Your Name. - Characters & Cast

Initially, his motivation is to understand and cope with the body-swapping. Later, it becomes a desperate and heartfelt desire to find Mitsuha and, upon learning of her fate, to save her and her town from the comet disaster. In the end, his motivation is to reconnect with the person who left an indelible, albeit forgotten, mark on his soul.

Taki begins as an impulsive but well-meaning high school student in Tokyo, working part-time and aspiring to be an architect. Through his connection with Mitsuha, he becomes more empathetic and considerate. After her disappearance from his life, he embarks on a determined quest to find her, transforming from a passive participant in a strange phenomenon into an active hero fighting against fate to save the person he has come to love.

Her initial motivation is a deep yearning to escape her rural life and experience the excitement of Tokyo. As the story progresses, her motivation shifts to understanding her connection with Taki. Ultimately, her primary drive becomes the survival of her friends, family, and entire town, fueled by Taki's warning from the future.

Mitsuha starts as a kind-hearted but insecure girl, feeling stifled by her small town and her family's traditions. Her experience in Taki's body gives her a newfound confidence and a broader perspective on life. This growth is crucial as she is ultimately the one who must take decisive action to convince her estranged father and save her community. Her journey is one of self-discovery and empowerment, moving from a passive dreamer to a proactive savior.

Her motivation is to support Taki, whom she cares for as a friend. She is intrigued by the changes in his personality and is instrumental in accompanying him on his trip to search for Itomori, providing a grounding and mature presence.

Okudera is Taki's stylish and mature coworker on whom he has a crush. Initially, she is an object of Taki's affection, but she develops a friendship with him (and by extension, Mitsuha in his body). She acts as a supportive and perceptive figure, noticing the changes in Taki and encouraging him on his journey to find Mitsuha, even though she doesn't understand the full story. Her arc is one of a supportive friend who helps the protagonist on his quest.

Her motivation is to preserve and pass down the traditions of the Miyamizu shrine to her granddaughters. She acts as a source of wisdom and provides the key philosophical framework for the story's events.

Mitsuha's grandmother is the head of the family shrine and the keeper of local traditions and lore. She doesn't have a significant personal arc but serves as a crucial figure who provides the spiritual and thematic context for the film's supernatural events. She explains the concept of 'musubi', which is central to understanding the film's philosophy. She reveals that both she and Mitsuha's mother experienced similar dream-like connections in their youth, hinting at a mystical family lineage.