Ranked #171

Byousoku 5 Centimeter

From Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days) comes 5 Centimetes per Second, a movie that tells the story of two childhood friends in love, and how they try to keep their relationship going through hardships that life throws at them. Throogh three small stories, or episodes as they're called, we're told the tale of how they grow up and farther away from each other.

The movie tells of a love that's slowly torn apart because the lovers move further away, both in heart and home. It's underlying themes are beautifully incorporated into the story; about growing up, letting go of an unreachable past, and taking control of one's own life. Though they're not necessarily very obvious throughout the movie, the final scene symbolizes these themes, and what the main characters decided on in the end.

The character we follow through the movie is Takaki Tohno, and we get to see how he looks on the events that unfold as a child, a teenager and finally, and adult. We see how he develops through these stages of life, and how it all relates to his childhood friend and love, Akari Shinohara.

The emotions are protrayed in an incredibly beautiful and realistic way; how they portray the love between Akari and Takaki, how they portray the girl who has a crush on Tohno during his high school years, Kanae Sumida, and finally, how they portray their development from children to adults all makes them characters you'll place your heart with. They're characters you'll love, feel sad with, and you'll wish for them to live happily.

The animation quality is astounding, from the detail in backgrounds to the astounding ligthing effects and camera angles that help bring the mood of the scenes to a level different from mostly anything else. The only beef I have is that the characters' faces lost a bit of detail from time to time, but aside that the movie is a visual pleasure that goes beyond pretty much everything I've ever experienced.

Tenmon, who's made the soundtrack to other Shinaki films, does an astounding job on the soundtrack for the movie, with piano pieces that effectively and beautifully amplifies the mood of the movie, be it melancholy, calmness or nostalgia. However, if you don't like piano soundtracks, chances are you'll not like it, since it's mostly the piano that's used throughout the movie (I love them though, and that's what made me give it a 10).

The seiyuu also do a marvelous job of portraying the characters, their emotions and age. I've only watched the Japanese version of the movie, so I can't say anything about the quality of the English voice acting. But I'd recommend it in Japanese anyways =)

5 cm per Second is a movie that takes a story of growing up and makes it into something that cannot be described as anything less than a masterpiece, with astounding themes, storytelling, art and sound. If someone told me I could watch one movie before I died, I'd undoubtedly choose this one.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =)
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Genuine love is indubitably an experience that everyone puts sincere consideration towards or conceivably aspires to procure. Unfortunately as this film judiciously portrays, maintaining such an exacting and frail relationship is a daunting challenge to confront indeed. This is especially accurate and undoubtedly concrete for a couple dauntlessly trudging through the painstaking and exacting endeavor known as maturity.

The fundamental plot itself covers a vast, almost tremendous duration of time ranging from the protagonists childhood to adulthood. One would expediently deem that such a broad time scale couldn’t be utilized properly within a mere hour long film. Fortunately no such apprehension or skepticism is required, the story neither sacrifices nor renounces crucial plot elements whatsoever. The romance is both passionate and compelling, yet phenomenally extensive with a well executed, subtle and nonchalant ambiance.

Story: In the beginning we are introduced to two elementary students residing in Tokyo, Takaki and Akari, who have held an enduring bond of friendship till recently. However subsequent graduation Akari moved and was forced to part ways with Takaki. Throughout the next seven long years, they desperately strived to maintain their fragile relationship. After discerning the dreadful news that Akira would be unwillingly moving again, significantly further away he felt resolute to reconcile their dismantling bond, while the opportunity was still attainable. They successfully meet after 7 years and reconcile and eagerly advance the bond to a romantic level understandably, yet much to their dismay this will be their final encounter.

As time relentlessly passes Takaki has become astray, surmising life itself to be trivial and null. The present is insignificant to him, constantly pondering and dwelling obsessively over the past with great resolve. Meanwhile Takakis senior high classmate Kanae has carried an enduring love for him and is wholly cognizant of his internal strife. However despite her determination, yearning and avidity to alleviate him of his despondency with embrace, she realizes her aspirations are futile and fruitless. Astoundingly our protagonist has become a mature sophisticated businessman, yet is more dismal than ever, now cynical and misanthropic to everything residing in his surroundings. Now unemployed and by an extraordinary not to mention bizarre twist of chance Takaki irrevocably accepts the notion to relinquish all of his past and look towards the prospective future.

Characters: Incontestably one can’t execute a romance film without them so it’s indubitably where Byousoku compromises its true dignity and virtue. The individual protagonists themselves ostensibly and forthright seem to all carry dearth and deficient personalities along with subtle reactions to dramatic phenomenon and events. However there is absolutely no exigent urgency for concern, since this outlandish characterization style was applied in this manner for a legitimate reason on which it executed eminently as well as prudently.

