This immediately captured my interest for the film, though I forced myself to lower my expectations before watching...I was a bit underwhelmed by the director's Byousoku 5 Centimeter (5 Centimeters Per Second) because I was expecting was a masterpiece from it, and what I got was simply good/average.
However, I am pleased to say that I feel like this film more than deserves a spot in MAL's top anime and definitely its top anime films.
STORY (9/10):
Doesn't get a perfect score due to a minor issue in Character (we'll get to that later) that affects the overall film from being perfect, but was great other than that. Very entertaining and captivating from the beginning, and does some unique things with the stale old body-swapping plot that I won't spoil.
ART (10/10):
It's beautiful as all hell. I had to watch this in a 480p rip, but I absolutely have to watch it again on Blu-Ray. The amount of detail into every frame is amazing, and I was surprised by how much I loved it even in 480p.
This is going to sound kind of weird, but there's a scene with a female character smoking that's just...sort of perfect. Her facial expression really sets the atmosphere and tells us a lot about her character without her saying much, and honestly it's kinda sexy. (Kids, don't smoke.)
SOUND (9/10):
The voice acting was very good, and I hope FUNimation's dub will do the film justice. The music in the film was a personal favorite of the director's, and despite his bias he was able to use it to the movie's advantage. It never felt out of place or gratuitous.
CHARACTER (8/10):
There's just one little problem. While I cared for the main characters and knew enough about their background that the story was able to have an impact on me, looking back...there really isn't as much information given about them as would have been ideal. We don't know much about Taki's home life, for example; we only see a brief glimpse of his dad, while Mitsuha's family life is fleshed out.
Even still, I loved the characters and their interactions with each other. It all felt very realistic and never felt too sappy or cheesy.
ENJOYMENT (9/10):
Great story, outstanding artwork, great music. What wasn't to enjoy?
OVERALL (9/10):
In conclusion, I highly recommend Kimi no Na wa. to any anime fan, but especially those who enjoy romance, drama, or have enjoyed Makoto Shinkai's work in the past. If you watch the rip online, be sure to watch it again on Blu-Ray. It's going to be even more beautiful, and the backgrounds are going to make amazing wallpapers.
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CONTENT ADVISORY: The obligatory "male becomes a female and immediately fondles his breasts" scene occurs, and a woman calls a scamming customer a dick at one point. Other than that it's completely family-friendly.
