Kimi no Na wa.

With the exception of maybe Dokyuusei, I can't think of a single original anime movie in recent times that has gotten as much fanfare as Makoto Shinkai's latest work did before it became available to the gaijin public. Even before it arrived in Japanese theatres, the fanbase that erupted from its exclusive Anime Expo-showing have been making their voices louder than a Siberian tiger scratching the world's largest chalkboard. And now that it has arrived in the Eastern theatres, it's made more money on its opening weekend than The Nice Guys had during its entire box office run. Whilst its currently high MAL score is almost guaranteed to go down once it reaches the wider audience that is America's toxic anime fanbase, the fact remains that Shinkai has really hit the big leagues as of late, and as one of anime's last remaining auteurs (let alone one that's actually good), I think that alone should be worth celebrating. Will he become the next Miyazaki as time goes on? I don't know, and quite frankly I doubt he cares, so why should I? This isn't a review of his career anyways. It's a review of Your Name, or Kimi no Na wa as the weeaboos like to call it, and I was really looking forward to watching this one once I discovered that the premise was about a boy and a girl going through a Freaky Friday routine, because that's usually the kind of premise reserved for a cheap harem anime or One Piece. Not something you'd expect a man of Shinkai's caliber to do, and especially not a premise deserving of so much visual porn that it'd make art students cum within five seconds of exposure. Sure when you think about it, it's not too far out of his domain. Shinkai has dabbled with putting a serious take on wacky anime premises in the past (his first major work was basically a modern take on Gunbuster after all). Still, I never really expected this sort of premise to get a big-budget treatment in general unless it was a cheap franchise movie, let alone be put in the hands of such a talented guy. And now that I've seen the result of that combination, I can safely say I should never underestimate this dude. Now before going on, I should point out that I'm fully aware most of you guys haven't had a chance to see the movie as of this time of writing, and unfortunately I can't talk about the majority of Your Name's story because of how heavily dependent it is on things not being as clear-cut as they seem. That's right. A movie about a boy and a girl who can swap bodies with each other has a lot going on underneath the surface that I can't spoil for fear of ruining your enjoyment like all of pop culture does for Citizen Kane. So let's just start off by saying that I do recommend Your Name. It's easily one of the best anime I've seen this year (not that the competition has been all that fierce) as well as one of the most emotional roller coasters that I've seen this medium produce in quite a long time. Oh, and if you are even slightly interested in shipping culture, there is a 99% chance that you will consider this movie a masterpiece, because it pretty much hits every major shipping button in the book - including ones that most hardcore shippers didn't know they had. If you want a more visual representation of what I'm talking about, remember what you loved about ERASED before it went to shit. Now imagine that show never going to shit and make sure to step out of that puddle of drool and tears you just made. The tone of Your Name is distinctively more "anime" than most of Shinkai's stuff. It felt like he was trying to cater more to a mainstream audience whilst not sacrificing his signature style in the process throughout the entire runtime, and if the later Persona games are anything to go by, that can really pay off if done well. And it does pay off in quite a few ways I didn't expect. The movie made me laugh a lot, even at jokes that I wouldn't normally laugh at, and the story actually progressed in a way that I wanted to see things end happily rather than the usual bittersweet closures that I generally love about this guy's take on romance. And any anime that can get that amount of investment from me is always worth my time, even if the characters themselves don't have too much going for them individually. Having to look up their names for this review is one thing because I'm bad at remember names in general, let alone foreign ones. But if you were to ask me to describe the two leads, I wouldn't have much to say besides a normal girl who wants to be free of the traditions set on her by her family and a normal boy who just wants to get by in life. I think it was an intentional decision on Shinkai's part to make his characters "normal" so that we can relate to them more and they're both likable/interesting enough, but I prefer characters who have story to them first, and relatability second. And it's hard to get too invested in a character's dilemma when I'm not given a non-circumstantial reason regarding why I'd want to follow this character in the first place. For example, the main boy's name is Taki Tachibana, and his goals in life are to get into university, get closer to his hot female co-worker at the restaurant he does part-time work in, and grope his own breasts when he suddenly discovers he has them. That's stuff you can say about any normal Joe, and whilst I can definitely relate to those issues enough to not find Taki boring, the sort of connection I can form with him from just that is limited when I'm not the one who's actually experiencing those problems first-hand. Even when the movie gets into deeper material, Taki never really experiences any emotions or problems that are particular complex to analyze. And considering Shinkai has managed to balance both the intellectual and the emotional aspects of his stories in the past, I found the heavy emphasis on the latter at the expense of the former to be kinda disappointing. Hell, even the majority of Ghibli's output after they peaked did a pretty decent job in that department. Maybe my opinion will change if I watch the movie again (and you can bet I will), but I'm just going to say right now that I liked the character presentation in 5/cm. You fanboys may call it emotionally distant. I call it the solution to you guys overrating the hell out of Holo and Lawrence's thing. But let's move on to another aspect of Your Name I can actually talk about: the technicals. Frankly, I am quite amazed at how much Shinkai is improving in that field, especially considering how high he sets the bar with each film he does. Not only is the visual quality of the animation so stunning that it makes Garden of Words look like someone's Flash animation and the Radwimps soundtrack one of the most fun anime soundtracks I've heard in quite some time, but the way he utilizes these technicals is so masterful that it can make even the most basic of emotions expressed throughout this film feel like you've just been hit in the face and you want more because you love it. I'm really hard-pressed to come up with a cartoon that gets emotional storytelling down the way the animation in this one does, even compared to what I consider superior cartoons like Kaiba, Haibane Renmei, or a good chunk of Pixar's output. Hell, I'd need a whole other post (and a digital file of the film) just to talk about the specifics. A lot of you guys are watching Re:Zero, right? Well let's put it like this: if White Fox's "masterful" direction of Subaru's bawl-fests is the equivalent of getting hit with a cannonball, Your Name's direction of the emotions constantly vibrating in its characters, setting, dialogue, and just about everything that makes up a single frame of this film is the equivalent of getting hit with a cannonball the size of Jupiter, and there are thousands more frames where that came from. It knows when to play it light. It knows when to play it heavy. It knows just the right amount to make it seem natural. And it doesn't sacrifice more important…