This outlandish characterization style has been utilized in director Shinkai Mokotos past works as well. The intendment and purpose behind this is to depict them as not mere characters, but genuine authentic people with drastically differing traits. Another predominant purpose was to abstain from overdramatizing. The voice acting too was utilized along the same premise and was executed fantastically.

Visuals: I was overwhelmed by the breathtaking and awe-inspiring quality of the lighting effects put into Byousoku, and this film is 6 years old. It’s the most stunning lighting I’ve undoubtedly ever seen. Landscape effects were vibrant and very dynamic, movement animations emanated an engaging surreal ambiance. Characters designs wistfully were a bit bland and slightly monotonous, though not enough to criticize and denounce over. At least they contravene typical cliché designs and styles.

Sound: The environmental sound effects were flawless and authentic. In addition nothing sounded duplicated from somewhere else, everything likely was original and designed for Byousoku. Whether it be the abundant variety of elegant yet subtle classical style background music or passionate yet powerful ending song, they all were executed superbly.

Enjoyment: I’d never imagined that a romance film could present itself in such a systematic and uniform manner yet simultaneously retain its vital sentimentality. It’s incredibly ironic how Byousoku is the most unemotional and reserved romance anime I’ve ever watched yet it’s certainly the most passionate, sentimental, and gratifying I’ve seen to date. Though, as much as I detest criticizing, there are issues with the conclusion, albeit a minute amount. The issues particularly pertaining to Takaki and how attains his life altering revelation, it’s rather erratic, perhaps too erratic. In addition it’s dubious and incogitable based on the sequence of events that transpired up that point. Overall, Byousoku can still proudly stand firm as a very admirable, innovative and distinguished romance film that’s magnificent to look at.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, will readily and eagerly listen to any opinions or comments of the quality of my review as to better future reviews.These reviews are designed to assist the viewer, not to simply state my opinions of it for fun, thanks!

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I finally got to see this movie, and after watching Voices of A Distant Star and The Place Promised, My expectations were high. And once again, Shinkai's work delivers.

The story of the movie's three episodes is absolutely nothing to write home about, as there is no exciting plot with twists and turns. Rather than focusing on epic storylines and grandiose plots, 5 Centimeters per Second, like the rest of Shinkai's creations, focuses on a small core set of characters and their relations to each other. The main selling point is how the characters interact, and how precisely and skillfully their emotions is portrayed.

The art is as one would expect from Shinkai. The backgrounds and the various scenes are depicted in a more beautiful way than in any other anime I have ever seen, and many great works of art pale in comparison to the beautiful, living scenes Shinkai delivers. All the little details from the magazines in the shops to the rime on the windows and the clouds in the sky blend perfectly, and is in my opinion, the thing that defines this movie as the masterpiece it is. Especially the skies look unbelievably beautiful, and really creates the atmosphere in the movie. The characters on the other hand, are far more sketchy, at least compared to the environments, yet the whole thing meshes perfectly together once you get used to it. And that shouldn't take long.

The sound does not stand out too much, except for the insert song right at the end, but rather blends into the wholeness of the movie, and becomes a part of it. If you do try to simply listen to the music, it is rather good, but the truly wonderful thing about it is how it becomes one with the scenery, the characters and everything, and does just what it is supposed to do: help create the feeling and the atmosphere of the movie.

As with the story, the characters are not the usual kind of characters I would give top ratings to. They are not especially exciting individuals with dark mysterious pasts or epic quests, but rather normal people just like (most of) us.
Yet, it is this normality that is the winning factor of the characters, they are normal people with feelings, hopes and dreams, and it is these hopes, dreams and feelings that bears the entire movie. And the most important thing, the characters are presented in such a way that you truly feel you know them, that you can understand them and sympathize with their cause.

With the beautiful art, the atmospheric sound and the simple, yet complex characters and their all too familiar emotions, 5 Centimeters per Second portrays the melancholic feelings of loneliness and uncertainty, the empowering fire of hope and love, and the harsh ceaseless march of reality in such a way that one can truly feel it and recognize it. It is a beautiful and simple, yet complex story of emotions, hope, sadness and distance between people.
This inevitably tragic story portrays perfectly how reality marches ever onward, heedless of peoples hopes and dreams, and how happiness is always just out of reach.

A masterpiece indeed. read more

I watched this at AX earlier this month but didn't want to write a review till subs are out.

5 Centimeters per Second is Makoto Shinkai's latest work, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Story: Much like his other works, Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, the theme for this anime is "distance". Shinkai perhaps, have mastered story-telling of this theme. He crafted each episode so well with this theme that you can't help but be moved. Each episode uses the theme but each potrayed in a different way. The first episode being the physical distance between our characters. The second being the distance in feelings. And the third being the distance in time. This movie will bring you to tears or close to it because of how well its told.

