Hello world! I thought I'd do a different type of review and share my thoughts on one of the hottest Japanese anime movies right not: Your Name directed by Makoto Shinkai. My mom actually recommended this movie to me after she watched it with my sister so I decided to give it shot and I was completely blown away.

The artwork is stunning  and the story line is a mix of fantasy and romance. My mom told me that the film was praised for its intense attention to small detail (ex: the different iPhones). Since I grew watching Studio Ghibli films, it was such a throwback to be watching a Japanese anime again in college. 

The story follows a girl name Mitsuha who lives in a country town called Itomori and wishes for a life in the bustling city of Tokyo and a boy named Taki. When the film firsts opens, you discover with the characters that they have somehow switched bodies and their respective reactions is hilarious. In order to not mess up the other person's life, they begin communicating through a diary app on their phones and with that, the story progresses. 

One of my favorite things from the entire film is definitely the soundtrack (of course ><). There's just something about the timing that fits perfectly with the story with a swell of the orchestra as something dramatic happens to the soft gentle instrumental in the passing moments. According to the internet, the music was composed by Japanese rock band called Radwimps (that's a great name) and I'm definitely tempted to hear some of their songs after this film.

The characterization of Mitsuha and Taki was also incredibly well rounded and relatable. Mitsuha lives with her younger sister Yotsuha and grandmother and participates in the town's historical rituals of making kumihimo and kuchikamizake. She's estranged from her father, the town mayor who abandoned his folklorist background for politics. Taki is a high school student in Tokyo who works part time at a restaurant and has a crush on one of the other waitresses. 

In addition to the characters, I also loved the relationships in the film from Mitsuha and her friends to Taki and his friends and the different relationships we see when the two switch bodies. There is just a strong sense of loyalty and dedication that is portrayed through the side characters' actions that they stand out just as much as the main characters.

This entire film had the right amount of feels and craziness that it just begs to be rewatched over and over again. I will admit that after my first time watching Your Name, I was a bit frustrated by the dramatic cliff-hanger ending but after watching it again, I think I've come to terms with how things ended. (≧∇≦)

I will definitely be looking into more of Makoto Shinkai's films to watch in the future though I've heard this is his first film to have a somewhat conclusive ending. Either way, the next one on my list is his 2014 film "The Garden of Words" as the main female protagonist makes a cameo here. :)