Online, people are also discussing the tickets for "Your Name":
"I never expected it, but tickets for 'Your Name' are actually this hard to get."
"In a small city in Hokkaido, I was able to buy tickets right away, though it does seem like they're selling faster than usual this time."
"I was just two minutes late, and all the tickets were already sold out. I was stunned."
"Too fast! Are they all beasts or something?"
"Yeah, do Lin Zhiyan's fans really number that many? Could it be that there are no bots snatching up the tickets?"
"Don't even mention it. Lin Zhiyan really does have a lot of fans. Just think about how many super popular, even phenomenal, anime he has made over the years. Anime discs are too expensive, and not everyone can afford them, but this is just a single movie ticket. Plus, it's his first full-length original animated film, so fans are bound to support it."
"The key is the romance-themed animation he chose this time. Many people with partners or crushes often buy two tickets at once to invite the person they like to go see it together. Furthermore, judging from what's been revealed, this animation is quite good. The premise of the male and female protagonists swapping lives is also very attractive, and ads are everywhere, so naturally, many people want to see it."
"I read an interview with Lin Zhiyan before, where he mentioned his expectation for the animation 'Your Name' is to take this year's box office crown. At the time, I thought it was impossible for 'Your Name' to win the annual title with 'The Wind Rises' coming out in late July. Now, I suddenly doubt if it's really impossible."
"The annual box office champion? It should be a battle between these two animations this year, but I still favor 'The Wind Rises'. After all, that's Hayao Miyazaki's animation, the only creator of a 10-billion-yen box office hit."
As the discussion continued, the date arrived at May 1st.
On that day, audiences who had booked their tickets in advance flocked to the cinemas, waiting to watch the animation "Your Name."
As they continued their discussion, the time arrived on May 1st.
On that day, audiences who had booked their tickets in advance flocked to the cinema, waiting to watch the animation "Your Name."
Shiga Taka and Shiozawa Makoto were naturally among them.
The two collected their tickets at the cinema and, while waiting for the movie to start, looked around.
"There are really a lot of people," Shiga Taka muttered.
Shiozawa Makoto smiled, "You should thank me. If I hadn't snatched these tickets, who knows how long you'd have to wait to see this animation."
"Yes, yes, Makoto-sama, you are my god," Shiga Taka replied dotingly.
Finally, when it was time for ticket inspection, the two of them held hands, joined the queue, passed through the gate, entered the cinema, and found their seats.
People gradually filled the seats all around them.
It was unknown if other cinemas or other showtimes had empty seats, but for the session Shiga Taka and Shiozawa Makoto were attending, there was truly not a single empty seat to be found.
"I suddenly feel like this animation reaching a ten-billion box office might not be a big deal at all," Shiga Taka couldn't help but whisper.
Shiozawa Makoto nodded. "That's very likely, but ultimately it depends on the quality of the animation. If the quality is good and the word-of-mouth is strong, people will continue to watch it. Otherwise, even if it can attract a large audience initially due to the hype and Lin Zhiyan's reputation, it's unlikely to break the 10 billion yen box office mark."
"True."
Shiga Taka nodded in agreement. "Still, based on what we've seen so far, this animated film is really strong."
The two chatted in low voices. A few minutes later, the lights in the screening room dimmed.
The animated film "Your Name" officially began.
Shiga Taka and Shiozawa Makoto stopped talking, fell silent, and watched the big screen in front of them with full attention.
First, the production and distribution company information appeared, and then the film began.
A comet descended from the sky, plummeting towards a large lake surrounded by a dense settlement.
The screen went black, and the voice of the main character, Mitsuha Miyamizu, was heard: "When I wake up in the morning, I don't know why I'm crying. This happens from time to time."
Her voice carried a faint sense of sadness.
Scenes of a big city with towering buildings flashed by. Then, the camera shifted to the male lead. He was sitting on his bed, looking like he had just woken up. However, the camera angle obscured his face, so his expression couldn't be seen, only his voice could be heard:
Scenes of a towering metropolis flash by, followed by the male lead sitting on his bed, looking as if he has just woken up. The camera angle obscures his face, making his expression invisible; only his voice can be heard:
"The dreams I've had, I can never remember them, but..."
He looks down at his hand.
Suddenly, the camera shifts to the female lead on the other side. She is sitting on the edge of her bed, looking just as she has also just woken up, and is likewise staring at her own hand.
"It's just this feeling that something is missing, a feeling that lingers long after I wake up."
Following this internal monologue, through a few quick shots, the female lead is shown having changed her clothes, finished breakfast, gotten dressed, and left the house.
Walking outside and arriving at the train station, the male lead's internal monologue cuts back in immediately: "I'm always searching for something... searching for someone."
On the train, the male lead looks out at the scenery through the glass of the train door.
The female lead is on another train, also looking out through the glass of the train door, and continues her internal monologue: "I began to be troubled by this feeling, ever since that day."
Following this line, the scene introduces "that day":
"That day, the day the stars fell. It was like..."
"It was like... a scene from a dream. It was just, purely..."
"A sight to behold."
The first two lines are the internal monologues of the male lead and the female lead respectively, while the final line is a sentiment shared by both.
Naturally, this is accompanied by corresponding visuals: the male lead and the female lead, each in their own location, watching an incomparably beautiful meteor streak across the sky.
"That day, the day the meteor fell, the scene was just like..."
"Just like...
A dream, I just thought it was so..."
"This scenery is just so beautiful."
The first two sentences are the internal monologues of the male and female leads, respectively, while the final sentence is their shared reflection.
Of course, this is accompanied by relevant visuals: shots of the male and female leads, each in their own location, watching an incredibly beautiful meteor streak across the sky.
Following this scene, the opening theme "Dream Lantern," performed by the band RADWIMPS, kicks in, accompanied by romantic imagery and key production credits, including the director, scriptwriter, music director, character designer, and planning producer.
The beginning is only a short segment, revealing little information, but the character designs of the male and female leads and the overall visual style feel very comfortable. In particular, the scene of the meteor streaking across the sky is, as the leads in the animation reflect, truly beautiful.
With such a comfortable art style, Shiga Taka felt that even if the subsequent content turned out to be dull and uninteresting, he would still be able to watch the entire film. What's more, based on the pre-release promotion, this is clearly not a boring animation; such a problem is unlikely to exist.
The opening theme is also quite good; while it might not be breathtaking, it feels decent.
It just remains to be seen how the subsequent content will unfold.
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