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.

Makoto Shinkai is without a doubt THE most visionary and diligent Japanese animation director as of 2016. A statement like this is pretty much just a matter-of-fact at this point in time. The man is extraordinarily talented and has a knack for creating fleshed out characters, with compelling story and dialogue to boot. With every subsequent release his films build more anticipation and more hype. Kudos to him, kudos for all those who enjoy this movie and will continue to enjoy this film, but Makoto Shinkai needs to go back to the drawing board. It seems with every release he gets closer and closer to perfecting his formula and style, and Kimi No Na Wa (your name), sadly was the exception to that trend. Although Shinkai is tweaking and refining all of the elements of his craft, It just left me asking the question "for what purpose? " The plot was more drawn out, and more convoluted, and even more crammed into a running time that it could not fit than any of his previous films. The movie was not bad by any means. Shinkai has come to a point in his career where making a bad film for him would be a challenge. But, this movie has no focus, no direction, and barely any thematic cohesion. For the sake of brevity I will leave you with this. Miyazaki, Oshii, Takahata,Shinichiro Watanabe, Satoshi Kon, while all of there movies had flaws, these guys knew how to craft a compelling story! Which is what made their films so memorable in the first place. Do yourself a favor and watch one of Shinkai's stronger installments like 5 cm per second or The Place Promised in Our Early Days( if you haven't already) to fully understand my perspective.

I had the privilege to sit in the front row of the world premiere, and I can only describe this movie as utterly phenomenal. Makoto Shinkai has created a masterpiece. If you remember his Garden of Words, then imagine something that in my opinion is five times better (hyperbole, this will obviously vary from person to person). The movie is not simply an hour-thirty of pretty landscapes and slow burn drama-romance, like in the past. It's a masterpiece. I never tired of the characters. They are well-developed and Shinkai does an amazing job on slowly and subtly revealing what kind of people the two main characters are. Voice actors also did an amazing job. Something else I found enjoyable was the comedy. Which Shinkai's works usually lack. I was laughing right at the beginning and even during the parts where I thought were supposed to be serious. It is definitely his most light-hearted, feel-good work but still managed to get me crying shamefully. The plot is quite fast-paced, something I found fresh considering how calm and quiet Shinkai's movies usually are. There were moments in the movie that felt like actually music videos, and once you watch, you will understand why. Plus, you can't really go wrong with the RADWIMPS, who created songs per Shinkai's request. Makoto Shinkai has leaped over the successes of his previous films. He has shown us something new, and I would gladly say it's one of the best movies I have ever watched. To those of you who skipped out on the premiere, what a tremendous shame. To those of you who are eagerly waiting, you won't be disappointed.

