Hi! What did you think of my interpretation of Your Name? Is there anything I missed? Anything I just got wrong? I could see there being a pretty wide range of interpretations of this film so I'm super curious to hear more perspectives. If you're interested in getting early access to my videos and the ability to vote on future video topics, please consider subscribing to my Patreon if you have the means www.patreon.com/skyehoppers ! I'm aiming long-term to build a unique community through Patreon where people can analyze what media communicates but free from the pressure-filled academic setting that makes some people think it's not fun. Cause it's actually a super fun way to engage with art! Here are some discussion questions to build off what I talked about in the video, and what I left out of the script. 1. Birds! There are so many shots of birds in the film. Literally dozens, I think. However, barely any of them last longer than a second and none of them are *really* important, aside from maybe the shot of the hawk soaring over the second crater. Are they symbolic of anything? Or did the animators just like drawing birds? 2. This question is specifically for aromantic people, people who don't experience romantic attraction. Did you still find something to connect with in this movie even though it veered towards being primarily a love story? If my thesis about Your Name is correct, then it should've been powerful even to people with no interest in romance. 3. The comet hits the Miyamizu shrine directly. Like right on the dot. What's that about? It almost would imply that the shrine should be destroyed, or at least was always destined to be but uhhh idk. Thoughts?

@potentialPizza8

Жыл бұрын

3. My guess is that it has to do with the purpose of the lost traditions, the information that they lost in the fire centuries prior. My first thought was perhaps it was a punishment for losing the essence of the rituals, but now I'm not sure about that. They still preserved them even without knowing. I think it might be that, with the town saved, the rituals have lost their purpose. After all, the body swapping is definitely part of the magic, and that's deeply tied to the rituals of visiting the nether-valley and the kuchikamizake. So perhaps the entire reason those rituals were created, in part by the god Musubi, was out of knowledge that the magic would someday be used to save the people of the town. With that purpose fulfilled, the shrine was no longer necessary.

@rashkavar

Жыл бұрын

I haven't watched it yet, so I'll have to get back to you on #2, but I would like to point out that while dysphoria is common among trans people, it is not universal. I'm aromantic and genderfluid, and have several trans friends (including people who stick to the binary) who don't suffer from dysphoria. From your description in the start, Mitsuha reads to me as a trans man who wasn't really sure of that fact yet. An egg, as they are often known. The wish to be a handsome boy in Tokyo is oddly specific - as someone who's AMAB, I certainly can't see a cisgendered man making the same kind of wish to be a girl, though since that's my perspective, I can't speak cisgendered women. I'll watch the movie tomorrow and try to remember to get back to you on the aro perspective.

@rashkavar

Жыл бұрын

2. Having watched it now, definitely found something that resonated. I'm not really that great at the coherent analysis thing, but the movie's more about romance, it's about connection in general. Connections between past and present, traditions that connect us to a forgotten past. Friends who will come with you on a wild expedition into the countryside to help find a town you drew from memory. Heck, friends who will help you fake a terrorist attack to get a town to evacuate on your say so. Connections between family, loss and estrangement. The importance of memory. And yes, romance: what many consider to be the ultimate form of connection between two people. "Musubi," maybe. And, also being genderfluid, the body swapping resonates with me so much. (And honestly, this movie feels extremely trans, right up until the point where it takes a hard right into cishet love story.) All that said, I will point out that when it's a sufficiently good love story, I can get drawn in despite being aromantic. It's just that it's not a wish-fulfillment story. But, uhh...while this movie is a good story, it's definitely not a good love story. As for 1: Honestly, I think they just gave the animation team free rein to make things as pretty as possible. And one of them was like "well, I know how to do that....BIRDS!" The amount of effort these animators put in is beyond anything I've seen, and I've seen some very pretty anime.

@keystrokecascade

Жыл бұрын

Idk about the other two but for 3. I need to rewatch both, however I feel the comet is both implied to be spiritual and also related to the natural disasters present in Weathering With You, maybe whatever it's "impregnating" the earth with is the seed for those events?

@rainxcanndy

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. I have a million thoughts about this movie, but would like to provide a little insight on question 3. This movie has a lot of underlying tones of cycles and I believe it's even stated by Mitsuha's grandmother that her and her husband met under similar circumstances. The shrine is literally in the middle of a crater of where the last meteor struck. Similarly, for the sequence after Taki drinks the wine, I feel as if it is showing how life and death act in the same way. Mitsuha's mom (correct me if I'm remembering wrongly) dies at childbirth. As you said, the meteor, a cosmic ball of death and destruction, turns into a sperm cell. Idk I always have a hard time writing critical and logical explanations of art 😅. Also the depiction of gendered behaviors, especially when I saw this in 2016 when I was a teenage boy, and not a twenty something girl, was something that was incredibly impactful on me. Overall amazing video, and I think your conclusion hits the nail right on the head. I'm curious what you think of Weathering with You, Shinkai's following film that actually included both Mitsuha and Taki in it. (They play a minor role but their screentime, at least to me, is very important for both the plot of Weathering with You, and giving a little more closure on their journey after Your Name.) As well as overall having a very interesting look at personal choice, freedom, and human resilience. I'd even be bold enough to say it feels almost like the antithesis to Your Name.

I think the general idea was this: Mitsuha is already a fleshed out character at the start with a backstory, wants and needs, and a clear life goal in mind. Taki on the other hand is a blank slate. A faceless, normal big city boy, nothing special, no real purpose, just living because that's what you do. So while Matsuha wanted the body-swapping because she figured it could give her life meaning, Taki was in it because of happenstance at first - but as it turns out, he also needed the body-swapping to actually grow, develop a character and individuality. The experience gave his life a meaning other than being one of thousands of architecture students in Japan.

@catgames703

7 ай бұрын

I really like this interpretation of the movie!

@Sacrosanction

6 ай бұрын

That's a really well-articulated interpretation. I appreciate this.

@OhNoBohNo

2 ай бұрын

he thought he was complete as is so much he didn't realize the things he might be miserable in until he was in a new perspective, a new body he might envy, and finding new aspects of himself he may have felt too ground down by life to fully consider until he had someone to love and something to hold onto

@riverKoi_

2 ай бұрын

well said

@jiyuhong5853

Ай бұрын

read earthbound

Tbf, on the thread thing, the romantic subplot is pretty obvious from a japanese cultural perspective. The symbolism of thread binding two people together, especially red thread, is a classic trope to symbolize romantic relationships, of love that is to come beyond space & time. We see it in a bunch of other shows as well such as Tenchi in Tokyo, and even pokemon uses it in the form of the item Destiny Knot, which is used to make the pokemon who holds it more infatuated with their trainer. For a western translation, it'd be like if there were arrows with heart shaped arrowheads in the motif the whole time. It's not a perfect translation, but the signposting is similarly obvious.

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Oh see there you go. Ive definitely seen red threads pop up here and there in japanese media but didnt know it had specifically romantic connotations. Thank you! The ambiguity created by not knowing that symbolism definitely altered my perception of your name's first half

@brodieback9030

4 ай бұрын

Mitsuha's cutting her hair short is common in Japanese culture too, it's typically after a woman has her heartbroken.@@Skyehoppers

On the how their relationship would work question, I feel like the answer is that they both see & find the joy in the thing the other finds confining, and that because they both care for one another, they can have a window into that joy, allowing them to share that in a way they couldn't find alone or anywhere else. It's like when you share a hobby with a partner and they love it as much as you but for different reasons, and their enthusiasm from a different perspective feeds your love of it, or how a hobby you lost interest in a long time ago can be reignited when your kids or a young relative suddenly shows interest and you fall in love again. Cause I think they both want to be in love with where they are too, but hate that they cannot find it and that their world seems uninterested in meeting them where they are, but since both of them have now literally been where each other has been, they have a shared common ground & understanding that even transcends their memory loss that would allow them meet and meld their loves & experiences with their very different worlds.

@Open_Air_Museum

9 ай бұрын

I love this. Thank you for taking your time to write it

@UR_REAL_FBI_AGENT

5 ай бұрын

Yeah and they better had ended together fr

@Treblebeatgames

4 ай бұрын

We also have to remember that a huge part of this is not so much the romance during the movie, but what will come after, as they get to know the person who they feel an uncanny connection to. The goal is less to establish that in the movie, but more establish what musubi is, and why it matters, and how things like love and connection transcend the concept of time and space.

@cheyennemoore8380

Ай бұрын

@@Treblebeatgames Exactly! And they clearly live in the city and probably visit the country often. It's normal for most couples who don't want to live in the country but enjoy it when they want to live the city. Makes sense to me.

In my interpretation, neither of them noticing the time gap and Taki not remembering the comet accident from 3 years ago is all part of the connection itself. Like how Taki forgets Mitsuha's name is also part of their connection.

@Grampelmonster69

9 ай бұрын

Honestly i dont see how a person with somewhat fussy memory would ever think "ah yes this is probably a timetraveling thing aswell as a body swap thing" even if they knew the scenery.