Art/Animation: Be warned, the animation of this movie along with an hd encode may cause blindness, so come in with high expectations.
This movie has probably the most beautiful animation ever. The art direction and scenery in this movie will just blow you away. I have never been so impressed like this.

Sound: Tenmon never ceases to amaze. I never thought his work in The Place Promised in Our Early Days could be surpassed, but I was wrong. This movie would not be what it is if it wasnt for this awesome soundtrack. Each bgm is beautifully composed and works so well with the scenes. The theme song is just as good and fits the theme of this movie so well. Shinkai and Tenmon makes a great team.

Character: Don't be fooled by the score. The characters in this movie are great but everything else is the cause. Takaki, Akari, and the others don't have the appeal like other characters do but the story-telling is done so well that you will get attached.

Overall, this is, without a doubt, Shinkai's best work. He keeps getting better and better. I am so looking forward to his next work.

If you wish to see my spoilerish thoughts on this movie, check out this board in the forums. read more

Makoto Shinkai is a fairly big name in the industry of anime films. The mind responsible for Voices Of A Distant Star and The Place Promised In Our Early Days among others, he has made his name for creating absolutely stunning landscapes, coupled with beautiful animation, set to simple stories of romance. And amongst his movies, 5 Cm Per Second is often hyped up to be the best.

Now, let me get this out of the way now: The visuals in 5 Cm Per Second are nothing short of amazing. Shinkai creates some of the most brilliant landscapes I have ever seen. He emphasises the seasons with absolute perfection, bringing out all the most beautiful aspects of Spring, Summer and Winter (Fall is not pictured in this movie), making an incredibly immersive experience. Coupled with some of the highest-end animation I've ever witnessed, the visuals are probably the single biggest draw of the film, and I seriously recommend that you watch this in the highest quality that you possibly can.

The story is separated into 3 acts, the first being about two childhood friends, Takaki and Akari, who were separated by distance. They keep in contact, but as one of them is about to move elsewhere, the other makes a journey to see them one last time. The second shows Takaki in high school, and is told from the perspective of another girl who is desperately in love with him. The final act shows Takaki and Akari as adults, showing the epilogue to their love separated by distance.

The story, in all honesty, is very lacking. The actual plot of them is pretty much summed up in the above paragraph, with the rest of it simply being character interaction and focus on the scenery. This could actually have been the formula for a brilliant movie, but the problem is that the characters all fall completely flat. Not a single one gets any development, and we barely get any feel whatsoever for their personalities. Rather than putting any focus on the characters, the movie only really cares to use landscapes to convey emotion rather than giving us anything remotely human.

Now, this may make it sound like this movie is bad, but to tell the truth I can't really bring myself to say it is. The story and characters may be completely 2-dimensional, but the story overcompensates with enormous production values, and it actually works. Hell, if you're the kind of person who generally likes love stories then you'll probably really enjoy that side of it as well. In essence, it's good if you're into that sort of thing. Even if you aren't, I'd still recommend watching this just for the amazing depth of the environment Shinkai builds.

However, one thing that should not go unmentioned is the song at the end of the movie, "One More Time, One More Chance" by Masayoshi Yamazaki, which is quite possibly the largest concentration of pure, unbridled tearjerker ever compressed into a single song since Johnny Cash performed Hurt. The soulful voice, combined with the beautiful imagery and shots of the couple in their young adulthood bring home the entire plot perfectly in a way that will have you crying your eyes out in no time.

Overall, 5 Cm Per Second is overrated, but generally entertaining and far from the worst way to kill an hour or so, and if you're a fan of romantic stories then you'll absolutely love it.

Final Words: A must-see for fans of romance, and a great example of scenery porn for everyone else.

Animation/Graphics: 10/10
Story/Plot: 5/10
Music/Background: 10/10

Overall: 7/10 read more

I happened upon this anime in several anime fan sites as it was considered one of the higher rated animes even until today. Reading how some people said it rivaled works that of Miyazaki, I had high expectations for it. But unfortunately it was a total letdown.

The only thing I really enjoyed about the movie was the animation quality and detail that was put into the movie. The animation was just simply beautiful from the vividness of the background to the fluid motion of characters but then, sadly, the praise ends here.

The story and the characters were very anti-climactic as no real progress is met by the characters with one another. This is however how the creator of the story wished for it to be i think as the title is named "5 centimeters per second". It was a collection of short stories about human distance. I'll say though that the concept and execution were nice but the story itself was lacks proper closure as it presents the audience with the concept but then leaves it at the presentation with no real conclusion. The story began as a cultured glass of wine then slowly transforming into wine in a box. The depth slowly filled in as the stories progressed. They were written just so that a concept could be brought to stage and left there to be a static attraction for the audience.

