"Your Name" Film Analysis Essay

Introduction

Films or movies are forms of art portrays the social, cultural, economic and political phenomena that people experience in the society. Films often strive to revels the multidimensional nature of the relationship between humans in their respective society. Most directors not only utilize films to entertain audiences but also to educate or expose the diverse social good, strengths, shortcomings and vices in the communities. Additionally it often provides a great platform for relaxation and escaping to a utopia world, and restoring hope to the hopeless viewers through depicting the strength and power of morality ethical understanding and love. In the film "Your Name" the director exposes numerous phenomena that indicate human vulnerability and urge for love and belonging. He portrays the romantic and charming nature of people in the contemporary communities and their diverse struggles, achievements, and threats. It places the role of film in the limelight to capture the Japanese society's progress and transformation. Therefore, the investigation focuses on critical analysis of the film "Your Name" by availing numerous beliefs, themes, and impacts the film in the current Japanese society.

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"Your Name" is a Japanese animation film directed by the talented writer, cinematographer animator and manga artist, Matoko Shinkai, who took a unique approach of depicting human connection and love. The film was produced in 2016 giving the audience a visual treat due to its magnificent scenes and landscapes, which has seen it escalate the success prism gaining massive commercial success and returns of approximately $190 million, which is the second largest domestic gross in the Japan film industry. It comprises of different casts like the protagonist characters such as Mitsuha Miyamizu, a young girl that adopts a boy's (Taki) body, and Taki Tachibana, a young boy that adopts a girl's (Mitsuha) body, Miki Okudera, a young girl who works with Taki at the restaurant, Hitoha Miyamizu, the leader of Itomori community, Sayaka and Katsuhiko, both Mitsuha friends and Tsukasa and Shinta, both Taki's friend. Matoko simultaneously utilizes his protagonist and antagonist characters to depict the connection in human understanding and to depict the diverse beliefs of Japanese that have dominated the community irrespective of contemporary development and cultural advancement. Therefore, as the film was initiated from the director Matoko Shinkai's inspiration of nature, complexity and diverse confusion. It critically depicts the modern status not only of Japan but many communities across the globe.

Furthermore, the film depicts Matoko's belief and perception of true love that unite two strangers irrespective of their differences in personality, social class or topographical uniqueness. He illustrates how a high school girl Mitsuha living in a fictional local and rural village Itomori gets bored with her countryside homeland and yearns to visit the city of Tokyo for exposure and permanent residence, also she wishes to be a boy in her next life as she wonders and imagines its benefits that as she sleeps at night, she gets troubled and begins calling a stranger's name in her as a piece of comet breaks off and crashes on the earth surface. Surprisingly when she wakes up after having a strange dream she cannot recognize herself as she has completely engulfed a stranger, Taki's body while his spirit embodies her body. Matoko reveals the power of confession, warning his audience to be careful what they wish for, despite saying it out of frustration, Mitsuha's dream was fulfilled making her life more miserable as she cannot recognize herself or her surrounding. She behaves weirdly when her younger sister comes to alert her for breakfast as Taki's spirit in Mitsuha's body does not recognize her, neither does she recognize her friends Sayaka and Katsuhiko.

Nevertheless, the film shows people's resistance and prejudice against phenomena that disrupts sanity or normalcy. Matoko show how Mitsuha;s friends quickly forces her to perform a ritual to cleanse her of the evil spirits that have dominated her body. Despite attaining her wish of becoming a boy, it comes with significant consequences, as she cannot reveal the changes she is experiencing but have to force herself to conform to the society's standards. On the other hand, Taki's behavior also surprises his friends, Tsukasa and Shinta, and later Ms. Okudera, who is charmed that he now possesses a feminine character. After resuming their original bodies and not remembering anything from the previous days except for the reaction of their surroundings, they realize the body switching is not a dream as they thought. The two characters, Taki and Mitsuha decide to help each other to cope with the extreme situations in their unique worlds by living notes, messages and texts on smartphones to enable one another to be updated with the occurrences, rules, and regulations. For instance, Taki leaves notes on how the restaurant operates to help Mitsuha catch up while Mitsuha leaves regulatory notes to enable Taki to embrace etiquette and other socio-cultural cues to avoid conflicts.

