Three weeks after its official release in French cinemas, 「 Kimi no na wa 」continues to be talked about. The passion unveiled by Shinkai Makoto's new masterpiece does not disengage. Embark with us on a journey to the confines of time and space. Where everything seems so beautiful and fragile.
In Japan and around the world, 「Kimi no na wa 」 brings ink and tears to tears. To date, Shinkai Makoto's animated film has just dethroned on the international ranking the Studio Ghibli film 「 Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi 」, better known as "Chihiro's Journey". At the time, the film "Chihiro's Journey" had grossed $275 million, compared to $281 million for 「Kimi no na wa. In Japan, the Ghibli film is a little ahead (review the old figures). But currently, 「Kimi no na wa 」 ranks remarkably: 2nd largest animated film in Japan, but also 2nd Japanese film to have generated so much revenue. Not to mention that it is the 4th highest-grossing film of all time in Japan (source: ANN).And on the French side, the film broadcast by Eurozoom and @ANIME is also a hit with more than 175,000 admissions and more than a million euros in revenue!
「 Kimi no na wa 」
Original title: Kimi no na wa – 君の名は
Alternative title: Your Name
Gender: Fantasy, drama, romance, slice of life
Type: animated film
Year: 2016
Duration: 1h46
Japanese release date: August 26, 2016
French release date: December 28, 2016
Distribution : @ANIME, EUROZOOM
Studio: ComiX Wave Films
Writer, director: Shinkai Makoto
Soundtrack: RADWIMPS
Synopsis
Mitsuha is a high school student living in a remote village in the mountains with her little sister, grandmother and father, who is often absent. Daughter of the mayor of the city and subject to many pressures, she dreams of changing her life and being able to live in Tokyo.
Taki is a brawling Tokyo high school student, but has a passion for architecture and the arts. There are many drawings that line the walls of his room. He works some evenings as a waiter in an Italian restaurant.
But one day, Taki has a strangest dream… He wakes up as a high school student living in a remote village. Little by little, they discover that some nights, they exchange bodies until the next night. An exchange that will forever change their current life, but also their future life… A dark secret that they will have to unravel to be able to continue to live normally!
Reviews containing many details of the film. To be read at your own risk.
Braid with red threads and intertwined dreams…
This story tells us the life of two young people, living at opposite ends of the spectrum. Mitsuha was born in a remote village in the mountains, and she has never left it. Living with her maternal grandmother, her little sister and an absent father, she dreams of elsewhere. Taki is a young high school student from Tokyo, working after school, going out with his band of friends. His sketches and drawings reflect his passion for architecture.
But one day, Taki is surprised to wake up in an unknown body, what's more… A girl's body! An exchange of bodies, which some evenings, allows them to take the place of the other for a day. As inexplicable as it is strange, Taki and Mitsuha will have to get used to it and live as the other wants. After a few sudden exchanges, the clock starts and the wheels clash. Everyone gets used to it, the astonishment dries up. Laptops will soon be filled with messages such as diaries, but also with rules and limits not to cross. Because living in the shoes of another, knowing nothing about his life and habits is confusing and missteps are easy to make. When a girl inhabits the body of a boy her age and in high school, she speaks with the pronoun "atashi" (equivalent to the feminine "me"), there is something to surprise! And we even enjoy revising his Japanese and planning the next words that Mitsuha will test: Watashi? Boku? Ore? A parenthesis made all in rhythm and gag! It is this exchange of bodies that serves as a common thread throughout the film. A phenomenon that quickly settles and interferes in each person watching the film, making him a spectator of these intermittent exchanges and their mutual evolution. All in an intertwined and dynamic rhythm, which leaves no one time to get bored and which immerses us in various emotions, just like our duo…
A thread of destiny oh so facetious
As in 「 Byousoku go Senchimetoru 」 or "Garden of Words", Shinkai Makoto does not deviate from his principles with his animated film 「Kimi no na wa 」. The main theme evoked, through these exchanges of bodies, remains distance. Dreams and exchanges are only a pretext to bring together two destinies that would perhaps never have crossed. A pretext that nevertheless holds in his hands the weight of the film's script. Which will finally prove to be a little more complicated than what was announced… for our greatest pleasure! Beyond these body exchanges, we discover how a person's destiny can be turned upside down by bringing a new person into his daily life.How the thread of destiny is played on two high school students in the prime of life, who will eventually see the birth of reciprocal feelings in their hearts… Feelings that will be difficult to express and realize.
