Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Boy meets girl, but not in the way you’re used to. For there is so much that separates them. Yet, by edging fate toward a favorable outcome, there is hope that neither one will become a forgotten name in the other’s life.
Characters & Story
Mitsuha
A young girl from a small rural town who dreams of moving to Tokyo. She is a shrine maiden, daughter of a politician, and she finds herself connecting with a young man named Taki. Someone who she finds herself sharing intimate moments and details with, and she even tries to better his life in whatever ways she can.
Taki
A young man from the big city of Tokyo. He wishes to be an architect so he draws constantly and works hard to achieve his goals. Yet, one thing he didn’t plan for was Mitsuha. This dream girl comes into his life and as she changes him, he changes her. He helps her become more assertive and arguably he saves her from what could have been the worst moment of her life. Yet, he forgets her name.
Things To Note
I’m really holding back right now from spoilers.
Highlights
It Will Keep Your Focus, Frustrate You At Times, Make You Laugh, and Make You Cry
The main reason I’m a fan of animation has nothing to do with how pretty they sometimes look. It is because they tell stories which often can’t be done in live action. For whether it is budget concerns or a slew of other issues, you can’t sometimes tell a story as you want without animation. So with Your Name. I found myself watching two young people basically take over each other’s lives and while weird and awkward at first, as time grew on some things became comical as they forced one another out of their comfort zones. Making you wish more and more for them to be closer than the previous day, and maybe even fall in love.
Yet, like with any film even hinting at romance, there is a catastrophe, some major event keeping us from watching this enviable romance from coming true and oh this one is a doozie. Thus leading to your usual journey in which one goes through hell and high water to try to save the other from a situation which was kind of preventable. But this movie isn’t dealing with some fight or anything like that, but something much more harder to avoid.
Criticism
Missing a Few Tiny Details
This is me just being really anal but I did wonder what happened to Taki’s mom and what did Mitsuha want to do for a career? It isn’t necessarily important in the grand scheme of things, but I did find it weird that for the other person we got to know what happened.
Overall: Worth Seeing (Recommended)
I will not say this is the best-animated movie I have ever seen, I won’t say it is the one that has made me cry nor laugh the most, but it made me feel something. Something which only really a 1/3 of the movies, TV shows, anime, and etc really do at this point. For, after a while, it is hard to not only build a tolerance but also feel like this plot, this character, this twist, you saw it before. Yet there comes the rare moment that somebody, or some production, does things differently.
Sometimes it is a large and noticeable difference and other times it is just another of a twist to be similar to an after taste. What’s important about that difference is that it brings into question if everything you know still applies and with that comes excitement and a reason to hone your attention onto the screen. Something which Your Name. did for me for while there is this innate belief a happy ending is guaranteed, when movies, anime, or series do decide to walk off the beaten path, it is hard to tell where they may take you.
So let me leave you with this. Your Name is going to take you on a journey. One a bit familiar, mixing one or two familiar stories, but then it isn’t going to present a twist but more so twist you. It is going to grip your heart, squeeze and make you beg. For within those last ten or so minutes ride everything you hope for Taki and Mitsuha and as the tears well up you don’t know if ultimately you’ll be bawling due to tragedy or joy. Hence the Worth Seeing label paired with a recommendation.
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