Despite portraying the constant enjoyment and happiness encompassed in love and romantic connection, Matoko also exposes the adverse consequences and grief that the loss of such deep connection and bring to an individuals. With the same about of compassion in love, the loss destroys and cripples. The two characters realizes they have fallen in love with each other and when Taki realized his soulmate is dead, he is devastated, sad, and in agony. Matoko reveals how true love and romantic connection knows no boundary and seek to express itself through selfless action. For instance, after learning their worlds are three years apart, he risks his life and telepath himself to Itomori to deliver a warning to Mitsuha that a comet will destroy the entire village so they should be evacuated. Together with her friends, Taki in Mitsuha's body risks everything to save their kinsmen by giving false alarm and trying to convince the Mayor. The pain and anxiety of loss of the lived ones due to unavoidable circumstances like natural disasters substantially diminishes and degrades peoples' psych and urge to continue living as life itself makes no sense and is dominated by adverse emptiness and loneliness. For instance, the author does not account for the devastating and vulnerable time that Taki experiences dark moments or regression and degeneration but reveals that after five years, he is still haunted by voices and connection of his love, Mitsuha.

Moreover, Matoko exposes the loving nature of human. The film depicts great love between the protagonist characters. Despite never seeing each other, they are deeply connected and enjoy being in each other's body. They strive to uplift and elevate each other by helping one another to improve in their respective society. Matoko strives to elaborate that often love is a deep feeling expressed through actions and constant dedication to elevating each other and portrayed by both Taki and Mitsuha. The main characters also feel lonely, sad and isolated when not in each other's body. Mitsuha even after realizing the crush between Taki and Ms. Okudera and managing to book them for a date, the author reveals her agony and regret for connecting them. For instance, despite denying it, she is in love with Taki as she cries in the mirror when she thinks about Taki's date with Ms. Okudera. Nevertheless, Ms. Okudera, being sensitive, declines Taki's offer to extend their date as she exposes that Taki's mind is preoccupied with another woman. Taki later professes her love for Mitsuha after writing "I Love You" in her hand instead of his name. Matoko further, demonstrates the extent and determination that true love and connection holds. Despite never meeting, their connection remains strong that when Mitsuha died, Taki felt a part of him missing. He risked his life traveling in time-space to warn Mitsuha of the great destructing coming, which made their bond for many years that even after five years they could still reconnect.

Further, the author reveals a strong connection and love between fathers and their children. Despite Mitsuha always having a formal relationship with her dad, when she cried and emotionally connected with her dad, she easily convinced him to order the evacuation from the city, which saver the entire village. Matoko reveals the power of love that can soften even the cruelest, cold and feared individuals like the town's mayor. The director utilizes the film to explore the mystery of love by affirming that it is more of a connection and a feeling. Unlike the contemporary society and populace that focuses on looks, intelligence, and financial ability, he disapproves that true love is an extreme connection that overcomes every obstacle and cannot be diminished by either distance or time. Despite not switching their bodies for 5 years, the connection between Taki and Mitsuha remained unshaken. Additionally, Matoko reveals the pain, agony, and devastation associated with loss, and incompleteness that people often feel when they lose something or someone they treasure and value. Both Mitsuha and Taki feel lonely and sad when they do not have each other. From the Japanese "koi," a love that focuses on a person's feeling rather than romantic bond characterised by yearning, longing, and sense of emptiness to loss, where the protagonist characters are bound yet separates as they cannot recall their dreams despite waking up with a unique sensation of deja vu, massive loss and emptiness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Your Name" depicts the nature of true love in a traditional Japanese culture that focuses on a deep connection rather than a contemporary romantic cond. Matoko reveals the complicated nature of love and how they cause confusion by placing the characters in each other's body. He communicates with the audience using the most common language, a language of love and loss. He exposes the human vulnerability and weakness through love that transcends every obstacle like distance, time and space. Moreover, Matoko explores that regardless of social disruption, topography or time, the connection of true romantic bong entwined within lovers knows no limit or boundary. Therefore, despite the loneliness, suffering and incompleteness characterized in love, Matoko encouraged the pursuit of true connection without conditions.

References

Ward, S. (2017). Be careful what you wish for: Makoto Shinkai's' Your name'. Metro Magazine: Media & Education Magazine, (193), 44.

Mcevoy B. (2017). How Shinkai Makoto Creates A Sense Of Love And Loss. Retrieved from < https://benjaminmcevoy.com/shinkai-makoto-creates-sense-love-loss/> accessed on 30th March 2019

Santoli, S. (2017). An analysis of the cinema of Makoto Shinkai on occasion of the distribution of Your Name. CINEFORUM, 57(2), 79-84.

Sakuga H. (2019). Your Name analysis. Retrieved from < https://hobbessakuga.wordpress.com/2017/01/28/your-name-analysis/> accessed on 30th March 2019