Your Name.

I went in to see Kimi no Na ha without knowing anything about the movie. I had simply been intrigued by the movie poster with the comet as a background to two high school students living in wildly different environments - and the excellent reviews on its Friday release convinced me to see it just the day after.

Not knowing anything about the movie made me relish every single moment of it. The two main characters would, it seems, never have the occasion to meet each other, but through a mysterious circumstance are led to share some of their waking hours with each other. At first, the movie struck a compelling, funny and nostalgic view at high school life in Japan, love, friendship, puberty, teenage angst and some elements of mysticism. It felt like a very fresh and charming sentimental love comedy with a dash of depth and teenage angst. And it already utterly captured me at that point.

Yet midway, the movie veers resolutely into dramatic, and more mystical territory, while managing to keep the lighthearted tone it had reached during the first half at just the right moments. Together with one of the main characters, I was shocked and powerless upon learning of one aspect that had eluded both protagonists, as well as the audience. At the same time, a trope often used in science-fiction got thrown into the mix and the stakes suddenly get much higher, making me look back to the first half of the movie and thinking "wwwooooowww I get it now", while following the paths of the protagonists, which, just like the Kumi Himo (thread making?) that Miyamizu Shrine makes, represent time itself. Meeting, diverging, tangling, getting cut, doubling back. The second half of the film is a perfect adventure, full of suspense, humor, hope, and yes, tears. And at some points, it gets close to tragedy (one scene in a train left a huge lump in my throat). In some respect it reminded me of Spirited Away (my long time favorite animation movie), in which both main characters grow thanks to the other, and whose paths had crossed and would cross again, beyond memory or reality.

Saying more would spoil the movie, so I have been very, very vague. Suffice it to say the movie made me laugh, cry, get the goosebumps, and got me to the edge of my seat at some points. It really had great storytelling, pacing, characters, and emotions throughout. I loved it.

The visuals were also gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Tokyo is more real than the real Tokyo, and the director, animators, background artists, and computer artists seem to have devilish fun playing with lighting and getting some of the most beautiful scenes and moments I can recall in an animation movie.

I should mention the music as well, which was very, very good. I know RADWIMPS (I went to see them live a couple of years back), but was surprised at the tone they achieved, and how well it fit with the movie - the music, along with the visuals, really help in getting a full immersion into the story.

However, some of the most hilarious jokes in the movie seem to be untranslatable to English - in particular the "dialects" of the main characters, as well as a specific moment that makes use of several of the ways that Japanese people use to refer to themselves, depending on context and sex (watashi, watakushi, boku, ore). So I'm looking forward to seeing how those scenes will be handled in the translation!

I have since seen the movie one more time, bought the OST, and bought and read the novelization (which is almost like the movie, but does give more insight into each character's thoughts and thought processes.). Highly recommended!

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))

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.

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!

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