Interaction between Body-swapping and Time-travel in the Movie "Your Name"

Hui Feng

doi:10.54691/bcpssh.v14i.273

Abstract

In this work, I examined different perspectives on the film Your Name, accompanying these notions by the theme of gender opposition and its relation to the ideas of body swap and time travel. The main conclusions are drawn as follows: The concept of ‘body swap’ in Your Name give ‘time travel’ a new definition. It helps the two characters to have recognition to their identities. Gender stereotypes in Japanese lead to the protagonists being questioned because of body exchange, which promotes the growth of the role. Hence, in Your Name, the idea of body swap does not only refer to gender and identities or time swap. It is the exchange from environments to characters’ mental state to traditions, Shinkai motivates the audiences to have a transpositional consideration.

Highlights

In the film, Your Name (Makoto Shinkai, 2016), the concept of time travels blends beautifully with the Japanese culture and traditions
Makoto Shinkai uses the idea of ‘body swap’ to renovate the idea of time travel, in addition to utilizing it to portray the relationship between humans, nature, gender and love
I will examine different perspectives on the film, accompanying these notions by the theme of gender opposition and its relation to the ideas of body swap and time travel—which I position to be central in the film

Summary

Introduction

Your Name (Makoto Shinkai, 2016), the concept of time travels blends beautifully with the Japanese culture and traditions. Makoto Shinkai uses the idea of ‘body swap’ to renovate the idea of time travel, in addition to utilizing it to portray the relationship between humans, nature, gender and love. I will examine different perspectives on the film, accompanying these notions by the theme of gender opposition and its relation to the ideas of body swap and time travel—which I position to be central in the film. First: how time and the ‘body swap’ in the Your Name creates a binary opposition between tradition and modernity. On an additional note: this thematic element reoccurs in Shinkai’s films, such as The Garden of Words and 5 Centimeters per Second, the director uses the subject to complement the sentiments of human and sublime it to a higher perspective. This essay will investigate gender identity and its interaction with time and space, giving a glance into Shinkai’s worldview that he tries to present in Your Name

The Clash between Traditions and Modernity

Portrayal of Nature and Countryside

Genderization of Speech in Japanese

Conclusion