So if you're looking for a totally artistic and visually pleasing feature with no real concern for a happy ending with much depth in the end then give this one a looksy. read more

This movie made me want to hunt down some cherry trees and find out whether petals really do fall at five centimeters a second. Who figures this stuff out?

STORY - It's simple and quaint. It's a story about time and distance that most people could probably relate to on some level. It's cute and poignant, but I did feel that it was a little over-dramatic. The movie is split into three segments set years apart, though there are several flashbacks sequences contained within each segment. As a result, the storytelling felt a bit choppy -- especially in the first segment, I had a really hard time figuring out just how much time had passed between the characters meeting and the characters parting. And when I did figure it out... six months isn't that long, guys. Get over it. Letter writing is cute, but I have to wonder whether they had cell phones or email. Drifting can be avoided if you try hard enough.

Okay, so drifting because of distance is an inevitable occurrence for a lot of people. I can definitely relate to that, and I can definitely understand that, but it felt a little contrived for such strong feelings to be affecting elementary-age students and even middle school-age students. Nostalgia comes much later than that. The finality of departure doesn't hit home as you're saying goodbye; it comes much, much later. (And again, I feel like I can say this because I've been through it.) Maybe 5 Centimeters per Second is supposed to illustrate the most severe scenario, but I think it would have been a bit more believable if the story hadn't started them so young.

Still, if that's my only complaint, then I guess it isn't much. The themes of the movie are powerful, and the storytelling is very effective in helping to convey the message. It's very bittersweet.

CHARACTERS - Most of the characters were just a tad on the obsessive side, and they all thought on too high and deep a level for their age. I think it would have helped the audience relate to them more if they had been a little less serious, a little more playful, and had a little less tunnel-vision, but for a short movie, I guess a narrow focus on the themes at hand was important. Akari was probably the most normal character, but Takaki and Kanae were almost to the point where I wouldn't have been surprised if someone had recommended them psychological counsel. (Also, what's up with these characters' parents? Who lets their elementary-age kid take a train four or five hours away, alone, during a blizzard?)

Realism points are a little lacking, but I don't really think individual personalities were all that important to the overall movie. The story's focus was time and distance, so it's beneficial for the characters to be more generic and anonymous. That allows the viewer to project whatever personal feelings they have on the subject onto the characters. 5 Centimeters per Second feels like a pretty personal piece in general -- every viewer walks away from it with something different, depending on their own experiences.

ARTSTYLE & ANIMATION - The art in this movie is ridiculous. It was so beautiful, I had a terrible time remembering to read subtitles, though I almost think that if I had seen this dubbed, I would have forgotten to pay attention to the dialogue anyway. It was just that mesmerizing. Every little detail you could possibly imagine -- it was there. The labels on soft drinks, the posters on the walls, the reflections on desks, the dew on leaves, the dappled sunlight under trees, the inscriptions on subway turnstiles! I always wonder whether background artists are bitter that their grand masterpieces are only shown for all of a second in most cases. I wanted to keep pausing to stare at the details. And the clouds. Oh, god, the clouds, the sky. I could have watched those skies forever. It was actually really disorienting to see such epic skies because they were too amazing to be realistic, and my brother was making jokes about whether or not such skies existed only in Japan because we sure as hell have never seen anything that breathtaking over here! Still, the grandeur nature of the skies really helped to illustrate distance and isolation. If the scoring for the art is based on the backgrounds alone, I'd give it an 11.

The characters are strikingly plain against such incredible backgrounds, but that's not a surprise. There is nothing particularly notable about any of them, which works well enough -- they're anonymous people in a way. Their story could be anyone's. Still, there are some inconsistencies in the character design that's worth noting. Especially for Kanae of the second "episode," it seemed like her relative age changed in every scene because her proportions would be different and her face would be slightly off. In her school uniform, she looked thirteen. In her bathing suit, she looked seventeen or older. I can deal with simple character designs against backgrounds of such amazing caliber, but come on.

MUSIC - There's pretty minimal music for most of this movie, which makes many of its scenes all the more thoughtful and poignant. Most of the time, there are only soft piano tunes creeping in quietly behind the dialogue, which is really nice. Unfortunately, the movie ends with the most obnoxious and random song imaginable. Okay, actually, the song isn't actually that bad, but the fact is that its beat, tempo, and general mood clash horribly with everything in the movie. The montage of scenes it accompanies would have done just immeasurably better with the piano from the rest of the film, or even silence or sound effects, but no. We get a random pop song that doesn't fit. Do not want.

VOICE ACTING - Saw this subbed, and all the voices felt pretty plain and generic, but nothing really sophisticated was required anyway. I think it would have been hard to do a bad job with this. It's almost all introspection, and the voices were appropriately thoughtful, so that's that.

