Your Name is phenomenal, so close to perfection.

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2018)

Suffice to say I used to hate anime, I couldn't get on board with it. Now that I feel I've grown as an aspiring film critic, I can appreciate the delicate art of Japanese animation. With Hayao Miyazaki retired, is the genre deceased? Far from it. Your Name is just as good as any Miyazaki production. Two teenagers unexpectedly switch lives, forging a connection that is both unexplainable and unforgettable. Having figured out what's happening, the two attempt to meet...but not everything in life is that simple. A gorgeous juxtaposition of culture and gender. A country girl and a city boy. A tranquil and picturesque rural town against a bustling and modernised Tokyo. Contrasting the difference in mannerisms and punctuality, not just in lifestyles, but in gender. How a girl and a boy interact with others differently. Two lives being thrown into a foreign environment. The sheer complexity and magnitude that the narrative conveys is nothing short of genius. The introductory title song plays and BAM...I was captivated instantaneously. The animation...the animation!? It was like watching art move right before my eyes. Anime has never looked so beautiful. The glistening water, fast moving transport, hallucinogenic comets against a starry backdrop...wow. Wooooow! I can't. It's too much. I think my eyes are bleeding, someone pass me a tissue. Shinkai's direction was utterly creative. The story moves along at a swift pace and the inclusion of time-bending realities just makes it that much more intriguing. It's a love story. How love can traverse both space and time. Honestly, it was beautiful to watch. To create a pure relationship from two souls switching bodies is...well damn difficult. Shinkai made it look easy. Some of the time-bending narrative shifts can be confusing and you may not necessarily understand it in one viewing (heck, I didn't completely) but the film is that good, that you will want to watch it again...and again...and again. Aside from some exposition, Your Name is masterful.