my opinion on “kimi no na wa” „your name” i wont be making statements on what exactly happened in the anime, as that would spoil everything. watching this was like watching paint dry. i watched this with my friend, but let me get to the point. - to be honest people might hate me for this, but this anime was very bad. the animation and art is good, but the storyline is so bad, its so confusing- and its also boring, and it didnt even make me cry, nor sad. i did laughing more than actually being upset. the ending was okay i guess. what ill never understand is how this is sad in any form of way. i don’t understand all the hype over this overrated anime, its really really terrible, and so random, everything happened too quickly too. both me, and my friend both regret this and share the same opinions, its way too overrated.

Kimi no na wa, or in english, "Your name", is one of the greatest pieces of Japanese works since the creation of sushi. Before you read this review, I highly recommend you watch the preview and/or read the synopsis for this movie. Kimi no na wa is a beautiful and incredible movie that seems to be successful in all categories; a movie which would interest even those who don't find the genre interesting. And while the plot idea may not excite some, the setting, characters, and the fantastic work of the director, Makoto Shinka, will cause you to experience a multitude of emotions. Bittersweet, fascinating, humorous; there are too many words in the dictionary that can describe this movie for me to fit in this one review. Even if you haven't seen the works of Makoto Shinka, you will come to adore this director for his ability to bring his characters and story to life. Whether or not you are watching the movie for enjoyment, or you find yourself more critical of the movie, this work will satisfy both. The characters are enjoyable to watch and they are charming in their own unique way, and while the supporting characters may not in the spotlight, their personalities shine as well. As a weeab elitist, many ask me what I would pick as my one Japanese work to share or recommend to others, but many that pop into my head fall short in some kind of way. Kimi no na wa, however, is a work of art to remember and will have a lasting effect on the viewer indefinitely. This movie will be sure to stimulate your emotions, cause you to shed a tear or two, and, without a doubt, you will find yourself wearing a dumb smile while watching. I give Kimi no Na wa a 9/10.

Kimi No Na Wa is basically visual and audible chocolate to anybody interested in the elements of directing. However like chocolate, it doesn't satisfy you at all and only gives you an amazing taste in your mouth for a brief period of time before eventually realize that you're still hungry, and you need something to satisfy you or you'll go hungry. Kimi no Na Wa fails to give me a good reason to keep my suspension of disbelief because of the fact the plot was just so dreadful and dumb in my eyes, and not because of the fact they're switching bodies it's the reason why they switch bodies that just utterly baffles me because its just full of plot convenience and plot holes that makes me believe that the story was just an afterthought and not necessarily the core of the movie. And I don't want to discuss any more of my frustrations because that would mean I'd have to go into spoiler territory. Now the only thing I thought was ok was the characters, Makoto Shinkai always does a great job establishing the atmosphere of each of the characters and does an amazing of contrasting the Urban and Rural lifestyles of the 2 character Taki and Mitsuha. And the way they react once they switch bodies was very charming and funny. Overall the movie is impressive visually and musically however the failure for me to understand the emotional distraught that each of the characters faced because of the unbelievable plot conveniences and not to mention the very anti climatic ending was the reason I give this a 6/10

