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Makoto Shinkai
Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi Your Name. Amuse 8/26/2016 1 hr. 46 min. PG Fantasy/Romance
Target Age
Ages 12-17 Target Gender Male and Female |
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Plot Synopsis
Two teenagers, one a boy one a girl, each living across different parts of Japan, are fed up with their aimless ways of living toward nothing. Then something causes a very sudden switch: he is in her body, and she is in his. Then the next day, they switch back. But the day after that, their back inside one another, and the process repeats. They have no idea what caused it, but utilize lists of do’s and don’ts for the other to follow, so that they don’t return to their lives with a disastrous outcome. But soon, the boy decides he has to go and find this girl, meet her in person. But it just so happens that the reunion may never be possible, and the whole reason for this switch may be done to save her hometown. Now if only he could just remember her name...
Two teenagers, one a boy one a girl, each living across different parts of Japan, are fed up with their aimless ways of living toward nothing. Then something causes a very sudden switch: he is in her body, and she is in his. Then the next day, they switch back. But the day after that, their back inside one another, and the process repeats. They have no idea what caused it, but utilize lists of do’s and don’ts for the other to follow, so that they don’t return to their lives with a disastrous outcome. But soon, the boy decides he has to go and find this girl, meet her in person. But it just so happens that the reunion may never be possible, and the whole reason for this switch may be done to save her hometown. Now if only he could just remember her name...
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Best Qualities
Gender Equality Film Editing Depiction of Teen Living Direction of Screen |
Worst Quality
Portrayal of their Deity |
Overall Message
Love across great distances could unfold the flow of time.
Subject Matter
How teenagers define time.
Target Audience
Teens and young adults, male and female.
Love across great distances could unfold the flow of time.
Subject Matter
How teenagers define time.
Target Audience
Teens and young adults, male and female.
Producer 35/50
Message Morality
Mostly moral as it rightly tells the importance of protecting others and doing what’s best for them. There’s just some confusion as to the role their deities play in their morality.
5/10
Race Representation
No offensive stereotypes, but every character here is Japanese, nothing mentioned of anyplace outside of Japan. The religious undertones of the god they worship is also underused, it should have played a greater part.
1/5
Class Representation
Connections are built between small towns and the big city, including how their governing forces contrast. Yet these high governing authorities are depicted as a bit arrogant and limiting.
4/5
Accuracy of Subject Matter
The teenage characters talk quite a bit about their fears of the future, and it’s all done at the psychological level in a way that is resonated in our reality.
9/10
Relevance of Subject Matter
Smart phones are used for the two teens to communicate and list do’s and don’ts for the other when they switch bodies. There isn’t much else that resonates with this time and age for the US or Japan, but the whole subject of teen fears is timeless. As an added note, this story could be interpreted by some as an allegory to a teenage boy coming to an epiphany about his true sexuality, ergo, he feels he’s actually a woman. At least that’s what I got out of it.
3/5
Audience Acceptability
Perfect for teens and young adults, but don’t let the PG rating fool you: the usage of sexual body parts are too mature for most kids.
8/10
Gender Representation
Fair equal treatment to both male and female characters.
5/5
Mostly moral as it rightly tells the importance of protecting others and doing what’s best for them. There’s just some confusion as to the role their deities play in their morality.
5/10
Race Representation
No offensive stereotypes, but every character here is Japanese, nothing mentioned of anyplace outside of Japan. The religious undertones of the god they worship is also underused, it should have played a greater part.
1/5
Class Representation
Connections are built between small towns and the big city, including how their governing forces contrast. Yet these high governing authorities are depicted as a bit arrogant and limiting.
4/5
Accuracy of Subject Matter
The teenage characters talk quite a bit about their fears of the future, and it’s all done at the psychological level in a way that is resonated in our reality.
9/10
Relevance of Subject Matter
Smart phones are used for the two teens to communicate and list do’s and don’ts for the other when they switch bodies. There isn’t much else that resonates with this time and age for the US or Japan, but the whole subject of teen fears is timeless. As an added note, this story could be interpreted by some as an allegory to a teenage boy coming to an epiphany about his true sexuality, ergo, he feels he’s actually a woman. At least that’s what I got out of it.
3/5
Audience Acceptability
Perfect for teens and young adults, but don’t let the PG rating fool you: the usage of sexual body parts are too mature for most kids.
8/10
Gender Representation
Fair equal treatment to both male and female characters.
5/5
Director 34/40
Emotional Impact
Intense level of high and low points in the relationship between the main couple, it’s just a smidgen too uplifting without enough realistic edge. Be prepared to cry.
12/15
World Building
Very rich feel of the culture with detailed lives of each main character, including a public ritual where the girl makes wine out of rice, or “saké.“ The only drawback is a confused outlook of everyone’s religious views, compared to their reality.
9/10
Direction of Actors
The position of the characters always sets up beautiful and impactful compositions. Although sometimes they’re cropped slightly off the edge of the screen, but that complaint barely affects anything about the enjoyment.
9/10
Direction of Screen
Landscapes, computer animation, and an art show of comets all keep your attention while looking at the moving picture.
4/5
Intense level of high and low points in the relationship between the main couple, it’s just a smidgen too uplifting without enough realistic edge. Be prepared to cry.
