Anime 32281 Kimi No Na Wa Reviews

Story: 7
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9

I watched this film at Anime Expo 2016 Los Angeles. I'll try to keep my review as spoiler-less as possible.

TL;DR:
... The film holds true to all the expectations of a Makoto Shinkai production, from heartfelt smiles to crying the 5th time within the last 30 minutes. His signature metaphorical use of trains, the idea of a hopeless and distant love, and beautiful scenery really dive you emotionally into the story, even for how generic and simple it may seem.

Story: 7
The story is fairly straightforward; It's very easy to guess where the story will head, but that doesn't mean to say I didn't enjoy it. It warrants a 7 simply because I felt a lack of emotional depth from the characters. This lacking depth makes me constantly question the characters' actions throughout the film, and because I am constantly searching for a motivation for their actions besides purely as plot devices, I am effectively removed from the immersion. However, this does not take away from my overall score which I shall highlight later.

Art: 10
As expected of a Makoto Shinkai film, the artwork is beautiful. The production quality is off the charts. The art in itself is enough to evoke tears, as it did for me during even the trailer. His choice of colors and use of movement and focus within the frame really help you pay attention to what you need to pay attention to, while also not skimping out and leaving out detail if your eyes do decide to stray, which I recommend you do while watching any Makoto Shinkai film for every blur, light flare, and particle floating along the screen really do add incredible amounts of emotion to the scene. My friends and I consider most Makoto Shinkai films as "5 Wallpapers per Second" and for good reason.

Sound: 9
Granted I watched this film in an auditorium with hundreds of people, I can't give an accurate score as of writing this review. I don't know who did the music for the film, but during the Q&A Panel held with Shinkai, he mentioned that he messaged one of his favorite bands that he was working on a film, and wanted them to do the music, to which they said yes.

EDIT 7/25/2016:
The music was done by the band RADWIMPS, a Japanese rock/alternative rock band. Some people have come to me asking whether or not this took away from the cinematic or emotional feel of the film, but in my opinion it helped in a way characterize the characters of Mitsuha and Taki. Rock music carries with it a sense of youth. Bringing that youthful feeling to the film's soundtrack helps to establish the sense of naivety to the characters and their interactions. It really helps establish the characters as teenagers who don't know or care about right from wrong, but rather would do what they feel in their heart is the right thing to do, which is exactly what motivates Mitsuha and Taki in their adventure.

Character: 7
I wouldn't say I have much of a complaint about main characters Taki and Mitsuha. We all can relate to the high school phase of our lives, it appeals to us because stories we read or watch in books or films set on characters that are going through this remind us of our own springtime of youth. Shinkai did a good job at portraying them and their relationships. My main gripe is that I feel they weren't explored enough to feel a strong sense of emotional attachment. Their lives, personalities, traits, habits, friends, lifestyles, etc are all explored in the first ~20 minutes, I personally felt that we only skimmed the surface of these characters and are forced to go further into the shallow end of a pool, only hoping that it gets deeper to actually swim around in this world of possibilities. I wanted to laugh, cry, and even relate more with the characters, but I felt that I only read about them in a story, or saw them in a film (which I did).

I wanted to feel they could have actually existed, but the film seems to be a bit too reliant on cliche tropes to incite certain emotions. The feeling I felt is similar to seeing characters smiling and laughing with each other, and having to individually accept that this is enough to establish their inner motivations, time spent together, individual goals, etc. I felt like it wasn't enough, and just had to accept that Taki and Mitsuha were the way they were. It felt sometimes that their actions were baseless and lacking a strong motivation to be deserving of the emotion the characters poured into their actions. As if acting on a limb to do something as insane as climbing a mountain alone. I will admit that this can be disputed, however, as they are still children/teenagers, and we all do weird things for no reason growing up.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10/9
As little as I felt I delved into the personalities of the characters, I did enjoy the film a lot. Shinkai's metaphorical use of trains just continuing to go along their routes that diverge in several ways really applies in this film, as much as it did in 5 Centimeters per Second. Everyone's lives diverge in different ways, things happen in dreams and are forgotten the next day, things happen in reality and are forgotten over a lifetime. I enjoyed Taki's and Mitsuha's struggles throughout the film to help each other, and as much as it made me well up tears in my eyes, I enjoyed his questioning of how much our memories make up who we are.

An absolutely stunning masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai.
Story: 10
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10

Edit: I watched this at the World Premier in Los Angeles on July 3rd. It was released in Japanese theaters on August 26th. It is set to be streamed online (for north america) via funimation, hopefully within the next month or so.

... The good:

Spectacular animation. There is one particular scene near the beginning which has a sort of "3D camera rotation" that looks so real that I thought it was rendered; but at the last second, the character turned their head, and I was able to tell that it had been entirely hand-drawn. There are scenes where basic physics are completely altered, yet they managed to make it 100% smooth, dragging me along through the character's experience.

Characters. Due to the movie format, most of the characters had very simple personalities. The depth of the characters was sacrificed for the overarching story, ultimately leading to the main characters having deeper personalities, with the side characters left behind. Don't be confused though. For the format, the character depth that they managed to convey was incredible. Small hints were blended into many scenes, discretely conveying the characters' backgrounds and personalities.

Sound. The depth of the musical score was incredible, though I will need to re-watch it with my usual headphones before committing fully. There was not a single sound that felt out of place. All the characters' voices suited their appearances, leading to a very immersive experience.

Story. The story is conceptually very simple, but a lot of depth is added as the story goes on. The show drives several important points, which can be very philosophical, without being too complicated for the average viewer to understand. Additionally, none of the story is sacrificed in order to drive these ideas, they are inseparably blended together.

Impact. During the show, I laughed, and I cried. Now don't get me wrong, that's a big deal. At the time of writing, only two other anime have made me cry. Also, I was at the premier, and thus out in public; I certainly wasn't the only one. Please don't approach this anime lightly. It's truly an experience that you can never forget.


The bad:

Timing. During the movie, there is a sequence where two characters get to know each other, which felt slightly rushed. It could have been better to have the full experience played out, or at least pieces of it, lengthening the movie as required.

World building. The depth of the story and characters took a toll on the world's completeness, leaving some unanswered questions. Most characters didn't have worldviews or ideas of right vs wrong, there simply wasn't time to develop them. Also, where the world came from, and what the ending implies for the world itself, is left unanswered.

-- I wrote this review immediately after leaving the premier. I will continue and edit it after I have had time to process the movie's depth.

Makoto Shinkai's latest work goes even further to support the theory that he's fantastic at directing a visually brilliant movie, but lacks the writing ability to tell a good story.

Plot:
An absolute mess. Without spoiling it, this movie fails to get into the main plot until roughly halfway through. Before that point, it views like a teenage slice of life; nothing to be disappointed by. After the halfway mark, the plot becomes incredibly contrived with no logic, reason, or thought put into its creation. There were at least 4 separate climaxes (which is inexcusable for any movie which is not Return of the King) and ... an overly drawn out epilogue sequence. The main climax happens off screen, which negates the entire build up to it, because Shinkai wanted to have a reveal with little weight. There are an unacceptable amount of plotholes, mostly due to the concept of Musubi. There's little coherence, and amateur directing/writing displayed frequently throughout. To differentiate this from his other movies, Shinkai infused supernatural elements with romance, which fails horribly at enhancing the movie and instead detracts very significantly. Even amongst the people who love this movie, there is a large percentage that find the plot messy.

Art/Animation:
It's Makoto Shinkai. If movies were judged by aesthetics alone, this would be one of the best ones. There are no issues with the art. Scene composition is mostly great, the animation was very high quality, and the art style was beautiful. While there are not as many wallpaper opportunities as in 5cm/s, the quality of them is significantly higher. Watch this in the highest possible quality you can find. Worth watching for the art alone. The animation is what you'd expect from a high budget movie, but it's not anything revolutionary. There are several scenes that move beautifully and feel like magic to look at. The animation quality isn't quite up to Ghibli standards but it is nothing to scoff at.

