Your Name. - The Most Successful Anime of All Time
Your Name. or Kimi no Na wa.君の名は。 as it is called in the original, has climbed to the top of the most successful animes. I am not an anime veteran, but I love good animated films and wanted to see it for myself. You can read how surprised we were in the cinema in this blog post!
What's it about?
The girl Mitsuha lives in a small Japanese town called Itomori , which doesn't even have a cafe. Taki lives in Tokyo and is a high school student just like Mitsuha . Both of them suddenly wake up in each other's bodies at almost regular intervals and have to deal with all the hurdles. But the situation suddenly changes and suddenly time is running out!
A magnificent cinema experience
In retrospect, I would have preferred a larger cinema hall with Atmos sound, because the film was just totally crazy for the eyes and ears!
The story, with such a - somewhat banal - topic, was told and implemented so well that I still get goosebumps when I think about it. Especially at the beginning, you had to get into the action and didn't really know what was going on. But the tension was built up perfectly relatively quickly. The film takes such a surprising turn that you suddenly get really excited and leave the cinema impressed.
When it comes to Kimi no na wa., my favorite word in connection with films also applies: visually stunning! Fascinating time-lapses, depth of field, particle effects and tracking shots were a real feast for the eyes and that alone made me cry with joy. The CoMix Wave Films studio has put so much love into the details that you don't even know where to look first or which scene is more beautiful. The entire film outdoes itself from scene to scene.
My praise doesn't stop with the soundtrack either! J-rock band Radwimpsラッドウインプス provided the soundtrack and it is a hugely important element in the film. It is also said that, alongside the wonderful production design and storyline, it is one of the main reasons why Your Name. is so successful.
cinema screening with special guests
We watched the film last Sunday in Munich's Cinemaxx . The special thing about the screening was the Q&A that followed with the two main voice actors Laura Jenni ( Mitsuha ) and Maximilian Belle ( Taki ), as well as the voice director Matthias von Stegmann and the moderator Ninotaku .
It was really exciting to get a little insight into the world of voice actors. Starting with what qualifications you need for the job, right through to how a film dubbing process is structured.
Enormous success that is justified
When I saw the trailer, I didn't really understand why the film was so successful. People swapping bodies by chance isn't exactly an unusual story and, to be honest, I don't really like films like that. But I also like to be surprised and convinced of the opposite. There wasn't a " mind-blowing " moment like in Spirited Away , but that certainly won't happen again.
The work of director Makoto Shinkai新海 誠 didn't need this moment, because he definitely deserves the success. Shinkai is seen as the new Hayao Miyazaki宮崎 駿, but I would rather be cautious about that. I see him more as an independent visionary who knows how to use his craft perfectly. I will definitely watch his other works, because I really like his narrative style and his eye for detail.
I am delighted that we can also enjoy watching this masterpiece in our German cinemas. Tickets for a second screening have already been booked for this weekend and we are eagerly awaiting the DVD, which is due to be released in May 2018. The soundtrack is already playing over and over again and it has lost none of its magic.
Francy
