Story 9
Art 10
Sound 10
Character 8
Enjoyment 10
Overall 10
I am writing this review a year after the film's premiere but I wanted to wait till the hype stopped and I could come to a conclusion. I honestly feel that this was not only Makoto Shinkai's best work but the culmination of every element of his story and art and character was on display in this film.
I remember watching this all by myself, with my sister and then with my friends and each time I wasn't bored with the film maybe because by the second watch, I wanted to look at the details and mysteries of the film
...
and each time I watched I found new stuff from easter eggs from other films like Garden of Words to new revelations like the meaning of twilight to the film.
Kimi no Na Wa explores the possibility of have you ever met a person who you had an air of familiarity or a memory that they were once a part of your life being a friend, a family member or a lover. It also takes a look at that longing feeling like someone or something is ever so close but it's just out of reach. Kimi no Na Wa is able to delve into romantic thinkings of finding the perfect someone and explaining why such stories may happen in the world but happen rarely.
The difference of this film unlike the other Shinkai films as this is a thrill ride that never stops as most of his films are really really slow at the beginning, the opening just blasts you with Yume Tarou and hints at what the movie will end like. This film is an amalgamation of genres with comedy, romance, drama, slice of life, time travel, mystery with a disaster movie thrown in it that raises the stakes. I believe Kimi no Na Wa is not a romance film even though the romance is a key element, it's more of an awakening for you to realize whether or not you have experienced what Taki and Mitsuha feel and that is the longing for someone to help and understand them.
A criticism that I hear is about the characters particularly Taki on his absence of character growth but I feel that the characters were made to be simple so as the story felt like you were experiencing it. Taki is a dude who is mostly normal as he is a student who works part time and his only concern is to have a good relationship with his crush. These characters with Mitsuha included didn't need to have the angst with the character as Shinkai purposefully made these things in order to make people feel like this may have happened in their life.
Another criticism is the revelation of the time and space hole which I would admit was not so fond of when I first watched this film but when I started re watching it, it made sense due to the context of twilight which is a symbol of reality and fantasy emerging and sometimes miracles happen that screw the natural laws. A western perspective of this is magical realism but for the people of Japan, it is more marvelous as you can say and Ethnic Realism.
Now let's go to the pros of the film, where the art and sound is the foundation and heart of the film. Shinkai really should just animate real life as this shows how beautiful the locations and settings are with Radwimps music that makes the film feel ethereal then you got yourself an amazing music video.
The best scenes in my opinion is the last three minutes of the film and where Taki and Mitsuha meet on top of the mountain as twilight happens. The reason for that is I believe this is where Shinkai started to go away from his usual elements and try to add something new with it while at the same time assuring the viewer that we are going to get hit with the same feels as all of his other previous works. Let me first talk about the twilight scene, Jesus I cried so much especially when the writing of I love you and forgot to place the name and then Taki wondering why he was there while Mitsuha was wondering who wrote the note on her hand while at the same time trying to save the town. This scene hits you with a range of emotions of sadness, anger, hopefulness, suspense and happiness. The next scene of the last three minutes is the culmination of everything the viewer has experienced and when they see each other again, you are hit with the hope that they remember and are running towards each other despite the far places they went because its love god damn it! Then when they meet and you see that they are unsure of what to do and that they are strangers, kills your heart man and when they walk away from each other in the steps legitimately made me and my friends toss the table because they didn't watch it. But when they turn towards each other for possibly the last time and see tears on both of their eyes and they ask if what they are feeling is the same on did they possibly know the other and ask for the name. I thought I couldn't shout 'Yes' any louder, the ending is an open ended as the viewer will now think on what happens in the next part of their story. I for one wished to see them hug or kiss and this film would have been the most perfect anime film for me.
Whether or not this is the perfect anime is up to debate but it is sure a masterpiece for giving people such as myself personal experiences that could not be explained with words alone and shown in this film. For that I thank Makoto Shinkai, I hope his next film will also be good and that this film should have at least been nominated for the Oscars instead of Red Turtle which only got there for being a Ghibli film and Kubo for being a western version of a boring tale. It actually should have won, that is all thank you and I hope you enjoyed this review.
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Oct 25, 2017
Kimi no Na wa.
(Anime)
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Story 9
Art 10 Sound 10 Character 8 Enjoyment 10 Overall 10 I am writing this review a year after the film's premiere but I wanted to wait till the hype stopped and I could come to a conclusion. I honestly feel that this was not only Makoto Shinkai's best work but the culmination of every element of his story and art and character was on display in this film. I remember watching this all by myself, with my sister and then with my friends and each time I wasn't bored with the film maybe because by the second watch, I wanted to look at the details and mysteries of the film ... 
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