Today’s quick review: Your Name. Fate intervenes in the lives of Mitsuha (Stephanie Sheh), a teenage girl from a small Japanese town, and Taki (Michael Sinterniklaas), a high school boy from Tokyo, when they start to wake up in each other’s bodies. The two soon strike up an odd friendship and even grow to depend on one another. But when the exchanges abruptly stop taking place, Taki must track down Mitsuha in person to find out what happened.
Your Name. is a Japanese animated fantasy romance about a pair of teenagers who inexplicably begin to swap bodies. Each one is given a taste of the other’s life, one day at a time, until the phenomenon ends as quickly as it began, leaving behind an even deeper mystery. Your Name. explores the relationship between Mitsuha and Taki, the twist of fate that brought them together, and the remarkable journey that it takes them on.
Your Name. is an eclectic film that stitches together a myriad of pieces into a cohesive whole. The story consists of several distinct arcs that vary greatly in terms of tone and focus, yet all contribute to the greater story that is being told. The obscure mechanics of Mitsuha and Taki’s connection make the plot hard to predict yet rewarding to follow, while the tone fluctuates between mind-bending, charming, heartbreaking, and wistful.
Your Name. is also a visually gorgeous movie. Detailed environments, crisp characters, and astonishingly smooth animation create a world that is lively, believable, and frequently breathtaking. The animation style is conventional for anime, but it’s executed at a high level and has a few flourishes that set it apart. In particular, the film is packed with visual themes that tie it together, including the recurring image of a comet passing near the Earth.
Your Name. is an excellent choice for fans of Japanese animation, fantasy romance, or artistic filmmaking in general. In spite of its odd premise and unpredictable plot, Your Name. manages to be a gorgeous, emotionally stirring movie that is well worth the watch. For gorgeous Japanese animation with more of a storybook feel, try the works of Studio Ghibli. For another abstract fantasy romance with a somewhat darker tone, try The Fountain.
8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for a moving story and excellent animation.