Best Movies like Your Name. (2016)

Directed by Makoto Shinkai like Your Name., Weathering with You features adolescent protagonists whose lives are upended by supernatural events linked to fate and the weather, blending romance with striking animation and a narrative centered on a mystical connection between teenagers living in contemporary Japan.

The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if taking its cue from his life. After many days of solitude, he finally finds work as a freelance writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then, one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky. Weathering with You is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 8.0 by 2,663 people. The movie made an estimated total of $192,729,404 in the box office.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time explores a high school student's supernatural ability to switch through moments in time, directly echoing Your Name.'s body-switching premise and its focus on the impacts of magical events on young people navigating relationships and coming of age.

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.8 by 2,281 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,478,290 in the box office.

A Silent Voice: The Movie shares Your Name.'s blend of animation, drama, and romance, focusing on teenage characters who must reckon with the consequences of their actions and seek connection, communicating the challenges and emotional growth found in youth.

Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...? A Silent Voice: The Movie is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 8.4 by 4,588 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,819,442 in the box office.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas presents an animated coming-of-age story driven by youth, emotional upheaval, and the formation of deep relationships, mirroring the heartfelt journey of self-discovery and romance embodied by Your Name.

After his classmate and crush is diagnosed with a pancreatic disease, an average high schooler sets out to make the most of her final days. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 8.2 by 1,813 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,748,006 in the box office.

5 Centimeters per Second, another animated film by Makoto Shinkai, similarly examines longing, missed connections, and the effects of distance on young love, utilizing evocative imagery and a focus on the emotional landscapes of adolescence.

Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city. 5 Centimeters per Second is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 3m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 2,186 people. The movie made an estimated total of $548,192 in the box office.

The Garden of Words shares a focus on visually striking animation and an intimate, character-driven story that explores romantic longing, emotional growth, and personal connection between two individuals within a contemporary Japanese setting.

Takao, who is training to become a shoemaker, skipped school and is sketching shoes in a Japanese-style garden. He meets a mysterious woman, Yukino, who is older than him. Then, without arranging the times, the two start to see each other again and again, but only on rainy days. They deepen their relationship and open up to each other. But the end of the rainy season soon approaches. The Garden of Words is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 46m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.6 by 2,265 people. The movie made an estimated total of $820,165 in the box office.

Fireworks follows high schoolers caught in a mysterious phenomenon that disrupts their everyday lives, paralleling Your Name.'s narrative structure involving teens navigating extraordinary circumstances and intertwined fates in a Japanese milieu.

Moshimo, Japan. The annual fireworks festival is about to take place and a group of schoolboys, arguing over whether they are round or flat when viewed from different angles, set out to find it out. Fireworks is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.6 by 372 people. The movie made an estimated total of $26,617,621 in the box office.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices uses animation to blend youthful curiosity with elements of fantasy and the supernatural, following young characters as they search for meaning and connection beyond the ordinary, a significant theme in Your Name.

The film centers on Asuna, a young girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved by a mysterious boy named Shun. However, Shun disappears and Asuna embarks on a journey of adventure to the land of Agartha with her teacher Mr. Morisaki to meet a Shun again. Through her journey she comes to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss. Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.3 by 801 people.

Whisper of the Heart centers on adolescence, personal discovery, and budding romance within a contemporary Japanese backdrop, sharing with Your Name. a focus on emotional growth as students navigate unfamiliar territory in life and relationships.

Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa." Whisper of the Heart is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.9 by 2,323 people.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days, also directed by Makoto Shinkai, weaves together themes of separation, longing, and fate between young protagonists, and utilizes a blend of drama and romance grounded in an evocative animated style.

In a post-war alternative timeline, Japan is divided into the North, controlled by the Union, and the South, controlled by the United States. A mysterious high tower rises within the borders of the Union. Three high school students promise to cross the border with a self-built airplane and unravel the secret of the tower. The Place Promised in Our Early Days is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.6 by 564 people. The movie made an estimated total of $44,483 in the box office.

