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Memory can be such a fickle thing, sometimes it's just that unexplainable gut wrenching feeling that invokes an emotion no matter how hard we try to place a memory to it. I truly enjoyed this film despite it's loopholes and "anime moments", it managed to grab my attention from the get go.
The title sequence was a bit confusing in the beginning, it was pretty much a anime opening sequence you would see in any typical series. The visuals of the opening sequence were stunning, setting the tone of the movie being in a very modern day setting. It also foreshadows the growth of the two main characters Taki (Ryûnosuke Kamiki) and Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi), as we see them grow from teenagers to adults.
After the whole set up of the fact that both characters switch bodies from time to time, they had this montage in a form of a music video styled edit, together with the main theme song. At first glance, it seemed very out of place to me, almost like one of those ending sequences of an anime series. It was very effective in showing the passing of time as well as the moments of how they each acted differently followed by the aftermath of their reaction. I have always been critical of montages in movies, they always seem like a cheap way to quickly show the progression of a relationship.
However, in this case I can tell story was more focused in the inevitable process of the both of them wanting to meet each other. We already had a glimpse of what it's like for Mishuha as Taki for a day (although I wished they had done one for Taki as Misuha too).
The character development for both of them was spread out evenly as well. In the first half of the film, we follow Misuha throughout her day as we are introduced to her world. Her lifestyle and home is actually more flushed out as compared to Taki. The concept of shrines, the underworld with Japanese tradition connects the lives of the two characters.
Although, there are loopholes such as "how can Taki have not noticed the date at all when he was in Misuha's body?". Along with anime moments like when Misuha passes Taki the red thread as she leaves the train.
Overall, the film has a light comedic tone in the beginning as they mess around with each other's lives. Towards the end it takes a more sombre tone, even going as far as to show the death of hundreds in a small town. The ending of my film is perfect in my opinion, as Taki and Misuha actually meets for the first time.
My Rating: 4/4
Cheers Sman
