High school student Taki, from Tokyo, and Mitsuha, from the country, find themselves body swapping at random times when they sleep. After a time of uncertainty and embarrassment, a greater mystery arises.
High school romances are a bit young for my tastes, so I hope director Makoto Shinkai aims for something a bit more adult in the future as he is clearly the next bit thing in anime. Your Name surpassed Spirited Away’s box office record in Japan, and while it isn’t up to Miyazaki’s best works, the potential is there. Outside of Miyazaki’s features, I can’t think of a better looking anime. Nor one with superior voice acting.
It starts as a teenage comedy, with accent on the comedy. There’s the predictable jokes about breasts and each student causing the other problems as they do the wrong things for their location and gender. But a third of the way that stops and the material matures. While not exactly heavy, the comedy fades to be replaced by supernaturally-based romance. I was surprised at how emotional I found it as it delved into unfulfilled needs and longings. Shinto provides the supernatural ingredient but the desire for something more and different, as well as romance is the real magic. The film also takes on an action component as Taki and Mitsuha fight to stop a tragedy.
There’s a few logic problems that needled me through most of the film. This kind of plot would only work in a setting with little communication and less access to information. Shouldn’t Taki and Mitsuha have tried to call each other the first time they swapped? Or texted? Or looked up everything about each other? But instead they leave notes and stay in ignorance about each other’s surroundings.
The prolonged ending drags as we know what the characters don’t. But the flaws are not enough to drag down what is otherwise a beautiful film.
This is a hard film to review as I don’t want to give away too much, as practically every other review does. If you are lucky enough to have avoided comments, I suggest you see it now as the slightest bit of research will give away far too much.