Released: August 26, 2016 (Japan) April 7, 2017 (US; in select theaters) Directed by: Makoto Shinkai Produced by: CoMix Wave Films Hello and welcome to my first anime post! What better way to kick things off than reviewing one of the most acclaimed anime films since Spirited Away back in 2001? If you were unable to watch it and want to avoid spoilers, I suggest you do not click the "Read More" button and leave right now! . . . . . Okay seriously this is your last chance. Turn back if you don't want to get spoilers 〴⋋_⋌〵 Alrighty then! There is so much I want to talk about this film as it is REALLY good and definitely worth the hype, but first I have to talk about the synopsis of the film to refresh you guys on the plot. The film is about a high school girl (Mitsuha) who gets tired of living in her countryside town, Itomori, and wishes to become a handsome high school boy in Tokyo in her next life. The next day, a high school boy (Taki) wakes up in the morning inside Mitsuha's body. Consequently, Mitsuha is inside Taki's body and they both freak out about the circumstances they have gone under. The two sporadically switch between each other's bodies and give them small glimpses of their lives. When things get too out of the norm for either of them, they start leaving notes behind on their cell phones on what the other should and shouldn't do so they can return to their normal lives when they switch back. Later on, Mitsuha wants to meet Taki in person but is unable to because they live three years apart on their timelines! The rest of the movie tells the story of how both of them overcome this gap to fatefully save each other and meet. So now that we have that refresher, let's continue onto my thoughts on the movie. Storyline: Okay guys, I really can't express how much I fell in love with the story. All the twists and turns that keep coming up in the movie, all the mood changes, and all those feels. I loved every bit of it. Normally, anything that has to deal with different timelines and time travel can get messy real quick, but Kimi no Na Wa isn't one of those movies. The fact that you were under the assumption that Mitsuha and Taki just lived in different parts of the country until the middle of the movie is quite a feat in itself. The most amazing part though is what Shinkai did after the reveal that they were living at different points in time. Shinkai was able to take the stereotypical "travel back in time to change the future" plot and gave his own spin on it by showcasing the braids that Mitsuha and her grandma weave every year. All the different periods of time are intertwined on a singular timeline. At certain points, the braids intersect and touch each other which Shinkai tries to explain by telling us why we get deja vu events or those moments where you feel as if you've seen this place before even though you know you have never been here before. Even after all the craziness that happens with the comet and everything, Shinkai was still able to tie everything back in to the opening lines that Taki and Mitsuha cite at the beginning of the movie when they talk about the two dreaming and aren't really sure if they indeed switch bodies. My favorite part about the story is how the feelings they felt for each other never faded and continually yearn to find something or someone that they can't exactly pinpoint. One of my favorite quotes comes from Taki: "I’m always searching for something, for someone. This feeling has possessed me I think, from that day…" I'm sorry guys but I'm such a sap for romantic stories. The sense of how love can still remain even though they forget each other's names is a powerful message to me knowing that this emotion transcends above the physical world and even time. I cried tears of joy in the closing scene where Taki and Mitsuha are passing each other on the stairs and ask for each other's names. I'm even smiling just writing about it! Music: The OST for the movie was mainly created by the band called RADWIMPS (pictured above). The sound track for this movie is absolutely amazing and helps capture the mood and emotions the scenes are producing. These songs in itself are also good (I'm currently listening to them right now as I'm writing) and a good way to make you remember the feels that you felt during the scenes you heard them. I don't really have much to say about the music but that it perfectly ties all of your senses together and enhances the quality of scenes. Art: Makoto Shinkai is a director known to have movies to include many amazing scenery shots. Some of his other films he directed include The Garden of Words and 5 Centimeters per Second, both of which had beautiful sceneries. Kimi no Na Wa is no exception. All the scenes that include shots of the Tokyo cityscape, mountains, and especially the comet is simply outstanding. This movie will be easy on your eyes and you could literally pause at any point in the movie to just appreciate the art. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the character design and lighting
overly anime-fied (yes I made that word up). All in the all, there is only so much I can say about the art in this movie because it's something that is indescribable. It is something that I feel you should take in yourself to get a real sense of how the art draw you in to help capture the important messages of the story. Alrighty guys! Those were just some of my thoughts on the film. I highly suggest you watch this movie if you haven't already (or re-watch if you already have!) This film is definitely one of my favorite films of all time, and I will probably keep watching it over and over again when it comes out on Blu-ray. I hope you guys enjoyed my review on this film and give me some advice in the comments below if you didn't like certain parts. Keep on Otakuing my fellow otakus!
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Coffee senpaiJust an Otaku who also loves his coffee. Grab some coffee and watch anime with me ٩(θ‿θ)۶ Posts for this blog every Friday!
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