This month, we’re celebrating animation from Japan–better known as anime–by looking at some of our favorite works or ones we hope will provide new perspective. This also ties into our upcoming Spring issue of the zine, which is all about gaining new insights through films that are ‘foreign to us.’ See all the articles here.

by Emily Maesar, Staff Writer

I figured that since we’re celebrating Ani-May here at MovieJawn, that the film for me to write about would be Makoto Niitsu’s acclaimed feature Your Name. Not just because it’s currently the third highest grossing anime film of all time (beaten only by Spirited Away and the most recent Demon Slayer flick), but because it’s the film that got me back into anime. 

My very brief history is that I grew up watching the Toonami classics (we love a truly bangin’ hour of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z back-to-back). Then, I moved to Seattle in middle school, where I had more access to manga than I did in my rural town in North Carolina. I had a cousin who was already reading Shonen Jump, which I borrowed all time. I got obsessed with Naruto, Prince of Tennis, and Shaman King. I also started reading Shojo Beat and had friends who were obsessed with stuff outside those two print mags. But then I moved to Montana, an even drier manga desert than my hometown, and my interest waned as I got into other media. 

When I finally moved to Los Angeles, I ended up with a bunch of friends who are so deep into anime and manga that it felt weird to be the only one who wasn’t currently watching stuff. So, despite Your Name. being released in 2016 (widely in the US in 2017), I didn’t see it until a few years later, in a friend’s room while we waited for our weekly game of Dungeons & Dragons to start.

And what was it about Your Name. that entranced me so? Well, I’m a romantic at heart, adore magic in love stories, and absolutely die for any story that utilizes the “red string of fate.” Basically, this film was perfectly made for me to love… and it worked so damn well that I started watching anime again. 

Your Name is the story of Mitsuha and Taki. Mitsuha lives in the rural town of Itomori, while Taki lives in Tokyo. One day, seemingly for no reason, the two of them start swapping bodies. They both think they’re dreaming at first, but then it becomes apparent that it’s for real. Eventually, they get into a rhythm - they set up ground rules, leave detailed notes on what they did, and try not to mess up each other’s lives too badly. But just as quickly as it started it abruptly stops and Taki is left wondering why. The answer defies reason, but then so did the body swapping in the first place. 

So, what was the answer? They were out of time sync with each other. Mitsuha is living three years in the past from Taki’s present life. When a comet appeared in the sky above Japan, it split and destroyed most of Itomori in the process. The majority of the town died during a festival on the side of town where impact was made. Mitsuha has actually been dead for three years, along with all of the friends and family that Taki’s been getting to know. He discovers all of this when he decides to visit the town and dives into the history of what happened there.

Because of Mitsuha’s family connection to the shrine and rituals of Itomori, Taki is able to find the last bit of her that exists in the world: sake she made during a ceremony three years ago. When he takes a drink of it, he gets slammed back into her body on the day of the festival. From there, he knows he has to convince her friends to help him save the town and all of their lives.

And is trying to explain all of that super convoluted? Yes! It really, really is. But it’s also the kind of story that, if you just accept the magic and the power of love through time and space, it works so seamlessly. Which is something I really admire about Niitsu’s work. He’s able to make what should feel like two, maybe even three, different films, tie together into a nearly flawless single story that takes the viewer on a deeply emotional ride. Like, I cry during the montage where they’re trying to save the town and the music swells every single time… regardless of if I’m watching it in English or Japanese. It truly just rules. 

So, here is where I want to just note, however briefly, that this is one of those animes that simply rules no matter which language you watch it in. There’s this debate that western anime fans are constantly having: sub vs dub. Should you be watching things in Japanese, with subtitles, or is the English dub sufficient and good. I sit on the fence between the two, though. I tend to watch newer things in Japanese, but anything I’m rewatching from my youth is usually an English dub because of nostalgia. Or the dub happens to be good. Your Name? It’s good all the way through, baby!

But regardless of which language you end up watching Your Name. in, it’s very clear that if you’re a romantic who loves absolutely beautiful animation, then this film is going to touch something inside of you. In fact, Makoto Shinkai has been called by many to be the heir apparent to Hayao Miyazaki’s style of stunning animation (albeit with less of a focus on food, which is a Miyazaki special) and characters who possess a deep longing in their very core. I think it’s a fair comparison, because his films feel same-same, but different to the Studio Ghibli ones.

When I really think about the types of films that can speak universal truths, while being oddly specific, it makes sense to me that Your Name. is the third highest grossing anime film in the world. The film made most of its money in Japan, which is understandable, but it made a similar amount in its US run as Howl’s Moving Castle did (the 4th highest grossing anime film, and my personal favorite Ghibli flick). It explores love, of course, but it’s also a story about longing. Longing to be elsewhere and for things to just be different. It’s such a universal teenage experience that, regardless of your age and what country you live in, you can relate to the feeling. And damn if this film doesn’t make me, and lots of people like me, feel like a totally in love teenager who thinks they’re unstoppable! It’s an amazing feeling that I chase with every film even vaguely like it, even outside the animated medium.

Ultimately, I’m grateful that Your Name came into my life when it did. I’m forever indebted to Makoto Shinkai and how this film allowed me to open myself back up to stories that speak to me on such a deep level. I’d missed out on all these stories and experiences simply because I’d never found my way back to the medium. But now I kind of see Your Name. as the other end of a red string of destiny for myself. It was always the type of story that was going to bring me back to a medium I’d loved for so long, and I couldn’t ask for a better door back in.