Some curiosities about Your Name

In July 2017, director Makoto Shinkai surprised fans of his hit film "Kimi no Na wa (Your Name)" by sharing on his Twitter account a series of concept sketches and initial production documents that offered an unprecedented look at the development of the story. These materials were part of the formal project he presented to distributor Toho on July 14, 2014, and show how the work evolved from its conception to become one of the biggest hits in modern anime.

Taki and Mitsuha's original designs

In the shared sketches, both Taki and Mitsuha sport sharper facial features and more serious expressions compared to their final designs. Mitsuha is shown wearing a blazer instead of the summer uniform she wears for much of the film, while Taki holds an object that looks like a smartphone, but which some interpreted as a weapon. In addition, the art suggests that at some point in development, the characters' roles were reversed, with Taki living in the countryside and Mitsuha in the city.

These designs also include the film's working title: "Yume to Shiriseba," a reference to a ninth-century poem written by Ono no Komachi. The poem says, "I fell asleep thinking of you and saw you in my dream, and if I had known it was a dream, I would not have woken up." This title reflects the melancholic and poetic tone that Shinkai intended for the work.

The premise of body swaps

In the shared production documents, Shinkai made it clear that from the beginning the exchange of bodies between the protagonists was a key element of the story, but with a different approach than other works that have used this premise. According to the director, the theme went beyond gender differences and sought to explore deeper issues such as identity, empathy and the desire to be someone else.

One of the excerpts from the document reads:

• "Thinking 'I wish I were the opposite gender' at some point in puberty is an almost universal experience. But this desire to swap bodies with someone else is not limited to a gender issue, but addresses something deeper and broader: 'Why am I not someone else?', 'Why do people desire other people?', 'Why can people empathize with others?' These questions of identity are central to a story of personal growth, and they are questions that a story of body swapping can effectively address."

Although Your Name doesn't completely avoid the typical comedic gags of a body swap, Shinkai emphasized that he didn't want these to be the main focus. Instead, it sought to generate powerful emotions and connect the personal story of the protagonists with a broader context of history and environment.

De Yume to Shiriseba a Your Name

The decision to change the title to "Kimi no Na wa" reflected the final focus of the work, which prioritized the emotional connection between the characters and the mystery behind their names. However, the original documents show how Shinkai planned from the beginning to create something that would transcend the boundaries of conventional anime.

With a global gross that exceeded 380 million dollars and a cultural impact that is still valid, it is evident that Makoto Shinkai managed to meet his ambitious goal. These pre-production details not only enrich the fan experience, but also highlight the meticulousness with which this anime phenomenon was built.

Source: SoraNews24