12/15
World Building
Very rich feel of the culture with detailed lives of each main character, including a public ritual where the girl makes wine out of rice, or “saké.“ The only drawback is a confused outlook of everyone’s religious views, compared to their reality.
9/10
Direction of Actors
The position of the characters always sets up beautiful and impactful compositions. Although sometimes they’re cropped slightly off the edge of the screen, but that complaint barely affects anything about the enjoyment.
9/10
Direction of Screen
Landscapes, computer animation, and an art show of comets all keep your attention while looking at the moving picture.
4/5
Screenwriter 26/30
Delivery of Message
The two leads and their friends are deeply affected by the concept of time, considering that they’re all teenagers about to leave their childhoods behind. There’s just not enough time on those who were already there—the adults, or those who are yet to be there—the younger siblings.
4/5
World Rules
Everything is believable, there just needed to be more of an understanding about how comets work.
4/5
Audience Appeal
No reason this needs to have a PG rating, there’s nobody for kids to relate to here, except for the main female’s younger sister, who doesn’t get enough screentime to connect with.
4/5
Relationship Quality
Every character is given an appropriate level of screentime to offer proper insight into their personailities and thoughts about one another.
5/5
Character Arcs
The change in charcter is primarily from the two leads, but two of the boy’s friends go through some significant change.
3/5
Dialogue
If any problems are here, it’s in the on-the-nose nature of what the characters talk about.
3/5
The two leads and their friends are deeply affected by the concept of time, considering that they’re all teenagers about to leave their childhoods behind. There’s just not enough time on those who were already there—the adults, or those who are yet to be there—the younger siblings.
4/5
World Rules
Everything is believable, there just needed to be more of an understanding about how comets work.
4/5
Audience Appeal
No reason this needs to have a PG rating, there’s nobody for kids to relate to here, except for the main female’s younger sister, who doesn’t get enough screentime to connect with.
4/5
Relationship Quality
Every character is given an appropriate level of screentime to offer proper insight into their personailities and thoughts about one another.
5/5
Character Arcs
The change in charcter is primarily from the two leads, but two of the boy’s friends go through some significant change.
3/5
Dialogue
If any problems are here, it’s in the on-the-nose nature of what the characters talk about.
3/5
Actors 15/20
For myself in particular, this was difficult to judge because all the voice actors are speaking in another language (Japanese). But from what I could tell, the voices did sound genuine, if not perfect, and were believable enough to grasp their emotions, even if this is not your native tongue.
Technicians 8/10
Editing
There are plenty of montages and sequences that make you feel like you entered the characters‘ minds. The whole narrative seems to shift time, yet you still can follow the story easily.
10/10
Sound
The sounds of the wind introduce us into the opening hook, and remains a motif throughout the feature.
7/10
Cinematography
The way light and computer effects are utilized in this 2-D style of animation creates many dreamy, realistic views that play around with sunbeams and depth of field.
9/10
Animation
Computer animation is mixed in to this otherwise usual style of anime. The movements of the characters are all perfect and done with proper intentionality, there’s just not anything groundbreaking or anything.
8/10
Character Design
Everyone’s designed proportionately to look like real people, each with their own style of wardrobe to set them apart from everyone else.
8/10
Production Design
It pretty much gets the job done, but overall looks rather standard for an animated picture. Expect plenty of spectacular views in the sky.
7/10
Music
A sunny violin sets the tone while enlightening the spirits, just don't expect it to be worthy of a hum.
7/10
There are plenty of montages and sequences that make you feel like you entered the characters‘ minds. The whole narrative seems to shift time, yet you still can follow the story easily.
10/10
Sound
The sounds of the wind introduce us into the opening hook, and remains a motif throughout the feature.
7/10
Cinematography
The way light and computer effects are utilized in this 2-D style of animation creates many dreamy, realistic views that play around with sunbeams and depth of field.
9/10
Animation
Computer animation is mixed in to this otherwise usual style of anime. The movements of the characters are all perfect and done with proper intentionality, there’s just not anything groundbreaking or anything.
8/10
Character Design
Everyone’s designed proportionately to look like real people, each with their own style of wardrobe to set them apart from everyone else.
8/10
Production Design
It pretty much gets the job done, but overall looks rather standard for an animated picture. Expect plenty of spectacular views in the sky.
7/10
Music
A sunny violin sets the tone while enlightening the spirits, just don't expect it to be worthy of a hum.
7/10
Final Verdict 118/150
Your Name. is a heartbreaking love story that feels like exactly the type of story Freaky Friday needed to be, with a bit of Groundhog Day mixed in. The sudden plot twists balanced with some really funny moments will make you earn for more, as you quickly become so well acquainted by the two main leads. You do not need to be a fan of anime to be moved to tears by this gorgeous motion picture, this is the type of animated drama that will appeal to all.
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If there is a specific movie you’d like to see graded, or if you are interested in guest blogging for my site, please email me at Trevor@TrevorsViewOnHollywood.com for your recommendations.
Have a great weekend, and happy watching!
If there is a specific movie you’d like to see graded, or if you are interested in guest blogging for my site, please email me at Trevor@TrevorsViewOnHollywood.com for your recommendations.
Have a great weekend, and happy watching!
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