Title: 5 Centimeters Per Second (Byousoku Go Senchimetoru)
Directed by: Makoto Shinkai (She and Her Cat, Voices of a Distant Star)
Total # eps: 3 short segments to a single movie (about and hour long all together)
Opening Theme: None
End Themes: “One more time, one more chance” – Masayoshi Yamazaki
Genre(s): Slice of life
The Story:
Tohno Takaki and Shinohara Akari are very close friends in elementary school, but one day Akari tells him she must move far from Tokyo with a tearful goodbye. They keep in touch through letters, and one day middle school age Tohno sets out to visit Akari at the crisp beginning of spring. Unfortunately, a steady snow begins to fall and all sorts of things get in the way. The trains are delayed, and Tohno begins to feel a heavy heart. Will Akari still be waiting for him at the station even though he is hours late?
The rest of the story shows Tohno and Akari as they grow up, and grow apart. It mostly revolves around Tohno’s interactions with others, and his view on the world around him. His heart always seems heavy, he’s always writing messages to someone, and he always seems to be looking out into space. Will he ever meet Akari again?
Did you know that cherry blossoms fall at five centimeters per second?
My Thoughts: Makoto Shinkai blew me away with this one. He didn’t need to prove that he’s an amazing storyteller or animator, but he did so just in case! There are such subtle details in the storytelling and the visuals, that it had me in a trance through the duration of the film. It was poignant and relatable. Though this particular work didn’t contain the usual fantasy aspect that Makoto Shinkai usually throws in, there was still something magical about it. Some parts felt so real that I actually shed some tears. We’re all like drifting cherry blossoms. We drift together, and we drift apart, we lose touch, and we stick together. How will things end up when we stop drifting is a mystery…
Story: 5
Visuals/Animation: 5 -
The details and colors were breathtaking. The backgrounds were spacious and looked almost real at times. The characters drawings were fun to watch, and their movement was fluid. Everything was so smooth. The visuals weren’t just eye candy, they were the whole candy store!
Entertainment Value: 4.5 -
The visuals hooked you, the story was fantastic, but it had it’s slow moments.
Characters: 5 -
They were realistic and likable.
Music: 5 -
Fitting and tremendously beautiful; especially the piano arrangements.
Overall: 4.9 -
Watch this. Even if you don’t like anime, watch it for it’s beautiful artwork and storytelling. It’s not what you would expect, and to deny yourself a Makoto Shinkai work would just be plain wrong!
P.S Thanks to DJ for his review format :]
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I watched the first eps of 5 centimeters per second some time ago, but I can truly say that the story is captivating and the artwork is stunning. Sugoi desu! Watch it if you have the chance! I’ll get the rest soon too