What I Adored About Kimi no Na wa (Your Name)

To begin, let me just scream into the ether for a moment.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! THE FEEELLLSSS!!!!!

Okay. I’m better now. Mostly. My feelings are still tingling down in the depths of my soul, but that’s normal. Right?

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This movie was everything I had hoped it would be and much more. It sure gave me more feels than I expected and it deserved the right to hold its title as a box office giant in Japan.

For those who are unaware and would like to know the premise of this movie, read on. For those who would like to stay completely in the dark (which might be a good idea, frankly), don’t read past this sentence; though, I won’t delve into too much spoiler area:

Your Name (cleverly titled, honesty) is a romantic drama about two teenagers. One is a girl named Mitsuha, who must carry out her family’s traditional shrine duties, yet feels trapped by her small town. Tired of the traditional country lifestyle, she makes a wish on a star to meet a boy from Tokyo.

Enter Taki (a boy from Tokyo) living his life day-to-day by working a job, attending school, and all the while dreaming of architecture. In a mystical, wondrous event, Mitsuha’s wish comes true (just not as she expects) and Taki and Mitsuha switch bodies. Hilarity (and heartbreak) ensues.

Thus, here are just a few things I wanted to highlight about the film.

The Stunning Visuals

The first thing I heard about this movie was how gosh darn pretty it was. If you hop over to IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes or any review site, really, you’ll see, “gorgeous!”, “Amazing animation”, “Top of the line graphics”, etc.

They weren’t wrong.

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In fact, I think they even downplayed how beautiful this piece of art truly is. The attention to detail that the movie paid far surpassed anything that I’ve seen recently and even rivals that of Studio Ghibli. The solar flares, glittering rainbows, even threads on a main character’s sweater take your breath away! Also, the red string of destiny, so blatantly throw around for symbolic effect, could not be missed, which was a good thing!

The Characters

And not JUST the main characters!

Okay, so let me preface this with the fact that the main characters are completely and utterly captivating. Taki and Mitsuha (remember those gosh darn names!) are from extremely different worlds but find comfort and friendship in each other during their adventures.

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What’s also nice, though, is that their friends, especially Taki’s , are much more understanding than I ever expect anyone could be and it’s truthfully heartwarming . I mean, in a romance/drama, one doesn’t expect friendship to play a major part but in this movie it does. It’s a win for the power of friendship, for sure!

In fact, all of the characters in the movie were well-rounded and interesting.

The Format

Originally, I wasn’t a fan of the storytelling technique. It’s confusing. It actually begins, not at the beginning like most stories, but at the moment where they’ve already switched bodies, and though it took me a moment to realize all this, I agree on and can appreciate the set up.

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In fact, the movie makes it a point to tell people that time doesn’t run in a straight line, and there is a certain realization later on where it makes the format okay for me. Though, a bit confusing, it isn’t hard to follow once you realize how the director decided to present the story.

Japanese Culture

This is kind of a given, since the movie was made in Japan, but I’m always fascinated about other cultures and love to see that culture reflected in foreign films.

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From food to traditional dances to the spirit world and beyond, this movie was immersed in cultural flavor and was simply delicious to devour. Regurgitated rice sake anyone?

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Halfway Through

I won’t spoil it for you, but about halfway through the movie, I was devastated. Just halfway!! What happened was entirely unexpected and left me awe-struck. I had to pause the movie to process what had just erupted onto my screen.

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In fact, the story keeps you on edge the entire time, with broken promises but persistent love. It was a roller coaster of a movie and I couldn’t get enough.

Have you seen Kimi no Na wa? What did you think?

YA Cliches: The Good, the Bad, and the…Wait, Cliches Are OKAY??

Love Triangles 

Uh-oh. The main protag can’t choose between brooding loner and childhood best friend.

The Bad

Love Triangles are “bad” because we see them frequently. We get it, the main character is awesome and everyone loves him/her, so naturally he/she has at least three people vying for their attention. (The third one isn’t a threat. They are there just because? Not sure.)

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But what’s made even more terrible by this cliche is the fact that the main character is such a complete jerk that they tend to string one of the love interests along, ultimately resulting in readers sympathizing with the poor sap because main character is an attention addict. *sigh* Get over yourself.

The Good

Okay, okay. So, I’m not completely against love triangles, but only if they’re done right! (Not looking at you Stephanie Myers). A love triangle needs to feel like an actual competition. It may just work if, for example, the main character must marry Archduke Willem to save her family from social exile versus her true love, Derrik. (Gosh, Derrik. Why do you have to make things so complicated?) She has to choose from learning to love Willem (who isn’t a bad guy, perhaps) or elope with Derrik (who she thinks is pretty fiinnne).

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It will even work if the main character is actually having a crisis deciding between the two, sure. Life is complicated, especially when you throw emotions into the mix. Teens are even more emotionally mixed up, so it really isn’t a surprise that this cliche exists…it just needs to be a bit more believable and less cruel. Besides, love triangles give us Team Willem and Team Derrik merchandise!