Sound:
Voice actors were quite good and played different roles effectively. The change in voice aesthetic was notable during the first half when they were body swapping. The soundtrack was unmemorable, but set the scene adequately, and it may help to broaden your horizons and expose you to new music. Sound FX and general background noise was well produced and sounded natural. The opening sequence song in particular stood out and is worth a listen, but I can't say that for most of the soundtrack.

Character:
The mains were adolescents, which meant there was a lot of adolescent stuff going on in the first half. The characters were interesting initially, though none stood out as incredibly well written and became less and less captivating as the movie went on. The main positive about the characters was that they mostly felt natural, save for when they were clearly not meant to. Side characters were certainly more natural than the mains, and contributed well to the atmosphere of the movie. They develop plot stupidity and have no depth or drive other than the forced romance, and plot amnesia is introduced for added gratuitous drama. There is no reason for the characters to become stupid, or amnesiacs, and it detracts from the believability of the characters and the plot.


Buy this on bluray because it looks stunning. Don't expect good characters, or a remotely good plot, but do expect to salivate at another of Shinkai's wallpaper opportunity movies. Worth the watch for the visuals. It's an awful movie that looks good.

Review of "Your Name."
Directed, Written, and Created by Makoto Shinkai

"Your Name." is, in a word, a journey. A journey into what will surely be the future of cinematography, as well as a journey on a grand emotional roller coaster.

Technically speaking, labeling this film a "masterpiece" is an insult by omission. Given that Shinkai is a master, anything he makes is obviously going to be a "masterpiece," but among silt there is gold, and among gold there may be diamonds. This movie is a diamond, easily the prettiest feature length film I've ever seen; more so than even fetishistic attempts to be just ... that such as Samsara.

Feats of the cinematography include impossibly vibrant and dynamic crowds, animation that is outstanding even among his other works-nay-ESPECIALLY among his other works, match cuts that would make Kubrick jealous, impeccable blocking, usage of the golden ratio in memory of Akira Kurosawa, domicile camera work reminiscent of Yasujiro Ozu (and Tokyo Story in particular), and ellipses reminiscent of the late Satoshi Kon. I'd also like to add that this film featured GENIUS uses of animation to do what I can only describe as Buster Keaton esque "impossible gags" and I am CERTAIN he must have spent many months studying the godfathers of cinema to have POSSIBLY seen the seeds for this type of genius cinematography.

Worthy of particular praise is the editing, and ESPECIALLY the sound design. Immediately, I was slammed by how immersive the atmosphere was. The music is so successfully integrated and the sound so visceral that you can't tell where your internal pace starts and where the score starts having its way with you. As the film progresses, the movie integrates full, soulful rock songs by the Radwimps (my favorite Jrock band, btw). Appearantly, Shinkai and the Radwimps worked together for more than 18 months as they constantly modified and worked on the audio of the film, as early back as letting the cuts and rythym of the storyboards dictate every aspect of the COMPLETELY ORIGINAL SCORE.

Make no mistake in correlating beauty and technical marvel with lack of emotional range, as this is Shinkais funniest film to date by A HUGE MARGIN, as well as the saddest, happiest, most dramatic, suspenseful, philosophical... this film is a superlative in every sense of the word.

Now, on the topic of the plot, it is not that I won't spoil the movie for you, it is that I genuinely cannot. Much like how Inception cannot truley be summarized, this film cannot truley be summarized. It contains complexity exceeding that which I thought truley impossible while maintaining any kind of narrative. And it not only maintains narrative, it DRAGS you nose first on the wildest emotional journey I've ever experienced. And it does so using an unprecedentedly real approach to subject matter too long fixtured to the perverse and otherwise absurd. I never thought the plot device he used was even capable of being used classily, but holy CRAP I was wrong.

The story is full of foreshadowing, "Iceburg effects", and such personal and visceral tradgedy the likes of which I've only seen described by Shakespeare.

The Wachowski's "Cloud Atlas" was a similar film to this one in a few regards (AND ONLY A FEW). Both have unprecedented scope, the likes of which are so human and so emotionally intimate that one would think the story doomed to the uncanny valley of unsympathetic characters. "Your Name." Succeeds where cloud atlas failed.

Layers of meta narrative and copious amounts of immersive shoehorning will glue you to your seat like an unblinking tear fountain.

Before the film, Shinkai said to the audience "I finished making this film 4 days ago" and I believe this absolutely. Not because the film felt rushed (because it didn't), but because I genuinely believe that there is nothing left he could have done to improve this movie in any way.

-10/10
-Five Stars
-Perfect Score
-40 minutes of my convention time compulsively writing this review
-The TOP of my reccomendation list

You get it all, Mr Shinkai. You earned it.

“Kimi no Na wa.” (Your Name) opens with a radiant comet traversing over the night sky, splitting apart into various meteors that illuminate and streak the heavens. Stars and celestial imagery often feature in Makoto Shinkai’s films, and the brilliance of the opening set piece could be dismissed as eye-candy. However, its significance is not fully understood until much later.

To speak of names, one does not invoke Makoto Shinkai in conjunction with the phrase “happy ending.” To say that he has made his fame off producing romance anime is only half the story, as his work’s exploration of themes such as distance and unrequited love ... often impart a wistful and bittersweet aftertaste. “Byousoku 5 Centimeter” (5 Centimeters per Second), his most famous title to date, is both loved and reviled for its directorial willingness to defy the sort of resolution that viewers have come to expect out of the romance genre.

While “Kimi no Na wa.” continues to incorporate motifs and concepts familiar to past Shinkai works, it reflects a maturation of his artistic vision to tell a tale of love and determination that transcends time, distance, and even apocalyptic odds.

The film centers on two characters, Mitsuha Miyamizu – a schoolgirl in rural Japan who dreams of going to the city, and Taki Tachibana, an aspiring architectural student in Tokyo. With the passing of a rare comet, the two start imagining out of body experiences in which their consciousness swaps with each other while they sleep and dream. This leads to no shortage of comedic moments, as the two characters take turns exploring and manipulating their alternate lives – and bodies. As the nature of their dreamlike, out of body experiences is revealed, the two resolve to meet each other. But in their attempt to do so, a dark truth of their relationship emerges, accelerating the story and replacing the comedic elements with a suspenseful quest to find each other and ultimately, race against time. “Kimi no Na wa.” weaves a complex, multilayered narrative that explores the struggle of human emotions against fate. You can feel Mitsuha and Taki’s determination, confusion, and desperation as they toil against temporal reality, a journey that leaves viewers equal parts thrilled and emotionally exhausted.

Makoto Shinkai reaffirms his place at the forefront of animation, as the film’s stunning backgrounds and fluid motion easily make this one of the most visually ambitious anime of the past year. Superb art direction and character designs with the assistance of Masayoshi Tanaka (AnoHana, Toradora, KokoSake) give the film a modern, colorful aesthetic.

Though some might be repelled or jaded by segments that feel like emotional manipulation – especially when considering Shinkai’s past filmography – “Kimi no Na wa.” succeeds in delivering an engrossing experience, complete with magnificent set pieces, laughs, and heart-wrenching, gripping drama. This film — the culmination of Shinkai’s skill in exploring the melancholy aspects of love and distance, is just as much a lesson on the value of finding happiness through unshakeable resolve, initiative, and overcoming doubt and hesitation.

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be an author. I’d write for days on end, using every ounce of my imagination, and then stored my works away in some secret drawer when I finished. Frightened to death of sneers and condescending laughter, I rarely shared my writings with anyone, only submitting them to a contest or two over the years. A couple of months ago, I heard that there was going to be a prestigious writer’s conference, known as Books Alive, in my town, where literary agents would search high and low for the next great author. Despite having a small amount ... of time to prepare, I pushed aside my fears and toiled furiously on a brief sample for a murder mystery that I was planning to write (you can read it at the end of my review). On the day of the conference, I approached one of the most famous agents there and, with a stutter and shaking hands, I presented my sample to the agent. She thoughtfully looked over what I had and, with as much grace as she could, turned me down. Before advising me to come back next year, she complimented my writing skills but said that I was too focused on establishing the setting rather than developing the characters in it.

That, my friends, is Your Name in a nutshell.