I wonder if part of Taki's underdevelopment is part of his character, that he doesn't feel like he is a lot of a person and doesn't know who or what he is and how he wants to or should develop. So where Mitsuha's problem is she knows what she wants but not how to get it at least initially, his is that he has no clue and no idea where to start, stuck in a life kind of defaulting to autopilot that he feels no answer for how to get out of or if there is an out that isn't just death. His experiences with Mitsuha though are so profound to him because it shows him how profoundly different life can be, could be, and how close that choice is, and though he is limited in his ability to understand it, that he lacks a lot of the emotional tools or language to even talk or think about it, that this other life, this experience he's having is true and possible, and that revelation is both hitting him like a comet, and driving him to make sure he doesn't lose it, cause he's terrified of ever going back to the drab life he had before, even if he can only vaguely remember the life he lived as her.

@_sansvisage

5 ай бұрын

probably i mean like isnt mitsuha the on who wished, so taki being there is just happenstance

@spyrosgkoumas5339

3 ай бұрын

I think the reason taki and many anime make leads are so bland is because that’s how the average Japanese man is often made to feel. I do not know this of course since I am neither Japanese, nor have I ever lived in Japan. However, it feels to me that the lack of individualism as a value is what makes such characters work for Japanese audiences.

@OhNoBohNo

2 ай бұрын

it also gives a contrast with how city life can throw a person into unending monotony if they just go with it

i think the movie does a good job at explaining the kind of love that is hard to explain at all. instead of meeting a person from the outside and later finding out more about them, they literally become that person before meeting that outer version. when it comes to real life, these kind of relationships remind me of online friends meeting and connnecting through a version they don’t usually show in their daily lives before meeting each other irl. i think there are definitely issues with the way it was portrayed but something about the way it was felt very familiar to me and i think that example would be the best way i could describe it. they even draw a connection to it in the movie.

Another fantastic analysis. I wrote a lot of thoughts in the discord but I wanted to summarize my ideas here - 1. I really love your honesty in your analysis. You don't take on big weighty sociocultural topics that you don't exist in, but you still give them fair light, where a lot of essayists would try to Be the Expert or just ignore them outright. 2. I'm deeply stubborn and slow to change opinion, but I think you really swayed me on how I feel about Taki. I never thought he was *great*, but I still saw him as, well, worthy of being a main character, maybe a bit blind to some of the flaws he has. In a lot of light I see some of my old self in him, in wanting to escape monotony, noise, and expectation, and being willing to ignore his ignorance of the feelings of others to do that. There's something funny to think about that. 3. wow, even short clips without the accompanying music in this movie still make me tear up a bit. 4. Your editing is top notch, and your comedic timing matches it. Every time I stopped to point out a joke I liked then unpaused, another, funnier joke made me stop again. 5. re: transness - Like I said in the discord (and elaborated there) - They didn't intend to make a trans metaphor, but they made one, for all the ups and downs. Can't wait for the next one!

Your editing style is just gorgeous. I can’t imagine how much time and effort you put into content like this

It's been a while since I've watched the movie, but I had always gotten the feeling that Taki was a person who did not pay much attention to things not directly in his life. I might be misremembering, but I could've sworn there was a scene where he was trying to see the comet, only to find out it's the anniversary, not the actual date. I think he only half paid attention to the news when it happened? That to me implied more of a sense of dissociating with the world around him due to his general disinterest and dissatisfaction with his current place in life. The movie definitely doesn't give him enough time to become a character in the beginning, but the epilogue spending time for him is almost like a mirror to it doing so for Mitsuha in the beginning. Not that it makes it any easier to root for him during, y'know, the entire runtime before that. Then again, I was too distracted by how the movie made me felt to really notice the difference in how it treated its characters. I'm a sucker for any media that makes me absolutely forget everything around me and come out of it feeling like something is missing now that it's over. This is one of those movies I really wish I could experience watching for the first time again. Anyway, your editing is incredible. The effort and love you put into this video is as obvious as they did for the movie. Listened to a few of your videos on a drive last night and came back today for this one, glad I did! Keep up the good work.

@ruffboimags

7 ай бұрын

This was sort of the feel i got about Taki not remembering the comet thing as well. Not to mention, he would've been, what, 13 or 14 when it happened? If the news cycle moved on relatively quickly, which it probably would, sadly, I can see perhaps "meteor destroys entire small town woah that's wild!" probably stuck, but not enough details to put the pieces together. That plus, it was a dream, sort of, even if it was real. Even the most vivid dreams where you remember certain things with picture perfect clarity, the other stuff fades, pretty much immediately, and I very much got the sense that was happening with the swaps.

@massunger1

4 ай бұрын

Very true, in all actuality the vast majority of people really have no clue what’s happening in the world around them. Particularly here in the U.S. 🙄 where a large majority of my coworkers can’t even point Mexico out on a map, one girl even thought it was an island 🤦🏻‍♂️ I doubt any of them paid attention when the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami happened. They were probably more interested in NCAA basketball March madness. Granted Taki seems a bit more intelligent than your average American meathead, but the hazy dream like memory seems more than capable of covering this gap.

This was the first movie that made me cry, i can't really go into why exactly, that would be a lot of TMI on my end, but i ended up associating with both characters, i felt that connection they shared

@yjas8904

6 ай бұрын

not the first time but I definitely cried. my tears just dropped lol

Great analysis as usual. I didn't realy realise how much flawed the movie was, which didn't change my feelings toward the movie, in reality I just now have an urge to watch it again, which is quite weird. That scene when it seems that Taki sees the life of Mitsuha, to me it felt more like their connection being fully realized. At this moment he doesn't only switch with Mitsuha, he sees her full life, he learns everything about her. This on its own would be enough for him to love her or just feel a deep attachment to her. I think the movie doesn't even try to make their romance compelling, it meant to be flawed. They feel a very deep connection between each others that they cannot name, and between a boy and a girl whenever there's that feeling of a connection (especially in conservative society) it's often attributed to love, which I feel it's the case here. That's the only concept that both of them thought of, and people really attribute many things to love and too many relationships are this flawed between a couple that just shouldn't even be together. It is something that almost everyone knows, the feeling that you really love someone even though it doesn't make any sense, which always fail. To me Your Name success shows that we really don't need a perfect story or characters to experience an emotion. We're not that logical and Taki being that flawed and not really likeable proves it, even not understanding why he "loves" Mitsuha doesn't matter, the emotion is real, we all experience this, the dissosance between logic and emotion is something we're used to and that's what makes Taki work as a character while watching the movie. Additionally Taki might have been represented as shallow because he really is, he mistakes art for archticture, which could be implied that because it's what a successful life is, he doesn't seem to be really rejecting his life as Mitsuha, he's more passive. This is even highlighted by the fact that Mitsuha goes to meet him, while he never consider it or even doing essentialy anything substantial until the very end. I think that Taki is flawed, plain, and shallow by design, and the whole experience is what changes him by the end. But even though, we can see him still struggling to conform by the time Mitsuha has already made a big change to her life. At least to me Taki represents the part of us that want to be boring passive successful (by society standards), while Mitsuha represents the part that rejects that, thus both are relatable in an emotional level not a logical one. Maybe Your Name is good because of its flaws not despite them. And maybe movies shouldn't be limited to telling coherent stories and focus on conveying emotions; making art, not architecture that recreates the beauty of art.

@vikramo6994

10 ай бұрын

You know what, I think that makes it more realistic in that way. Not everyone has a complex life, some have a really simple shallow one. Also I think that it the movie spends more time on Mitsuba to make it more impacting on the audience, so that when she dies, we feel the same sense of loss. Another thing is that all memory of the body swap is wiped and only preserved through writing. And yes. Taki being pervy is definitely not ok. But regardless it's a good fil.

@OhNoBohNo

2 ай бұрын

it also feels like it creates the sort of thing where two characters find themselves coming together from shared circumstance, adventure, and even trauma; and I don't know, I can't say that's the healthiest as the * ONLY * basis of a relationship, but its compelling and clearly there's a lot they admire in each other and their lives. I think it'd be easy to say Taki is, like, invested in the story of a doomed girl in a doomed town, and that's been done before, but he's been in her body and her life with her family and friends.

I could never quite process my own thoughts on this film. It was just a vague sensation that it was really good, but without being able to point to much of anything. I think this video has perfectly reflected why that might be. This is a really good analysis.

As someone who is obsessed with this type of video (my favorite in the genre being the channel Breadsword) and has majorly been dissatisfied with most of what I have found you, my friend, are clearing the bar, taking the bar, and leading with it. Your editing style, script writing, and simply the flow of your analysis and line delivery are so on point and IMO just about as good as anyone out there doing this style of artistically-leaning video essay. Cannot believe this channel doesn't have more subs, I know you're gonna get huge when one lucky video catches the algorithm.

why is this video so underrated bro this guy deserves more

I have to be honest here - it's really refreshing to see a more critical look at this film, despite it being my favorite of all time. I have a deep personal connection to this film that I would never be able to fully express, but I'm aware that it is not perfect. Yet hearing the imperfections laid out makes me think for the first time about the ways it could be improved. It makes me feel confident that, as an artist, I can learn not just from this film's successes, but from its shortcomings. 10/10 video, I'll absolutely be coming back to this one when I need a shot of creative inspiration.