Mod Edit: this review may contain spoilers. I have adjectives galore for this movie. For those experienced in Makoto Shinkai filmography, the art and animation are par for the course, but heads and shoulders above what is the next most visually beautiful animated movie you’ve seen. Had I watched Kimi no na Wa for the scenery, I’d likely have considered it a passable film by Shinkai’s standards (because frankly, Garden of Words was just so much more aesthetically pleasing). However, like Garden of Words, Kimi no na Wa’s characterization and plot range from potently bad to practically non existent. 5 Centimeters per second had a particular air of nostalgia and loss to it that was palpable and painfully relatable. Kimi no na Wa tries to build up on the same premise, but with more of a linear plot, only to fail miserably. First half was actually tolerable, it worked out just like your typical body switch romcom, which is sad considering the kind of budget and effort that must have went into making the beautiful backdrops come to life. Second half. Oh, the second half! Whatever semblance of logic that the movie had up until that point was mercilessly crushed and flushed out of the toilet. And then the movie decided to shove a typical sci fi time travel cum disaster prevention plot down our throat, when I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Sooo, the final product was a body switch slash time travel slash romance slash metaphysical slash philosophical plot that gets zero explanations throughout the movie. Actually, it does; body switch, time goes out of sync, weird dreams, disaster, kids save the day, turns out this has been in the family because comet. TL;DR, ridiculously overrated pretentious hogwash. Crap like nothing ever was. Don’t waste your time if you’re looking for a movie that makes sense, but by all means watch it if you’ve seen Shinkai’s drop dead gorgeous art and want more of it.

Visually stunning, masterfully written, and amazing performances in animation, sound, and voice acting, "Kimi no Na wa." ("Your Name." in English) is an absolute masterpiece. Makoto Shinkai has once again delivered a piece so beautiful, so heartwarming, so tear-inducing, and in no way less than what you can expect from him. As for those unfamiliar with the name Shinkai, this would be the movie I'd recommend first to watch from him. I'll be honest that as I walked into the hall at AX to watch the world premier of the movie, my expectations of the film were different. Prior to watching, the supernatural element of the movie never really clicked to me, as I knew Shinkai more for his art of capturing the essence and beauty of a single moment in a slice-of-life setting. When you add supernatural elements in a story, an argument comes up where "mysticism" can become favored over "logic", and as a result you can make an audience lost over these eccentricities. However, Shinkai made it work. He used the supernatural as a way to amaze the audience and his art further created that mystifying feeling. I found myself so heavily invested in the movie, shaking in my seat as I and many others watched. Makoto Shinkai is known as being incredibly talented at many things, one being his artwork. The production quality of his work is unparalleled, and as we've seen in the past his art alone is the most visually appealing in the industry. There is a reason why most of us have some sort of desktop wallpaper of Shinkai's works and it is because it truly is that breath-taking. "Your Name." may be less focused on art than his previous work "The Garden of Words", but that doesn't make it less fascinating than any other piece he created. Big mentions have to go out to the other names that played a huge role in this movie's production. Masayoshi Tanaka (Toradora, Anohana, Anthem of the Heart) is the character designer of the film. His characters are all visually appealing. Prior to the premier I had no idea he was the character designer, but very quickly I recognized the aesthetics as something familiar. Tanaka's characters are beautiful and full of personality, a definite present for sore eyes no matter which series you watch. The two have collaborated in the past in "Cross Road" and I was hoping when I would see that combination again. Masashi Andou (multiple Ghibli films) is the animation director for the film, and while it is difficult to find distinct characteristics of an animator, you can still see elements of Ghibli-esque animation in "Your Name.". The most notable would be when you notice a character open their mouth a lot wider than normal, something noticeable in Ghibli films. Aside from that there are some scenes where the animation quality is simply extraordinary: scenes where the use of panning or a hand-drawn 3D camera rotation are used in impressive fashion. It is truly captivating and engaging for the audience. Radwimps did the music for the film, and while I'm not all too familiar with their music, their songs were exceptional in the movie. During the panel Shinkai mentioned he worked with them for about 2 years to produce the music in a back and forth exchange to fit the mood of the scenes in the movie. That shows massive dedication, and it definitely shows in the film. While you may recognize Tenmon's music direction in "5 Centimeters Per Second" best for being as emotionally engaging as it is, Radwimps provide their own craft in "Your Name.", and it fits the film well for its genre. If I were to give an example, think of Galileo Galilei's OP in "Anohana" and how it fits the theme of that series. Overall, this is a must watch movie from Shinkai. And for anyone relatively new to his films it would be this that I would recommend first. It is incredibly beautiful, and a true masterpiece which is what you can expect from films with a name like Makoto Shinkai. You will find yourself laughing at its humor, mystified by its remarkable art, knees shaking at its high tension scenes, and most notably you will yell 2 particular directional words at the characters as your eyes water during the climax of romance scenes. I can only give the highest recommendation for this film as it is truly Makoto Shinkai's best yet. As of the time of this review, this film here, "Your Name.", is Shinkai's magum opus.

