秒速５センチメートル

BYOUSOKU 5 CENTIMETER

MOVIE

MOVIE
Dubbed
SOURCE
ORIGINAL
RELEASE
March 3, 2007
LENGTH
22 min

DESCRIPTION

Tohno Takaki and Shinohara Akari, two very close friends and classmates, are torn apart when Akari's family is transferred to another region of Japan due to her family's job. Despite separation, they continue to keep in touch through mail. When Takaki finds out that his family is also moving, he decides to meet with Akari one last time.

As years pass by, they continue down their own paths, their distance slowly growing wider and their contact with one another fades. Yet, they keep remembering one another and the times they have shared together, wondering if they will have the chance to meet once again.

CAST

Takaki Tohno
Kenji Mizuhashi
Akari Shinohara
Yoshimi Kondo
Kanae Sumida
Satomi Hanamura
Risa Mizuno
Risa Mizuno
Kanae no Ane
Risa Mizuno
Yuichi
Akari no Chichi
Akari no Haha
Chobi

RELATED TO BYOUSOKU 5 CENTIMETER

Cover Art for One More Time, One More Chance

MUSIC One More Time, One More Chance

MANGA DramaByousoku 5 Centimeter

OVA RomanceKanojo to Kanojo no Neko

REVIEWS

ToeBeans

70/100

Review of 5 cm per second

5 Centimeters per Second


I will start out with saying that before watching this movie I heard many people say that the movie was boring or overrated, and while it might get more hype than it deserves, it is still a great movie. The movie itself is split into three "episodes" each about twenty minutes long. Although they are called episodes, I would highly recommend just watching it all in one sitting. I don't think it would have the same emotional effect that it does if it was split out of a movie format. 

Moving on, without spoiling anything, the movie focuses on Takaki's life and how he is coping with his friend, Akari's, recent move away from Tokyo. Annnnnd, that's about it. There are a few more characters and other stories also going on but I will say that this movie really doesn't have anything close to an involved or complex plot. It is fairly straightforward on the surface, which I think this is why some got bored with the movie, although it does add to the emotional aspect in some ways. During, and after watching the movie, I felt dissatisfied and depressed (in the best way). Not enough to cry or quit watching but I felt like the characters weren't living the lives they wanted to live and it was somewhat of a downer, but I do think that was how the movie was supposed to make me feel.

The art of the movie is beautiful in my opinion, at first I was a little disappointed by the seeming simplicity of the characters (sometimes they don't even have facial features) but I really grew to love the art style, and the music for that matter isn't outstanding, but I wasn't disappointed by it either.

All in all, I'm not sure if I was able to convey how this movie really made me feel, and I was really impressed by the emotions it made me feel more than anything else about it. Although it wasn't the kind of film that I want to watch over and over like many Studio Ghibli movies make me feel, I do think I would recommend it to anyone to watch at least once. It may not be exciting to some, but even if you don't find yourself liking it, in the grand scope of things, it's only an hour long. I don't regret watching it.

Oh and by the way, there is a crap ton of trains. XD

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GoodnightSly
80/100
A special film that shows another side of romance not typically seen, the type that simply fades away.
“The feelings were still fresh as if it all just happened yesterday.”

5 Centimeters Per Second by Makoto Shinkai one of the most daring depictions of romance I have seen in anime. The romantic genre of anime is often formulaic for the purpose of leading to the ideal, expected ending. Of course, that just being the main two characters ending up together. Harems are usually the forefront of this, and while not all romance are generic, they often lack an amount of substance beyond just a quick, satisfactory romp. 5 Centimeters Per Second breaks this mold to depict a sort of romance that is overlooked, that being long distance relationships.

The film is divided into 3 parts, each showing the different stages of a love that disintegrates. The first part starts off like how most would perceive an anime romance. They are the anime couple who seemed to be tied by the red string of fate. One of them, however, has to move. Now most would expect the pair to end up together anyway as high school sweethearts. That is where 5 Centimeters Per Second takes its time to shine. Romance often ends right at the confession, yet one never wonders what happens next. Will the couple really stick with one another? The 2nd part shows the male lead who moved in a quite a surprising state. One scene, he appears to have words to text to his lover, but he seems to have not sent it. The sense of reluctance can be seen as the pair slowly move apart. The amount of contact can only last so long. This is seen through the eyes of a certain side character who can clearly see his doubt and frustration. She serves as a looking glass, a sole witness of a dissolving relationship. Personally, I do not find the characters themselves very interesting. They are rather dry, but I feel it at least plays in part of the film’s feeling of disconnection.

The 3rd part is something I see as a true, genuine ending. At this point, the puppy love romance has dissipated with everyone going their separate ways. The boy hasn’t seemed to have gotten over the loss. He is trapped in a state of what could have been. The girl has moved on to her next stage in life. They are adults and the romantic fantasy is nothing more than a novelty to the busy streets of the adult world. The subject matter can be depressing, but nonetheless it is what makes it feel true to life. It is certainly not satisfying to watch yet it is necessary.

In terms of aesthetics, Makoto Shinkai has a knack for making his films very clean looking. There is a solid amount of detail everywhere. The animation always remained fluid. While I don’t care for the character designs, they do rather depict the average person. The music hits off the pathos when it needs to. The track to close off the tragic tale really closes the film as is and encomasses the feeling of what is done is done. While the visuals are stunning, I find the most value within the themes told. Shinkai attempts to defy basic fluff and I think that is commendable. While his other works such as Your Name satisfy in the traditional sense, 5 Centimeters Per Second can be seen as the negative, alternative route. ★★★★
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heinley
90/100
Makoto Shinkai is an emotional terrorist
After watching Makoto Shinkai's Weathering with You, I fell down the rabbit hole and became religiously obsessed with his other films. His other work, notably Your Name, Voices of A Distant Star, and Garden of Words center the themes of distance, longing, and loneliness. I'd like to add that as I write this review, I, too, am going through my own internal heartbreak and self reflection as I say goodbye to my own unrequited love and all feelings attached with that.

5 Centimeters per Second heavily relies on beautiful art and scenery to paint emotions that otherwise would have not been visible to the audience. Scenes of the empty fields with gusts of winds blowing through the grass, waves crashing down the beautiful ocean, and stars and galaxies glimmering in the night sky show how vast and wide the world could be. And yet, with the right amounts of fate and destiny our two protagonists, Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara, are able to meet and fall in love. As the two move around, we are able to see their worlds and how strikingly different they are.

Our heartstrings are pulled as we see Tono experience his longing for his first love all while technology advances, but their communication does not. We see the inevitable downfall of their relationship as they miss chances to relay their feelings. This particular theme hits hard for many people, especially millennials who now have to heavily rely on algorithms in dating apps in order to make meaningful connections. How do we form relationships without having to meet face-to-face? How do we close the distance between us just by text messaging? These are all questions Tono, too, has to ask himself to cope with his crippling loneliness.

Though set in the 90s, the themes of this story are timeless and Makoto Shinkai uses that to his advantage. I saw someone in the comment section say that 'sometimes the greatest types of love are the ones that can't go anywhere'. That's a hard pill to swallow as both a Makoto Shinkai fan and someone with a broken heart. Maybe this review is my attempt to come to terms with my own reality, knowing that even with all this advanced communication and technology that we truly could never really be together. Maybe the greatest part of this love is being able to be strong about not being able to go further, preserving the version of the person we love the most.

Perhaps we can find each other falling in love in our next life.
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