I thought that, after the disaster known as Erased, the good people of AnimeNew would be more selective in what they label “great”, more reluctant to flock to whatever’s the biggest and brightest. I, of course, was wrong. Your Name, in no time at all, skyrocketed to the first spot on MAL’s Top Anime, and this fact is depressing. Apparently, anything that happens to look fantastic, and has a combination of time travel and “feelz” is automatically adored by the masses. Looking from afar, I thought there has to be more to this film than what’s on the surface. There has to be a reason why Makoto Shinkai, the director of Your Name, is hailed as “the next Miyazaki”. This is why I decided to watch Your Name and the result?

Well…….

The first few minutes are a work of art, with the story shifting the perspective back and forth from one character to the other, and the gorgeous animation overwhelming your eyeballs. If there’s one thing that I’ll remember about Your Name, it’s that this film is scenery porn at its finest. The cinematography won’t exactly captivate you but practically every frame in this work is shot with an impeccable eye for detail, making sure the smallest pieces of the environment don’t go unnoticed. It is this specialty that shines in Your Name’s greatest scene, where the protagonist scurries into a cave, running form the cold, constant, and unforgiving rain (It’s simply a beautiful sequence to witness). When it comes to camerawork, Erased clearly soars beyond the likes of Your Name. However, in a contest to smother the audience with its looks, this film is unrivaled.

Of course, just because something looks great doesn’t qualify it as the Citizen Kane of anime unless it has something beneath the glitz and glamour. You need something substantial that can provide a foundation for your film, like a quality cast of characters, and Your Name just doesn’t have it. Now, before you start dubbing me a hater, just wait – wait! – a second. Below, I have three requirements that I think a show should meet in order to have a quality cast.

1. Does the personality of the protagonists change at all?
2. Do the protagonists stand out?
3. Does the supporting cast matter?

These requirements aren’t long-winded or multi-faceted, and yet there’s no way you can tell me that Your Name meets any of them.

1 and 2. Taki and Mitsuha are our walking clichés of the day. There is no difference in who they are from start to finish. There isn’t one trait about either one of them that would make you remember them at all. I will give you a million dollars if you can prove me wrong on this one.

(Before I type any further, I want to talk about amnesia for a sec. It’s been the quintessential plot convenience device since, like, forever; while some writers were able to use amnesia in a realistic and convincing fashion, it has often required a copious amount of suspension of disbelief to make it work but here it borders on ridiculousness. Let’s say I met someone I haven’t seen in a while. We talk and then that person walks away. You seriously can’t expect me to FORGET THAT PERSON’S NAME A MINUTE LATER, right? Moving on…..)

3. Ummm, let’s see, there’s that one guy with a crush on Mitsuha, that restaurant chick with the torn dress, and Mitsuha’s family: her dad, sister, and grandma. Not one of them is someone you’d regard as memorable or important, and I just can’t understand for the life of me how that’s forgivable (Well, the grandma does have a pretty solid knowledge of what’s occurring in the plot).

“Character flaws, huh? You might have a point ther- OH MY GAWD THOSE STARS ARE SO PWETTY!”

To be completely honest, I became really bored when the animation ceased to amaze. The romance isn’t funny or interesting in the slightest. The characters are dull and boring. The plot is horrendously slow and uninspiring. This is what I thought while about to fall asleep…… and then the plot twist happened. It slammed into me like a sack of bricks, instantly breathing life into something that was on the verge of becoming forgettable. For those of you that weren’t half-conscious while watching Your Name, you might’ve seen the twist coming. For me, however, as soon as I saw the words “three years ago” at the bottom of the screen, I thought that the film was about to justify the hype. Instead of putting their heads together to create a finale for the ages, Your Name’s writers collectively shrugged their shoulders and settled for the cop-out of cop-outs: true love conquers all.

**and now for the writing sample that I promised to show you in the first paragraph**

Drenched in the all-consuming blanket of rain, leaning over the bridge’s rust-speckled rail, Don exhaled the whispery dark gray smoke that hailed from his wiry thin Newport cigarette, his fifth of the day. Don gazed thoughtfully at his reflection that appeared on the surface of the town’s heavily-polluted river, a mixture of juniper green and the darkest brown from the steady flow of the chemical waste from the most environmentally ignorant factories. Bystanders rushed to and fro, this way and that, attempting to escape the oppressive downpour of the sky’s sadness. Not Don. With the utmost carefulness, he ever so slowly rotated away from peering into the river; with his back and elbows resting on the rail, he observed them in their futile war against the natural elements. Attempting an informal method of saluting their efforts, Don’s hand scoured through his thoroughly soaked pocket before clenching an ancient but capable lighter. The hand glided out of Don’s pocket with the lighter in its clutches before illuminating the previously extinguished butt of the Newport that slouched limply on the private eye’s mouth. As the fire burned bright, Don was ready to inhale the remaining contents of the already-used cigarette when a particularly vicious gust of the chilly midmorning wind snuffed out the Newport’s flame. With an empathetic shrug of the shoulders, Don allowed the Newport to float gracefully from his lips onto the ground, where he boredly drilled the heel of his penny loafer into the cigarette and stirred from his position on the rail. “Stop trying to show off your writing skills already and let me get my work done,” grumbled Don. As bystanders panicked, running to and fro, this way and that, attempting to retreat from their war with nature into a secure building to rest, Don effortlessly strode slouching, his hands jammed in his dampened pockets, through the crowd. Then, the private eye was gone.

*Before you go, allow me to give you a few final words on Your Name*

It wasn’t the top-tier animation that made Hayao Miyazaki a household name. It was the combination of childhood nostalgia and an innocent sense of adventure in his films that elevated his success. It was the ability to include an array of social statements and dark elements to movies made for children without coming across as pretentious. More than anything else, it’s the feeling that you witnessed something special that established Miyazaki as a legend. Someday, I’ll be 90 years old, peeing on myself and losing my memory, but I’ll still recall the impact Miyazaki’s films had on me. Obviously, Your Name doesn’t contain that appeal. As soon as the anime community realizes this, they’ll move on from this film and idolize yet another time travel rom-com/tragedy with great animation and glaring flaws. It won’t be next week or next month but it will definitely be soon. When the time comes, there will be others like me, who scratch their heads in confusion and ask, “Wait, we’re doing this again?”

One of these days, AnimeNew will get it right.

Plot:
The story starts fair enough. Our main character suffers from "Disney princess syndrome"; she's not satisfied with the surroundings she was born in and wants to see the world, that is so much bigger than what she knows. Luckily for her, magical realism is a thing in her world as well. Out of nowhere she gets the chance to live out her dreams by switching bodies with a boy from Tokyo every now and then. The boy, turns out to be the other main character. This sounds like the basic story, in which our lead learns, that "every place is beautiful, but home is still ... best" or that everybody has troubles in their life, no matter where they come from. The set up definetly has some potential, since the main characters parallel each other in an interesting way and they're pretty well characterized.
But that doesn't turn out to be the case with "Your Name". The writer was far more ambitious than to just recycle the classic body switch plot. About halfway the movie switches into a pretty convoluted romance story, that just doesn't work, because the whole second half is built around wanting to give the audience the "feels". Don't get me wrong, I like a good romance or a good tragedy as much as anyone else, but if it all feels as contrived and transparent as in this movie's case, I won't be able to jump on the feel train.
The climax was a pretty interesting idea, but was pretty inconsistently build up, where things worked out way too conveniently to be believable.

Characters:
I've already addressed it in the previous section, that I found the characterization of the characters pretty good. With the exception of the self-absorbed and ambitious father almost all felt pretty lively. Unfortunately characters can at time's be only as good as the plot allows them to be. This shows especially with the side characters, who at times just conveniently join into the plot, even if it doesn't make much sense. Same goes for our leads, they're pretty fun at first, but as soon as the plot starts becoming contrived and convoluted, I no longer found them as likeable.

Art:
The art and animation were pretty good, but it was pretty standard in terms of style.

Sound:
Just like the plot the sound was also heavy into making you feel stuff and to be fair it did resonate with me somewhat. Interestingly there were alot of pop songs instead of the more typical choice of instrumentals.