Story: 6/10 Character/Acting: 4/10 Art: 5/5 Sound: 4/5 (excluding the opening theme and mid-theme) Enjoyment: 0/0 (Ridiculous - enjoyment is already implied in the above) >Overall: 19/30 ~ 63% (63/100) ~ GPA Letter Grade = 'D' I grade this film a D which is probably the fairest review you'll ever find on this website. If you'll humor me, I'd like to explain why. I'm under the impression that the popular grading system here is fundamentally flawed; in that Art, Sound and 'Enjoyment' (wtf? this isn't even quantifiable) is equally as important as Story and Acting. Any professional/rational critic will tell you its just silly to allocate 50% of a film's success purely to sound and filmography as shown in this simple though exercise. Is it not much easier to think of examples where good acting (characters) or Plot alone have created a film we would remember and love ... despite average music or filmography? But let us be honest now, sensational filmography and sound cannot create a masterpiece from mediocre plot. I think the essence of why quite unoriginal films like this can place #1 is because of this imbalance and dishonest grading system. Anyone who gave this film anything higher than a 7 has done so because 1. They don't care for artistic integrity or originality and aren't afraid to vote from emotional relief without justification. The 'Enjoyment' grading perfectly demonstrates how critically flawed grades are. What even the point of rating Story, Art, Sound and Character all of which can be quantified through stimulus ... but 'enjoyment' cannot and appeals only to mood which distorts your ratings accuracy. Enjoyment and Overall make one another redundant, and in this unspecific, but mandatory rating excess ... the entire rating becomes warped. 2. They haven't seen any one of the many highly identical films/characters. Since when did the standard for top #1 fall so low that recycled characters and not too distant plots can win awards. I'd implore you to explore the tag-links within the Genre categorisation. Does a piano/violin and guitar music piece accompanied by above-standard (to TV series) art - really make it a recipient of such a high creative honor? 3. They think music and a few distracting moments of sweeping art (but mainly impressive editing) is just as/if not more important to plot. Even if just one person reads this, I will feel graced. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for the power of rational and constructive criticism that constantly cleanse me of my stubborn ways. With love, Willowboy. Join my wander, to a yonder. In search of the meaning from mystery & wonder ... And when tragedy finds us, and breaks our bodies We'll find peace in one mind.

*contains spoilers* Let’s begin with the positives. The animation is on point, and the dialogues are beautiful. There certainly are touching moments in the anime, which even managed to move a person like me. So I get why people are so hyped about this anime. Unfortunately, I went in with decent expectations and while the movie certainly was a decent watch, it wasn’t as outstanding as I thought it would be. For starters, I guess the one of the bigger reason the Western world is so impressed with this movie was because of how beautifully it portrayed Japanese tradition and culture, both of which the US lacks (culture and tradition). Second, I come from a country where themes like reincarnation, fate, karma etc are very common and used a lot in our movies, so I guess that was another reason these themes in the movie didn’t impress me as much. And also, I guess it didn’t impress me as much because I’m 29 and clearly, the movie was aimed at school children. I’ll bet that if you look up the other reviews of maybe 70% of the reviewers who gave this movie 8+ ratings, you’ll see that they have also given anime like Angel Beats, Yuri on Ice and Re: Zero very good ratings as well. This simply goes on prove that the movie resonated well with its *target* audience – Americans and school children. Coming to the negatives, there were certain things that just didn’t make sense or I didn’t like about the movie: # Aren’t animators tired of putting school children in such, well, adult situations? # The first 30 minutes where all that happens is body switching. Slowed down the pace considerably. Also, Freaky Friday much? The only reason I pushed beyond those 30 minutes was because I wanted to see what was so great about this movie #And then suddenly within the span of next 2 minutes, the boy and girl have come up with schedules of how to manage their switches, and then the plot starts focusing on other aspects of the movie. Erm, okay. I would have preferred if the confusion about the switching was kept for maybe 10 minutes and the remaining 20 minutes was devoted to how they managed their schedules with each other. Would have paved way for a lot funny/cute scenes. # The first 40 minutes it's about body switching and the two liking each other, and then BAM. She's dead. I liked that plot twist, but it didn't really flow smoothly with the plot. And after that, of course, the tone of the movie changed and everything became about finding/meeting her. Kinda like two movies mashed into one. # The Another+Noragami feel when it came to the memory lapses, which by the way were never explained. If those two could remember about each other for 2-3 days at a stretch when in between switching their bodies, then why did they suddenly just forget about the existence of each other when the swapping stops? # WHY does the body swapping+time travel happen? Never explained. Poor story writing. # I don’t understand how Mitsuha’s friends just went along with her plan of evacuating the village without any *real* evidence given by her # Why wasn’t Taki more confused (like Mitsuha was) when he first swapped bodies with her? He seemed too chill with his environment. # What’s up with Mitsuha’s boob jiggle? Unnecessary+cheapened the movie’s experience for me. # I don’t know how old these two are – 14 or 18? Your guess is as good as mine. In conclusion, I have to say that I *might* have enjoyed the movie more if I were 16. But I’m not, so yeah, it’s only a decent watch, according to me. Nothing beyond that, much like Yuri on Ice and Re: Zero. *sigh* The perks of being old and having higher standards.

