25 Movies Like Your Name

Your Name is an incredible fantasy romance anime movie. It sports beautiful colorful animation, a great soundtrack and score by the Japanese rock band Radwimps, and a beautiful body-swapping romance story that will break the hardest of hearts. Your Name was released in 2016 and written and directed by Makoto Shinkai.

The movie follows Taki, a short-tempered but kind high school boy from Tokyo, and Mitsuha, a high school girl from a fictional rural town called Itomori in Japan who is unhappy with her life there. One day, the two begin to swap bodies upon going to sleep randomly. As they begin to live one another’s lives, they fall in love with one another. Taki and Mitshuha soon begin to embark on a quest to meet each over.

This quest later not only influences whether they will meet another but later the fate of Itomori as well.

Your Name stars Ryunosuke Kamiki as Taki and Mone Kamishiraishi as Mitshuha.

Soon after being released, Your Name became the highest-grossing Japanese film of 2016. It grossed $358,180,115 worldwide. It also earned the Best Animated Film at The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards upon release.

The best movies like Your Name include, but are not limited to, Weathering with You, Garden of Words, and Spirited Away. These movies are gorgeous amine, great animated movies, beautiful and unique love stories, sweet coming-of-age tales, or body-swapping movies.

There are more movies than just those three above. Most of them are renowned anime films. Some films do diverge into equally great western animation movies and live-action films.

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1. Weathering With You

The movie Weathering with You is an anime fantasy drama written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It was released in 2019.

It follows Hodaka Morishima, a high school student, who runs away from his home life, which is a troubling environment, to the vibrant city of Tokyo. While there, he befriends Hina Amano, a peculiar and strong-willed girl of a similar age who has the power to control the weather. The two alter each over lives in unique ways.

The movie stars Kotaro Daigo as Hodaka Morishima and Nana Mori as Hina Amano.

Weathering with You grossed $193,932,489 worldwide against a budget of $11,100,000. It earned a nomination for an Annie Award for Best Independent Animated Film.

Like the movie Your Name, which was also written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, it is a fantasy story centered on the developing romance of the two protagonists.

2. The Garden Of Words

The movie The Garden of Words is an anime drama written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It was released in 2013.

It follows Takao Akizuki, a 15-year-old high school student who aspires to be a shoemaker, who meets Yukari Yukino, a mysterious 27-year-old woman while skipping school and waiting out the rain at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo. They develop an incredibly close bond as they continue to meet one another on similar occasions.

It stars Wataru Sekine as Takao Akizuki and Kana Hanazawa as Yukari Yukino.

The Garden of Words grossed $418,256 worldwide.

This movie centers on the dynamics of a developing relationship, although now an incredibly close friendship, and is directed and written by Makoto Shinkai.

3. Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a 2001 anime fantasy adventure movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

It follows Chihiro, a young girl, who is moving, with her parents, to the countryside in Japan. On the way to their new home, Chihiro and her family encounter a seemingly abandoned theme park with freshly cooked food. Her parents turn into pigs after eating from it as Chihiro is transported to the spirit world.

While there, she begins to work in a bathhouse for the spirits while trying to figure out how to turn her parents back human with the help of Haku, a mysterious but kind spirit.

The film stars Rumi Hiiragi as Chihiro.

Spirited Away grossed $355,708,557 against a budget of $19,000,000. Spirited Away received The Academy Award for Best Animated Film upon release.

The movie, too, features colorful animation, a sweet romance subplot, and a fantasy story like the film Your Name.

4. Whisper Of The Heart

Whisper of The Heart is an anime romantic drama movie. It was released in 1995. The movie was written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Yoshifumi Kondô.

It centers on Shizuku Tsukishima, a 14-year-old girl with a vivid imagination who searches for Seiji Amasawa, a teenage boy who goes to the same school as her, after discovering that he read all the books she read that he checked out after her at the library.

The film stars Yōko Honna as Shizuku Tsukishima and Issei Takahashi as Seiji Amasawa.

Whispers of The Heart grossed $585,013 at the worldwide box office.

Like the movie Your Name, it follows a unique romance story at the forefront between two teens.

5. 5 Centimeters Per Second

5 Centimeters Per Second is a 2005 anime drama movie written and directed by Makoto Shinkai.

It follows a man called Takaki Tōno. It examines his life through three interconnected stories of his life in Japan from the 1990s to 2008. The movie looks explicitly at his troubled love life, which prominently involves his childhood friend, Akari Shinohara, during those periods.