Plot: 50% (4/10)
Characters: 30% (6/10)
Art: 10% (8/10)
Soundtrack: 10% (8/10)

Score: 5/10

Makoto Shinkai never fails to frustrate me. His works have tremendous potential, yet they all inevitably end up as shallow exercises in romantic drama that are pretty to look at and not much else. With the release of Kimi no Na wa. I was very skeptical if any of that had changed. It released to the top of multiple anime lists seemingly over night and I figured it would be 5 Centimeters Per Second 2.0, but maybe, just maybe, Shinkai would break away from his old patterns and surprise me.

Spoilers, he didn't.

Kimi no Na Wa. tells the story of a girl ... and boy who mysteriously switch bodies and have to learn how to deal with being each other… or not.

If anyone is expecting Kimi no Na wa. to stray away from Shinkai’s typical formula they will be sorely disappointed. All of his usual angst ridden longing relationship drama is on display here, including copious amounts of scenery porn, sad piano music, dramatic running scenes, and even love murdering trains. I suppose this also means that anyone who likes his other works will probably enjoy this one as well for the exact reason that it isn't very different. For everyone else however, Kimi no Na Wa. is painfully predictable and lacking.

My favorite part about Kimi no Na wa. is the body swapping concept which creates some fun and humorous situations. The story is at its best during the scenes that show how the main characters handle situations while having their bodies swapped which leads to some awkward, funny, and genuinely charming moments. Unfortunately we don't get much of this after the beginning of the movie and what is the best part of the story goes underutilized in favor of Shinkai’s typical routine.

As much as l like the whole body swapping concept I feel it is poorly explained as are the mystical elements of the story. It literally comes down to some kind of magical spit wine, shooting stars, time traveling yarn, and/or some family bloodline thing, all of which are equally obtuse. Generally I hate time travel in any story, it just makes things needlessly convoluted and silly. Kimi no Na wa. is no different but I guess it’s not as ridiculous as the Terminator series. Overall I find that simpler explanations (or any at all) for the mystical elements would have benefited the story.

Pacing is also an issue in Kimi no Na wa.. Though it is less noticeable here than it is in other Shinkai works it is still apparent especially towards the end of the movie. There is a dramatic running sequence which feels like an eternity followed by an awkward time skip and more running before finally reaching the credits. A bit of streamlining and polish could have greatly improved the entire ending.

One positive difference in Kimi no Na wa. is that the main characters are a lot more interesting compared to Shinkai’s other works with the small but meaningful glimpses we are given into their lives. That said there are some weird decisions that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The female protagonist, Mitsuha, has an issue with her father and being bullied and both are resolved in an unsatisfying manner. The bullying seems to be taken care of by the male protagonist, Taki, kicking over a desk while in her body thus scaring the bullies off? I suppose this isn't too big of a deal since the bullying was not a huge part of her story but that just makes the decision to even introduce it to begin with an odd one. The issue with the dad is another thing entirely though, as this is built up throughout the story only to be solved by Mitsuha being more affirmative in a confrontation towards the end of the movie that takes place almost entirely off screen which is as disappointing as it sounds.

The side characters seemed like they could be interesting but we don’t get much of them. Taki’s boss Miki gets some screen time but this is mostly just to build the romance with him and Mitsuha more than anything. Even the date scene ends kind of abruptly with Miki saying that he seems more interested in somebody else and just leaving. This however is enough for her to accompany him and his other friend on some journey to find a dead girl.

It goes without saying that every Shinkai work is visually spectacular and Kimi no Na wa. is no different. Though I can't say I find the scenery porn as appealing as his other works it's just as impressive as the rest. Music is mostly soft atmospheric pieces and though nothing really stands out it works fine. All in all everything is very pretty and I can't complain.

Unfortunately Kimi no Na wa. is just an average film in a long line of average films with Shinkai’s name attached. There’s nothing new or special, other than Shinkai's foot fetish being traded in for a spit drinking fetish. He still is a one trick pony when it comes to storytelling which is a shame because Children Who Chase Lost Voices shows that he is capable of something that is at least a little bit different. Maybe one day Shinkai will surprise and impress me (probably not) but as of now he just lacks the tact and subtly of better directors. I guess he can always do commission work drawing feet if times get rough though.

I know what you're thinking... you're angry that I gave your favorite movie a score that wasn't a 10 but before you go to my profile and write an angry comment saying I have a shit taste in anime please read what I have to say then feel free to say whatever you want. This is my first review on MAL so please bare with me for a few minutes as im not really that good at making things seem professional.

When I was going into Kimi No Na Wa I was thinking that it was going to be the second coming of christ, (considering it ... portrayed that way) but oh god I was wrong. And instead of coming out of the movie instead of being emotionally touched, I was actually infuriated that I had wasted my time with this piece of garbage.

Story - 2/10
All I can really say is that they tried.. they tried really hard to make this a compelling, touching, & emotional story, but the way its presented makes nearly everything about this movie fall flat on its face. The story Kimi No Na Wa is nowhere near unique, but that isn't really the problem that I have with it. It's more of how they poorly executed the story actually was, let alone the entire movie. The story of Kimi No Na Wa is a gender bender romance between 2 horrifically bland characters on how they switch bodies and how they learn to communicate with each other and live the life of someone of the opposite gender. When the story is supposed to be a roller coaster of emotions when it actually feels completely rushed and almost nothing about it even seems remotely real. They could have done a lot more and I see what they were trying to do with this film, but this further supports the theory that Makoto Shinkai completely lacks the ability to write anything compelling.

Art - 8/10
I mean good animation is always a plus, to be completely honest they had really good production. Almost everything about the art style was pretty in some way but that doesn't really change the fact that good animation cant save a poorly executed story. To be completely honest the animation is the only reason to watch this movie and nothing else. But if you're only really looking for something that has an amazing animation you'll probably be better if you found something else as it isn't hard to find things that are prettier than this.

Sound - 6/10
Not much to really say here as it doesn't really sound all that amazing or all that bad either. Nothing really stood out to me as that amazing for the sound production. The music was pretty cool I guess? But honestly, I can't really remember anything that was absolutely groundbreaking.

Characters - 2/10
Oh boy, and the Characters where do I even start. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is even remotely interesting or unique about the characters in Kimi No Na Wa. I get that its a movie and they don't have as much time to develop the characters than in a normal length anime but Jesus Christ like at least try and make them unique. Both of the main characters are your average cookie cutter male and female anime protagonists. There is NOTHING about either of these characters that stand out. They don't have funny or even interesting personalities. It honestly amazes me how anyone can relate or even feel anything towards these characters.

My Personal Enjoyment - 1/10
I've never actually been angry after finishing something of any sort. If its bad then I kinda just tend to brush it off, forget about it and move on, but as I said earlier I was actually infuriated because of this sorry excuse an emotional romance film. I tried really hard to like this movie trust me I tried really fucking hard to enjoy it, but I honestly just couldn't do it. Almost everything about this movie seemed poorly written and rushed which led to an awful experience. And if I wasn't watching it with a friend I honestly would have stopped halfway through. And honestly, I should have instead of wasting my time when I could have been doing something else.

Overall - 2/10
I don't really know what else to say the real only redeeming factor was that the animation was good and literally nothing else stood out. it was a poorly written, bland story with even more bland characters. It honestly baffles me on how anyone can think this is anywhere near a masterpiece. I wouldn't even recommend this to anyone who wants even a little bit of good storytelling. Maybe to people that want something pretty so they can turn off their brain and be distracted for 2 hours.

I only really made this review mainly because I have a really strong opinion on this movie as a whole and thought I had to get it out there. Like I said earlier though this is my first review so it would be nice if I could get some feedback on what I could improve on next time. Thank you for taking your time to read my review.

Makoto Shinkai is a name that, to many, equates with “feels.” Whether it’s Voices from a Distant Star, the Children Who Chase Lost Voices, or the classic 5 Centimeters per Second, Shinkai’s films carry the guarantee of beautiful animation and emotional depth rarely seen in anime. Kimi no Na Wa, “Your Name,” is no exception to the trend. If anything, Your Name is the end product of years of experimentation with storytelling and filmmaking – the story that Shinkai has always wanted, and tried, to tell, finally made real, and done so in a satisfying, entertaining, and heart-wrenching way.