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…

While the movie wasn't terrible, I was disappointed because I had high expectations for it. Most of the reviews seem to be overwhelming positive and it is ranked first so I guess most people enjoyed it. However for me, the story lacked alot while the art was outstanding (which is my opinion on most Makoto Shinkai's works). STORY I found the first half of the movie to be enjoyable and after the plot-twist, it kind of went downhill. The sci-fi element wasn't executed very well, alot of the times it felt as if happened all for plot convenience. The time travel and constant body-switching felt too much to me. I admit I was bored in the second half (which was pretty predictable). Also there is alot of inconsistencies which led to confusion. ART AND SOUND Art was amazing and sound was average (left no impression). CHARACTERS The two main characters aren't anything special. They are just your typical female and male lead who want to save everybody. There isn't too much to comment on them because there is nothing beyond them to analyse than what the show directly shows to you. The female lead does get a little character development when she becomes more assertive to her father towards the end but honestly that's almost nothing. The minor characters were entertaining but also nothing special. OVERALL I think this movie is overrated. Yes, the art is amazing but in terms of plot is is average. For me, it left no impact or anything to think about or feel.

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.

Okay, I'm pretty sure anyone seeing this score would be shocked. To be honest, I was shocked first, by how popular this movie is. Today, everyone knows about Your Name. It was such a huge hit, even outside Japan. But really, aside from the visuals, there is literally nothing worth mentioning. STORY Everyone had this thought once : "I wish I had a chance to change my life!". This movie plays on that, by showing the story of two young people (a boy and a girl) who somehow switch with one another and live the other's life. First confused, they then get a hold of the situation and even manage to communicate through written messages, thus organizing their weird life. Then, the story takes a dramatic turn when we learn that a comet is coming and may erase an entire town from the surface of the Earth (and as it happens, this is the village of one of the MCs). So, what's wrong with that? - First, I hate it when a story has two different plots but these aren't really linked with each other. Whenever the two stories can be taken separately, it means it failed to merge together. If you have to make several stories into one, make sure they converge in a coherent way. - Then, I know it's just a story and I may be overthinking it, but the story as it is told is just full of plot holes, which make it totally unbelievable. Long story short : THERE IS NO ANSWER TO ANY MYSTERY. Why are these two people switching places? What exactly is this comet? Why does any of this happen? Basically, everything happens because DESTINY. And that's all. Everything is bound to happen, so it happens, end of story. - Finally, worst of all : the love story is not believable at all. I mean, those two characters wind up falling in love, but they haven't even met! ART On that point, there isn't anything to blame. Well, I do have one thing to say : the animation wasn't as smooth as people pretend it is. It was globally clean, but there were several times where I found the motions quite unnatural. The same for the light effects : they were beautiful, but I didn't find them natural enough. SOUND I literally remember NOTHING, not even one track. CHARACTER As it is just a short movie, there is simply no time to introduce or develop the characters. As a result, we can't really blame the secondary characters for being one-dimensional and not interesting. What I do blame is the fact that even the MCs are average. They have literally no particular trait. This was probably intended, so I guess that is not really a problem. The real problem is : since they have nothing particular, why would this story happen to THEM specifically? There's gotta be a reason for destiny to choose them, right? ENJOYMENT I did enjoy the visuals, but aside from that, I retain literally nothing from Your Name. A lot of it is way too ordinary to be interesting, and the parts which are unusual are full of plot holes, as the main mysteries are answered only by the typical answer "sh*t up, it's destiny". That said, Your Name can be an emotional ride if you get in. I guess this is why it's so popular, and I (kinda) get it. I personally can't enjoy a story if it makes no sense.