41:53 Skyehoppers: “Taki doesn’t want to be an architect, taki wants to be.. “ me: “.. a girl” Skyehoppers: “.. an artist”

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Aha yeahhh I think I could've gone harder on the trans reading now that I've gotten feedback from trans people. I'm not trans so I felt a bit anxious that I would be out of my depth. And tbh I definitely, easily, saw Mitsuha as a trans character but wasn't really sure about Taki. But yeah a bunch of trans women have said they instantly saw him as an "egg" so I think I didn't see it maybe because I've never wanted to be a girl myself. In the end I went with a reading of Taki's character that aligns with the parts of my cis self that I see in him. Really, it's me that wants to be an artist.

@toyo8460

11 ай бұрын

So a girl can't be an architect lol

loved this video so much! it encapsulated everything i love about your name and explained what i couldn’t explain myself. i just wanted to say that i love your work and your angle on games/media because your love for them really comes out. you handle each topic with so much detail and analysis but also so much care and joy and it’s truly so inspiring to watch. appreciate your work

My god, beautifully done. I hope you become better known if that is your goal. Your interpretations are profoundly deep and emotionally captivating and manage to lay out clearly, all there is to discover in a story told. One thing I want to note is the rather shallow sense of love and relationship, especially in young Japanese highschoolers. You correctly said to understand Your Name to its fullest, one would have to know Japanese culture and society. So of course one thing you will find weird, as a person with Western values, is the way love is handled in Japan. For example some people just get into a relationship to experience the winter "as a couple" doing all the romantic christmas activities together. So the words "I love you" get thrown around for the sole purpose of spending the winter months in a relationship, often with a person you have very little in common with. Also the letters Taki wrote on Mitsuhas hand 好きだ is not the full blown "I love you", rather it is "I like you", which of course is used as I love you, but also as "I have a crush on you". I hope to see more of your interpretations in the future and wish you all the best.

I SAW THAT PARALLAX EFFECT, LET'S GOOOOOOO EDITING

I've only seen this movie once like 5 years ago, so it's a testament to both the impact of the movie and your storytelling that you brought my whole experience right back up in this video. I also think it's easy to simply criticize a movie's flaws without analysis (like some other channel you make fun of in this video might), so it's really refreshing to hear you look at the movie from all angles. To praise its beautiful visuals while questioning its depiction of Taki. And to criticize the maybe lacking ending of a simple romance, while still admitting that the raw emotions of those scenes still have an impact. I feel you perfectly analyzed the flaws that make my experience with this movie as they are, remembering it as a great film, that made me cry (even with rewatching scenes in this video!), but always like there was some part... missing. Something that could've been better. Excellent video!

You're confused. They're looking for someone not in the modern, naive sense of a soulmate, they're looking for someone who's a soulmate.

Thanks for your video, it is refreshing to hear someone criticise the film’s shortcomings because I have hardly come across any criticism. I also enjoyed the excellent editing. My other thoughts on this review: I think the characters can be forgiven for not checking which year they are in given that finding themselves in a different body in a different gender is a pretty potent distraction from these details? As for forgetting about the comet and the name of the town, I attributed that to Taki’s leaving half of himself behind in Musubi’s shrine (which we see happening right before his date with Okudera). About Taki’s impulsiveness and aggression, I think we see it several times in the movie. Apart from the bandage on his face that Okudera called attention to, we also saw his aggression when he, in Mitsuha’s body, stood up to Mitsuha’s bullies and grabbed her father’s tie. I acknowledge (1) the uneven character development for Taki and Mitsuha; (2) the point about the protagonists wanting to live out each other’s lives (rather than necessarily with each other), and (3) that the film could perhaps be clearer on why Taki and Mitsuha fell in love. However, I respectfully disagree that the film does not suggest that they would not be a good match. Speaking from the perspective of someone who has found his Mitsuha, one of the things that I identified with in the film is how Taki and Mitsuha appeared to improve/complement each other, and in particular also improve the relationships the other party had with their family/friends. It all culminated in them working together to save the lives of the townsfolk, a task that they were aware they could not accomplish by themselves. While my girlfriend and I will probably not pull off anything so dramatic, I think the way we complement one another is what makes our relationship a strong one, and hence I could understand why the protagonists fell in love after they realised how they complemented one another, which ties in with the idea of the two being made whole when together, whereas feeling as though they have lost something when apart. That said, I can also understand that this may not resonate with someone with a different experience from me. Someone else also pointed out that living each other’s lives made them appreciate what each other had, and appreciate who they are as a person: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hJyfusGud66tYdY.html We also know that Taki is enamoured with Itomori and the Miyamizu traditions; couldn’t that be something that they might talk about after reuniting? While Mitsuha might have loathed both prior to the comet’s fall, I suspect that her antipathy might have been moderated after she realised the role those traditions played in saving the lives of her neighbours.

This was such an incredibly well made and deep and interesting video. I'm so impressed with this. You actually changed and deepened my understanding and appreciation for this movie a lot.

Personally I felt that the movie having only 1 protagonist originally was a little more intentional. After a quick shot of the time they met in Tokyo, the first scene we get is Taki in Mitsuha's body for about 20 seconds, followed by Mitsuha waking up in her own body the next morning, then in Taki's after that. We get some scenes of Taki in Mitsuha's body involving the Shinto shrine, but these all serve as another perspective on Mitsuha's existence. In fact, we get only very short snippets of Taki as himself before the switches stop, and I can't help but feel this was intentional. Even when Taki was in Mitsuha's body it was still an exploration of Mitsuha's character, not Taki's. The sudden shift of perspective helps add to the shock of the realization of Itomori's destruction. With these being said though, despite almost never actually being on screen, we get a lot more indirect character development than I think you give him credit for. Sure we don't *see* him do things, but we do thoroughly see bits of his life through the eyes of Mitsuha, and I think, like the Shinto shrine scenes, this shows more about the character who's life is being lived than the character actually performing the actions. Though we don't see Taki's actions specifically, we see both the statements from other characters, and, more importantly, the circumstances of Taki's life. His father, though not aggressive, is certainly somewhat distant seeming. Whereas Mitsuha got woken up by Yotsuha and told that breakfast was ready, Taki(Mitsuha in Taki's body) got out of bed on his/her own, showing a different family dynamic that says something about Taki's character just by proxy. Taki is shown to go to school, have friends, and hold down a job that is extremely hectic. Characters seem surprised at Mitsuha's mannerisms, and angry over things like her/him being too quiet, too slow, or sloppy at work. Though we never see Taki in these situations, we can infer quite a lot about his character through this. Later on when the perspective shifts to Taki for a good chunk of time, we aren't quite left with a blank slate because of this. Taki has changed through his dream encounters with Itomori, and though we never knew him before that directly, we are given many context clues up to this point. Though never stated as directly as with Mitsuha, his circumstances themselves imply that Taki enjoys the life he switches into partially just because of the breathing room it allows him compared to a relatively fast paced life back at home, and while Taki experiences a relatively distant relationship with his family, his experience in Mitsuha's body, with a sister and grandma who she's close to, similarly probably felt like a welcome change from in real life. While on a certain level I, like you, struggle to view this a romance, I think that depends partially on how I'm projecting my expectations based on other romances, as well as my idea of romance in regards to my own life. Taki and Mitsuha certainly aren't the 'fall in love and live happily ever after on a romantic getaway beach' kind of couple. They are first and foremost, best friends, even if they only met once, but I don't think that means they can't also grow to be romantically involved as well. I think, furthermore, that the characters themselves are at least partially aware of that dynamic. I personally don't view any of Mitsuha's actions in a necessarily romantic sense. And as for Taki, his talk with Okudera after their date when he's accused of having a crush on 'someone else' seems to imply that neither 'yes' or 'no' fit his feelings for Mitsuha precisely right. Their one and only time meeting face to face (before the epilogue) shows a lot of trust between the two. They care deeply about each other, but perhaps more importantly, they have a lot of faith in the other's ability to handle themselves. Taki's pre development personality is as aforementioned only really implied, but I think it was implied strongly enough that his willingness to go seek out Mitsuha because he believed she'd be more capable than him at evacuating everyone was a big character step for him. While I do find their relationship believable, I also don't really tend to think of this movie as just a 'romance anime' because I believe their relationship, even at the end, was a lot more than 'just' a romantic one. Edit: (Because I'm still thinking on it) I love this movie, but, I also find it hard to recommend it. It's hard to give brief summary of the premise without spoiling the movie or making it sound like a comedy plot. While I love the movie it's symbolism of the two characters mirroring each other is so not subtle that it's hard to talk about even if I could talk without caring about spoilers. Additionally, as you mentioned, the gag of Taki touching Mitsuha in her body is definitely not the greatest, being played as a joke and only being borderline funny one time (though I get the feeling it was partially done as a way to signify who was occupying her body), but it certainly doesn't help that it's the first scene in the entire movie aside from scattered 'memories' of when they met on the train 3 years ago from Takis perspective. Even aside from this, the movie starts off feeling a little 'awkward', and the pacing feels a lot faster on subsequent viewings because of the number of moments of foreshadowing and call backs that you're now aware of. I always tell people how much this movie makes me sob, but then if I watch it with them they usually spend the whole first act not 'bored' or anything, but confused as to how this movie could possibly get such a strong reaction out of me. (I hope this doesn't sound like I'm stomping on your criticisms, this was a well made video and I'm just a girl in the comments section, I just wanted to offer up why these certain elements don't fall as flat for me as they do for you)

@V1G4M1

4 ай бұрын

This comment is really insightful and putting a lot into words I couldn‘t! ^^

Beautiful video for a beautiful movie! I never really thought much about Taki but you're absolutely right about how thin he is until way late. I love your interpretation of the themes too, how much the movie wants you to pursue your dreams. And even in this clipped version, the climax of the movie is stunning. Makes me want to rewatch!

