Do me a favor and listen to the song while you read this. It doesn't matter if you don't understand the words. That's the beauty of it.
I haven't watched anime for the longest time, and I don't know why. It's not that I've outgrown it; I still read One Piece manga even though I can lo longer be bothered with watching the anime series. I used to love anime. The story lines are usually more mature and have more depth than Western cartoons. Heck, they even have more depth than a lot of live-action TV series out there.
I read on Twitter that someone recommended watching Kimi no Na wa | Your Name for its brilliant use of lighting and cinematography. So I looked for the anime on a whim -- well, I was procrastinating and watching a movie was one of the best excuses to not write -- and I managed to watch it tonight. Right before writing this.
We all know if I immediately write a review on something, I have strong feelings about it.
Wow was I blown away. Yes, the movie is visually stunning. But. Much more than that, it is beautiful in its entirety. Kimi no Na wa is one of those quiet movies. You know, those without an antagonist or monsters or quests. What I'm saying is that it's not for everyone. Adventure lovers can find it boring. So read no further.
Kimi no Na wa by Makoto Shinkai revolves around the comet Tiamat whose blazing path becomes visible as it makes its 1200-year orbit around the sun. Seventeen-year-old Mitsuha Miyamizu, raised in the ancient ways of Shinto but hating her life in her sleepy town, experiences these vivid dreams where she becomes a seventeen-year-old boy in Tokyo named Taki Tachibana. Taki experiences the same dream, where he wakes up in Mitsuha's body. Eventually both of them realize that during these "dreams", they switch bodies. I don't want to say more for fear of spoiling this beautiful, beautiful movie.
Watching Kimi no Na wa reminds me that I live for quiet stories. Stories without antagonists or monsters or quests. Not so much in-depth introspection typical of a literary work (even I find those boring), but stories where the main characters don't have to triumph over an antagonist. Stories without bad guys.
Yeah, yeah. These stories are boring, you say.
For me, there is strength in the quiet. These stories envelop me like a subtly colored quilt blanket and keep me warm, comforting me, staying with me long after the stories are over. There's a staying power in these stories. And there is so much beauty.
The first novel I finished writing is a quiet one. Well, more than one literary agent said so, so I guess it's true. Too quiet, even. The current one I'm writing, despite the adventures, is also quiet. Maybe once it's done, it'll get rejected over a hundred times, too.
I may write in multiple genres, but I love writing quiet stories the most. It is where I find my strength, where I discover and explore beauty.
Maybe one day I'll get to share these quiet novels with the world. For now, I'm thankful that I've found myself again.
Watch this movie. Seriously.
