What's in a name?: How 'Your Name' Combines Identity and Magical Realism Anonymous 12th Grade

Shinkai Makoto is well known for his captivating animation and themes of young love, both are present in the 2016 film Kimi no Na wa or Your Name. The film was released three years after Makoto’s last movie so it was one of the most anticipated movies of that year and according to critics, it did not disappoint. The film is set in a world of magical realism while it delves into the importance of tradition and the story of finding love. There is more to it than the body swapping romantic comedy we expect.

It can be easy to find Kimi no Na wa confusing because of its structure since the story does not flow in a chronological order. The viewer is also unaware that the events are happening in different timelines until it is revealed in the middle of the movie. However, all the details to understanding the movie are actually present if the symbolisms are analyzed.

The connection between the Miyamizu family and the spiritual realm plays a key role in the story since it is what allows Mitsuha to switch bodies with Taki in the first place. It was revealed that Mitsuha’s body switching ordeal is not an isolated case because her grandmother Hitoha also had the same experience. Hitoha relayed that she only remembers that time as hazy...