Patema Inverted follows teenagers separated by conflicting worlds who develop a unique connection and must navigate the consequences of a reality-turning event, paralleling the cross-boundary relationships and reality-shifting situations in Your Name.

A young girl, from a civilization that resides in deep underground tunnels, finds herself trapped in an inverted world and teams up with a resident to escape and return home. Patema Inverted is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.4 by 474 people.

Summer Wars features animated storytelling centered on youth, family, and high-stakes situations that push adolescent characters into unfamiliar territory, echoing Your Name.'s focus on contemporary settings and the transformative power of strong relationships.

Teenage math whiz Kenji Koiso agrees to take a summer job at the Nagano hometown of his crush, Natsuki. When he arrives, he finds that her family have reunited to celebrate the 90th birthday of their matriarch. His job: pretend to be Natsuki's fiancé. Meanwhile, his attempt to solve a mathematical equation causes a parallel world's collision with Earth. Summer Wars is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.5 by 1,052 people. The movie made an estimated total of $18,434,328 in the box office.

From Up on Poppy Hill is an animated romance and drama depicting young characters overcoming challenges to connect with each other within a Japanese setting, exploring themes of distance and emotional growth similar to Your Name.

Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart. From Up on Poppy Hill is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.5 by 1,971 people. The movie made an estimated total of $61,037,844 in the box office.

The Anthem of the Heart features high schoolers dealing with emotional trauma and interpersonal barriers as they learn to communicate and connect, mirroring the self-discovery and candid emotional journeys at the center of Your Name.

A young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship. Will Naruse be able to convey the anthem of her heart? The Anthem of the Heart is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.6 by 437 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,852,989 in the box office.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish blends romance and drama in animated form, focusing on the transformative encounter between two young people, and exploring personal growth through connection, akin to the emotional and relational focus of Your Name.

With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, an artist whose imagination takes her far beyond her wheelchair. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought possible, and inspire a love fit for a storybook. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 8.3 by 615 people.

Ride Your Wave brings together romance and self-discovery in a contemporary animated setting, following young characters as they adapt to unexpected life challenges and form profound emotional connections.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Ride Your Wave is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.6 by 381 people.

Colorful presents an animated coming-of-age story involving a supernatural occurrence affecting a student’s life, with themes centered on youth, introspection, and growth, echoing Your Name.'s fusion of the magical and the everyday.

Upon reaching the train station to death, a dejected soul is informed that he is lucky and will have another chance at life. He is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Kobayashi Makoto, who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit named Purapura, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake in his former life was, before his time limit in Makoto's body runs out. He also has a number of other lesser duties he must complete, such as understanding what led Makoto to commit suicide in the first place and learning how to enjoy his second chance at life. Colorful is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.2 by 316 people.

In This Corner of the World offers an animated depiction of personal struggle and resilience, focusing on a young protagonist navigating significant life changes and emotional upheaval in Japan, resonating with Your Name.'s focus on growth and adaptation.

Japan, 1943, during World War II. Young Suzu leaves her village near Hiroshima to marry and live with her in-laws in Kure, a military harbor. Her creativity to overcome deprivation quickly makes her indispensable at home. Inhabited by an ancestral wisdom, Suzu impregnates the simple gestures of everyday life with poetry and beauty. The many hardships, the loss of loved ones, the frequent air raids of the enemy, nothing alters her enthusiasm… In This Corner of the World is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 10m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.9 by 639 people. The movie made an estimated total of $19,496,308 in the box office.

Flavors of Youth uses animation to explore stories set in East Asia about nostalgia, personal growth, and the bittersweet nature of youth, drawing on similar themes of human connection and life transitions found in Your Name.

