What do you call a movie that has earned over $325 million globally without getting a proper release in the U.S. yet? “Your Name.” If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve likely heard the huge buzz Makoto Shinkai‘s anime sensation has been making on the festival circuit over the past year, and it’s been doing big at the box office too. But stateside, it has barely been seen, outside of a one-week Oscar qualifying run. Thankfully, that’s changing.
Funimation Films is bringing “Your Name” to cinemas this spring. It’s not quite easy to summarize the movie, but essentially, it’s a bit of young adult sci-fi/romance/body-swap picture about city boy Taki and country girl Mitsuha who are connected in unexpected ways. Here’s the official synopsis:
From director Makoto Shinkai, the innovative mind behind Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second, comes a beautiful masterpiece about time, the thread of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.
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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, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars?
“Your Name” opens in limited release on April 7th. [io9]