OVERALL - Despite the fact that the subject and themes of 5 Centimeters per Second are actually pretty relevant to me, a lot of things distracted me from the main point. The art was arguably too beautiful, and all the little inconsistencies and lack of realism in the characters bothered me more than it probably should have. Honestly though, it's a really nice and concise story, and I'd definitely say that this movie is worth sacrificing an hour of your life for. As a final note, I think it's worth mentioning that I really like the name of this film. Depending on your perspective, that speed can seem too slow or too fast for falling cherry blossoms. It's a distant metaphor, but it's a fitting one. read more

Byousoku 5cm (5cm per Second) is the latest creation by Makoto Shinkai, whom many consider to be the next Hiyao Miyazaki. That’s a big name to live up, but it seems like he’s living up to his reputation. Previously, Shinkai has been animating, voicing and editing all of his animations either by himself or with a few other people…nonetheless all of this previous works are underappreciated master pieces. Byousoku 5cm is his first full production anime…and wow, this is his best anime yet and blows most animes away in almost every aspect.

*warning slight spoilers*

This anime is actually a 3 part movie, with each part concentrating on different times of the characters’ lives. In part one “Okasho” we are introduced to the two young protagonists, Takaki and Akari and get to see how their friendship develops into love and then see how cruel life can be by splitting them apart. The bond that forms between them isn’t forced, but is subtle yet extremely powerful. Not many animes can portray a relationship as moving and touching as shown here. This first part depicts the joy, happiness yet naiveté and struggle of young first love. As more and more obstacles get in between these two love struck couples, we really get a sense of and are able to relate to what they are going through. Their inability to actually confess their love for each other, and whether even declaring their love would bring them closer is shown through Shinkai’s use of distance, both in the physical and emotional sense.

Distance as well as silence is a huge theme in this anime. Physical distance of being apart is shown intensely in scenes like when Takaki treks through a blizzard to get to Akari. Going on this journey with him, as his train gets delayed or even cancelled, is heart wrenching to say the least. Will he make it? Will Akari still be there even if he does get there? Not only does this scene portray physical distance, but it delves into the emotional distance between Takaki and Akari. The diminishing frequency of letters sent to each other or the silence between them once they meet strengthens this point. The letters that they send eachother also reflect this distance and the change that is occurring in their relationship. They talk about how the seasons change and how their routine/friends have changed in the letters…and this also strikes painfully how vast the distance between them actually is. Silence is another huge emotion evoking element used in this anime. The dialogues are simple, yet overarching and powerfully felt. There is minimal use of music, and there are scenes where you are just drawn into the scene unfolding with nothing but silence. This is brilliant, because emotions can be felt clearly through the characters actions and expressions. When you can understand what the characters are going through, even when there is no dialogue, that is the pinnacle of great character development. And sometimes you don’t need to say anything to show love between two people. However, there is a flip side to the silence which Shinkai explores. These two young characters never truly confessed their love for eachother in words, and then left Takaki wondering “what if?” for the duration of the anime. Perhaps sometimes it’s best to just out right say what you’re feeling…but would the confession have brought them any closer or distanced them further?

The 2nd part is called Cosmonaut and further explores the theme of distance and develops further Takaki as well as a new character named Kanae. Here we have changed the love story from the exciting first love to a more bitter love. Distance is further represented through Takaki’s dream which he constantly has about Akari. They are so close to each other in his dream, yet so far as to a point where he can’t even imagine her face. The cosmic reference is used to say how beautiful yet far, remote and unexplored love can be. This part can be described by the quote used in this anime, “to absolutely and wholeheartedly believe that somewhere in the abyss, you are getting closer to the secrets of the universe.” Takaki is still dreaming of the “what could have been” while Kanae is trying to get closer to Takaki but noticing that Takaki is in a far off place, unreachable by Kanae. Again silence comes into play here as well. Takaki’s silence towards Akari, by never being able to send her letter or even text messages…Akari never being able to declare her feeling towards Takaki; the silence shown in these scenes are again potent to say the least.

The 3rd part is called “Byousoku 5cm” or “5cm per Second” and here we are exploring the more mature yet ever changing relationships between people. 5cm per second or the falling of the sakura reflects the fleeting beauty in our relationship and lives. Was their meeting and love destined to happen? Was their love or there lack of determined by fate? Both sides of the coin are explored even more in this chapter and shows how if there is fate, that it can be both beautiful and cruel.

