Last year, an anime film known as Your Name became Japan’s number 1 movie of the year 2016. This slice of life genre film was created by Makoto Shinkai. Shinkai is well known for the film Voices of a Distant Star; which he mostly crafted himself in a very impressive form. Shinkai illustrates strong expression and worldly views in his work in order to make a breathtaking experience that one can relate to their own life.
Your Name is about how the lives of two complete strangers are brought together by the power of a strange twist of fate that resulted in strong empathy towards one another. Mitsuha and Taki’s, two high school students, soul magically switches bodies overnight. This strange, out-of-body experience continues to randomly occur throughout the movie.
The characters are forced to adapt and adjust to their new experiences; which eventually led to constant communication between the two high schoolers. The constant interaction and exchange of information nurtured a longing to meet one another as time passed. However, the obstacle that gets in the way of their newly developed goal is distance. And so, the quest to strengthen the bond between these two individuals begins.
This film took the phrase; put yourself in another person’s shoes, to a whole new level. The beauty of Your Name resides in the message it sends to the viewer. Learning to understand another person through action and experience leads to empathy; which creates an emotional connection between people that will be everlasting. The film is currently available at select theaters now; so check out the trailer and video clip below to learn more.
