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From its amazing visuals to its pure-hearted rock theme by Radwimps, the upcoming anime film from the celebrated director is proud to wear its heart on its sleeve.

Late last year, producers gave us the first peek at your name., the latest theatrical feature from celebrated anime director Makoto Shinkai. Scheduled for a summer release, the wait for the film is now half-way over, and marking this milestone is the release of the film’s official trailer.

Longer than the previously unveiled teaser for the film, the new preview shows much more of lead characters Taki and Mitsuha, and gives a few clues as what their story will be.

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Taki, judging from the trailer, at least, seems to be a pretty well-adjusted high school student living in Tokyo. He’s got friends who want to hang out after school, and also a part-time job as a waiter.

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Mitsuha, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as content. “I can’t stand living in the countryside anymore,” she laments (clearly she’s not a fan of this video), before scaling up her complaint to “I hate my life!”

Tears flowing, she stands under a shrine’s tori gate at night, crying out “In my next life, let me be a handsome boy living in Tokyo!”

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It’s not clear whether Mitsuha’s plea is a genuine gender identity crisis or simply a longing for a life that’s as different from the one she has as she can imagine, but in either case, her wish is partially granted. Following a meteor shower, Taki and Mitsuha start waking up in the morning with half-formed memories of someone else’s life.

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Eventually, the two come to the realization that their spirits are drifting into each other’s bodies when they dream. The intimacy of the connection, though, is in stark contrast to the fact that they’ve never even met. Nonetheless, a bond begins to form between the two, as they come to realize they might understand each other better than anyone else.

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Shinkai’s works have a well-deserved reputation for being unabashedly sentimental, and your name. looks like it will be no exception. From the theme song by Yokohama rock band Radwimps, with lyrics including “It was three lifetimes ago that I started searching for you,” to Taki’s impassioned promise to Mitsuha of “Wherever you are in this world, no matter what, I’ll find you,” the trailer is positively dripping with emotion.

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Also par for the director’s course is the loving attention given to environmental art.

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▼ You know it’s a Makoto Shinkai anime when even a sliding door opening looks incredibly beautiful.

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your name. opens August 26 at theaters across Japan.

You can follow Casey on Twitter, but he makes no promise that he won’t just keep tweeting the lyrics of that incredibly catchy Radwimps song.

Source: Youtube/KirikiriPlus+ via Otakumu
Images: Youtube/KirikiriPlus+