Hopefully, you can get a sense of how deep the characters truly are in this anime. They are drawn simply, and many of the scenes are enveloped in silence. But the development that occurs in all the characters is truly remarkable and relatable. The characters are simple yet not the stereotypical anime characters. You would be hard pressed to find any other anime which develops the characters like this anime does. Anime is notorious for using over expression in their characters to get their points and feeling across. Not so in this anime…none of the growth, emotions, actions seem forced, but are natural and relatable. The music, like I said before is simple as well, but definitely fits the mood when it comes into play. The theme “One More Time” is heart wrenching and wraps up the sentiment of the anime very well.

In terms of animation quality…OMG this is hands down the most gorgeous anime I have ever seen. Everything is detailed to the very minute and the scenes created cast the perfect mood for the viewers. Nothing seems out of place or artificial. The bitter sweetness of this anime comes across as realistic as can be because of the superb animation quality. Voice acting is top notch as well. In such a character driven anime, excellent voice acting is required to get the point across and feel what the characters are feeling. And in this regard, this anime does not disappoint. The subtle nuances in the characters’ speech can be heard to pull you into the story and atmosphere.

An overshadowed master piece, this anime is a must watch for all, whether you are an action, drama, or comedy fan. Hell even non-anime watchers will appreciate what this anime does. A superb masterpiece from a director named the next Miyazaki.
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How bittersweet it is, the distance that exists between human beings. It is a theme tackled by artists and authors across the centuries, and it is the topic of Makoto Shinkai's brilliantly crafted work, 5 Centimetres Per Second. Shinkai addresses the fundamental questions of human interaction: how do we achieve it? how do we lose it? and why do we long for it? His method in doing so crafts a beautiful tale of childhood love, of growth and separation, and of human dreams and desires into the future.

Broken down into three parts, 5 Centimetres Per Second presents the evolution of Takaki T��no, as he grows through his early teenage years into adulthood. With him is his childhood friend and love, Akari Shinohara. In breaking the story down, Shinkai achieves a masterful generalization of the the process of growing apart, first through the idealistic lens of a child, to the yearning pathos of a teenager, and finally to the reality of life as an adult. The stories are told in a way such that all viewers can easily see the evolution and growth of humanity's outlook on the development process, while still retaining the human touch of a story, rather than sounding like a dissertation. From this, it is the story that is the true masterpiece of 5 Centimetres Per Second - without it, the themes of the piece are merely abstract concepts without a human face. The emphasis is clearly on the lives of the individual characters, and the events that, while out of our direct control, are constantly pressuring our existence down a specific path, perhaps one that we do not wish to follow. While the movie treats the gap of human interaction as a sadness endemic to the human condition, it also ends on a positive note of humanity's constant desire to reach out to those around us, encapsulated beautifully in the metaphor emphasized in the second part.

From a technical perspective, the animation qualities of 5 Centimetres Per Second eclipse previous animes that I have seen by a long-shot. The backdrops are absolutely stunning, with a fluid of motion between frames that make it look less like an animated feature on a screen and more like the motion of objects directly in front of us. Juxtaposed with this is the quality of the hand-drawn characters, who, despite being obviously of a different animation style, still melds in perfectly with the environment around them. What results is that it appears that the world is actually crafted for the characters - a living, breathing world that will continue to exist even after we turn off the screen, ongoing in its artistic eternity.

My recommendation? Watch this movie - it is the epitome of what is achievable in art. It is a must see for anyone who desires a deeper, richer experience from the stories that they encounter. read more

I will try keep this short, understandable, and not too long for some viewers who just want to know a short opinion about the anime, and not a detailed essay (no offence intended to other reviewers)

STORY:
The main theme in 5cm is distant love; the story in 5cm is typical in most animes. However, Shinkai Makoto has not only created something with deeper meaning but has also transformed how we watch anime.
The story is divided into three arcs, each telling a different story at a different time. The story mainly revolves around a boy/man name Takaki and his long time childhood friend, Akira. The story is beautiful, with a great ending.

ART:
What can I say? Shinkai Makoto has done it again! The art in 5cm isn't just intruding, but it is also realistic. From the flickering reflections in the train to the detailed buildings and characters. The art just blends in with the story beautifully, just seeing the art just makes me want to watch this over and over again.

SOUND:
The music in 5cm perfectly blends in with the atmosphere of the anime, you feel as if you are in the movie. The music somehow manages to smoothly merge the viewer and the anime together. The sound effects fulfills its purpose by providing realistic sounds such as the perfectly executed train noises. Although the music does not play a major role in the first two episodes, the ending music is just amazing; it really makes you synthesis for the characters.

CHARACTER:
As you continue to watch 5cm, you are immediately drawn into the characters, as mentioned above; the story is divided into three arcs. One in his childhood days, one in his high school days and the last in his adulthood days. Each arc all contain the main character, Takaki and as the story continues characters revolve around him.