Your Name is the story of two ... people: Mitsuha Miyamizu, a shrine maiden in the rural Japanese countryside, and Taki Tachibana, a stock standard highschool student in Tokyo. Their irregular body-swapping isn’t the sort that leaves much of a solid mark – their memories of swaps are hazy, and they can’t exactly take notes with them, and more importantly they’ve never even met. Yet here, one of the first themes Shinkai communicates comes forward – the echoes left by a person’s life, by their actions and in the people around them, is just as good as meeting the person themselves. Mitsuha and Taki both get to learn about each other not only during their body swaps, but in seeing the aftereffects of each others’ antics while swapped, be it Taki’s boldness in her body or Mitsuha’s setting up Taki’s love life in his. Love, as told by Shinkai, is more than just affection for a person – it’s in the things we do for others and what they do for us.

The core theme of Your Name is “musubi” – a word that describes coming together and growing apart, starting a journey and reaching its conclusion, and the ebb and flow of time and fate. It is a word that, perhaps, summarizes the whole of Makoto Shinkai’s stories on the topic of love and fate – it describes the insatiable urge to find the one you’re destined to be with, as explored in Voices from a Distant Star, and likewise the unavoidable flow of time that pulls people apart and leads to new beginnings, as in 5 Centimeters per Second. The topic of musubi dominates the story of Your Name, in a manner that makes the movie both coherent in its own plot and insightful in its approach to the standard “red string of fate” story.

It is difficult to put into words exactly why Your Name resonates on the threads it does (pun intended), but it has to do with the raw elegance with which the theme of musubi is presented. It encompasses both the sappy and giddy optimism of true love winning out, and the melancholy acceptance of time moving on. It perfectly describes the “why” to the red string of fate, and why that symbol holds so much power in the mind.

Of course, it goes without saying that the fundamentals of Your Name – the animation, the voice acting, and the like – are of the top quality. The name that Shinkai has made for himself and his works in regards to raw quality is strong for a reason – Your Name does not disappoint visually, or audibly. Of particular note is the ear-orgasming soundtrack, provided by RADWIMPS, who provided both the trailer music as well as several in-film songs. Rather than simply searching for music that matched his artistic vision retroactively, Makoto Shinkai sought out RADWIMPS’ inclusion in the film from the get-go, and the result of integrating them so early into the creative process is evident every time the film’s soundtrack gets going. If nothing else, Your Name is a movie that can be watched for the music.

Your Name is, if anything, a classic Makoto Shinkai work. It is beautiful, both in visuals and in story. It tugs at the heartstrings, appealing to things that every viewer can identify with, either out of personal experience or out of desire to experience. But more than anything else, it leaves the audience satisfied, throughout its runtime and in its conclusion, with a story well told. Your Name handily takes its place as not just my favorite Shinkai film, but my favorite film entirely.

The low-rating reviewers need to round this up for you guys. Kimi no Na wa is a poorly written piece of work that struggle to understand its own themes.

STORY
3 main flaws to be pointed out. 1) lack of direction. It's an issue before knowing what it wants to be, because it doesn't know it's supposed to be anything. Sit me down and make me take notes through a rewatch and I'd still have no idea what this film is about. Probably the intent is some contrived story about star-crossed lovers, an elaborate or posh love boundary, but you can apply "a love story, a mythological ... story, a the-universe-is-bigger-than-us story, a coming of youth story, a complex society story" at any point of the film and still stand to be accurate. Which is fine per se, except there's no clear lead in any one of these themes.

Doesn't know how to use its strengths even, because so much could be done with the supernatural direction of the story which I won't reveal because spoilers. Director Makoto clearly missed out on a chance to emphasize the supernatural aspect of Kimi no Na wa because he doesn't enhance it any way.

Light spoilers ahead. Till now I question what is the purpose of sticking senpai and bespectacled friend to Taki on his road trip?

2) suspension of disbelief. Doesn't even know the name of her town after switching so many times, fine, are you telling me Taki couldn't Google the name of Mitsuha's high school to find out where her town is? That's one. A leap of faith and forced acceptance that they're suddenly star-crossed lovers. When... exactly did they fall in love? Off-screen? Sure I can imagine the in-betweens but it's not exactly satisfying and it's very rushed because I'm supposed to be focusing on Taki and his next actions. That's another.

3) mismatched themes. This is difficult to talk about without heavy spoilers but just know that a common tale consistently brought up by grandma has nothing in relation with the main theme of their series: which is your name. This name theme, this main theme, doesn't tie in well with any one thing in the film and I question, what does names have to do with this film really? It is never explained in any mythological aspect and if you expect us to accept it for a reason as simple as "a name ties in to a person's existence" I think this film has been carting down the wrong lane with all the other supernatural themes it's been pulling.

The first and second half of the film can appear to be like separate stories, which isn't bad in itself because it did serve to surprise me pleasantly, but serving on their own you'll realize they're both very lackluster be it the first half with its coming of age melodrama or the second half with its lofty and grandiose star crossed lovers plot. May I add that the second half spiral furiously out of control with its plot reasoning? There's just... no reason behind any happening. It happens for the sake of... an awful plot that doesn't know what it is?

Ah maybe another flaw, horrendous flow of story. When they set up a typical star crossed lovers meeting moment it is when a disaster is about to occur and frankly not even half of my attention is on them or remotely interested about their "love" when chemistry wasn't even built properly in the first place.

Ending was unsatisfactory because it was so... bland. It baffles me how you can make a film with as unfocused a story and direction as this.

ART
I watched this in horrendous low-quality render but I think its key visuals are pretty stunning in true anime film style.

SOUND
Don’t get me started on Kamiki (Taki’s seiyuu)… and Mitsuha’s seiyuu. I’m a fan of Kamiki in his actor life and he’s always been an enthusiastic and vibrant guy. Shows in his voice acting, doesn’t it? It’s charming and unique enough for me to want him to voice more characters!

OST wise it’s typical fare. I wasn’t smitten but they certainly weren’t hard to the ears.

CHARACTER
Sides shine more than mains really, with one-liners such as "I thought he was cute," in reference to the protag acting weird or "Nothing really. I’m just gonna stay and continue living in this town,” when asked about future plans. Taki is an average, boyish, slightly thoughtful, conscientious city boy but I struggle to find anything that defines him beyond that. Kimi no Na wa never tried to explore their protag. If you tamed Mitsuha’s drama some, she could have made a decent heroine too.

Would have liked Taki to be more invested in the countryside life, or build a budding connection with grandma, etc. Honestly there are too many things Kimi no Na wa could have done, but never once did! All in favor of some trite, flamboyant story it never had the potential to draw out. I don’t think that was ever its forte, because the best moments in this film were seemingly inconsequential one-liners to me.

Light spoilers. Grandma though… I feel bad for her. She too had the potential to shine but, as Taki and Mitsuha were, was forced into a mold to move the story along. If she was there discovering Mitsuha wasn’t who she was it could have made for a nice conversational scene between grandma and Taki but all she really did is to impart, casually, the same may or may not have happened to me but the film isn’t wanting you to focus on her, but the fact that this runs in the Miyamizu family.

To sum it up the characters are half-baked. Neither here nor there. You see some glimpses of potential but they never truly get to expand on them. Kimi no Na wa’s characters are simply not memorable enough for me to want to type for them forever.

CONCLUSION
Needless to say I didn’t enjoy this all that much. It’s a very disappointing film be it in its story or character through and through. Visuals are beautiful ofc, but I wonder if that's all you need to pull you through a show? I wouldn't be inclined to waste my time like that.

STORY: 2
ART: 7
SOUND: 6
CHARAC: 4
ENJOYMENT: 3
OVERALL: 4

I honestly hope this rounds out all the 10's people have been giving to this film. This is nowhere near beating some of the excellent shows the anime industry has had to offer.

Yielded by some as a new generation Miyazaki equivalent, Makoto Shinkai has become an increasingly popular name within the anime industry. Shinkai's most well-known work, 5 Centimeters Per Second, has long since swooned the hearts of many, crafting a public fascination with his talent and immense potential for animated film. Kimi no Na wa (Your Name), without a doubt, captures the same feeling and style that is associated with Makoto Shinkai's past works, however also seems a bit more experimental and unconventional in comparison. Shinkai took a gamble at trying something new with Kimi no Na wa and, by all means, it certainly paid off.

