Between 2−3 stars rating, 13 October 2017 A Good Companion for the Movie
By: Dimas Harjono
Your Name., also known as Kimi no Na wa, is a novel version of the highest-grossing Japanese animation movie with the same title. Because this novel is released after the movie, the buyer of this novel might be already be the fan of the movie. For the same reason, my reading experience is enhanced by my movie-watching experience. As I read this novel, the scene and the music of the movie is projected on my mind, so I don't think I can give a fair review for those who hasn't watched the movie yet.
The Japanese setting this novel takes might hinder the reader who isn't familiar with its culture, but the translation team has a good job in choosing which terms... See More
should be kept as it is with additional notes, and hich terms that should be fully translated. They even changed a Japanese only joke into a situation that can be generally accepted by English-speaking reader.
As the story goes, it is well-written, but has rushed pace here and there. It may be because the writer himself has already fix point of view from the film, but has some different ideas as how he will express it in the novel. So those who had watched may have some advantages in imagining, but also irky feeling when they cannot fit the movie into the novel.
Nevertheless, this is a good read for Your Name. fans. They can capture details that they may have missed because of the "silent narration" or "visual narration" that quite elusive in the movie. It is a recommended reading as we waiting for the DVD release. For the new reader, I think it is better to watch the movie first, then back to this book to get a whole experience.
Between 4−5 stars rating, 08 February 2018