Your Name.

Makoto Shinkai’s Japanese successful animated movie in 2016, “Your name.” After its big hit, it was released in many foreign countries. What’s more, a remake in Hollywood is now in process. Will the project succeed as the original version? I examine some of the elements of this movie, focusing on its appeals and the challenge for remake.

In their dream, a girl and a boy switch their bodies. Going back and forth each other’s life, they build a strange relationship. However, they don’t know this switching has a crucial meaning for their town, not only for themselves…

PLOT

There are two main characters in this movie. The girl, MITSUHA lives in the countryside of Japan, bored and tired of her local town. She has dreamed to be born again as a “good-looking guy in Tokyo.” One day, in her dream, she experiences someone else’s life. She becomes a boy in Tokyo as her desire and enjoys her real, strange dream.

On the other hand, the boy TAKI, who lives in Tokyo and does part-time job at the restaurant, has the same experience. He becomes a girl in the countryside in his dream. After a while, Mitsuha and Taki realize they switch each other and it is really happening in their actual life. Though these two have never met in person, they are getting to know and interested in each other.

One day, Taki tries to call Mitsuha on phone, but it doesn’t connect. Moreover, their switching suddenly stops occurring. He then decides to visit her town to see her directly and leaves his home. Finally, he finds Mitsuha’s hometown. However, he knows a shocking truth there…

APPEAL

Not just a simple romantic comedy

Only hearing the plot which I describe above, you may think that it is merely romantic comedy, caused by struggle with switching between different sexes. But actually, it is definitely not. The main part of this story is after my description. After the boy know the consequence which the girl encounters, they start to prevent it from happening, not only for their love, but for much bigger purpose.

Beautiful animation and music

When you look at the screen, you will be first impressed by its visual description. Shinkai’s animation is said to be more beautiful and amazing than real objects it depicts. It is more remarkable when it comes to the description of landscapes.

Also, what makes the movie impressive is music, too. All music and sound are composed by Yojiro Noda, a vocal singer in Japanese rock band RADWIMPS. Some people complain there are too many lyrics in the songs, but I believe it is the crucial component in this movie.

CHALLENGE

Setting (Location)

The two characters’ hometown, especially Mitsuha’s hometown Hida, creates a whole atmosphere of the movie. Combined with Shinkai’s beautiful animation, it has been extremely valued so that many tourists visit the locations, which is called “Seichi-Junrei” – visiting where is modeled as film or animation’s setting. Japanese countryside’s characteristics, such as closed community or Shintoism culture, are very unique.

The secret of switching

I imagine it is also so hard to adjust it for Hollywood, for in Japanese original version, it is strongly tied to Japanese mythology or old tales. For example, Mitsuha’s grandmother, KAZUHA, explain the wonder of time and destiny as “Musubi,” using “Kumihimo,” a braided cord related to Shintoism (Japanese belief). In addition, Mitsuha’s teacher of Japanese subject teaches about “Tasogare-doki” (kind of magic hour) in her class. It is Japanese old concept – at that limited time, only a few minutes of “Tasogare-doki,” you can meet “someone not human,” or someone you have longed to see. It connects to Taki and Mitsuha’s meeting again.

I’m interested in how the production team will make it understandable as American movie.

MY OPINION

I believe the remake project could be successful because the concept itself is very interesting and unique. My anxiety is the possibility that some essential elements like locations or setting based on Japanese thought would be ignored and the movie becomes light and cheap. The remake will be produced by J. J. Abrams. I sincerely want him not to replace a fantastical scene of shooting star with a dynamic beam of UFO.