Your Name.

Your Name is just a good movie. This movie felt long, but not too long. All the way through, I was asking what would happen next. It was clever, emotional, and left me crying after the movie. The twist was done really well, and I almost wanted to pause the movie. Also, the animation is gorgeous. You get to see detailed images from many angles and perspectives, and there were hundreds of animators! The credits didn't start out with the cast like it usually would. The first thing you saw after a black screen was hundreds of names of animators and designers. I watched this movie again and I still felt my muscles ready to let tears out. I would not recommend this movie any less than the next guy, so what are you waiting for? Get a couple of friends and watch Your Name!

I have followed Makoto Shinkai's older works and most of them really have a bad ending, though still good, but this movie's sweet. He really know how to play with our emotion, especially for his work's fans who have followed his works, i'm hoping its not a bad ending during the entire movie.

But man, this work is a true masterpiece. When i looked at Makoto's older works, I suddenly think, he had the potential to beat Miyazaki's spirited away, and there he goes. I'm not saying this is better than spirited away, they had a different genre and makoto had his own stunning style.

How this piece of animation would turn my emotion really hard? Even Spirited Away, When Marnie was There, and 5cm per second can't do that. This is a movie that you must watch before you die, really.

In truth, the most competitive area of fiction is not invasions from outer space or talking dogs or impossible missions but rather the most basic narrative of all, the love story.

And this is also the most overcrowded field, and the most difficult to do right.

This film, this story, is extraordinary. It reminds me of MY SASSY GIRL, a love story from Asia that captured the imagination of the world and has almost become a franchise, it's been copied so many times.

It also brings to mind Richard Matheson's classic BID TIME RETURN, another love story for the ages that uses time juxtaposition. (Done as the movie SOMEWHERE IN TIME, 1980).

I already gave this the highest rating on the IMDb.

The animation is stunning and complimentary to this one-of-a-kind tale.

All things considered, I would like to avoid the ongoing arguments about which Japanese animation studio is better, or worse, than the other.

I prefer to simply be grateful that Japanese anime exists at all, because I cannot imagine any other country producing something this moving, this powerful, in graphic form.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

It's been a while since I've seen something outside of Studio Ghibli, being the most recent When Marnie Was There. I'm not familiar with Makoto Shinkai's work but this certainly encourages me to watch the rest of his catalog.

I knew nothing about the film until only the day before seeing it, instantly attracted to the poster and the mini synopsis of two high school teens from opposite sides of the country, who periodically switch in their dreams.

Gladly I didn't read anymore into it and just went to watch it as there's so much more to the intriguing story at face value. It's a little confusing at times bouncing between the two characters, but that doesn't deter the enjoyment and wonderment of the film.

We follow quiet country school girl Mitsuha voiced by Mone Kamishiraishi, going about her daily chores and traditions in a village shrouded by folklore and superstition with mayor-elect pushing for advancement. All this while we also follow rough-and-ready city boy, Taki, voiced by Ryûnosuke Kamiki, who is no stranger to voice acting, starring in Spirited Away at the age of eight and later in Howl's Moving Castle.

The two become celestially bound to one another without fully understanding how, or even knowing who each other are, which leads them both on an adventure of discovery, comical annoyance and eventual romance. It's perfectly balanced between the two even with a number of interesting side characters, each adding something to the intricacies of the plot and supplying a lot of the light-hearted comedy.

The scenery and animation is stunning, vibrant and beautifully breathtaking; with blinding lens flares and gorgeous landscapes that fill the entirely screen. It's superbly paced, perfectly edited so not to make a mess of the constant jumps.

The score by the Japanese rock band, Radwimps is simply amazing, perfect for the film with a mixture of teeny pop/rock and pleasant instrumentals, with surprising tracks like "Kataware Doki" using soft pianos and strings. It's a score Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu would be proud of.

There are some films that are not meant to be for live action, showcasing the stunning craftsmanship and elegant talent of the skilled animators and artists, this being one of those films. The actual anime capturing the magical essence of the heartfelt story that I don't believe can be replicated as good live.

Cosmically enchanting, touching and visually beautiful. Certainly the best anime I've seen this year.

Running Time: 9 The Cast: 9 Performance: 9 Direction: 10 Story: 10 Script: 10 Creativity: 10 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 10 The Extra Bonus Points: 10 for being such a wonderful, beautiful, romantic story, magical in every sense. Would I buy the Bluray?: Definitely

96% 10/10

Kimi no Nawa is up there with the quality of work Studio Ghibli makes. It's a journey in a world breathing with atmosphere, mystery, and visual wonder. A journey about growth and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. A journey about human emotion that transcends space and time, as we watch our two protagonists struggle relentlessly against fate. A journey that might just be one of the most captivating anime movie experiences I've had in years.

Director Makoto Shinkai's artistry is something people tend to love or hate, but this film is solid proof to all of his disdainful critics that his movies were never "just eye candy". They explore the nature of life and relationships in quiet ways rarely seen or discussed, which is why most of them are not fast-paced or action packed...and why they are so beautiful. But even if you're not a fan of this kind of style with its major use of metaphorical imagery and mixture of subtle and explosive emotions, definitely give Kimi no Nawa a chance. This is by far his most ambitious, original movie in many ways. For instance, there's an actual mystical element to the story apart from his previous films that are set purely on realism. The pacing is a lot faster and intense. There's a surprising amount of humor in the script, making the chemistry between the characters more light-hearted and comically entertaining than expected. All of this is done through a narrative vision so emotional, so brilliantly realized, that I'm pretty sure everyone at the Anime Expo world premiere screening was tearing up, including me.

Without spoiling, what mainly drives this film's story is the dynamics of our main characters' relationship. The way these two interact is just so unique and lovable. The premise itself allows them to bond on a more personal level, far more intriguing than the usual teenage love story where boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy gets girl. Eventually, you become so invested in their strange relationship, that when all the action goes down, it's no longer just suspenseful - it's almost heartbreaking.

Editing and sound design play a HUGE role in this immersion. There's rarely a single dull moment because of how gripping and emotionally driven the timing of every cut is. The sound design combined with a beautiful music score is outstanding - subtle and moving when creating atmosphere, powerful at times of dramatic conflict. In fact, the same can be said for pretty much all of the visual aesthetics - which if I haven't already mentioned, are amazing. This is a prime example of astonishingly jaw-dropping animation combined with powerful storytelling.

Kimi no Nawa is not just any anime movie. It has the potential to be viewed and studied as art cinema. It's so beautifully crafted and meticulously detailed, I feel like I didn't even cover 80% of its greatness in this review. To do that, I would have to make a spoiler analysis review, and to do that, I would probably have to see the movie again, maybe a couple more times before I can fully appreciate this nearly flawless masterpiece.

I know I sound like I'm fanboying, but as a film student and anime fan for many years, I'm being fully honest here - if Director Makoto Shinkai keeps this kind of quality up, he is going to be an even bigger name in the anime industry for years to come. Remember Your Name long enough until it's available in your country, if you're not seeing it in Japan theaters. Because trust me, you're not going to forget it. 10/10