The movie was produced by CoMix Wave Films, I would assume a rival of sorts to Studio Ghibli. Where the latter deals in fantasy, this movie indicates a company focused on human stories, fate, artistry. Although first released in 2016, it's only now that this movie is beginning to make more complete waves through North American cinemas. Might I recommend you see if it's playing near you.
The story follows two teenaged kids, a smart girl in a small village named Mitsuha and a boy living in downtown Tokyo named Taki. The first shot opens with Mitsuha waking up in a state of shock. She is confused by her room, her body, her appearance... Later we see Taki wake up with the same problem. By some unknown force or magic, they have switched bodies for the day.
Each goes to school, learns about the other's life and friends. They attempt their best to play off the day as though nothing has happened, but why have they switched bodies? I'll be the first to admit that a "body-swap" movie wasn't the most thrilling concept as it played out for me, but the circumstances of what they go through and what they learn left me completely riveted. The next day for instance, Taki reawakes in his own bed and is horrified to learn that "he" asked out a pretty girl from work on a date. Likewise with Mitsuha who learns that she was suddenly much better at sports.
The switching goes on and off for a period of time, and the two characters learn about the other even though they never meet or interact. They keep personal journals about the day in their smart phones and wake up the next day excited to hear from the other. One day the switching suddenly stop, and Taki never hears from Mitsuha again. What happens is a somewhat critical plot point that justly should be omitted, but it sets Taki on a personal journey across the country in order to track down this girl he has grown to love but has never seen eye to eye.
Without a doubt this is perhaps the most impressive animated movie I have ever seen. Allegedly hand-drawn and yet I can't comprehend the time it would take to animate this level of detail in a Tokyo cityscape or a nightsky filled with light from a nearby comet. The colors almost drip off the screen, and I found myself immersed in a world that felt all the more real because of the care given to bring it to realization. It would be one thing to only praise the movie for it's visuals, but the story itself is mature and thought-provoking in ways that you simply don't see in American animation.
What begins as a somewhat slapstick comedy that features no less than 3 musical montages (of which I was less than thrilled with) breathes and grows into a movie of profound impact by the end. There are so many elements here that I found fascinating that the body switching aspect practically disappeared to me. Some might think it too saccharine, but the final scenes and interactions could honestly be described as heartbreaking. Having gone in with few expectations, "Your Name" was something of a joy to witness.
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