sometimes kind of drag on. What's very apparent is how he grows as he creates each film. He stated himself that he wanted to expand on Your Name but he didn't have the funds to. Dang, I can only image how this film would have been even better than it already is if he had those funds. The best quality about Your Name is the emotional impact the characters's relationship has on the viewer. Their relationship really withstands tons of problems a normal relationship would never last through. This makes the lasting presence of the relationship hit each viewer's heart emotionally.

   Radwimps's music was the magic support behind Shankai's drawings. He drew Your Name like he had taken a picture of Tokyo and places in the Japanese countryside. He's take on the scenery seems to be locations that were always there in Japan. Scenery that Japanese people see everyday. Only Shinkai uses different select details to bring a youthfulness to the scenes shown. Sometimes he will use light colors in his drawings to represent the sunlight that bounces off the buildings as it shines on them. I really loved how the scenes involving the comet were so high definition and the colors used to draw the comet shattered the sense of realism while also still fitting well in the story's image. Meanwhile Radwimps are preforming songs that bring more life to these scenes in motion. The film also has to thank it's strong cast of characters. Not just the two leads but the whole cast that added more excitement to the plot. Character designs remind me of anime from the early 2000s. Maybe more advance on detail though.

   I don't feel comfortable calling Shinkai Makoto the next Miyazaki. He's very good at putting his visions into compelling animations but he doesn't put me in mind of the animation legend when I think of him. Instead I put him in his own category because his style is all his own. Also, to be honest, Your Name is a good film. Calling it a masterpiece that can match Miyazaki's works might be a stretch for me. Spirited Away can still top this film for many reasons based on both films plot dynamics. I still love Your Name overall however. Can't wait to see how the live action version turns out.