ENJOYMENT:
Although I have only watched this once, it has already left an impact on me. The art, sound and the overall story pulled me into the movie. I really enjoyed this movie to a point that I wrote a review on it. ^^

OVERALL:
Shinkai Makoto has not only created a movie with outstanding art and music but also combined the elements of Romance and Drama into one heck of a movie.


10/10


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I am sure everyone is going to yell at me for what I am about to write, and put me on some hate list, so let me begin by apologizing to anyone I enfuriate with this review. Needless to say, this is one of my least favorite animes, and it just sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I believe it best to list the positives the anime has before I go into the negatives, it does an excellent job of setting up a sense of realism and a pretty good job of drawing you in. Additionally, it sets up a good sense of normalcy and its really easy to follow the logical progression of the story. The voice actors and the art are good, they're not exceptional by any stretch of the imagination, but they can help to immerse you in the story.

There are two problems I have with this story. The first is even though each episode is seperate, they should have some sense of overarching story, and unless it's force-fed to you that is almost non-existant in this anime. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until about half-way through the second story that I was given confirmation that I was even watching the same character as in the first episode. Now my largest problem is one which is probably exclusively my own is the fact that it's just a depressing anime. Yeah, I can already feel the hate posts, but I feel that the characters are flat and to be fair too real for me to enjoy. What I mean is that you never really witness the characters evolve throughout the story, they evolve in the space between each episode but you never really witness it. As to the realism part to avoid spoilers let's just say that they give up and I'm torn between whether your supposed to feel bad for the main character or just accept him.

So I apologize to whoever I just offended, please hit helpful or not helpful and drop me a comment to let me know what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong. Thanks for reading. read more

= Story =
- 'Byousoku 5 Centimeter' is one of those animes that appear, only for a short moment in your life, to tell you a story of two simple lovers; about the time they have together. They rip and tear your heart out causing you to collapse in tears as you watch them struggle to be happy. It's a basic plot and yet it can bring a grown man to tears. (I had my 19 year old male friend watch it with me. He was in tears which is RARE.)

There are 3 parts to the movie, each 20 minutes long making the movie a little over an hour. The first part is 'Ōkashō (Cherry Blossom)' which is the intro to the story. Tohno and Shinohara quickly become friends before Shinohara moves away to Tochigi. They start writing letters to each other, but ultimately began to drift apart. Part 2 is 'Cosmonaut.' This part is from Sumida's perspective. She's in love with Tohna, but he obviously is still longing for Shinohara. She eventually gets heart broken in their last year of high school. Part 3 is 'Byousoku 5 Centimeter.' This part shows us Tohno in his adult years (2007). He's gotten nowhere in life. He drinks and he plans on quitting his job. His ex-girlfriend is included in this part. if you pay attention to how she acts and what she says, you can pretty much understand how Tohno feels. The ending was... very... simplistic yet it gave us (my friend and I)... closure (I have a limited vocab.)

As you can see, that's basically it. A very basic plot with a fairly complex moral. I really loved this movie. There's not a lot of romance so there isn't cheesy, lovey-dovey shtick happening in this. Life is too complex so having a simplistic anime that makes you look at reality differently really... makes life more enjoyable. -

= Art =
- This movie has OUTSTANDING art. However, I gave it a 9 due to that fact that I can't give it all a 10 and that the character's animations were rough in some places which made everything else in the anime... shaky. If you go to ZeroChan.net and type 'Byousoku 5 Centimeter', you will see why the art is breathtaking. -

= Sound =
- The music in this anime is absolutely astounding. The theme of the movie is 'One More Time, One More Chance' by Masayoshi Yamazaki. This song represents the whole movie, esp. Tohno Takaki. It explains his emotions and at times it seems that the movie revolves around that one song. The soundtrack is also spectacular. Words really can't describe it.
The voices of the characters fit them REALLY well. They're voices voice the characters thoughts and it puts more into the characters themselves. (I'm talking subbed guys. Never dubbed in my anime review). -

= Character =
- You really connect to each and every character [of significance] in this movie. When Sumida cries, you cry with her. When Tohno and Shinohara part, you may be literally yelling "Tohno-kun!" I tend to not get this... emotional towards anime b/c a) I rarely watch it and b) it's an escape from reality and yet this movie really represented how cruel/harsh reality is. The characters are just there to show us how bad things can get. And yet they also represent the change in how you perceive it. -

= Enjoyment/Overall =
- It's obvious that I enjoyed this series. The ratings and my blabbering say it all. What more needs to be said? Nothing. - read more

I'm not one to write reviews on anime, I'm usually just here to enjoy. However, after seeing this amazing series of short movies, I felt compelled to try and convince others to watch it.

Story: It follows the life of a Tohno Takaki and his friend Akari Shinohara. Its not the usual daily school life with loved gained and lost. It spans from the vibrant years of youth to the mundane life of an adult. Through the series we watch as Tohno and Akari are split further and further apart for reasons that they cannot control. As time would pass they become further not only in physical distance, but emotional distance as well. All in all its a very worth while story, it must be seen, or in my case, experienced.