This movie brings me to tears every time I watch it. And watching you explain to why this movie is so gorgeous explain to why the movie is such a good movie to watch even with the flaws. Makes me cry. I knew that I cried at the end of the hallucination scene because of the sound, but I never correlated the sound to death maybe subconsciously but wow.

I’ve been looking for a deep dive into my favourite film for a while so thanks for this!

I feel Taki being an underdeveloped character is part of who he is, and part of the themes and settings of the film as well. He is a city boy, lost in the haze of it all. He has few stand-out friends, and only 3 make it with him to adulthood. He feels like another person in Tokyo, which is why its important when Mitsuha ended up going to Tokyo to meet him, and give him the thread that binds them together. She sees him in the crowd. She notices him. To her, it is not a single person in a sea of millions, but the person she made the conscious decision and desire to go see. Not to mention, the hazy memory can easily cover the plot point of the comet destroying the town "being excited to see the comet" isn't quite indicative of "she must be from the town that got destroyed" especially when he doesnt know specifically where it is, and he clearly forgets the name of the town. Perhaps he forgets it even when his life is caught in it all? We never see the name of the town written from the notes that get passed. The year thing i have less of an issue, but the destroyed comet plot hole is less of a plot hole and more like a plot divet.

There is only one thing I can say about this video. You somehow made me forget the last 43 minutes. I simply did not realize I spent the past 43 minutes watching this. like damn my attention span is garbage. you call this movie magnetic I call this video magnetic. Just DAMN . Reconstructed more like you reconstructed my attention span

Beautiful analysis so far, but PLEASE read this as you were mislead by the translation. 10:52 Mitsuha is looking at the mirror and only says “I’m jealous…. They must be together now”. And she never mentions he nor she. Mitsuha set up a date between the two, but realizes her feelings for Taki, which then makes her want to go see Taki so badly. She then gets heartbroken by the fact that the feeling is not mutual and decides to cut her hair. (In Japan, women tend to cut their hair short after a heartbreak, which is directly mentioned by Tessie in the movie)

I cannot find the right words for the praise this video deserves. Your work is amazing

Loved this video! Such an insightful look at a movie that, in spite of its flaws, still resonates with me as a favorite. Though you’ve certainly opened my eyes to even more of its flaws. Also, as usual, the editing and production on this video was stellar! The use of text was so classy and fitting, and the joke of a certain other youtube-y way of reviewing movies destroyed me. It’s odd how your videos always make me consider things deeper than just the stories themselves, but our relationships with stories themselves and how we interact with their depth and analysis. Certainly, your analysis of Taki is making me think about why it is that it doesn’t completely bother me. I can’t disagree with your criticisms, and you actually made me agree with your perspective that it’s easy to love this movie but hard to recommend it, primarily because one of the core characters is so empty. And yet Taki still works for me. And the only reason I can think of is that on some level, he does work into a self-insert for me. Certainly, within the general vibes of young man trying to find himself, I’m similar to him. And I do think it’s reasonable to enjoy a story because you can insert into it while also recognizing that this doesn’t give it universal appeal. We don’t have to let technical flaws make us like something less, but it’s good to understand exactly what’s happening. But I think there’s more to it than that. Why am I so quick to forgive Taki as a self-insert when plenty of other blatant self-inserts in fiction annoy the hell out of me? My current answer is that framing and execution do matter. Some self inserts are a bland nothing character who just explores an isekai world and dominates people with his cheat power. There’s no narrative around that worth engaging with. But Taki is a self-insert who experiences something unique and interesting, both as a matter of story structure, and as a matter of emotions (finding someone you remember from a dream, the sense of loss when he discovers the crater). Is that all it takes to make a self-insert enjoyable? I guess for me, sometimes it is. Taki lets me self-insert into an INTERESTING experience. Though maybe it will bother me more on my next rewatch. It’s making me think that a lot of the discourse around self-insertable protagonists is still underdeveloped. It’s one of those buzzwords that we throw at a character that instantly poisons them, makes it so if someone wants to defend a character they worry about seeming shallow for liking the self-insert. Yet the line between a self-insertable character and someone relatable is surprisingly thin. It’s also just possible I’m hard coping here to deal with the fact that a character I like is a bland self-insert, lol. But I think having the vocabulary to recognize that it doesn’t work very well and wonder why a character resonates with you anyway is valuable. I do think that there are things to read into Taki’s personality, minimal as they are. It might just be that I’ve watched this movie 10 times and read too much into it, but I think there’s a lot to his personality. His brashness, his short temper that leads to trying to fight, is absolutely not fleshed out enough, but we do see it called back to when he tries to fight Mitsuha’s father. I think the problem is less that subtle characterization isn’t there, and more that it isn’t properly used by the story. If Taki had to learn to be more patient, then it might have value as a point of characterization. I actually find it kind of consistent that he’s short-tempered, because when we see him struggling in interviews near the end of the movie, it feels like someone who would rather just shout and be brash struggling to thrive in a more calm and thoughtful environment. Again, maybe reading into it too much, but it feels like a kind of real person to me. There’s also something to read into his love of architecture. I agree with what you said about him wanting to be an artist, not an architect, and I think that actually helps the movie say a little more than you’re giving it credit for about the contrast between urban and rural life. Someone else in the patron discord mentioned that Taki comes off like he’s bored by urban life, the draining job, the repetitive walks to school and back. While Mitsuha idealizes having a fun life in the city, I think Taki doesn’t idealize rural life, so much as he just appreciates how the scenery and more unique architecture is more enjoyable. He doesn’t want to live in Itomori so much as he wants to draw from that and make cities more memorable and beautiful, as we see in his job interviews. I think the issue with him is less that this characterization doesn’t exist (though I would still agree it’s more minimal than it should be) and more that it isn’t worked into the story’s structure at all. The problem is that you could take most of it out, and the story would still work about as well as it does. Like you said, the movie forcing it into the romantic structure is very odd. I’ve always been aware that you could kind of question why they fell in love at all, and personally wasn’t bothered by it just because I was so caught up in the emotion of loving someone from a dream. But your analysis into exactly how they don’t complement each other and their character arcs don’t actually set up that they need each other dug way, way deeper than I expected. The climax where they meet is beautiful but feels oddly disjointed from everything else in the movie. Honestly, I thought I had more to put in this comment, but over the course of the video you addressed basically everything. I am surprised by how true it is that the movie just doesn’t have a clear message or theme. The fact that you have pointed out how bad of a character Taki is, though, only makes me stronger and more evil, because I am a longtime believer that Hodaka from Weathering With You is by far a more interesting protagonist with more of an arc. Really, I think Weathering With You is a more cohesive experience than Your Name. Or at least, rather than having a complex smattering of confusing flaws, it just has one really big one, while the rest is greaet. It kind of ties into the moment you end on. Your Name feels like it’s saying that if you have that feeling of specialness, of some spark to chase that will make you happy, you should chase it. I loved the movie for how well it captured that feeling. But I think what so many people miss about Weathering With You is that it takes that theme and attacks it. It has something to say about people who want to chase the rush of passion in life. It’s critical of it while at the same time refuses to condemn the act of chasing dreams. But Your Name feels, at the same time, like the more ambitious one. WWY is more thematically cohesive (other than the one thing lol) but has a more regular plot structure. While Your Name is something of an event movie. My favorite thing about it is actually the structure, the way that it starts as a body swap story but builds into a shockingly complex timeline, as it fills in the past and future of when Mitsuha’s trip to Tokyo occurred, pivotal to events in a way we hadn’t even realized. You’re right, it really shouldn’t be this good.

