Hidden behind a not-very-expressive title and with poster art that suggests another tee fantasy, Your Name is a worthy follow-on to the ground-breaking Studio Ghibli animations. Starting with a gender-bending body-swap, Manako Shinkai‘s film has more to say than most. The two protagonists, Mitshua and Taki get the fun of interfering with each other’s lives, but the story opens out to encompass a natural disaster as a hunk of rock falls to earth and destroys a peaceful village. Your Name then becomes a time-shifting melodrama, as Taki attempts to avert the catastrophe. This is a ghost story, but also a rom-com, and also an action adventure, all in one package, adorned with stunningly imaginative animation and pop songs. It’s great for kids, but adults will understand and appreciate the gravity of the ideas, even if the presentation is sugar-sweet.
I just watched Shinkai’s ‘The Garden of Words’ this morning and really liked it. I generally do not like anime (gasp!), but Shinkai is one of the few exceptions. (And yes, I’ve seen a TON of anime. I also don’t care for French cinema, but I doubt anyone will go nuts when I say that… ) Anyway, I’m very excited to see ‘Your Name.’ I wish more of Shinkai’s work was easily available in the States.
I’ll check out Garden of Words, thanks for your comment!
Unfortunately I can’t see this anywhere here at the moment, but I am really looking forward to it. Have read and heard so many good things about it, that I can’t wait for this one. Great review 😀