Your name: tradition, modernity and mythologies

your yam is a Japanese animated film released in 2016. Makoto Shinkai is the author of the novel that inspired the film, of which he is also the director.

your yam It is, to date, the highest-grossing Japanese animated film in history and, in addition, it has received great praise from specialized critics. What is the reason for its enormous success?

The truth is Your name It is a film that can captivate practically any type of viewer. Even those most averse to animation can greatly enjoy the viewing experience.

In fact, if we see the film from a Western perspective, we will not be able to grasp its full meaning. Beyond the love story or connection between two young people, Your name It is a sample of elements that make up the mythology of Japan. Therefore, for the country’s public, the film acquires greater significance.

However, Although we do not understand the full magnitude of the message that lies at the heart of the film, there is a universal story that will envelop and captivate us.. It is important to emphasize that we should not fall into skepticism before watching the film; Many of us, sometimes, let ourselves be guided by appearances and discard certain audiovisual content without giving it a chance.

Yes, it is true that the protagonists of Your name They are two teenagers, but the film does not attempt to paint a portrait of that stage or delve too deeply into its problems. Nor is it an exclusively children’s or youth animated film, but it has a good script and, of course, exceptional images. The animation looks like photography and merges with the story.

Your name, between tradition and modernity

The film begins by introducing us to Mitsuha, a young teenager who lives in a small town called Itomori.. Tired of boring village life and its traditions, Mitsuha wants to be a boy from Tokyo.

Wishes, no matter how crazy they may seem, can sometimes come true. Mitsuha will begin to have strange dreams in which she leaves her body. and rural life to be embodied in Taki, a young man who lives in Tokyo.

Soon, We discover that Taki is a real boy and that those vivid dreams respond to an exchange between the two. That is, Taki occasionally wakes up in Mitsuha’s body and vice versa.

Exchanges are occurring with increasing frequency and young people begin to leave messages on their mobile phones with instructions for their daily lives. In contemporary times, there is still room for fantasy.

And the fact that elements such as new technologies appear reinforces that vision. The real and the fantastic merge on the screen. This series of exchanges supposes, in turn, a connection with the dreamlike, with the night. In the world of dreams, anything is possible and, at night, the most magical moments occur.

In numerous traditions, the moment of twilight is associated with magical or supernatural events; that thin light that separates day from night has been seen as a line or door between several worlds. A moment in which reality can be combined with fiction or life with death. In fact, In the film we see that the idea of ​​twilight or twilight appears frequently mentioned..

In Itomori, ancient traditions are still deeply rooted, we see Mitsuha preparing sake in the oldest style. That is, chewing the rice grains and then spitting them out and letting them rest. In Japanese tradition, this drink was prepared by young and virginal women and had certain magical connotations. In the film, we see how she is associated with the idea of ​​the gods.

In Your namethe two main settings, Tokyo and Itomori, are absolutely revealing. Tokyo is one of the most modern and technological cities in the world, but it is located in a country full of ancient traditions and cultures.

We often forget these cultures and associate the idea of ​​Japan only with the city of Tokyo, but Japan is much more than just a big city. Even Mitsuha herself has a completely idealized image of the big city and rejects its origins.

Your name It merges tradition and modernity, bringing them together through its protagonists and the particular story it tells us. Beyond the exchange of bodies, the plot will take a new direction when both protagonists want to meet.. At this point, the adventures will take on a new meaning and will lead us in search of the impossible.

The legend of the red thread

In the realm of fantasy fiction, the impossible can be accomplished, but it is important to maintain verisimilitude. Your nameHowever, it has some points in which it is difficult to rely on verisimilitude and can create some confusion in the viewer. The jumps from one scenario to another create strangeness and, surely, if we try to look for plot gaps we will find more than one.

The film fills in those ‘gaps’ by relying on Japanese mythology, on the magical and fantastic element. Just because of the high quality of its animation, because of the detail of the scenes that, at times, come extremely close to photography, Your name deserves a viewing. It is not a rational or logical story, but rather it tries to appeal to feelings, magic and love.

In eastern tradition, there is an ancient legend that connects people through a red thread. An imperceptible thread, but unbreakable; It can get tangled, stretched…, but never break. It accompanies people from their birth and connects them eternally. No matter what happens and even if distance separates them, people at each end of the same thread are destined to meet.

This legend is not directly discussed in the film, but it appears on the scene from the beginning. One of the oldest traditions in Itomori is rope weaving. Mitsuha always carries a red rope and will throw it at Taki at a certain time. Thanks to the rope, reminiscence will also occur, that idea of ​​being in front of something known at another time or place.

In the West, perhaps, we are more familiar with the idea of ​​soul mates, but even if we do not know the Eastern legend, the presence of the red thread in the film is very visual and makes us think of a connection between the protagonists. A connection that can overcome spatial and temporal barriers, who even manages to create a new destination where it seemed impossible for them to meet.

Your name, the universality of love

A story of such magnitude, and also told through the eyes of two teenagers, could easily fall into the corny, the parodiable. However, he overcomes these adversities to tell a universal story, to demonstrate that, Even in the most artificial and technological world possible, there is a place for love, for feelings.

The beauty of the images accompanies this idea to create a poetic atmosphere, makes us forget the initial confusion to delve into our feelings. The magic of the stars, of nature, of the universe and the contact with the spiritual are manifested in the film, making us forget, for a few moments, our usual skepticism.

Added to all this is the interesting initial point of view, that ‘knowing from the eyes of the other’, putting yourself in the shoes of another different person. Mitsuha wants to escape from Itomori, but Taki will fall in love with the beauty of the place; Likewise, Taki is barely aware of the possibilities he has in a city like Tokyo, while Mitsuha will find an opportunity in every corner. And it is that The world changes depending on the perspective with which you look at it..

Your name It also leaves room for some moments of humor that break a little with the sweetness of the film. In this way, it provides some realism in order not to sugarcoat the plot too much. Dreams, feelings, fantasy and youth make up a film that, although full of mythological and traditional traces, transmits a universal message.

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