How are you this underrated? The production quality is absolutely astounding on your videos. Keep up the amazing work this is gonna pay off

The movie does a pretty good job of expressing that something in the magic of their switching also affects their memories, it seemed pretty obvious to me that this caused Taki's lack of knowledge about the disaster

please make more video essays in film man, this was so insightful

2 years ago.....when I finished watching your name on after noon,I thought to go on roof and so sudennly I saw a meteor going through which was visible for some minutes and that moment I got the same feeling as in your name that there is someone.......and so you said at the last that ''it exists for some reason''......i remembered that meteor again..... that day was like a magical to me,I saw a unqiue movie and right afterthat...saw a rare meteor I am kinda lost on feelings this winter...

I think you've finally given me the context to understand why I didn't like the film very much, even though I enjoyed the first 40 minutes well enough. I came out of my first watch confused, both about its ending and critical reception. Although I definitely didn't notice Taki's lack of character (probably due to the framing as you mentioned), I didn't understand the romance at all, despite generally liking Japanese romance media. Ironically enough, it gave me the feeling that there was something missing from making it a good film.

Love your analysis

Very nice video. I check in on the channel from time to time cause i think your videos have a huge potential. I really appreciate the hard work you put into it and i can imagine how long it takes to edit. As a creator i myself i couldn't stop to notice this video has one point that dosent let go of me. The lacking character development of Taki wich i think sure has a point but its not as horrible as you make it out to be considering how you even depict at the end that he has his development very late in the story but i think its the perfect timing. At first we get Introduced to Mizuhara in the countryside wich quite literally shows us the past with its beauty and flaws then we go over in a mixed state the present a point where the main part of the story plays (present being mizuhara and takis present at the same time). Here the main plot develops until it finishes with both presents quite literally fusing into one. At this point of the movie there's only one thing left the future. Like Mizuharas past played in Itomori Takis future plays in tokyo once aigan resembling the future. In the perspective of taki we get a few of views into his "future live" and mizuhara is only a very small part of it like taki was in the mizuhara present part at the start. This segment fittingly is way shorter than the past segment considering the past already happend but the future is yet to come. Finishing the bonding chain in the structure of the movie pas - present - future. I personally like the more or less open ending because it leaves room for imagination wich is not always the best way to end a story. Could we have seen a few shot of there future live? Going out - marriage - getting kids - getting old etc yes totally. Tho this move still depicts to me the future isn't yet written and your its author so reach for the stars. holy i didnt excpect this to become a whole essay but whatever. Still great video and i hope to see more in the future.

Thanks for explaining the lunch scene! I only watched the dub, so I wasn't sure exactly why the dialog was so awkward but figured it was probably due to translation. Just a heads up, the sound levels can make it a little difficult to hear what you're saying at times. I found myself adjusting volume a few times. For example, the music coming in at 00:50 is much louder than your voice just a few seconds before, and the music volume doesn't come down when you start speaking again. It does come down after a few more seconds, but then you stop talking and the music goes up and is much louder than the rest of the video.

wow, beautiful explanation on this story. you should deserve more!

Despite helping me understanding flaws this movie had, your video still helped me appreciate the film even more. Thank you for creating this essay.

Damn how is this not more popular, it's so thorough and now I really need to re-watch it with my current worldview to see if my interpretation has changed. I hadn't realised I was trans back when I first watched this but remembering how much I related to the body swapping makes a lot more sense now, I certainly need to consider a more queer reading of it. I love this kind of analysis and I really really hope you do more!

It's been years since I've seen the movie but even though I agree that Taki and Mitsuha wouldn't make a great couple, any pair of people would grow a tight and special bond after going through that mind blowing experience. I also wondered how did Mitsuha remember to save the town after losing her memories during the twilight scene? Once again I've forgotten most of this movie so I'm probably missing something obvious here.

4:51 you can tell who is who because mitsuha ties her hair with the ribbon

I am so late to this party, but was deeply disappointed that Mitsuha's love story wasn't with Okudera. While watching the movie, I actually thought the entire purpose of Okudera joining the search for Itomori was so she and Mitsuha would meet. Taki *is* empty. Like a conduit, if you will, connecting the two women. 💕✨️ Obviously the movie ended very differently and here we are. But what could have been...

I finally watched the fucking movie, i'm sobbing rn, but so ready to watch this video. Thanks for motivating me to watch a masterpiece that I wouldn't have touched otherwise

Holy shit! The video was beyond incredible. I craved more, more people's opinions and more thoughts as the film just left me speechless but I wasn't expecting to find something of this level. I don't think anyone could have said it better except with Taki, i cant formulate the words to express my opinion on him, in my eyes he's a great character and had the potential to be much more but at the same time maybe it was better that the writers left him this way I mean the base of his character was said before we even met him "a handsome, Tokyo boy" but I'm grateful that we saw him develop/shown more of his character throughout the film (more at the end). And relationship-wise while i don't like your opinion (i don't hate it in any way) it was really well said and I have nothing more then respect for it because it is valid but i think for me i didnt look at it that deeply, and i think its the fact that they grow, care for each other, and overcome problems together? permits them to make them feel they way that they do about one another. But i really really liked the vid and i think that this deserved much more recognition!

I like this video I swear XD BUT I would say that I didn't get the sense at ALL that the story had two protagonists - there was the mirroring yes, but I ascribed that to the mechanic of the body swapping. From the start, to me at least, it seemed clear that Mitsuha is the central character - the first time we see her, it's in her own life. The first time we see TAKI, it's in Mitsuha's life, however briefly that bit at the beginning was. And I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing? Taki's story was learning to find the joy and enthusiasm in the world, something I got the sense he was struggling to see, and finding a purpose and direction. He found that through having his familiar routine and relationships shaken up, both by experiencing Mitsuha's life but by experiencing the changes Mitsuha made in HIS life by living it from time to time. He seems to be a character that has a dream, in the epilogue. He has a passion for tradition and nature and remembering and continuing the connections to the past that tradition brings. He wants to do it through architecture and design. In contrast I have no idea wtf Mitsuha's doing or what she's passionate about... because I don't need to. Because a lot of the second half of the movie is shifting Taki to protagonist status and by the epilogue has fully slotted him in there. He's a fully developed person, even if we only get to see a few minutes of him. It's the beginning of the next story. Because time flows onward always, even if we're not there to see it and so forth. IDK I just. I feel like the film actually did more than i expected with Taki tbqh! ^^''

Ok this was an obscenly good analysis amazing job!!!

its a piece of art it doesn't need to be perfect to be perfect

i'm an outspoken your name non-enjoyer - while i find the visuals beautiful and breath-taking, the logical inconsistencies (such as the ones you brought up) stood out to me and broke my immersion in the story, and i found myself disappointed that this was what people found to be the "best anime movie of all time." however, your analysis helped me recontextualize my understanding of the film - while I still don't think it's the best anime movie of all time, I have a better understanding of why it has such a strong emotional impact on so many people. thank you

I think the story alludes to them having a lot of potential for romance. They bicker on things because they are separate and unique characters with their own personalities - but they work well together when it matters. They have different backgrounds and interests yet they still look for eachother despite all the other chances for romance as seen with taki and his coworker. They bonded over shared trauma and they clearly like eachother for their own reasons. It’s not supposed to be an equation, it’s just the flow of their dynamic has a chaotic beauty to it that we all saw and loved. Don’t shit on taki and mitsuha, the anime world ships it so give them a chance. The whole story is a lead up to their relationship - and you think there’s a problem before they even got a chance to sit down and have lunch together

me: clicks on a video essay video: "welcome to reconstructed" me: "dang, well i guess im watching some quality content again"

I too get emotional at this film, and I think for me part of that is in the music. RADWIMPS did great with the soundtrack. Gotta say, tho, for my particular enby experience, swapping to another body now and then? Sounds like a good deal. BRB, gonna go rewatch this movie with a trans lens.

I thought they kind of explained the main inconsistency you mentioned, didn't the film say they forget everything/anything related to each other, including the meeting on the subway, the name disappearing from hand and cant recall after. I wouldn't say it is illogical, it still makes sense in the film's logic. One more thing, this is time travelling, it is itself paradoxical, so it also can be explained in this way: In Taki's world the disaster may or may not have happened, each time we see any "future scene", maybe each time is different. so how can he remember something that had never happened. You know, like the "Last Thursdayism", you will never know. So the logical inconsistency you mentioned doesn't really stand in a time travelling film. And i think the director is well aware of this, not in this specific, but i think he understand this is a fantasy film, you can always explain after the fact, therefore no need to do it thoroughly beforehand.

As someone who's been very obsessed with the aro/ace spectrum and the way they approach attraction and friendships lately. I feel this very much, I literally point out to every relationship and say "they'd make great platonic friends" lol. I'm pretty sure my friends, with whom I can share my views, find me insufferable at this point lmaooo

@deesevrin8570

Жыл бұрын

There's tons of films and media about platonic friends, there's tons about romantic attraction. Both are important stories to tell even if only one of them is directly relevant to you.

