Your Name (君の名は / Kimi No Na Wa)
“Kimi No Na Wa” (English title: Your Name) is a Japanese anime movie that hit the screens in Japan in 2016. The catchphrase of the film is “I am looking for you who I haven’t met yet.” It was one of the largest anime hits ever in movie theaters in Japan. Earning 25 billion yen by July 2017, it was released in 92 countries.
The movie was second in ranking in the history of anime only to “Sento Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (Spirited Away). Now, it is third because “Kimetsu no Yaiba” (Demon Slayer) reached number one in 2020.
There is a novel “Kiminonawa” which was published before the movie. But this anime is not the adaptation of this novel; animator Makoto Shinkai wrote the novel after he finalized the script.
Story of Your Name
The main characters are Mitsuha and Taki. Mitsuha is a high school girl in a small town of the Hida region (close to Takayama) in Gifu Prefecture. Taki is a high school boy living in Tokyo. One morning, they wake up to find out that they switched bodies. They didn’t know each other yet, and they panic.
Taki and Mitsuha live that day as different persons with some hilarious outcomes. The next day, they switch back so they thought it was a dream. But it happens again and then starts to happen frequently. Then they an idea; they decided to leave messages for each other about what happens in their switched life. For a while, they kind of enjoy their different lives, but at some point the switching has stop.
They can’t talk on the phone, so Taki gets worried and decides to go meet her in Hida with two of his friends. Taki then finds out that the town where Mitsuha lives was hit by the meteorite three years ago and 500 people had died. He then realizes that there is a three-year time difference between him and Mitsuha.
Ending of Your Name
SPOILER ALERT: Please do not read this part if you don’t want to know the ending.
Taki goes to a mountain top where holy alcohol is kept which he knows from Mitsuha’s memory and drank it hoping to switch again. He then wakes up as Mitsuha on the day that the meteorite will fall. Taki (in Mitsuha’s body) tries to persuade the local people to evacuate, but it doesn’t work well. He then tries to see Mitsuha (Taki’s body) on the mountain. They switch again and finally met each other in their own bodies for a short moment. Mitsuha goes back to the town to finish the job.
The meteorite hits the town, but miraculously there are very few casualties. Fast forward to eight years later, and both Mitsuha and Taki are living in Tokyo. They completely forgot what had happened eight years ago, but they always had a feeling that they were looking for someone. Then finally one day, they met each other by chance, and ask for each others’ names simultaneously. This is how the movie ends.
Theme Music
The theme music of the movie was composed and played by popular J-pop group Radwimps. The main vocalist is Yoji Noda. All the songs used in the anime were big hits that year. The song titles are Yumetoro (Dream Lantern), Zenzenzense (Past Past Past Life), Sparkle, and Nandemonaiya (It’s Nothing).
Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai was born in 1973 in Nagano. He has become one of the most famous animators in Japan after he debuted with the short animation ‘Hoshinokoe’ in 2002. He made several big hits since. Let us introduce you to some of his major works.
Hoshinokoe (The Voices of a Distant Star / 2002)
This is a long distance love story between a girl who left to outer space and a boy who remained on earth. Makoto made this 25-minute film almost all by himself. It was only screened at one movie theater, but there was a long queue from the first day. The movie won a lot of prizes and Shinkai became a popular animator.
Byosoku 5 Centimeters (2007)
This is Makoto’s third anime that was screened in theaters. ‘5 centimeters’ means the speed of cherry blossom petals falling to the ground. There are three stories. It is a love story between a boy and a girl who were separated because she left the town with her parents after graduating elementary school.
Theme music ‘One more time, One more chance’ by Masayoshi Yamazaki was also a big hit.
Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words / 2013)
This is a love story between a high school boy and a classic literature teacher at his school. A classic poem is one of the important themes of the story. What is unique, is that in 80% of the scenes, it is raining.
Tenkinoko (Weathering With You / 2019)
The 7th anime, and the latest one as of 2021. It is a story between a high school boy who ran away from home and a girl who can make the weather sunny just by praying. They were tossed up and down by destiny, but they try to choose their life by themselves.
Your Japan Tour
As seasoned Japan experts, we can help you create your perfect Japan tour including guides who can tell you all about the manga and anime including the works of Makoto Shinkai. The guide can also take you to the real places that appeared in Kiminonawa (Your Name). Contact us to start planning your unforgettable holiday to this fascinating country full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, culture, history, nature, and delicious food!