Your Name: Out of This World Love Story

Probably I am one of the last person to watch Your Name. I finally understood why this turn out to be the highest grossing anime in 2016 for Japan. Although some may not understand the anime medium and though this is just another cartoon made in Japan, this is NOT a movie for kids. I repeat, this is a love movie, a bit on coming-of-age feel, but essentially a romantic movie, nothing here for children at all. 

I would not be focusing on the animation, it is agreed that the animation is top notch. We did not witness any fights, battle scenes but what we were presented instead are breathtaking awe-inspiring scenes of nature. The star here is the story itself and the direction. On paper, this movie is an amalgam of other shows, with borrowed element from other movies. Rural girl got bored in her slow village life wakes up as Tokyo boy and vice versa. While discovering their respective lives, they left messages for each other and no prize in guessing what happens next. They fell in love with each other. Many would complain the pace is bit slow in the first half. But if familiar with any Japanese movie, this is within expectation, The slow build up leads to an emotional climax. The second half may pick up the pace with the protagonists trying to save a village from natural disaster, it is still a part of the flow of the love story between the 2 leads. The other main element in typical Japanese film is the intertwine of nature and spirits. All these elements blended in very well, and lead to a final moment in between the leads. By  the end of the movie, we laughed with them, we teared up for them, and we wish so much that they would end up in each others arm. 

The Japanese is good in playing with emotion in their movies. They show what they do best here. And it did not disappoint. If there is only one single Japanese film you are going to watch this year, this may well be it. 

ratings: 4 poink~!

comments: pay attention to the details in the conversation of the movie, they will be lots of reference to it in the story line later.And finally you will understand how the name of the movie came about.