One of the benefits of my current period of unemployment is that I’ve got free time to take in a movie whenever I want and there have been some good options lately. One of the best has been the Japanese animation film Your Name.

I’d seen a lot of buzz about this movie as it was released in Japan because of its incredible artwork and use of realistic and real locations as the settings for the action, and it lives up to the hype. Fans of the movie have taken to going to the various locations and taking photos of themselves in the settings, “walking in the steps of the lead characters.” I felt transported back to Tokyo and some of the Japanese countryside as I watched it, and the story was an added bonus.

I saw the English dubbed showing (even though I prefer undoubted and subtitled) and felt that it didn’t interfere at all with the enjoyment. It’s been showing for this week at AMC Theaters (select locations) and I don’t know how much longer it will run, but if you have a chance, you should definitely go see it!

Here’s the official description of the movie:

From director Makoto Shinkai, the innovative mind behind Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second, comes a beautiful masterpiece about time, the thread of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.

When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, something shifts, and they seek each other out wanting something more—a chance to finally meet. But try as they might, something more daunting than distance prevents them. Is the string of fate between Mitsuha and Taki strong enough to bring them together, or will forces outside their control leave them forever separated?

#animation, #your-name