Circle Cinema saw the release of “Your Name” this past weekend, much to the delight of every anime fanatic in Tulsa. After first premiering at the Anime Expo in Los Angeles last July, the movie has sinced grossed over $328 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing anime film ever, so there was definitely some hype in the theater. This seems reasonable considering that the movie is actually really good.
Based on the novel of the same name (conveniently published only a month before the movie hit theaters), “Your Name” tells the story of a high school girl living in a rural town and a high school boy living in Tokyo who find them themselves linked supernaturally. With the help of some very funny and beautifully written side characters, the two set out on a journey of self-discovery while changing the course of time in the process.
Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, the film is a stunning masterpiece. Other than a few hiccups at the beginning of the movie, it was easy to follow and progressed logically, avoiding those awkward plot holes that leave every movie-goer cringing. The animations were very lifelike and almost felt real at times, and the English voices fit perfectly (this was the dubbed version) and brought life to the characters. And that plot twist. To avoid any spoilers, all that can be said about it was that it was definitely unexpected but made the movie so much better.
The real star of this movie, though, was the the relationship between the two main character. It seemed to bloom naturally and never felt rushed but was still eloquently interwoven in an even bigger overarching story line. Add in some perfectly timed humor, and the result was a love story that had the audience audibly invested within the first 20 minutes. They cheered at every high and cried out at every low, which only added to the energy in the theater.
All in all, the movie was definitely a success and, honestly, a great way to spend a Friday night. The movie runs through April 13, which gives plenty of time for everyone to see it at least once and, for those especially loyal fans, multiple times.