@insertsomethingoriginal1376

Жыл бұрын

@@deesevrin8570 Yeah but the platonic aspect is often taken as something less relevant and in general does not get the same spotlight love does, and the bonds I usually see are somewhat superficial. Or they are otherwise done kinda poorly. You can't deny instead that romantic attraction oversaturates current media

@deesevrin8570

Жыл бұрын

@@insertsomethingoriginal1376 Oversaturation is a matter of perspective. Friendships and close non-romantic connections are a part of just about every story ever told while romance is only a part of most. It sounds to me that what you are after is something more specific than the chosen-sibling/pair-bond dynamic. I would love to see more of this to! It's bound to remain relatively uncommon however since it is not an experience most people have, hence it is less relatable to most would-be viewers and less likely to be a part of any would-be artists social repetoire. Dynamics most all people value are inevitably much more commonly depicted in art and media. It's up to those who value those less commonly celebrated dynamics to create that art and it will by very definition be more difficult to bring that art up into any sort of renown.

@insertsomethingoriginal1376

Жыл бұрын

@@deesevrin8570 Yeah I was never gonna argue against the fact people appreciate love more, because I see it too from others Platonic relationships are present all throughout our current media, sure, but what I was saying is that such dynamics are often rather shallow, and if they are meaningful they aren't really that relevant to the plot and mostly serve as a tool, or if anything the story treats them as always secondary, and I don't really like that, the kind of implied message people get is that a genuine friendship cannot be as valuable or should be somewhat taken as discardable, and yeah this is the case for most basic friendships, but it's not fundamentally true Not saying that such cases of great platonic dynamics in movies don't exist, but they're much rarer. I was saying love is overrepresented because I often see it in so many movies where it doesn't even feel necessary, it's so easy to implement and even to use it as an excuse to motivate characters, and we have lists of thoudands of tropes for it too! It's not in all movies, but it certainly pops up in like 90% of media I see, just the same as shallow platonic love does This is obviously a product of the world we live in. I have discussed this topic in length with other people as to why we developed like this, but despite having solid reasons and explanations as to why this all is the case, it can also be a problem, as it both puts people in a sort of self perpetuating cycle where they keep on being firmly stuck on love (movies sends messages regardless). An example is Your Namel, it went for a classic old tale but it changed the narrative in a way that to many ruined the message a bit Just because this is a common occurrence doesn't mean I'm particularly fond of it, that's all

amazing video

The portion where you described the way the visuals provide meaning to the film in a way the writing does not was really interesting. I haven't seen the film, but it looks like it nails the emotional payoffs after breezing through its setups, which doesn't seem like it should work but the film's reputation speaks for itself at this point

good work man!!

@Skyehoppers

7 ай бұрын

Thank you :) this video gets the fewest views of my essays so its nice to hear people are still enjoying it

She decided to cut her hair because she no longer possess the ribbon that she ties it with. She gave it to him. It was a practical choice. That's it.

24:21 for some reason this gives me Barefoot Gen vibes

this is awesome editing man. I found this from the reddit. you'll go famous one day I swear to god. edit: one thing that you should do is change the font for the text on the screen. The current font being used downgrades the quality of the video and makes it look like a school project.

An easy way to tell whether they are in their own bodies is to look for mitsuhas hair style and takis red thread bracelet sort of thing. Taki doesn’t know how to do mitsuhas hair style so therefore he settles on a ponytail (or bed hair at the beginning of the movie) and no red ribbon. Taki you can tell in most shots if he has mitsuhas red thread of fate around his wrist. If he does that means it’s him, otherwise it’s mitsuha This applies to every switch part from the final switch as mitsuha wakes up to taki already with the thread around takis wrist in the shrine

Well, you certainly tricked me into watching a fairly strong takedown of one of my favorite films. Gotta admit, you know how to make a script, and the editing is top notch as well. I certainly wrestle myself with some of the things you say about this film, and sometimes, maybe, make reaches in order to make sense of them. Your point about Taki needing more development is truthful, and there's reason in saying this doesn't fully work as a love story due to these characters not knowing each other. These are fair critisisms, but I also want to give my two cents on some interpretations of mine. Firstly, I think Your Name might intentionally trick us into thinking it will be a fish out of water story, what with Mitsuha's "I hate this town take me to Tokyo" mentality. It starts that way, and later let's her live her dream, but at some point, the movie wants to say that it is not a location, but human connection what fulfills us. Through Taki's relationship, Mitsuha is given strength, and has the power to make a difference in the community she initially hates. It kinda feels like the movie is saying "No, mitsuha, this story isn't going how you want it to go!" and I somewhat dig that. And secondly, I always interpeted YN's love angle to be less about true love itself and more about chances. Yes, these characters are connected via a magical bond, but they also have agency in their actions and emotions. Their swap is involuntary, but their desires to meet are a choice, as you say in the video. However, until these characters meet, they can't fall in love. Taki writes "I love you", but that feels more like an invitation to try again in the future, at the risk of not seeing each other again. Their feeling of looking for someone linger for years on end, and fate gives them the chance to try again in the end, but that's all it is, a chance. The last we see of Taki and Mitsuha is them meeting, because the future is unwritten. Now it is time to see if this love will work out, but the fact that they got here at all is beautiful on it's own right. I don't want to come off as negative though, it is important to dig deeper into the films we like and question their messaging. It's not an esay thing to do, but I think we all owe it to ourselves, and you certainly did a good job at that.

@fan4every1lol89

2 ай бұрын

Love your analysis. That second paragraph about "Chances" was what I was feeling but couldn't find what it was exactly looking at Taki and Mitsuha's dynamic. I noticed that the movie never explicitly focused on their "love" but more so with their connection and as you said "chance" This perfectly counters this video's last point that Your Name is a typical love story when it isnt

@undergalaxy775

2 ай бұрын

@@fan4every1lol89 thanks a lot! It is all up to interpretation, but thats more or less how I felt about it, so glad we found common ground

Yo how about you make a video about Viewtiful Joe(the original gamecube release) and cover passion and what it means to be a hero? Would be an interesting topic.

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Noted!

Fine I'll watch Your Name again

my name isn't This Good. my name is Tony

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Oh my goood I finally remembered why your profile pic looks familiar. Youre the oven the cold food of out the hot food guy!!

Honestly the film should have been about Mitsuha dying in the comet and living her new life as Taki, slowly learning that her wish came true but at the cost of her home being destroyed. Start with 'Taki' living his life but realising somethings wrong. He keeps having memories or dreams where he's living his life as Mitsuha and slowly discovers that she's Taki in a past life. Everything in her life at the start of the film should be shown up to where she makes her wish, then having Taki drink the sake he placed in a memory which reveals the truth. Have Mitsuha's timeline be set in the 80s or 90s, so the comet reveal has been long enough that it isn't talked about as much.

Watching this video without watching the movie, my mind is just going "trans, at least mitsuha is trans, they should just be long distance best friends that meet up all the time once they start to remember things, mitsuha goes to the city and transitions and taki is an architect in the countryside, TRANS TRANS TRANS"

Overall, a very good review, I only felt that you lack in research of the Shinto religion, which is the one that mainly explains all the phenomena that occurs in the movie, for example, the memories fade because it is the price they paid when they came out from the "underworld" the grandmother of Mitzuha said "to leave you must leave a part of yourself behind", or like the Kami of love, who is represented by the moon that is always present in Makotos movies, protected the "I love you" that Taki wrote on Mitzuha's hand, otherwise like all their memories and notes would have vanished so it was the correct move from Taki to write "I love you" instead of his name.

Darn, guess I'm off to re-watch this movie so I can see if I actually agree with this take or not. My impressions when I first watched it were super lukewarm, maybe time and perspective will make me appreciate it more. I'll watch the vid once I've caught up.

@Larry-kl9my

Ай бұрын

its been a year..?

God, I've got a lot of convos out of this XD. But I also feel like a lot of Your name could be looked at as a Feminist film as it shows that neither character is actually happy in the traditional roles their lives present for them, and only during the exploration of lives outside of their gender & class do they begin to discover their true selves. Taki's narrative reminds me a lot of belle hook's A Will to Change, where it talks about how patriarchy also abuses men and fails to teach them how to deal with emotions outside of a limited tool set, and how those emotions designated feminine are often meant to be ignored until starvation, which often leaves those of us raised as men poorly equipped to deal with them when they happen. And I think that is another reason why Taki's experiences are so profound for him, because his life as Mitsuha gives him a safe space where those emotional tools can start growing and not be shamed. Like feeling a connection to his community and history that's so profound it moves him to tears from that love & closeness stretching across time isn't something masculinity tends to allow, but his experiences as Mistuha allow him to have them, and the way it makes him feel, and how it makes him happy and helps him feel more complete than before is such a profound thing that he will chase it to the ends of the earth, and we are just seeing him start that journey throughout the film, and it's not till after that comet and years have past at the end that we really start to see him at a place where he's begun to be confident enough to stand up for that in public where it could cost him, in this instance shown by how if given the choice to design soulless corporate spaces that he doesn't feel emotionally connected to, or not work at all and keep chasing that dream, he'll do the latter, because that latter feeds his creative and emotional needs through his connection to that. Either way, great stuff dude, I have written an inordinate amount here because of this, and that's hella praise.