Makoto Shinkai is a director that clearly loves the idea of "star-crossed lovers", "love at first sight" and the idea that once you fall in love, even as children, that you will be dedicated to that person forever even if circumstances change or the people in love change. In most of his previous films the characters fall in love instantly and we spend the rest of the film watching them pine over the other wishing that they could be together, even if decades have gone by without being in contact with each other. The clearest example of this is in 5cm Per Second where the protagonist simply cannot move on from a crush he had as a child on a close friend. Nevertheless, in The Garden of Words, there was a sense of growth in Shinkai as we get to actually see the main characters develop their relationship on screen. But, it still ends in the same way as the other Shinkai films with the protagonist pining for his lost love. I had hope that Shinkai would build on this growth with Your Name, to give even more depth and understanding of romance and love, however all this film gave me was disappointment. Before delving into this disappointment, I want to mention the outstanding animation, backgrounds and sound design in Your Name. This is perhaps the cleanest looking film I've seen thus far. It is easy to be absorbed into the world of Your Name due to how well the film is presented. I would argue that Your Name is even better than 5cm Per Second in terms of visuals. Now, while I could go on about the visuals, at the end of the day the purpose of these visuals is to tell a story, and here the story fails. On the surface, the initial plot to Your Name seems like it could work. The trailers covered the first half of the story, where the characters have to overcome their predicament of switching bodies every so often. Then comes the plot twist and from there, everything falls apart. SPOILERS FROM HERE Somehow, these characters are not only switching bodies, but they are also traveling through time. Yet, somehow they never realise they are traveling through time. This makes no sense at all. The characters would have picked up on this almost immediately through simply looking at their phones. But no, we're meant to believe that these characters are that stupid that they didn't realise what the date was every time they switched bodies. Both characters are then surprised when they try to find the other and notice the time difference. Mitsuha doesn't even question the idea that Taki is a few years younger in her timeline. This leads to the crisis where they need to change the past to save Mitsuha's town. The rest of the film dealing with the evacuation of the town is ridiculous. At the very least they could have had a scene where Mitsuha opens up to her friends about the whole time travel thing to make things feel a bit more grounded, but instead they jump straight in to blowing up the power plant. The main conversation that is meant to convince the mayor to evacuate the town is done off screen, so we don't even get to see how Mitsuha has grown as a character in standing up to her father. Nevertheless, this is not as poorly handled as the main story of the film; the romance between our protagonists. The biggest question I have for this film is this; at what point do these characters fall in love? During the first half of Your Name they are casually dealing with the body switching problem, then during the second half of the film they're in love. At no point do we get to see them doing anything that would lead to any romantic feelings developing. The only explanation we have is the usual for Shinkai; that they were destined to be in love even if they barely know each other. The worst part of this portrayal of romance is that when they finally get to have a discussion with each other, Taki just writes "I love you" on Mitsuha's hand instead of his god damn name so she can't even remember who he is. Then we're meant to assume that many years later, even after forgetting all the events that happened, that these two characters were waiting for each other to fall in love again. These people barely know each other, have almost no chemistry, and what they did learn about each other they forgot due to amnesia. It seems like Shinkai read Romeo and Juliet and assumed that's how a successful romantic relationship works and completely missed the point that its a tragedy about stupid teenagers making terrible decisions because they decided they are in love after barely knowing each other. It seems that Shinkai still has no idea how relationships work. Your Name falls in to the same category as the rest of his films where the main characters are in love forever and we're meant to feel sad when they long for each other for years/decades. This view is simply too naive to be taken seriously. I can't recommend this to anyone unless you view love like Shinkai does.