One ... of the most notable differences between Kimi no Na wa and Shinkai's previous films is the abundance of humor and a feeling of lightheartedness that one would expect to find in a seasonal airing slice of life. For a Shinkai film, which are notorious for being somewhat depressing, Kimi no Na was something of a pleasant surprise. There were many references to Shinkai's other works, most notably 5 Centimeters Per Second and The Garden of Words, which also offered a sense of excitement (if caught). The film plays out similarly to a quirky, fun slice of life until it begins to reach the movie's main conflict. While the first half of the movie, roughly, had a light, fun air to it, it transitions fairly abruptly to the more serious plot. As a slight directing mistake, it is similar to transitioning from a warm smile to a somber frown and one of the few blemishes that afflict the film.

Kimi no Na wa focuses heavily on the two main characters and the developing bond they have shared due to supernatural circumstances. Ultimately, the overarching story isn't anything complex or immensely special. It is a romantically focused movie and, as such, puts romance in front of everything else. Though the romance itself was nice, the resolution of the main conflict is both perplexing and contrived. Thankfully this and the previously mentioned halfway transition do not hinder one's enjoyment of the film. However, in terms of writing and overall story, Shinkai could still use some work. If nothing else, Kimi no Na Wa is a reflection of Shinkai's willingness to step outside of his comfort zone to improve his craft. Despite a few hiccups here, I believe he will have great things in store for us within his future projects.

Mitsuha and Taki are the two main characters of Kimi no Na wa, and most of the film revolves around their contrasting lives. Mitsuha lives in the countryside, while Taki lives in the grand city of Tokyo. Through supernatural circumstances, they form a bond with each other and have their fill of comedic, fun shenanigans. While both characters are enjoyable to watch, not much depth really goes into either of them. In fact, not much depth really goes into any of the characters of the film period. While it works with how the movie is constructed, it leaves characters feeling rather shallow. Aside from Mitsuha, we don't know all too much about Taki, or any of the other supporting cast, and it's a bit disappointing. Kimi no Na wa could have possibly remedied this simply by being longer, but adding to the already lengthy exposition could have questionable results.

In terms of art, sound, and animation, there really is nothing negative to say. Shinkai is very well-known for producing visually astounding films, with people occasionally joking that 5 Centimeters Per Second is essentially 5 wallpapers per second. Kimi no Na wa is no different. It is a very gorgeous film from start to finish. From the characters to the scenery, the film is stellar, with Makoto Shinkai pulling no punches. Sound-wise, the film is also very good. Soundtrack selection is very fitting, and nothing feels out of place.

Overall, Kimi no Na wa was a very good film, though not nearly as perfect as many people, who have also seen the premiere, are claiming it to be. There are a few issues that hold the film back, but it is easily still worth two hours of anyone's time. With Makoto Shinkai creating quality works such as Your Name, it has, and will, become increasingly difficult to forget his.

Kimi no Na wa

Story: 9
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 9-9.5

Story: Going into this without knowing anything about the movie; not even the trailer, I was kind of confused from the first 10-20 minutes until it became clear what was going on with their bodies. Both the MC’s come from different backgrounds, girl from a village/ small town and boy from the big city of Tokyo. Without spoiling the movie entirely, the film takes a huge turn somewhere around the middle where it becomes more than just an animated Freaky Friday.
Art: Even while watching this on medium-low quality I was amazed by how immersive ... the art-style is. The amount of great overhead shots of the busy city of Tokyo to the large crater-esque shrine was gorgeous sight to behold. There is one scene in particular, with the comet, that completely made me forget that I was watching something animated and not a laser light show in a planetarium.

Sound: There are several songs from this movie that are a must-have for me. Normally I don’t compliment an animated movie for its music but Kimi no Na wa did a smashing job. I found the montage/ recap style music to be great and helped summarize what was going on and in addition to that the editing to the music was phenomenal to go along with what was going on in the screen.

Character: I won’t include character design in art because the atmosphere and world-building in its own deserved a 10/10. Now for character design I will say that some of the characters look a bit generic and halfway through I thought to myself Taki kind of looks like the MC from Konosubarashi. Out of everything in this film I will say that the characters are the weakest point but their traits, friends and personalities make them relatable and appeal to viewers. For the better half of the movie, the MC’s are mostly doing regular student or after-school part time worker activates that most anime watchers have seen in other shows.

Enjoyment: As someone who is not big on the school/ drama genres, I was a bit hesitant to give this movie a shot. However, the school tag is not so relevant and aside from the main characters being in school/ around it; it has no huge implications to the story. As for drama, the family ties each character had, to their respective families, played a huge part in getting the viewer invested. I found myself feeling both happy and sad whenever a character was being pelted with bad news/ going through tough times. I also enjoyed all the small chit-chat and conversations Mitsuha had with her sister or grandmother.

Overall I found the film to blow-away any expectations I had from the first few minutes of viewing. It will make you laugh/ giggle, cry, feel happy, cry, then sad, cry some more.

Should you watch it?
Do you enjoy sad romance movies?
Do you enjoy movies about time/ space?
Look for relatable characters in movies?
Is art style and sound something you look for in a move?
Looking for a movie you can’t explain to friends without having them see it with you?
Enjoy crying?
If any of these were yes/ maybe, then please take a seat, get some popcorn, tissues and maybe some friends to enjoy it with. This is certainly a film you don’t just watch once.
Despite coming out recently, as I write this review, I’d consider it my favorite if not top contender for favorite anime movie.

Remembering names can be difficult.

*Review contains spoilers*

Kimi no Na wa is the new movie from acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai who’s behind 5 Centimeters per second, Hoshi no Koe and The Place Promised in Our Early Days.

His new movie tells a story about a high school student Taki and a high school student Mitsuha suddenly swapping bodies but forgetting what they did during their swap after it ends, so they begin to communicate via diaries and messages left behind by the other person.

The story of Kimi no Na Wa is simple. There are some themes but they are light. The movie however suffers from several plot holes and ... plot conveniences. They do not destroy the overall enjoyment of the movie since to me, it was never about some hard smart writing and complex ideas. It was about this interesting scenario of body swapping and how can you add different twists to it while still remaining true to your style of storytelling and visual art.

The characters are unfortunately not that interesting. What I however can praise is that both male and female main characters show strong sides of themselves when they swap. Mitsuha succeeds with her delicate and femine acting where Taki was not successful. Meanwhile Taki with his direct aggressive approach solves the situation where Mitsuha would potentially fail. The movie doesn’t simply go into “well Mitsuha is a girl so she’ll act cute while Taki is a boy so he’ll simply do boyish stuff which will lead into comedic moments” which makes me greatful for actually more realistic approach of this potential situation. Protagonists show their strong sides while as well showing their weaknesses. In a sense they complete each other

It’s not even worth to write about animation and music. We all know its top tier. We all know people love it.

So overall, is it good? Yes it is! It’s not 10/10 zomfg best movie of all time, but it’s a great fun movie. I enjoyed it a lot for what it is. I am going to do the unthinkable and throw logic behind my head. This one is not about that. It’s about atmosphere and feeling. Are there plot holes and weird coincidences? Yes. Does it matter this time? Not to me.

Story: 8
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 8

TL DR review: Solid all around romance movie. Not Shinkai's best but comes a close second. A Must watch.

Section wise review:
... Story:
Its a Shinkai film, meaning there will be a love story with a twist. 5cm/second had themes of love and effect distance can have over it. Garden of words had love between a student and his teacher while in Place promised, childhood friends took different paths as time progressed but were drawn back by a promise made during their early years.

Here we have a love story which starts off with body swapping but eventually becomes across different time periods. Its told in a sort of a non-linear way. The closest film I can think of with a similar plot is the Sandra Bullock starring Premonition.