The rigorous city life of China, while bustling and unforgiving, contains the everlasting memories of days past. Three stories told in three different cities, follow the loss of youth and the daunting realization of adulthood. Though reality may seem ever changing, unchangeable are the short-lived moments of one's childhood days. A plentiful bowl of noodles, the beauty of family and the trials of first love endure the inevitable flow of time, as three different characters explore the strength of bonds and the warmth of cherished memories. Within the disorder of the present world, witness these quaint stories recognize the comfort of the past, and attempt to revive the neglected flavors of youth. Flavors of Youth is a movie from China in Mandarin, with a total 1h 14m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.9 by 591 people. The movie made an estimated total of $496,334 in the box office.

Her Blue Sky features a contemporary Japanese setting and animated exploration of youth coping with complexities of emotion and change, emphasizing themes of relationships and the mysterious forces that shape personal journeys.

High school student Aoi Aioi lives with her elder sister, Akane, after a tragic accident took their parents away 13 years ago. Because Akane has since been taking care of her single-handedly, Aoi wants to move to Tokyo after her graduation to relieve her sister's burden and pursue a musical career, inspired by Akane's ex-boyfriend Shinnosuke "Shinno" Kanamuro. Shinno was part of a band until he left for Tokyo to become a professional guitarist after the sisters' parents passed away, and he was never to be seen again. Her Blue Sky is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.4 by 172 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,736,031 in the box office.

Hal explores the emotional lives of its protagonists through animation and a slightly speculative premise, examining how connections between young individuals change after unfamiliar circumstances, paralleling elements of transformation and personal discovery.

Kurumi’s heart was broken by the sudden death of her boyfriend in a tragic airplane accident. By melding futuristic technology with the binary equivalent of human emotion, a brilliant scientist created an ultra-lifelike robotic surrogate to take Hal’s place – and lure Kurumi from her shroud of solitude. Hal is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 0m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.0 by 130 people.

Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War dramatizes the challenges faced by high schoolers dealing with unusual circumstances and seeking understanding from those around them, sharing with Your Name. an emphasis on adolescence, identity, and emotional connection.

Satou Ichirou once called himself 'Maryuuin Kouga' and behaved as if he were a hero in a fantasy world. His strange behavior caused his classmates to bully him and he left the school. At his new school, he tries to behave like a normal boy, but one day he meets a girl who cosplays with a blue cape. She calls herself "a researcher traveling from the outer world to search for the 'Dragon Terminal'". At first, Ichirou rejects the girl, Satou Ryouko, because her behavior reminds him of his embarrassing past, but he changes his mind after seeing her getting bullied. In order to bring Ryouko back to real life, Ichirou accepts her and his past and begins the final battle as Maryuuin Kouga. Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.7 by 53 people.

Your Eyes Tell offers a romance between young characters coping with obstacles and striving to connect deeply, reflective of the central emotional and relational journey at the heart of Your Name.

A tragic accident lead to Akari's blindness, but she clings to life and the smaller pleasures it can still afford her. She meets Rui and begins to talk to him. Rui was once a promising kickboxer, but something happened in his past. Akari's smile brings out a change in Rui. However, the two are connected in more than one way. Rui attempts to do what is right. Your Eyes Tell is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 8.5 by 515 people.

Orange is an animated drama involving high school students who must come to terms with the impact of their actions on others, focusing on youth, romance, and growth, which aligns with the coming-of-age and interpersonal themes of Your Name.

A girl mysteriously receives advice from her future self and as a result her group of friends, along with a newly arrived, troubled classmate, learn how to be better friends and a better community. Orange is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 19m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.3 by 109 people. The movie made an estimated total of $282 in the box office.

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl features a surreal animated journey propelled by chance encounters between college students, blending everyday life with the unexpected and exploring the serendipitous connections between young people like those in Your Name.

As a group of university students go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as "The Girl with Black Hair" experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife – all the while unaware of the romantic longings of "Senpai", a senior student who has been creating increasingly fantastic and contrived reasons to run into her in an effort to win her heart. Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.4 by 255 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,878,208 in the box office.