Also before I forget... Masterpiece. Chef's kiss 5/5 Great video

This was a really interesting review. You pretty clearly pick the movie apart and acknowledge its flaws, some of which seem rather fundamental and which should on paper ruin the immersion of the story, as well as some of the more "standard" and "boring" tropes, such as the inevitable heterosexual romance between the leads. Yet in the end you conclude that the emotional core, visuals, sounds etc somehow are powerful enough that the flaws just don't matter. It's pretty a pretty interesting perspective, that in the end the "objective" flaws of a movie doesn't necessarily define how the subjective experience of watching it ends up being. A movie can *feel* perfect even if your brain *knows* it isn't.

As a transfem, I especially relate to the the idea of wanting to swap bodies with someone, if even for a day. I find the ideas of swapping the gender roles of the characters, as well as the struggles with pronouns to be intriguing, despite not being notably related to the LGBTQ community in this film. It is truly interesting how we as humans draw connections to aspects of our own lives, even when there is none directly there to be made. I will note, to a degree, the film captures a sense of what gender dysphoria is like, however the feeling can be a wide spectrum for us. More so it is common for the feeling of gender dysphoria to be comparable to the feeling of touching soggy food while washing the dishes, or being made fun of for something stupid you said in class, or etc. If you have further questions, feel free to ask me! I would be happy to explain how life can be as a trans bisexual.

35:59 it's cheap. these two can't remember each other because fate decided, after letting them TIME TRAVEL and BODY SWAP, "fuck em"

I’m trans, but I just realized it about two months before you posted this, and I’ll be honest, when I watched it the first time on the day of posting, I don’t remember how strongly I felt about the trans reading, but I feel like that forgetfulness means it must not have been strong. However, rewatching it today after you posted it again, while I still can’t say much for Mitsuha in a transmasc form, (mainly bc as a transfem, that’s not really my place) for Taki upon rewatch the transfem angle works SO WELL, weirdly taking from Taki’s experiences in both bodies and Mitsuha’s in his. Bear with me here. (Also I’m going to still use “he” pronouns for Taki just so we’re on the same page) Taki actually reminds me a lot of a transfem for a few reasons. He doesn’t really fit in except with his small group of friends, and his interests (drawing and architecture) are not anything really involving him or his body itself. He puts on a tough facade to try to seem masculine, even getting into fights, despite it not really fitting with who he is, because he’s TRYING to be that way. Also it’s… uncomfortable… but even the fondling of Mitsuha’s/“his” (in the moment) breasts is…. not really what I would call sexual. Like yes he squeezes them and yes squeezing boobs is a horny thing for teenage guys, but he doesn’t seem to be doing it to get off. He literally is crying doing it on the day he tries to save Itomori. From a transfem angle, looking down and seeing boobs that weren’t there before is shocking sometimes, and they’re euphoric to play with in a way completely divorced from sexuality and much more in a way like, for lack of a better phrasing, “holy shit I have these!” but calmer and more serene at the same time, like it’s a wrong that’s been righted. But enough about boobs, there’s also the fact that while it does raise a few eyebrows, it’s not SUPER surprising for anyone when Mitsuha takes over his body. When she does, and acts more feminine in his body because she doesn’t really know How To Man, people DO respond to “him” differently, but not TOO much so. It’s really common for trans people who don’t realize they’re trans yet to still give off a general “queer” vibe, despite even as far as they know having no reason to. As an example, I’m exclusively into women romantically, and always have been, but I was “mistaken for gay” incredibly often when I was younger. (Turns out I was gay… just for women.) His friends and Okudera notice a difference in how “he” acts, yes, but it’s never enough that anyone’s like “hey actually why does Taki suddenly seem like a girl pretending to be a guy.” I think the date with Okudera actually really says a lot too, because I think he set off her queerdar for lack of a better term, but saw Mitsuha’s actions in his body as character development, as growth, as accepting his more feminine side, so when the real Taki hadn’t actually done that and she realized how much more coming into himself he had to do, she was… disappointed. Even his writing “I love you” on Mitsuha’s hand, gender envy can EXTREMELY EASILY be mistaken for a crush or further, especially when in denial, and feels like what happened from my perspective. Emotions are messy and explaining and figuring out what you’re feeling in the moment is even messier, especially with gender denial in the mix. I’ll be honest, I think you’re right about any romance between Mitsuha and Taki failing, but for a different reason. I think they both wanted to be eachother, and that gender envy would manifest in both of them without body swapping as being extremely controlling of eachother. I think that recognition at the end is of the life they wished they could live. If you read all this, thank you for your time, and to Skyehoppers specifically if YOU read this, thank you for the good cry. Even with the parts I think you missed the mark on with the trans reading this is still a SUPER powerful video which reminds me why I loved this movie back in my own denial days. I think I’ll give it a rewatch.

thank you yapping man

@Skyehoppers

3 ай бұрын

yw?

May I ask what the music you use for this are? They're excellent choices!

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Theyre all songs I found on Epidemic Sound! Ive been meaning to put together an actual list for a while but keep forgetting so thanks for reminding me. Ill do it in the next couple days and put it in the description

@captaintomato5433

Жыл бұрын

@@Skyehoppers Thank you so much! The music here sounds absolutely wonderful, and I'd love to listen to it as mood music.

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Done! Should be in the description with timestamps for the start of each song.

@captaintomato5433

Жыл бұрын

@@Skyehoppers Thank you!

I suppose somewhat the analysis of Your Name presented here, there are many parts of this review I find very compelling and some parts where it feels like we were so close to coming to the same conclusion but then we diverged rapidly and drastically at the end of it lol. I imagine it's largely the result of specific culture differences, between yours, my own, the creator, and Japan in general, - which are hard to articulate. Nevertheless, great video; in your own words: "Difficult to recommend", but certainly don't regret having seen it :)

@Skyehoppers

Жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I know it's been a few weeks but I'm curious which parts specifically you strongly disagreed with? No pressure it's just been pretty fascinating to see how differently people understand this film

I believe that you may have misinterpreted an important moment: Mitsuha articulated that she was upset for not being able to go on the date, but was surprised to see her tears in the mirror. This brings the realization that she didn't want to lose Taki to another after literally walking in his shoes.

@Skyehoppers

2 ай бұрын

Yeah given the way the film goes youre probably right that that was the intent. But the argument I settle on in this video is that the ambiguity in the writing and the particular themes and emotions it plays with lend itself to a lot of unintended but perfectly valid intepretations, and thats what actually makes it resonate with so many people.

Thanks for the compliment ;)

@jordynrawrz

7 ай бұрын

what

@Larry-kl9my

Ай бұрын

@@jordynrawrzlike the title is “ your name shouldent be this good” so hes sarcastic lol

I really want to watch this video but on account that I've never watched your name I feel I should hold off, see you in a few days or so

I didn't want to watch this because I love this movie and didn't want to have that boring shaken but I'm glad I did, I think I like the movie now now.

There are a few points that can be seen different, sometimes you don't need to be alike to be in love. "Not just looking for a bf" you clearly have no idea how can 1 person change our entire life, I am now married and she came to inject energy in my life I was just existing before my wife. You underestimate how love affect people and "rationale"

Yeah I think even Makoto Shinkai admits there’s a lot of flaws in this movie, and since he’s a bit of perfectionist there’s things he’d change that they didn’t address because of the time constraints. He also tends to have trouble really showing why characters fall in love and just kinda tells you. IMO Weathering with You does a lot better with this, but ultimately Your Name is still a stellar film with weakness and strengths. That’s why I prefer other films over it like A Silent Voice or Kiki’s Delivery Service, but just the visuals alone in YK are enough to recommend to others. I also think you might be avoiding the theme of dreams in this movie that while a cop out for plot holes, does kinda offer a meaning of the story beyond the romantic one. Beyond the whole “what if” my life situation, the idea that their memory of the body switching fades when it comes to names and details, yet the feelings linger (tears, missing something) is pretty relatable. We often have dreams that seem really powerful and when we wake up feel real, but unless you keep a dream journal those details evaporate quickly until we are left with feelings about the people in the dream or what vaguely happened. So yeah on the surface it seems they gave us a topical soul mates love story, the iceberg is the idea of a recurring dream that starts as a fantasy, quickly turns to a reality, and then as memory fades begs us to determine if those lingering feelings were a goal or something nonsensical. The ending is powerful not because they are actually in love and are getting married, but the unexplained subconscious of their dreams finally materializing in-front of them as the truth of their hearts (knowing each other’s existence a la their names) matching with the truth of their sight. It’s the “seeing is believing” realized and we as the audience cry because while yeah it’s cute to meet the person of your dreams irl, it’s magical to have the mystery of your dreams materialize into fate as if you dreams had meaning to guide you to this moment. Anyone can fall in love, having your dreams realized by fate is something else. Ultimately, I think the story just needs an extra half hour which is something sacrilege in animation. It kinda feels like a 2 part story shrunken down to one.

