arts // no. 8

This epic anime stunner will
stand the test of time

> ‘Your Name. (Kimi no Na wa.)’ movie review

Carlos Bilan
Staff Writer

keknk

t has been 15 years, but an anime film

has finally surpassed Studio Ghibli’s
legendary Spirited Away by Hayao
Miyazaki in worldwide box office numbers.
That anime is the visually dazzling Your
Name. (Kimi no Na wa.) by Makoto
Shinkai.

It is truly a historical achievement in
Japanese cinema. The high figures set by
Miyazaki seemed unbeatable considering
that no other non-Ghibli anime film has
achieved worldwide success. This success
led to Shinkai being put on the map and
being called “The New Miyazaki” by
many. When he was asked about this,
Shinkai told the AFP that although he is
honoured to be mentioned alongside the
Japanese animator paragon, he insists that
he is “absolutely not on Miyazaki’s level.”
However, once you have watched the film,
then you start to see why Shinkai has the
potential to become an icon.

Your Name. is truly a visual stunner
for its lush and aesthetically pleasing
animation. There is such grandeur in
every piece of scenery that you can't help
but wish to be a part of that world. The
film presents both rural and the urban
settings so beautifully that it makes you
see the visual splendour of both sides. The
movie is also accompanied by a catchy
soundtrack, which enhances the cinematic
experience.

Without giving away too many
spoilers, Your Name. has a body-swap
theme in its plot. This revolves around

 

two main characters in high school: a
beautiful girl named Matsuhi who lives
in the countryside, and a handsome boy
named Taki who lives in Tokyo. One

day, they wake up and realise that they
are in a different place and a different
body. The progression of events then
becomes comedic and highly entertaining.
For example, sexuality is portrayed
humorously when the boy who has
switched with the girl starts fondling the
breast of the new body he’s in.

A gender-bender theme is also heavily
implied from the way the two characters
still act the way they would in their own
body, so they are presenting behaviours
usually expected of the opposite sex.

This leads to interesting outcomes and
reactions from the people around them.
First, they think it’s a dream when they
return back to their own bodies, but
then they realize from other people
that something unusual has happened.
Matsuhi and Taki then leave each other
notes, and as soon as they see the notes,
the two know that this mysterious
phenomenon is actually happening, so
now they have to work together to make
sure their other half lives naturally.

The storyline of Your Name. is
extremely brilliant. A succession of
unexpected plot twists take place, and
once the first occurs, it becomes an
emotionally impactful ride—similar to
the cosmic phenomenon depicted in the
movie—which could tug your heartstrings
and crush your soul at the same time. At
the surface, you might think it is simply
a body-swap film, but it is in fact so
much more than that. The body-swap
element is just a thread used for a tapestry
interwoven with Japanese cultures, beliefs,
history, and philosophical ideas. The

 

Japanese authenticity could be one of
the big reasons why it became such a big
blockbuster in Japan. Despite this, non-
Japanese viewers can still relish in this
beauty, the excellent story, and pick up a
couple things from it.

Your Name., in my opinion, is the best
animated feature of 2016 and is one of the
redeeming qualities of that year. Many
movie reviewers are calling it an Oscar
contender, and considering its critical

No stopping this crazy thing

> ‘Loopin’ Louie’ board game review

Ed Appleby
Illustrator

 

Ki games have a reputation for
being pretty inane. They’re either
commercial tie-ins that have little in
the way of gameplay value, or heavily
gimmicked abominations of plastic and
parts that just ask to be lost. It’s rare
that a kid’s game can come along that,
although simple, can be extremely fun.
Loopin’ Louie (1992) is a battery-
powered kids’ game designed by Masaru
Aoki and Carol Wiseley and published
by Milton Bradley (now Hasbro). In
the game, four players sit in cardinal
directions from each other as a motorized
biplane on an arm leisurely spins around
the board. Each player has a barn with
three chickens that they are trying to
protect from the plane. The players also
have a little lever that they can push as the
plane comes by in order to knock it into
the air. The goal of the game is to protect
your chickens while eliminating the other
players. The last player with chickens wins.
The gameplay is simple, such that you
could explain the game to a four-year-old

and they would be able to play right away.
However, this doesn’t make the game

any less fun. The gameplay goes similar
toa game of Hungry Hungry Hippos
(1966), but without the random marbles
and frenetic movements. Loopin’ Louie

is more measured and strategic, with
players varying the timing and pressure of
their switches not only to save their own
chickens, but to take out the other players’.

The simple mechanics and fun
gameplay has made Loopin’ Louie ripe
for rerelease, as well as rebranding
with several different licenced
properties—as Hasbro tends to do.

Some notable releases are Bobbin’
Bumblebee (2005), Barn Buzzin’ Goofy
(1999), and Loopin’ Chewie (2015).

Loopir’ Louie is a lot of fun and I
would recommend it to anyone looking
for a very simple game, whether for a
child or just as an interesting piece to
pull out when friends are over. Definitely
not for the more serious gamer, although
there has been a boost in its popularity
recently among gaming groups, and it
is currently ranked as the number three
kids’ game on Boardgamegeek.com.

 

theotherpress.ca

Poster for ‘Your Name’

acclaim, it rightfully deserves a nod.
Even people who do not usually watch
anime will find it impressive. Funimation
announced recently that both the subbed
and English dub versions will hit North
American theatres in April, so mark your
calendars and get tissues ready.

The headline will make sense once
you have watched it. It is really a movie you
must not miss.

Illustration by Ed Appleby