Art:
It's a Shinkai film. That really should be certificate enough. The scenes are dripping with detail. Shinkai has a knack of taking everyday, normal stuff and making them seem magical. A simple train ride can be made to appear to be out of a fantasy setting and here it is no different. There is a section in the story called "Kuchikamizake Trip" which is hauntingly beautiful. Like "making of cyborg"/parade scene in GITS/Innocence or the classroom destruction scene from Aku no hana, the scene stays with you long after you have seen the film.

Sound:
The music was an eye-opener. Music in other Shinkai's works hadnt really impressed me and I always thought of it as a weak link. No more, the songs here are truly breathtaking. Some of these songs, I will add to my playlist. My fav songs are Kuchikamizake Trip and Kataware Doki.

Character:
Here is where I feel the movie could have slightly been improved. Bear in mind that these are mostly nitpicks on my side. I feel Mitsuha got a better character arc than Taki. Taki was just some guy in Tokyo who had a crush on his sempai from work. His family status, his friends and other details about him were generally left open for interpretation. Mitsuha got a good character arc but towards the ending the entire confrontation with her father curiosly occurred off-screen. We were just told that Mitsuha's father finally believed her and got the villagers to safety. Kind of a cop-out IMO. It wasnt organic.

Enjoyment:
Nothing to complain here. Strangely I even liked the usually jarring j-pop songs Shinkai uses in his films.

Overall:
It doesnt approach the greatness of subtle storytelling that 5cm/second employed but in terms of Shinkai's works, it is a very, very close second.

Alright to start this review off, I'm going to be overly critical. This movie has been over-hyped to hell. That said, this is by no means a bad movie. In fact this movie is absolutely incredible, just not the Otaku-culture ending, divine master work that everyone seems to be making it out to be. So I'm going to break things down for you while avoiding as many spoilers as possible.

Story (8): The story was pretty good. It followed a pretty unique genre that isn't given much attention to in mainstream media. The pacing was quite good throughout the entire movie. However, to those of ... you looking for a more impact inducing thriller type experience i suggest you look elsewhere as this movie is bound to bore you. This movie is filled with drawn out scenes designed to help you feel the atmosphere of the film and focuses less on huge ground-breaking events.

I don't count this as a spoiler, as i'm sure you're already aware of this, but this movie is a romance. My main issue with this story is this: The romance seems to bloom out of nowhere, with almost no indication of it occurring. Because of this, the story gives a very forced romance cliche feeling. Because of this it was very difficult to empathize with the characters and their emotions throughout the film.

Art (10): The art of this anime is absolutely insane. Every aspect about it is breath-taking. From backgrounds to character design the art is flawless. The art shows off the tranquility of the country side and the hectic lifestyle of the busy city perfectly. The animation runs like silk, coupled with brilliant and realistic character design.

Sound (9): The voice acting is wonderful. The sound effects throughout this movie is perfect. As the movie progresses, you encounter multiple songs coupled by montages that grace the movie perfectly. Some of the most brilliant moments in this movie are coupled along side the emotion filled songs.

Character (10): Every character is designed realistically and perfectly. This movie happily moves away from the "useless otaku" character genre the has permeated anime so deeply. It does this by giving the main character actual skill and a bright future. Throughout the movie, no character is left without development. You even begin to grow attached to minor characters as the movie progresses.

Enjoyment (9): I enjoyed this movie thoroughly, i would easily consider this my second favorite anime movie to date. I look forward, to when this movie arrives on the shelves as i will be happily purchasing it.

Overall, I give this movie a 9.16. Almost everything about this movie was expertly done. From the art to the character development there are very little issues to be found. Again, the biggest issue i feel this movie suffers from is the over-hype surrounding it. The only other issue is the forced romance feeling this movie gives off. While the movie is well paced, despite its drawn-out atmospheric scenes, the movie still feels that it speeds by any chance to show any actual feelings beginning to grow between the main characters. Quickly jumping from "I just met you" to "I love you" gives the only unrealistic feeling in this whole film.

All of that said, I highly suggest you watch this great film.

[Spoiler Warning]

Kimi no Na wa is Makoto Shinkai's latest work that has been well-received so far to the point of being over-hyped. While I don't see this as a masterpiece, it has a lot of strong points and at the same time has weak points as well. First off, the premise is not that original yet it still tries to grab the viewer's interest. I like how the body-switching gimmick is handled with a sense of realism in it. For example, an individual's natural curiosity towards the opposite sex and also how the voice actors of the protagonists handle the role of a person trapped ... inside a body of an opposite sex very well. As the story progress the two protagonists know that they must set ways to deal with the problematic situation such as leaving notes before they switch back to normal which I find quite creative. Accompanied with the Shinkai standard visuals and soundtrack, the overall atmosphere of the movie is lighthearted.

On the weaker side of things, the movie takes a blow by the introduction of time-travel elements in the second half of the story. The lighthearted atmosphere gradually grow intensely into an emotional rollercoaster. I like plots that tend to be intense and emotional but the way the movie transitions the atmosphere is kinda off-putting. As the movie absorbs you into its change of atmosphere, there is a noticeable inconsistency in pacing. It's probably because the time-travel makes it sort of convoluting. The flow of time and memory begins to distort. There are plot points that, while emotionally packed, are hard to take seriously. It takes a while for the suspension of disbelief to sink in at the idea of switching not only with bodies but also with timelines.

Now why the score of 8 out of 10 when I've been addressing quite the heavy complaint? While the second half starts to crumble the strong start the movie has, I still enjoy and love the movie overall. The ending is satisfactory that, despite having traces of forcefulness to it, is a good change of storytelling in comparison to his previous works such as 5 Centimeters Per Second where there is no definite resolution like a happy ending. I do think that the movie deserves credit for trying to do more with its story despite being partly a failure and a success. Unlike Shinkai's previous films that tend to be overwhelmingly melancholic and distant, Kimi no Na wa assimilates the feeling of a passionate youth which I really like and find beautiful. I like the contrast of the two settings albeit I hoped for a better world-building. I kind of blame myself for having a soft spot for these kinds of coming-of-age stories. The production is great from the gorgeous visuals to the heartwarming soundtrack. I believe that Shinkai can still put out better projects given that his story writing ability has more consistency and substance to it. Whatever the consensus is, this movie will definitely leave an impact to the curious viewer.

I, like countless others, have been hearing a fairly constant stream of praise and hype for Makoto Shinkai's supposed be-all-end-all of anime. I was never a huge Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fan, but seeing a movie about teenage romance (at least, so far as I was aware at the time) surpass it handily for the #1 spot on MAL was still a bit of a shock. After that, it was record and awards out the gates for months without so much as a glimmer of the actual product.

Now, finally, I've had the chance to watch it. I went into it obviously expecting it to not be ... the be-all-end-all of anime, half because I find the concept ridiculous and half because anything that appeals so well to such a wide audience is unlikely to strike a very specific chord with me in particular. It's just hard to be universal and personal at the same time, and that's just dandy. Kimi no Na wa is a blockbuster and a family movie first and foremost, which is a tricky enough task in and of itself. Getting an emotional reaction out of millions of people is no easy task! So, here I am, both to try to halt the hype train a little bit and to give the movie the recognition that it very much does deserve.

Let's start with the hard truth. This isn't the greatest anime, movie, or anime movie ever made. The hype surrounding this work is borderline poisonous, and anyone who actually believes it is bound to be disappointed. Even from a technical standpoint, it isn't perfect. I appreciated the pacing of its individual scenes, but it could've afforded to add up to 20 minutes of content to the first half to better establish the status quo and a few of the characters. Almost all of the animation is creative and immersive, with spinning shots and dynamic scenes, but because of this the few deadpan scrolls present felt woefully out of place, like they belonged to a Pokemon showdown. The main characters are fundamentally likable but not especially complex, and most of the side characters feel like they exist primarily to support the movie's thematic objectives. This movie might change your life, but it definitely isn't going to change everyone's life and it isn't going to go down in the halls of film history as a masterpiece. I know many people who haven't seen it probably already suspect as much, but here's confirmation: Kimi no Na wa is remarkable, but it isn't mind-blowing. The anime community has a tendency to overreact. It happens.

There, that's out of the way. Let's move on to the positive part.