The movie stars Kenji Mizuhashi as Takaki Tōno.

It grossed $256,851 at the worldwide box office. 5 Centimeters Per Second won The Best Animated Film at The Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Like Your Name, 5 Centimeters Per Second is also written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It also follows a tale of love with the obstacle of distance.

6. Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle is a 2004 anime fantasy adventure movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is based upon the book by Diana Wynne Jones.

It follows Sophie, a young woman who leads a mundane life while working at her late father’s hat shop. Sophie’s life takes a surprising turn when she is cursed to age prematurely as revenge for befriending Howl, a naïve but talented wizard, by the Witch of Waste. Sophie must now seek out Howl, who lives in a peculiar moving castle, for help to break the curse.

The movie stars Chieko Baisho as Sophie.

Howl’s Moving Castle grossed $236,214,446 worldwide against a budget of $24,000,000. It also received The Academy Award nomination for The Best Animated Film.

This movie features beautiful colorful animation and a love story that develops slowly and is realistic, as seen in Your Name.

7. Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke is an anime historical fantasy movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was released in 1997.

Set in the Muromachi period of Japan, it follows a prince, Ashitaka, who is banished by his tribe after being cursed by a boar god. He then journeys out to seek a cure. In the process, Ashitaka becomes involved in a war between San, a forest princess, and Iron Town, whose population depends on mining iron.

It stars Yôji Matsuda as Ashitaka and Yuriko Ishida as San.

Princess Mononoke grossed $169,785,704 at the worldwide box office.

Like Your Name, Princess Mononoke is a story deeply rooted in Japanese culture and focuses on an unlikely romance in one of its subplots.

8. Grave Of The Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies is an anime war drama movie written and directed by Isao Takahata. It is based upon the short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. It was released in 1988.

It follows Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, who are forced to fend for themselves after their mother and home are destroyed in a firebombing during World War II in Japan.

The movie stars Tsutomu Tatsumi as Seita and Ayano Shiraishi as Setsuko.

Grave of the Fireflies grossed $516,962 at the worldwide box office. It was heralded by Roger Ebert, one of the best film critics, as one of the greatest war films.

This movie deals with a grave event that puts the two protagonists’ survival at risk, like Your Name.

9. Only Yesterday

Only Yesterday is an anime drama movie written and directed by Isao Takahata. It was released in 1991.

It follows 27-year-old office worker Taeko Okajima who travels to rural Japan and reminisces about her coming-of-age in Tokyo and everything she wanted to achieve back then.

The movie stars Miki Imai as the adult Taeko and Yoko Honna as the younger Taeko.

Only yesterday grossed $545,825 worldwide.

Like the movie Your name, a large part of the film deals with the coming-of-age of the protagonist in Tokyo and rural Japan.

10. When Marnie Was There

When Marnie Was There is a 2014 anime mystery drama. Hiromasa Yonebayashi directed it. The movie was written by Masashi Andō, Keiko Niwa, and Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

The film was based upon the novel by Joan G. Robinson.

Set in Japan, Anna Sasaki, a 12-year-old battling low self-esteem, moves to the countryside after finding herself battling asthma in the city of Sapporo. There she befriends Marnie, a girl that may be a spirit that only she can see.

When Marnie Was There stars Sara Takatsuki as Anna and Kasumi Arimura as Marnie.

It grossed $34,949,567 at the worldwide box office. The film received a nomination for Best Animated Film at The Academy Awards.

The movie centers on a beautiful friendship that is tested with supernatural circumstances, as seen in Your Name.

11. A Silent Voice: The Movie

A Silent Voice is an anime drama movie written by Reiko Yoshida and directed by Naoko Yamada. It is based upon the manga by Yoshitoki Ōima. It was released in 2016.

It follows a young man, Shôya Ishida, who travels to meet and make amends with a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, whom he bullied while in elementary school. She transferred to another school resultant of him.

The movie stars Miyu Irino as Shôya Ishida and Saori Hayami as Shoko Nishimiya.

The film grossed $30,518,948 at the worldwide box office. It won Best Film at The Tokyo Anime Awards.

The movie sports beautiful animation and a story that will melt the coldest of hearts, like the film Your Name.

12. Wolf Children

Wolf Children is a 2012 anime fantasy drama directed and co-written by Mamoru Hosoda. He co-wrote it with Satoko Okudera.