Insta-love

I met him and it was love at first si–*gags*

The Bad

It just isn’t all that believable and is usually seen as a see-through plot device author’s use to further the story. I understand, books can never equal an entire lifetime and you’re supposed to write the absolute most important instances, but I’m often taken out of the story by such instant attraction.

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Remember that part in The Swan Princess (bear with me) where Derek (DERRIK!) says to Odette that she was all he’s ever wanted. She’s beautiful. She then proceeds to ask him, (rightly so) but what else is there? He asks, what else is there? And she storms off upset, understandably. Beauty fades but love, true love, should carry on and should mean more than looks.

The Good

This is difficult for me. However, I do know at times people experience intense attraction towards one another and though I may not consider that love (not in the true sense. Language fails us…), it is a wonderful plot device to keep the story going and to set up a relationship that will result in a much more mature type of bond.

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Brooding Bad Guy 

He sits in his dark and twisty tower, pondering life’s woes and plotting the annihilation of mankind.

The Bad

This is hard for me because I absolutely ADORE brooding bad guys. But, I can agree that a contemplative, tortured soul bent on destroying the world is getting a tad old. I’d like to see something where the villain is just an absolute lunatic who honestly wants to see everyone suffer because…why not? I mean, the Dark Knight had success with that.

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Oooor, someone who actually thinks what he/she is doing is right and professes this throughout, visually showing the reader that he/she is sane (or at least believes so), just not necessarily morally sound.

The Good

Ah. The brooding bad guy. Poor Duke Willem, isn’t unrequited love just the worst? Doesn’t that make you so unhappy to the point where you could just take that rage out on the entire kingdom? Or, you know, maybe just sit in a coffee shop and pout?

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I love a good dark, menacing villain. Someone who contemplates every little detail when devising what to do with our poor unexpected hero. There’s something intriguing about the idea of someone so entrenched in sadness and bent on revenge that of course it’s popular enough (especially in anime and JRPGs…). It just depends on what the reader/viewer wants out of a character. But, come on, there isn’t anything intriguing about tall, dark, and brooding?

The Chosen One

You are the chosen one, tasked with saving everything…and junk.

The Bad

UGH! This is a tale older than myth. In fact, many myths and legends speak of a person with incredible strength, wit, or secret/ancient ability that’s been given to them by some invisible beast or gnarled old witch.

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It’s indicated by a mark (HARRY POTTER) or birthright, or sword, or any number of things, but the chosen one is ALWAYS the center of attention. Why does a story have to be about someone with incredible powers? Why can’t it be about the ordinary girl down the street who isn’t very strong or pretty or not as smart as her classmates but still manages to tell a story worth telling?

And besides, there can’t just be ONE person for the job.

The Good

Okay, so it’s much easier and much more entertaining to have a chosen one. And heck, sometimes a chosen one isn’t perfect (YES! PLEASE, they need flaws). It’s a riveting ride to watch someone who didn’t have anything before and frankly didn’t want an adventure get forced into completing a gallant quest that could impact the world.

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There is also something heart-racing about one character who is the only hope for survival. It also makes for easier character building. Hmm, would be interesting to see more stories about the chosen one turned villain.

Trilogy

It’s as easy as one, two, three.

The Bad

With the recent rise in stand-a-lones, duologys (only TWO?!) and tetralogys (Four? We aren’t done yet? Hooray!), we’re getting away from the trilogy, at least for the moment. In certain books, I thought they could have been better with another book so that they didn’t rush the story or take time from characterization. Sometimes, we need four books to wrap it up. And sometimes, we need only one or two! In Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology, two is all we need for the gangs’ various heists. Though, to be honest, I wouldn’t complain if she expanded on the world and its characters.

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By not limiting yourself to three books, an author is able to play upon different story telling techniques to create something unique.

The Good

But the number three is magical, and I do love a good trilogy. It just works. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to the pacing of a trilogy or maybe it’s because I’ve read so many series with three books, but I think it works well, either way.

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We have book one, which introduces the story and characters. Book two expands and, though it can be less action-packed, is still a good moment to understand the characters and the world. Book three is the wrap-up, the exciting bit! It closes the story.

 

So, there you have it. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

First Post: An Introduction

So, you’re probably wondering why you should read this. What can this girl say that I can’t get from anyone else on the internet?

Honestly, nothing’s original, just a regurgitation of ideas, but I like to bring my own flavor to the pot. I like to stir it a bit quicker while humming a maddening, made-up tune, and with just a bit more tilt and pizzazz than will ever be necessary (or should ever be necessary).

To be brief, I want to discuss everything of interest to me, from writing to fandom to reading to even my cats (though, I won’t bore you too much…promise).

In truth, I’ve wanted to start a blog for as long as I can remember, but I kept thinking it just wasn’t the time or doubted it would matter much. And maybe it won’t matter. Maybe I’ll just type furiously on and on into the void, all the while hoping someone out there will connect. Hear me. Understand. Perhaps, not. Either way, this should be an enriching experience, and I intend to make the most of it.

(First post! Wohoo!!)