Kimi no Na wa is, I believe, an extremely important film in this day and age. In a world where the only internationally and even domestically respected anime comes from Studio Ghibli, a studio who's iconic creator Hayao Myazaki is in his twilight years no matter how many times he comes out of retirement, having a new, widely-successful film made by a new studio and a new director is fantastic. Sure, those of us deep in the rabbit hole have seen the wonderful works of Masaaki Yuasa or Satoshi Kon, but none of those ever made big enough waves worldwide to cement their creators as household names. Beyond this though, all of the aforementioned directors work(ed) in ways that oftentimes seem to differentiate themselves from what many anime viewers would consider "anime". Outside of a love for fantasy and sci-fi, few of the tropes and traits that in many ways help to define anime as a genre are found in Myazaki's films, much less Yuasa or Kon. Which brings us to my central point, and what I believe to be Kimi no Na wa's greatest triumph:

Kimi no Na wa is anime.

It's the anime you know and love (or hate with a burning passion). It's got the tropes, the character types, the insert songs, the OP, the fantasy elements, the tried-and-true rom-com elements and sex jokes and blushing and high school and little sisters and tender emotional moments. It has all the usual, but it presents them in a way that is tasteful and cohesive and well-executed, taking so much of the stuff you'd find in your 20-a-season grab-bag of anime goodies and turning it into something that you can actually sit down to watch with your family. As I briefly mentioned already, Shinkai has a sense of pacing and comedic timing that most anime either lack or sacrifice for the sake of filling an episode, and it shows. Purely on a scene-to-scene basis the movie is enjoyable to watch, because it's fast and snappy and it never points at its own jokes. Kimi no Na wa also has all the bizarre-ness of an anime storyline. What starts out as a pretty simple Freaky Friday premise evolves into something much grander and unexpected. I've always strongly believed that a great way to keep a movie engaging is for it to have two parts: the premise, or what gives the audience something to hold onto, and the turn, a half-way shift that draws a new conflict out of the original set-up and puts what's already happened into perspective. For example Howl's Moving Castle begins with Sophie getting transformed into an old lady and embarking on a journey to reverse her curse, but as the movie goes on the focus turns to the horrific war that Sophie learns is destroying her country. Kimi no Na wa does an impeccable job at implementing this technique--just when I was beginning to fall into a rhythm and started subconsciously solving the rest of the events of the movie, it pulled on a new face and kept me on my toes until the very end. It's a film that, despite its Hollywood structure and execution, isn't afraid to get its nose out of the books when it comes to the actual content. It's not just what the story is, either: the presentation is delightful, jumping forward when it chooses and filling in the details of events later for impact, a tactic that is so very anime.

Shinkai's directing also does something important: we've all heard that the movie is drop-dead gorgeous, and it is, but even more important than that Shinkai demonstrates why this specific story should be an anime, and not live action. His repeated emphasis on closing doors, for example, is impactful due to the extreme exaggeration of the perspective. And his use of thought bubbles above character's heads, as if in a cartoon, is a choice afforded him only because of the medium. Shinkai also maximizes his use of human expressions, something that live footage cannot replicate due to the limitations of the human face. Because we often envision ourselves hyperbolically, watching characters make faces or strike poses that are legitimately impossible actually makes sense to us. Even the music is discernibly anime; a tag-team of touching instrumentals and empowering rock songs complement all the movie's significant moments, pulling on that fundamental hunger for fantastic animation set to catchy music that drives so many anime fans. And, as I mentioned earlier, there's even an OP, a la Rebellion style. Who doesn't love a good OP? There's nothing like vague plot-hints sowed together into a colorful two-minute music video to get me excited about what I'm about to watch, and I mean that with complete sincerity. And, if you weren't convinced by all of this, the movie even has the audacity to open with a boob gag. I haven't seen a move that bold since Bakemonogatari. Fortunately it actually managed to fit right into what the story was doing and not feel remotely voyeuristic, but the fact of the matter stands: only pure, unfiltered anime would open with a girl freaking out over her chest.

So why is it so important that Kimi no Na wa is anime? Well, regardless of its actual merits, I firmly believe that this movie marks a new era for the medium. Shinkai has shown that pure, well-crafted anime can turn heads internationally, and people across the world are seeing that perhaps anime has more to offer than just Disney-dubbed Myazaki movies. I see the film as a sort of bridge, a piece of work that enamors anime fans and average people alike without sacrificing any of the things that make anime what it is. I think it's also helping to remind a lot of people why they got into anime in the first place. In an era where people keep insisting that anime is dying, seeing the fundamentals executed so well in a brand-new way has to mean something. We may not get another End of Evangelion or Ghost in the Shell for a little while, but for me at least getting to watch two hours of the medium I fell in love with prove that it can produce something that is thoroughly and completely competent and enjoyable made me quite glad, and considering Shinkai's dismissal of his own work I find myself excited to see what he'll create next. An artist who's never content with that they create can go great places.

So yeah, at the end of it all, I'd say it's well-worth the watch. The movie is a spectacle, and you're unlikely to find yourself bored even if you don't find yourself particularly emotionally impacted (like myself.) I predict it will have a significant impact on the future of anime, I give it a hearty recommendation, and I hope that because of this review at least a few more people will go into with enough sensibility to fully enjoy it.

By no means is this a bad anime, however it is far from worthy of the number one spot on MAL. The story is well-written and one of the most well-structured anime I have seen in a while, however the story itself is quite lacking in that it doesn't show enough character development. The concepts that the director have instilled in the characters are very pronounced and admirable, however it is belief that others see this as true character development. Even at the end of this show, it felt that the characters themselves were rushed and were easily predictable, making them quite cheesy (though that ... seems to not be something the director focused on). All in all, it IS a movie; this does not, however, mean that it is better than anime series just because it can compact many ideas.

Although the main concept of alternating lives is an intriguing one I haven't come across before, it does not make up for the rest of the story, which lacks in depth. It is good to watch as a simple, well-constructed movie, but it does not have all the characteristics required for the most astonishing and creative anime.

Verdict sentence: Over-hype.

Seeing this movie so high, at the top ratings, made me incredibly curious about it, and I watched it with the highest expectations possible.
So, overall, I can tell that I enjoyed it, and that it was as fun as it was emotional... HOWEVER, Kimi no Na wa, has its flaws:

Let's start by briefly explaining what the plot is:
SPOILERS AHEAD
A boy and a girl, suddenly ( and I doubt it's ever explained why ), start switching bodies, each time they go to sleep. They also wake up with amnesia-like symptoms, not remembering what each other's names are. So, they start using ... diaries to contact each others when they switch, and living with this mysterious phenomenon.
However, once they stop switching for a good while, the boy finds out that the girl died in a natural disaster ( in this case, a comet crashed onto her village, killing pretty much everyone ), three years prior to this supernatural phenomenon. The boy then, finds a way to switch bodies with her once again, and tries to change the past by warning everyone about the incoming catastrophe. Unfortunately, he fails, and the girl dies once again.
The ending is quite odd. Both the protagonists find each others in their adulthood, and there the movie ends.

So, I honestly can enjoy seeing the interesting experience of two individuals switching bodies, especially when they are both of different gender and live in completely different settings... However, I was not happy about how they simply went along with it, didn't question it, or simply have not figured out that they lived in different timelines. In this regard, I feel like the movie skips very important parts of storytelling, and stretches itself out in useless scenes that do not advance the story at all. The beginning itself is very confusing, and slow.

The animation and effects are beautiful, but when it's about a movie and not an anime series with several episodes, there has to be more than godly animation to impress me. The sound was pretty good, but doesn't quite fit as I wish it would have.

The main characters, just as the plot, concern themselves too much on romance, and almost never on drama, despite the situation and the circumstances would require them to. And also by the fact that these two haven't even actually spoke to one another. Their personalities are also very difficult to pinpoint. You may say that the side characters are actually written, or interpreted better.

The ending made no sense, and it's unexplained as well, plus it is also a cliffhanger.

Honestly, I can say that I enjoyed this movie a lot, but the ratings are absolutely overrating it. This is NOWHERE near the best between every anime series and movies! WAKE UP, PEOPLE!

Anyway, despite its flaws, it was a really fun and kinda unique movie to watch.
A good 7/10. I would give it an 8 if at least a few things would have been handled in a better way.