The Japanese film Your Name became the highest grossing anime film of all-time this week. Your Name is a body-swap love story from writer and director Makoto Shinkai. The film opened on Aug. 26 in Japan before going on to earn more than $328 million worldwide to date. It has just been released in North American theaters as of Friday April 7th.
In order to qualify for Oscar eligibility, the film did have a one-week Los Angeles release in December but other than that, very little exposure to the North American market. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association winner for best animated film is opened Friday on just 303 screens. The movie has an astounding 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here is the synopsis of the film:
The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint. When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, something shifts, and they seek each other out wanting something more – a chance to finally meet.
Personally I’ve never been a fan of anime but when a film is considered to be one of the best anime films of all time, it’s probably worth taking a look at. Hopefully it extends beyond just 303 screens. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on that front. In the meantime…
Here’s the official trailer
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