It ‘s been months since I watched Makoto Shinkai’s blockbuster film Kimi No Na Wa. It has been a while but I refused to move on from it. I listen to the OST, read related articles and fanfictions, watch video clips among others. Now, I am going to do my best to put into words my sentiments and the emotional impact it has on me.
I first encountered Kimi No Na Wa in 2016 (ish). It claims worldwide phenomena beating Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away as the highest grossing anime film of all time. “Maybe it is that good. How could this movie break a 15-year blockbuster record,” I said. But I didn’t watch it, thinking it is only a bandwagon people ride on. I have the ongoing belief that some trends are like that – JUST trends. People watch even if they do not have a genuine interest and proper understanding of it. They only want to be considered cool and hip.
Years after, I came upon it again. This time in the book version. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I read it. And boy, I was pleasantly surprised! It is the perfect blend of a teenage love story, a high-intensity action science fiction, and a whole lot of bittersweet mix of emotions. It gave me a whole new possibility when it comes to life and love. “Am I forgetting something/someone important? Why do I forget important things? In this world of encounters, how would I meet my soulmate? Will I ever meet him? How would I know it’s him?”
See also: Reminiscent: The Human Memories Zine
The book is a legend on its own yet I decided to see the movie. O M G! Kimi No Na Wa is on extraterrestrial greatness. No other film made me feel such a strong wheel of emotions. I can’t believe I let my 2016 anti-mainstream self took over me back then. But it is better late than never, isn’t it?
Reading the book and Internet reviews made me aware of its plot twists. That is why the element of surprise is not there anymore. But it is not the only thing that makes it exceptional. It is the feeling it evokes to its viewers.
It left me with a gulf of longing – a hole in my chest that refuses to be filled in even with a sea of tears. After the credits, I stared off a distant space, unable to move while nursing the ache that comes with the yearning for someone I haven’t met or didn’t remember meeting. Its impact on my life is everlasting.
I go on with my daily activities. The hole is there. Questions remain unanswered. Kimi No Na Wa taught me that we are not meant to answer all the mysteries of the world. People would feel a specific way without knowing why. People move on without truly letting go.
See also: Let Go or Move On?
I let it all be – the unexplained pain, the questions, the uncertainty. I only leave myself with the hope that I will meet someone who would ease the longing I never thought I have in me. When? Where? How? I don’t know. No one knows.
Kimi No Na Wa is not the perfect movie (nothing is). It has its fair share of plot holes and little inconsistencies. But it is so easy to look past that if you are engulfed with the feeling that will keep you preoccupied for the rest of your life.
See also: The Heart-wrenching Beauty of Makoto Shinkai’s Worldwide Hit Movies
P.S. – Three years after Your Name, Makoto Shinkai followed up the internationally acclaimed film with Weathering With You which is set for release on July 19. Shinkai is in collaboration with Radwimps to create the official soundtrack of the film. *fangirl screams* Will it be as good and heart-wrenching as Kimi No Na Wa? I don’t know. But I am sure to watch this movie! July 19, I am waiting.