Makoto Shinkai's "Kimi No Na Wa" ("Your Name") continues to be a phenomenon in the Japanese film industry 14 weeks from its release date, Aug. 26. It has also captivated audiences in the United States and other Asian countries, consistently making it to the top of box office charts in areas where it has shown in theaters.
It is making people wonder why an animated film in a foreign language has crossed the barriers of culture and race to touch them at their core. What is the reason for "Kimi No Na Wa's" success? What is Makoto Shinkai's secret in creating "Kimi No Na Wa"?
Shinkai, who wrote the book on which the film is based, shared his inspiration with the audience of "Kimi No Na Wa" at a film screening. He shared that the idea for the story actually came to him in a dream. That is why he wanted to do a story about dreams. He also said that he wanted to stay true to what he learned in his dream since, in Japan, dreams are viewed to be more than just dreams.
The dream he had was the theme of his story and movie, young love. It was something he wanted to share with others. Shinkai points out that movies in Japan mostly reach out to the biggest market which is that of teen-agers and young people in their twenties. This is why he decided the story would reflect the feelings teen-agers have when in their high school days.
"Kimi No Na Wa" is a story of two young people in their teens, a girl named Mitsuha and a boy, Taki, who "meet" under special circumstances. Some days in the week they swap bodies and live the life of the other. Although they do not really meet in the truest sense, they get to know each other really well and eventually fall in love.
But it is an impossible love separated not only by geography but by time itself. It is the most significant aspect though of the story, Shinkai cites. Not the tragedy that occurs.
Makoto Shinkai also talked about how foremost Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki has also influenced his work and his style. In fact a lot of reviews on the former's work has called him the next Miyazaki.
"Kimi No Na Wa" has consistently topped the charts in the Japan box office, a fact that only supports the comparison of Shinkai's work to Miyazaki's. The film occupied the top spot 12 weeks out of its 14 weeks in the Japan box office, dropping only to second place in its 10th and 14th weeks. In Singapore, it ranked eighth in the box office for four weeks before dropping to the ninth in its fifth week.
"Kimi No Na Wa" will open in Malaysia on Thursday. In the U.S., it is expected to release in 2017. In related news, the film was named Best Animated Film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association earlier this month. The awarding will take place in Jan. 17, 2017 at Century City, California.
