The Thought-Provoking Anime Masterpiece From A Legendary Director You Need To Watch Today
Your Name is an animated movie directed by Makoto Shinkai that focuses on the story of two teenagers, Taki Tachibana, played by Kamiki Ryunosuke (The Secret World of Arrietty), and Mitsuha Miyamizu, played by Kamishiraishi, Mone (Wolf Children), who get to know each other under magical circumstances when they begin to switch bodies. As the two find ways to meet up in person and discuss their lives more through notes on their phone, they realize things aren’t quite as simple as they thought.
Your Name Is A Modern Classic
Taki is a busy high school student who balances studies with a job in the hopes of one day becoming an architect. Meanwhile, Mitsuha is a girl in a small mountain town who’s tired of the old-fashioned behaviors in her community and wants to explore Tokyo.
When they swap bodies, they struggle to not only keep up with their daily lives but to grow and learn from one another as they form a close bond.
From The Director Of Weathering With You
You may not recognize the name Makoto Shinkai right away, but you know this work. He’s worked on a few other major movies, including Garden of Words, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and 5 Centimeters Per Second. His more recent work includes Weathering With You and Suzume.
Gorgeous Animation Paired With A Deep Story
Throughout his films, he’s become a famous director known for creating stories with breathtaking animation, attention to detail, and immersive storytelling. Most of his films focus on weaving together fantasy, science fiction, and romance for a story that pulls in audiences and fills them with emotion, and Your Name is no exception.
His attention to detail isn’t only in the plot and animation of his stories but how they’re told. Every line and scene is highlighted by a soundtrack that perfectly matches the moment, pushing the storytelling to another level.
Loved By Fans And Critics
Your Name is highly rated by viewers on MAL (MyAnimeList); it has an impressive score of 8.84. It’s also ranked #29 and has a popularity ranking of #11. On Rotten Tomatoes, the scores are even better, with a 98 percent critic review and an audience score of 94 percent.
Part of the reason why this anime did so well was because it managed to pull on the heartstrings. Something about the characters fighting against themselves and history makes it a powerful watch.
Body Swap Drama
This story starts amusing, as our two main characters swap bodies and have to quickly adjust to the other person’s life. However, the story starts growing more emotional and serious as the two try to reach out to each other more and meet up.
I found the ending to be quite amazing as well. I am a huge fan of more open-ended stories that leave the rest up to your imagination, and Your Name certainly did that. It suggested what could happen next without spelling it out for you.
While the story alone is good, Shinkai’s unique blend of animation style, stunning visuals, fitting soundtrack, and story make Your Name so good. If one of these elements had been missing or lacking in some way, the movie wouldn’t have stood out as much as it did.
Stream Now On Crunchyroll
REVIEW SCORE
Though the story has some plot holes, this is one of my favorite anime movies, and it gets a solid 5/5 from me. I would watch it again and again.
If you want to watch this beautiful and emotional anime for yourself, Your Name is available to stream on Crunchyroll. Some of his other movies, such as Suzume, are also on the platform if you want to check them out.