It follows Hana, a young woman who must raise her children, with wolf-like attributes, after her lover, who is a wolfman, unexpectedly dies.

The movie stars Aoi Miyazaki as Hana.

It grossed $55,060,661 at the worldwide box office. Mamoru Hosoda earned The Tokyo Anime Award for Best Director for his work on Wolf Children.

This movie features a touching story of love, set within peculiar circumstances, like the film Your Name.

13. Patema Inverted

Patema Inverted is a 2013 science-fiction romantic drama written and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura.

It follows a girl called Patema, who comes from a civilization that lives in underground tunnels, finds herself in a world where gravity is inverted. There she teams up with a local boy, Age, to escape this world and return home. Along the way, Patema and Age begin to develop romantic feelings for each other.

The movie stars Yukiyo Fujii as Patema and Nobuhiko Okamoto as Age.

Patema Inverted features a love story brought on by the unusual circumstances of the world the two protagonists live in, like the movie Your Name.

14. My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 anime fantasy movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

It follows Satsuki, a young girl, and her little sister Mei who befriends a sweet forest spirit, Totoro, after moving to the countryside in Japan. Totoro provides comfort for them as they wait for their mother to heal in the hospital.

The movie stars Noriko Hidaka as Satsuki and Chika Sakamoto as Mei.

It grossed $30,550,920 at the worldwide box office against a budget of $3,700,000.

My Neighbor Totoro is a heartwarming story with beautiful animation and a musical score set in the Japanese countryside, like Your Name.

15. The Girl Who Leaped Through Time

The Girl Who Leaped Through Time is a 2006 anime science-fiction comedy-drama movie written by Satoko Okudera and directed by Mamoru Hosoda. It is based upon the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui.

It follows a high school girl, Makoto Konno, who suddenly discovers that she can time travel. Makoto begins to use it to her advantage, but unprecedented consequences occur as of her actions.

The movie stars Riisa Naka as Makoto Konno.

It won Best Animated Film at The Awards of the Japanese Academy.

This film, too, is a coming-of-age story with a time-traveling subplot, like Your Name.

16. The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya

The movie The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a 2013 anime fantasy drama co-written and directed by Isao Takahata. He co-wrote it with Riko Sakaguchi. It is based on an old Japanese tale of the same name.

It follows Princess Kaguya, who was found as an infant in a shining bamboo by a bamboo cutter. She quickly grows up to be a beautiful woman. Princess Kaguya has everything dear to her taken away to become a princess showered in riches. While there, five suitors compete for Princess Kaguya’s love, who is hesitant to accept them.

The movie stars Aki Asakura as Princess Kaguya.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya grossed $24,706,166 at the worldwide box office. It received The Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Film.

This film has a coming-of-age story at its center, with a heartbreaking romance subplot of Kaguya’s lost love for her childhood sweetheart, like Your Name.

17. Soul

The film Soul is a 2020 animated fantasy comedy-drama co-written and directed by Pete Doctor and Kemp Powers.

They co-wrote it with Mike Jones.

The movie Soul is set in both New York and the afterlife. It follows Joe, a middle school music teacher, who dies on the same day he achieves his dream of playing piano in a professional Jazz band. While in the afterlife, he helps an unborn soul. This soul shows him that life is more about just achieving your dreams.

It stars Jamie Foxx as Joe.

Soul grossed $120,957,731 at the worldwide box office. It earned The Academy Award for Best Animated Film upon release.

The movie has beautiful animation, a stunning musical score, and a body-swapping subplot, like Your Name.

18. Mary And Max

Mary and Max is a 2009 stop-motion animated comedy-drama movie written and directed by Adam Elliot.

It follows a pen-pal friendship between an awkward but sweet 8-year-old girl, Mary, and an older man, Max, who struggles with Asperger’s syndrome. It spans years into their lives, and a large part is devoted to Mary’s coming of age.

The movie stars Toni Collette as Mary and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Max.

This movie features a tearful coming-of-age tale between two friends separated by distance, like Your Name.

19. Paprika

Paprika is a 2006 anime science-fiction psychological thriller movie.

Satoshi Kon directed Paprika. Seishi Minakami and Satoshi Kon wrote it. The movie was based upon the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui.