I can understand why Taki and Mitsuha's relationship evolved the way it did. Most societies have a variation on the statement "If you want to understand someone, you must first walk a mile in their shoes." Taki and Mitsuha have literally lived each other's lives, and that would truly connect them. As for the thing that really stands out is the impact. For a crater that big,the blast wave that resulted from it would have killed the people seeking shelter in the school. I didn't even pick up on it until I'd watched the movie three times...and I used to study the effects of a nuclear weapon detonation. The rest of it doesn't really bother me.

god damnit - how dare you make me cry like 2 to 3 times in within one video

Amazing video! I love Shinkai movies they LOOK incredible and might be the best anime has to SHOW. (Sorry the caps, I'll make a point about this) but I totally agree with the part of Taki being a bit undercooked as a character, the "sin" of not realizing that they were on different years, and how they fumbled Mitsuha as a character by making her endpoint dependant on having a boyfriend. And I think all of this depends on the writing chops of Shinkai, which are not on par with his absolutely out of this world abilities as an animator and director. So almost all of his stories gravitate around a boy meets girl, they fall in love, something bad happens, cue the music and we cry. And it works, but they could be so much more! Much more that it gets frustrating, to the point one can even understand that he doesn't get an Oscar nomination (thus any mainstream western recognition), as the movies as beautiful as they are, are deep as a drop of water. My only wish is that someday they adapt someone's else screenplay and make it shine so much we would go blind of crying and explode of heartbreak and get back to life with a sad song at the end Again. Magnificent work on the video. Keep up the good work

@potentialPizza8

Жыл бұрын

I've never liked the idea that Shinkai's stories are somehow shallow. I dunno, summing it up as just boy meets girl and sad stuff happens just feels reductive to me (WWY and YN have totally different plot structures, for one thing). His works often have a lot of writing issues and flaws, but I don't think that's the same thing as not having depth. Even YN failing to have a core theme doesn't equal not having depth. His works portray powerful and nuanced emotions, and even if they have other issues, I think that's worthwhile and reject the idea that something needs to be "more" than that. Deep as a drop of water? Absolutely not. The way YN delves into the melancholic feeling of trying to remember someone you loved in a dream is full of complexities. I would never want Shinkai to chase some idea of a proper story he should be doing; I want him to keep doing exactly what he is, but just do it better.

@G00lden

Жыл бұрын

@@potentialPizza8 yeah. I went a bit overboard on calling his work shallow, it's not that shallow, but his abilities deserve to be put to use on something that goes farther than teen dramas. Which are good, really good. My favorite being 5cm/s (with all the melodrama it has). But but I feel he is going on the Scorsese route of being seen as the "Mafia movie director" despite his wide filmography. I want him to have a Spielberg/Miyazaki recognition, because his work is worth that praise, but needs to tackle other generes.

There are two sources to fill the lacks of content which are only implied in the movie. First source, there are two mangas called "Your Name - Another Side: Earthbound" collectiong scenes that are omited in the movie. There are two storylines: 1. what does Taki in Mitsuas body: how he befriends Teshi in a boy-like manner and build a relationship, that later makes Teshi believing her (him) to try saving the village and become that terrorist. It shows how Taki in Mitsua changes her in a way, she holds her head up for herself. 2. there is a storyline about Mitsuas father which is very short implied in the dream-sequence. It tells us, in which way Mitsua as herself was able to convince her father to evacuate the village. Second source, there is the novel Makoto Shinkai wrote while making the film, showing the plot only from Mitsuas and Takis Perspective, not third part. There are many inner monologs showing both their feelings, especially how Taki begins to love Mitsua while in her body. Makoto Shinkai knows very well about that problem, he said the film is only 70%., but there was no more time. I think today he has the position to enforth a half or whole year of more production time and costs like Mamoru Hosada did in making "Summer Wars". But in 2015 Shinkai was still a hopeful but not yet considerable director.

42:12 okay that gave me chills

I haven't seen this but it kind of reminds me of Bubble. A gorgeous display of art with an ok story. It does sound like the narrative took a hard right turn. I think they could have been soulmates but without being romantic soulmates. Heck, it could have been interesting if they literally were born in the wrong bodies and that's why they are connected. Their souls reach out to what should have been their body.

In the dub they I just like “ girl, gal, guy”

Oh my god, I definitely read some queerness from this movie, so it's cool to see I wasn't alone. It isn't super in your face or anything, but I definitely read some subtle queerness into this movie after watching it. I'm glad some other people saw those subtle possible references as well. Even if it isn't the intent, art is made to be interperted in many ways by audiences, so it's a completely valid reading.

I have watched this movie far too many times and have found myself crying every single time. The first time was very shortly after I realized I was trans, so god knows how my biases affect my reading, but hey, death of the author and all that right? While I cognitively know the original intent of the work was probably not to read as a trans story/allegory good god did they succeed in that perspective far more than they probably could have realized. Even the title feels deeply tied to these themes *your name* to most cis people is a very mundane thing to think about, it is something given to you one that you do not play much with other than a nickname or two that as you grow slows fades from view in most circumstances, but to a trans person is deeply personal. Your name is something chosen, something you define, a destiny you decide for yourself, even choosing to not choose a new name is a defiance in some cases. When they ask for your name, I cannot help but feel all the emotions of love but not romance, they’re not asking for the others name, they're asking a much deeper and philosophical question. I realize I’m looking probably a bit too far into something, but when the movie is titled "your name" it just makes me think there is something more there that is unspoken. When Taki writes "I love you" I personally feel the feeling I felt when I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw a resemblance of who i had been looking for, it wasn’t romantic, but it was finding a love that was far greater. It feels as if the love they find isn’t for each other, but an escape from their own life, something I can again deeply relate to. Hell, even Taki's boob fondling while is creepy and weird, I again cannot say I don’t find meaning in it, that desire for something more concrete something missing, when he wakes up and is crying while touching them shows it’s not even sexual at that point, but a somber euphoria, something that was missed. As a trans girl I can’t help but relate to Taki's story more, not fitting in with, hating that suit that doesn’t fit right (a dummed down way I describe dysphoria being that feeling like your body it's self is like always wearing clothes that don’t fit right), a point in the video being that Taki doesn’t want to be an architect, a traditional masculine role, but to be an artist, a traditionally feminine role. Even from Mitsuha's perspective that want to go on a date with someone that wouldn’t be respected or accepted otherwise. Something Mitsuha was very much looking forward to, setting that up and talking to someone like that over the course of months isn’t something that happens accidentally or to just mess with Taki, it was something that was intentional. Mitsuka going to Tokyo giving Taki the thread and cutting their hair is something that gives me such a strong feeling for that change that I couldn’t describe otherwise. An active choice, a change in destiny and sense of self, something that plays with identity and gender in this way is so beyond what I could put into words for the trans experience, because the trans experience can’t really be told, it has to be experienced to fully understand, and it’s something i am still working my way through and trying to understand now. That feeling is something that scene makes in spades in ways i tear up thinking about. Its horrifying and exhilarating, it’s something people say takes courage without really getting why. The beauty of your name is the experience, the physical and visual and emotional sensations, the joy of discovery and of the grief of loss, the feeling of missing something and feeling that longing that you don’t know how to describe that you can feel pushing and writhing deep within your soul, the acceptance to move forward and the strength it takes to quite literally break destiny. If you are reading this I do not believe your reading is wrong at all, I find it deeply compelling and another perspective when viewing art is the point of art, and helps me understand and enjoy mine even more. For me though and from and through my life experiences I cannot see your name as anything other than a movie about the love and joy of finding your true self, finding who you are, finding your name.

Love is love you can't really explain it you know

I haven't seen the movie myself yet (although I might do that now), but this summary of the first act really feels like Your Name should be a queer film. Like, I really expected both leads to be trans (or if not trans, then Mitsuha to be a lesbian). As a trans guy myself I very strongly feel the trans vibes here. The first clue is Mitsuha's wish to be reborn as a man in her next life. One of the first pieces of advice that older trans folk will give to people who are questioning their own gender is "if you feel like you want to be a girl, then you probably are a girl". You mention not being sure if this is what gender dysphoria looks like, and you're right, it doesn't really fit. But that's fine, because being trans doesn't inherently mean that you hate the gender you were assigned at birth. Being trans is moreso about being happier as a different gender, and both characters are definitely expressing that gender euphoria. I'll have to see if actually watching the movie will change my opinion, but for now i will be headcanoning both characters as trans.

@nguyeninhquangminh5131

5 күн бұрын

No hate for trans here but you can’t just claim a movie to a gender because you feel connected to it. I’m as straight as it gets and It’s still my favourite movie and connect to it on so many levels. It’s easy to project ourselves to the characters but it doesn’t mean that’s what the filmmakers intended.

I remember the first time I saw the film being frustrated by the lack of time we spent with Taki, and I agree he kinda got the short shift compared to Mitsuha. The first half of the film could've done with being maybe 15 mins longer imo Makoto Shinkai has said many times though that he was on a deadline and the film wasn't close to being finished to his satisfaction at release (a few planned scenes made it into the manga, I think)