It is one of those typical cases of the internet, they are talking very well, it should be great, sure will be great, 2 hours later ... ??????? How so this is greatly overestimatedBeginning of the story very complicated you take to get the essence, only after a few tens of minutes watching you can distinguish between Mitsuha and Taki, the story would have a legal outcome, I thought they could overcome the barrier of time, but I was sure That it would not be like this, had high expectations, I was very distressed watching this movie, I must say because they take so long to meet, it's a movie you have few minutes or hours to give an end to the story, now have an end like The one in which the character meets her and ends at the apex of the "flag" I think it was slutty, well I can say I liked the movie, but not that I was satisfied can watch and enjoy the movie, I even recommend however if you have anxiety That would not be a good idea... I must also emphasize that this is my own opinion, now I must "take my hat" to the design of the characters, the art and also the soundtrack that are great Certainly worth it in aspects ... Well I did not get much benefit from having high expectations for people's feedback, but I think it was a bit overrated, but if you're looking for something to watch with romance and drama and a good choice, because I'm not much of a fan of romance, but History holds you, makes you accompany every moment in ecstasy and also agunstiar with waiting for the damn encounter! Story: Only a few tens of minutes for you to understand, and also know who is in the body of who Art: Just wonderful Sound: Voices of the actors have been well chosen, the soundtrack is contagious Character: They do not seem so natural, the co-stars can play a better role than the protagonist. It came to be somewhat forced such changes, without any explanation There were times when I asked where I was. *where I am?* Enjoyment: I watched with a friend who has little knowledge, I had to stop the movie at all times to try to explain what I understood of the scene, there were moments that I was lost. Also because I did not understand what was happening at the moment *SIGH* Overall:In my opinion just O V E R R A T E D

Since this movie is currently sitting at the number 1 spot for all time top rated anime on this website, I assumed a large portion of you had already seen this movie, so this review will contain spoilers. Now that I got that out of the way, let’s just jump right into it. Kimi no na wa is Makoto Shinkai’s latest movie, the story follows a guy named Taki and a girl named Mitsuha begins to switch bodies because, well, reasons. The first half of the movie is just your typical Slice of Life comedy that involves characters switching bodies. For the most part, it was harmless, until they tries to be something else in the second half. The huge plot twist of this movie is that apparently Taki is not just switching bodies with mitsuha, but he’s apparently went 3 years back in time before Itomori (the village that mitsuha’s living in) got destroyed by a comet. Now now now, where do I even begin with all of this nonsense. So, apparently Taki was time travelling back in time the whole time yet, he didn’t realize that he was actually sent back to 3 years before the present? Hello? Am I the only one who noticed how stupid it was? How could Taki didn’t notice that he was time travelling back in time despite the fact that he was using mitsuha’s phone to write a diary? Uhm, I’m sorry but as far as I know every fucking phone in this entire goddamn planet tells you the current date and time AT THE TOP ON ITS FUCKING SCREEN, HOW DOES TAKI AND MITSUHA DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE THE SIMPLEST THING SUCH AS THAT? Oh yeah I get it, because if they actually realized it right away the whole thing where Taki goes to meet mitsuha in person and found that she was actually dead long time ago wouldn’t be as dramatic as it would be if they didn’t realize it. Once again, anime is treating its viewers like some kind of retard, not so suprising eh? I don’t really mind about how they didn’t explain the whole body switching works. But to completely ignore logic just for the sake of being dramatic is beyond unforgivable. Well aside from the incoherent plot this movie excels at the presentation. Its really gorgeous and the colours are vivid. The show composition were great but that doesn’t hide the fact that the story was a complete mess. If I'd to rate this movie solely because of the Presentation alone, it would be 8 or higher, sadly, the plot is a huge turn off for me that not even pretty colours could change my opinion about the movie. As for the characters they’re completely forgettable and there’s nothing really stand out about them. The one thing that I don’t get is Taki and Mitsuha’s relationship. Just because you swapped bodies doesn’t mean that you have to fall in love with each other, their relationship has literally no chemistry whatsoever, even Taki and his coworker relationship makes more sense than him being with Mitsuha. There are more things to cover about this movie but I think this would be enough. In short, Kimi no na wa is far from what you can call a “Masterpiece”. But if you can ignore everything and just literally “turn your brain off” I can see why someone would like it. But as for me, I could not just overlook how stupid this movie is.

[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.

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.