KIMI NO NA WA - YOUR NAME

KIMI NO NA WA (YOUR NAME)
DIRECTOR: MAKATO SHINKAI
GENRE: FANTASY, ROMANCE           

“I feel like I’m always searching for something, someone.” Haven’t we all felt the same at some point or other in our lives? A sense of displacement from our daily lives, and a search for something that would anchor us to a more commonly perceived sense of normalcy?

Every now and then, there comes a transcendent piece of cinema, a film that not only surpasses expectations, but also makes the entire idea of having expectations appear as ludicrous as one attempting to understand the secrets of galaxies located millions of light-years away; that not only captures the zeitgeist but coats it in a benevolent luster that is enough to exorcise the demons of the age and enhance the legacy of the era; that unites audiences and critics alike into a cacophony of rapture. Kimi no Na Wa, translated in English as Your Name, is one such film.

"Dusk: the time of the day when all the dimensions collided, the time when those who are alive and not alive are in the same dimension"

The movie starts with two teen characters getting their body swapped. The beginning is a bit confusing for the audience as it is for the protagonists themselves. But then as the movie progresses, we understand what happened and why it happened the way it happened, making it even more beautiful. It is a captivating work of art that gets off to kind of a rocky start but achieves remarkable momentum towards an emotional, powerful ending. Mitsuha and Taki would likely never have interacted in the real world, but gradually they start to become supportive of each other, and essential to each other’s happiness. The idea that someone you’ve never met and would never otherwise interact with has the same needs, joys, and fears as you is something worth remembering. 

"Our timelines weren't in step. If time can really be turned back, give me one last chance"

To say that “Your Name” is visually striking would be a giant understatement. Shinkai and his team have both an eye for detail and a poetic vision. The settings of “Your Name” somehow feel both lived-in and magical at the same time. Whether it’s the train system in Tokyo, its gorgeous skyscrapers touching the sky, a never-ending horizon in Itomori, or even just a series of streets on a mountainside, Your Name is one of those animated films in which one could pick any still frame and hang it on their walls. And yet the gorgeous visuals of the film never stifle the storytelling; they’re intertwined with one another. Shinkai alternates between detailed visions of Tokyo that feel like they were constructed from real location photos and fantastical images of places that don’t exist in the real world, and never skews that balance too far to either side. The Director gives us such beautiful visuals that he manages to convince the audience to visit those places mentioned in the film and to soak in their beauty and relive every moment from the movie. “Your Name” seems to often be saying: city or country, it’s a beautiful world out there and we only need to find our place in it. 

My favorite scene (who am I kidding here, there are so many of my favorites, arghh, but let's just assume) is when finally Taki and Mitsuha meet, after running and falling and shouting each other's name and racing with time. For that one moment, the void between them vanishes and they can literally see and touch each other. As dusk nears its end, Taki suggests Mitsuha to write the other's name on each other's palm so they won't forget it once they get back to their own body. Taki does write on Mitsuha's palm. When Mitsuha is halfway done writing her name, dusk ends and she's gone. There. This very scene haunts me: the scene where the marker falls and the music stops abruptly, Taki standing in the crater, alone, Mitsuha's gone, a single scratch on his palm is what he is left with. Being the hopeless romantic I am, I did cry my heart out in this scene. 

All the stories about a red thread tied on your pinky, linked to your still-unknown mate's pinky, that could transcend time and space. It's strange yet somehow calming. Knowing that maybe, just maybe, it is true that your soul is made in pairs, and that exact pair is waiting for you, looking for you just like you're looking for him. That your body reacts to him too without you knowing, just like when Mitsuha cries the first time they meet again in Tokyo five years later, despite not remembering who Taki is, not knowing why the sight of him moves her to tears. The feeling of Hiraeth, searching for something you don't know what, is beautifully portrayed in the movie, especially when Taki starts to seek out Mitsuha. Heart-wrenching to keep it simple.

"There's no way we could meet. But one thing is certain. If we see each other, we'll know."

This film is visually stunning in more ways than one, as can be seen in the animation of the Kuchikamizake (sake formed from chewing and then fermenting the rice) ritual performed at the shrine by Mitsuha and her younger sister Yotsuha. Mitsuha's grandmother explains to the sisters, and the audience, the poetic tradition of the threads, how they signify the flow and connectivity of time, and why traditions are important to be preserved and passed down the generations. 

What makes the film even more beautiful is its sound track. Nandemonaiya, Dream Lantern and the other songs perfectly capture the romantic, melancholy tone of the film. The songs passed the language barrier and perfectly resonated with my heart.

Your Name is a wistfully lovely Japanese tale about fate and time, love and beauty. It is not only a story of a simple switcheroo but of traditions, dreams, disasters, impermanence and destinies. The sad, out-of-body experience the audience gets remains well after the movie ends, etching a deep impact on the viewers' mind and heart. 

Dedicated.