How the thread of destiny is played with two high school students in the prime of life…
Some will find that the film focuses too much on this "romantic" bent. But I personally found everything very well dosed. These two people are looking for each other in my opinion, especially because there is an emptiness in their hearts. Not for their original feeling. 「Kimi no na wa 」 is for me a film where fate plays, knits, makes and undoes knots in the lives of two people closely linked by dreams. This is not a romantic film. It is even extremely dramatic when you think about it. And many have seen him, to have let a few hot tears flow on their cheeks pink by emotion. Don't hide from it, I've seen you!
Nevertheless, despite a basic scenario with rather simple appearances, 「Kimi no na wa 」 will manage to torture your mind for a few seconds, making the story even more offbeat than it was. With a tiny something that makes the film even more beautiful, more neat. And if, really we had to find a black spot in the film… I would have really appreciated an extra twenty minutes. We do not see time passing, events follow one another and already, the end credits are rolling. But it is true that some elements could have been developed just a little more, for the pleasure of the viewer. However… In my eyes, this is not even a defect. Just a little extra that would have been welcome but that does not detract from the splendor of the film.
Majestic journey between heaven and earth
With such names on the bill, the journey for our eyes can only be sublime. Tokyo, adorned with sumptuous details, mysteriously makes you want to discover it in every corner. We appreciate the green and blue paintings of the mountains dressing the lake and the village of Itomori. We love to discover the night scenes, brilliant with a thousand lights. And our eyes, never tired, to see the comet dancing in the heavens. A painting of a dark drape, in which is drawn with enthusiasm and colors, a mysterious trace that our amazed eyes can not leave. With each step, each new scene that takes shape, a thrill of pleasure invades the spine. Maybe even a burst of emotion will come to take you by the throat … The sky, day and night, is an essential link. Alongside these grandiose landscapes, the protagonists evolve on the canvas painted by Shinkai Makoto with lightness, and above all simplicity. The characters are not very detailed, but their expressions and emotions are perfectly transcribed in gestures and voice.It is therefore easy for the audience to identify with the two main characters, and to immerse themselves more easily in their lives.
The day when the stars… fell from the sky.
Comix Wave Films gives us a treasure trove of Japanese animation, proving once again that big names like Mamoru Hosoda or Shinkai Makoto can amaze us just as much, if not more than Studio Ghibli productions and the mythical Miyazaki for my taste. Because this little detail that changes everything in this kind of film is the imprint in everyday life. If you have traveled to Japan, you can easily recognize the Lumine 2 at Shinjuku Station, the Yamanote and Chuo Line trains or the Tokyo Tower. And if your memories do not fail you, you will be amazed to find these places where you set foot with such subtle realism. But also with this little touch of magic specific to Shinkai Makoto, who has this gift of making any landscape poetic … All while creating a certain photorealism. And if you've never set foot in Japan… I am sure that the photographs of this film will have awakened in you desires of escape and travel …
When feelings twirl under agreements
Throughout the film, feelings and emotions twirl, flutter and intertwine to strike an even stronger chord. Friendly, romantic, professional, family relationship… Bursting voices, anxiety, laughter, crying, outbursts of anger, fear, joy, worry… So many emotions that sooner or later, will invade the characters. But you know Shinkai Makoto. He can't let you come out of one of his films unscathed… Then sooner or later, his feelings too, will invade you and slip into you. Your eyes and ears are the vectors, and your body the receiver. Your hair will bristle on your arms when your eyes discover a breathtaking landscape. A long shiver will tickle your spine when your ears hear the first notes of the "Sparkle" theme, while your throat tightens. Or that your mouth will let out a smile in the corner, sad or joyful. Be careful, the official video that follows reveals many elements of the film. To watch at your own risk!
https://youtu.be/a2GujJZfXpg
RADWIMPS, which has been topping the Japanese charts since August, composed the complete soundtrack of 「Kimi no na wa」. Our ears shudder with pleasure when we hear the first words of "Nan demo nai ya". Our head and feet oscillate in spite of ourselves and beat the measure of the theme song "Zen zen zense" while the catchy rhythm of "Yumetourou" invades our ears. On the OST side, it's a flawless! The titles of RADWIMPS fit perfectly with the atmosphere of Shinkai Makoto and are an integral part of the film. Without them,「Kimi no na wa 」wouldn't have quite the same flavor… We also do not forget the beauty and emotionality of the Japanese dubbing, which plays a lot on our emotions and the credibility of the film. Unfortunately, I can't talk about the French dubbing, having only seen the VOSTFR version. If you have seen it in VF, do not hesitate to give us your opinion!
In short, if there is one animated film that you should see at the beginning of the year (if you have not already done so), it is this one!「 Kimi no na wa 」promises to leave a memorable imprint in the world of animation.A film that will have made us dream and that will have above all, made our heart vibrate.
However, I still have one question on my lips… When will there be a DVD/Blu-Ray release that we can dream of the sofa?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCFsy2AKno8
Images provided by @ANIME