Hotarubi no Mori e is an animated romance centered on a magical and fateful relationship between youth, mirroring the intersection of the supernatural and emotional connection in Your Name.

One hot summer day a little girl gets lost in an enchanted forest of the mountain god where spirits reside. A young boy appears before her, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear. And so a wondrous adventure awaits... Hotarubi no Mori e is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 45m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 8.3 by 1,233 people.

Only Yesterday focuses on the emotional landscape of its protagonist as she reflects on her youth in Japan, conveying the poignancy of memory, growing up, and transformative experiences that also shape the characters in Your Name.

In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self. Only Yesterday is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,274 people. The movie made an estimated total of $473,110 in the box office.

Rising pop star Mima Kirigoe quits singing to pursue a career as an actress. After she takes up a role on a popular detective show, her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. Perfect Blue is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 21m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 8.3 by 3,275 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,743,097 in the box office.

Suzume, another film by Makoto Shinkai, blends contemporary Japanese settings, young protagonists, and supernatural events tied to fate. Like Your Name., it explores how such forces shape character journeys, relationships, and personal growth.

Suzume, 17, lost her mother as a little girl. On her way to school, she meets a mysterious young man. But her curiosity unleashes a calamity that endangers the entire population of Japan, and so Suzume embarks on a journey to set things right. Suzume is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2022 with an average rating of 7.9 by 1,794 people. The movie made an estimated total of $314,992,206 in the box office.

Wolf Children uses animation to tell a coming-of-age story centered on family, the complexities of youth, and transformation set in Japan, resonating with the emotional depth and character-driven narrative of Your Name.

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her. Wolf Children is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 8.2 by 2,510 people. The movie made an estimated total of $55,262,158 in the box office.

The Girl from the Other Side uses animation to explore themes of connection, transformation, and learning about oneself through a fantastical premise, reflecting the blend of magic and heartfelt storytelling found in Your Name.

Once upon a time, in a far, faraway place, there were two lands. The world was divided into an inner land and an outer land. People feared the outer land, inhabited by eerie beings, the carriers of curse. One day, on the border to the inner land inhabited by humans, one such being finds a girl on heaps of abandoned dead bodies. The girl says her name is Shiva and shows affection to the "being" who found her, calling him "Teacher." This is a story of two people—one human, one inhuman—who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day. The Girl from the Other Side is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 10m runtime, released in 2023 with an average rating of 7.6 by 42 people.

Big Fish & Begonia presents an animated tale steeped in fantasy and explores the collision of the mystical with coming-of-age experiences, aligning with Your Name.'s focus on transformative moments that alter young lives.

Beyond the human realm, there is a magical race of beings who control the tides and the changing of the seasons. One of these beings, a young girl named Chun, seeks something more—she wants to experience the human world! At sixteen, she finally gets her chance and transforms into a dolphin in order to explore the world that has her fascinated. But she soon discovers that it's a dangerous place and nearly gets killed in a vortex. Luckily, her life is spared when a young boy sacrifices himself to save her. Moved by his kindness and courage, she uses magic to bring him back to life only to learn that this power comes at a serious price. On a new adventure, she’ll have to make her own sacrifices in order to protect his soul until it is ready to return to the human world. Big Fish & Begonia is a movie from China in Mandarin, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.3 by 495 people. The movie made an estimated total of $84,552,250 in the box office.

Napping Princess highlights adolescent protagonists dealing with extraordinary, dreamlike events that disrupt the boundaries between fantasy and reality, paralleling Your Name.'s narrative approach and central themes of self-discovery amid the magical and unknown.

Japan, 2020, a few days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Although she should be studying for her final exams, Kokone, a schoolgirl who lives in a small town with her widowed father, a mysterious and talented mechanic, falls asleep often, anywhere, anytime, entering, over and over, a dream-world where a squad of fantastic motorized contraptions fights against magic, a world close to reality where she will find out the keys of her true past. Napping Princess is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.7 by 132 people.