Your Name

Your Name was my favorite film of 2017. It captures a powerful emotion I’ve felt all my life, a sense of longing for something... intangible. Deliver that complexity in the form of a supernatural love story and you know I’m sold. I could wax poetic (and I have) but for this post I wanted to pass the mic to my bestie, Mai Ho, who can speak to the Japanese cultural context of this story on a level I could never understand, through her own personal lens:

Mitsuha is a metaphor for my life. She is seemingly forever in limbo; ashamed to face her origins, not sure why she participates in her culture, doesn’t fit any mold whether in the city nor country, but transforms. She realizes she doesn’t have to hide from her origins; her culture gave her the strength and bravery to face them. That they don’t have to define her, even though she doesn’t know how she will accomplish her mission, she holds firm that love conquers all.

Radwimps, one of the bands that contributed to the soundtrack of the film, was my go-to during high school. Even now, I can listen to, learn new things, find comfort, healing, and a whole new slew of metaphors to describe less explored subjects (e.g. identity, sorrow, going against the grain, etc.) in Japan.

Your Name displays fluidity. That life is simple and complex--that I can unashamedly celebrate, radiate the cultures I love; keep my faith, lament, have joy, rest, and move forward proclaiming truth.

Taki and Mitsuha’s friends remind me to not only keep being brave, but to look up from your work. That there are people searching to love you without needing all the answers. And damn. That is so beautiful.

The irony of Your Name is that my own name holds a deep meaning, and I LOVE naming things. The names given, embraced, they give life, and mold us. It leaves you wondering, what names do you choose to hold on to?