Paprika follows a scientist, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, who works as a detective, Paprika, who goes into patients’ dreams by night. Dr. Atsuko Chiba, as detective Paprika, goes on a quest to recover a prototype of a device called the DC Mini that is used to enter people’s dreams after it is stolen.

The movie stars Megumi Hayashibara as the title character.

Paprika grossed $946,590 at the worldwide box office. It got nominated for The Golden Lion Award at The Venice Film Festival.

This film sports breathtaking colorful animation, like Your Name.

20. Palm Springs

Palm Springs is a science-fiction romantic-comedy movie released in 2020 on Hulu. It was written by Andy Siara and directed by Max Barbakow.

The movie follows two wedding guests, Nyles and Sarah, who accidentally get stuck in a time loop together where they are forced to relive the same dreadful wedding repeatedly. Soon Nyles and Sarah begin to fall in love as an opportunity to escape presents itself potentially.

Palm Springs stars Andy Samberg as Nyles and Cristin Milioti as Sarah.

Palm Springs got nominated for The Golden Globe for The Best Musical or Comedy film.

This film is a touching romance story set in an unreal circumstance, like Your Name.

21. Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich is a 1999 science-fiction comedy-drama movie written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze.

It follows an aspiring puppeteer, Craig Schwartz, who reluctantly takes an office job where he discovers a portal into the head of the famous actor John Malkovich. He and a co-worker he likes, Maxine, soon open an odd successful business with it.

The movie stars John Cusack as Craig Schwartz and John Malkovich as a fictionalized version of himself.

Being John Malkovich grossed $23,106,667 worldwide against a budget of $13,000,000. Charlie Kaufman earned the BAFTA for Best Screenplay for Being John Malkovich.

This movie is a film that primarily involves a body-swapping phenomenon at the center of its plot, like Your Name.

22. Moonrise Kingdom

The movie Moonrise Kingdom is a 2012 romantic comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson. He co-wrote it along with Roman Coppola.

The film follows the childhood romance of Sam, an independent young orphan, and Suzy, a young girl who is book worm from a large family who struggles with her temper. The two decide to run away, as their small island disapproves of them. This event sends their island up in arms to search for them before an impending storm is supposed to hit the island.

It stars Jared Gilman as Sam and Kara Hayward as Suzy.

It grossed $68,264,022 worldwide against a budget of $16,000,000.

This film follows a sweet coming-of-age romance story, like Your Name.

23. Big

Big is a 1988 fantasy comedy-drama movie directed by Perry Marshal. Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg wrote it.

The movie follows a young boy, Josh, who wishes to be an adult. Surprisingly, the wish comes true for Josh, who wakes up as an adult after making the wish. Soon the novelty washes off as Josh realizes there is more responsibility than he thought for being an adult.

The movie stars Tom Hanks as the adult Josh.

It grossed $151,927,281 worldwide against a budget of $18,000,000. Tom Hanks earned The Golden Globe for Best Comedic or Musical Actor for his performance as the adult Josh.

This film features a body-swapping plot in the form of a young boy changing into an adult overnight, like Your Name.

24. Looper

Looper is a 2012 science-fiction thriller movie written and directed by Rian Johnson.

It follows Joe, a time-traveling hitman, who reaches a dilemma when he finds out that his next hit is his future self, who is determined to stay alive.

The movie stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young Joe and Bruce Willis as the old Joe.

It grossed $176,506,819 worldwide against a budget of $30,000,000.

The movie features an excellent science-fiction plot filled with twists, like Your Name.

25. Freaky

Freaky is a horror-comedy co-written and directed by Christopher Landen. He co-wrote it with Michael Kennedy.

It follows Millie Kessler, a teenage girl who accidentally swaps bodies with Butcher, a serial killer. She has just 24 hours to reverse this change before it becomes permanent.

The movie stars Vince Vaughn as Butcher and Kathryn Newton as Millie.

It grossed $15,920,855 against a budget of $5,000,000.

This movie is a peculiar body-swapping movie, like Your Name.

Sources:

JW Web Magazine: Best Anime Movies Like Your Name

Reel Rundown: Animes Like Kimi No Na Wa

ScreenRant: Best Anime Movies Like Your Name

ScreenRant: Great Anime Movies that aren’t from Studio Ghibli

Taste Dive: Movies Like Your Name

Anime News Network: Shinkai Your Name Is Japan’s Highest Grossing Film for 2016

IMDB: Big

IMDB: Big Awards