Art: Art was amazing, each animation added to the mood and feel of the series and made it one to be remembered

Sound: The sound was just as the score dictates. It fit amazingly into all aspects of the series.

Character: Because of the length of the series, the development of each character leaves a lot to be desired. On the bright side however, the way each character is portrayed, you feel as if you've known the character for the duration of a standard anime, which to me meant a lot considering character development is necessary for me

Enjoyment: When you sit and watch this, you feel. No joke. Feel. The mood, the emotion, the shear realism, it hits hard. After you start to realize that all these things are possible, and that one or more of these things has probably happened to you, makes it that much easier to take in. I caught myself almost tearing in many situations (mainly the last segment). You will love it. If you liked the sad portion of Clannad, I guarantee that this will not disappoint.

Overall: An amazing series all around, thus its somewhat perfect score. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that I wanted more. But this only indicates that it was good enough to keep you coming back. A definite yes read more

A major letdown from the supposed 'Next Miyazaki'

I was skeptical about the assertion that Makoto Shinkai was the next Miyazaki, and although I really liked he two previous works, Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, I could not bring myself to lavish him with such high praise until he made a movie that blew me away and that would become an instant favorite. It would seem that I made a wise decision. Miyazaki is undoubtedly one of the greatest anime directors to ever live, and his films (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) rival those of any genera, animation or otherwise. He's been said to be on par with Disney, but that is a lie. Miyazaki is BETTER then Disney. So obviously I'm always skeptical to people comparing an up and coming director to Miyazaki.

I watched Shinkai's carrier with great interest from his debut film Voices of a Distant Star to this new film. His strong suits have always been animation and music. No anime director I've ever seen can create such beautiful animation as he, and few can combine such stunning and magnificent animation with just the right music to set the tone and take his viewers far away to walk the snow covered streets along side the characters. He's great at this, but for all that talent he also has a critical flaw to his style which makes his movies miss their full potential; he has no idea what pacing means. Being only 23 minutes long, Voices was paced very well and never had a dull moment, but the follow up Places, being full length, was paced so badly it made me want to skip large portions of the film so I could see some more beautiful landscaping. If the animation and music weren't so great, I doubt so many people would love that movie so much, even though I personally gave it 4 stars.

But now, with his third film, I expected him to have found away around that weakness and create a film that wasn't just visually beautiful, but also well paced as well. Well sorry, but he hasn't done it, and my patience with him is wearing thin. In this three part film Tonoo and Akari are best friends in grade school who spend all their free time with one another, but as they grow up they slowly drift apart, contacting one another at first through letters and then falling out of contact altogether. It is, surprise, surprise, another romance. This would not have been a problem if this new film didn't seem like a carbon copy of Voices and Places, especially places. Guy and girl fall in love at an early age, guy and girl drift apart as life goes on and they grow up, guy and girl never get over each other and miss the other, guy and girl sit awake in their rooms all night thinking about the other, guy and girl never see each other again. If you've seen Places you can pretty much see everything that’s coming. There are no surprises here, just gooey romance.

It’s a real disappointment to see an animator with so much promise get bogged down in these silly romances again and again and again. Voices was good, Places was as well, but Shinkai always tells the same exact story. Its not that he likes telling a certain kind of story, it’s that he likes telling only ONE kind of story, every single time. Get a grip man; make something a little more original. Its bad enough that his pacing is so bad but why even bother making new movies when you’re just going to tell old stories again and again and again? If this is all Shinkai has to offer then it’s not worth my time seeing every film he comes up with.

The animation, as always, is brilliant. I just don't know how much more I can gush over his amazing art. I've been saying this since Voices, but his three films are THE BEST animated films I've ever seen, and I've seen my fair share. Unfortunately this film is missing something; the music. Both his previous films have amazing musical scores that made the film just that much better. I never fail to catch myself humming their main themes after watching them without even noticing. Well I'm not going to end up humming these tunes, that’s for sure. For one thing there wasn't enough BGM to begin with, and what little there is was just a remix of old themes. But the biggest disappointment was the ending song. It’s just not pretty; I'm sorry, but Japanese isn't the most beautiful language to listen to. The ending song was nowhere near beautiful, in fact I found myself turning the volume down and playing a song of my own instead. If they had only play "Don't Say Goodbye" from Skillets album Comatose then it would have been the greatest scene ever (trust me, listen to the song and watch the scene and you'll see what I mean).

So no, this is not the next Miyazaki, not even close if this film is any indication. I don't think I've ever given a Miyazaki film less then 4 stars, he is far and away the most consistent director I've ever watched, so if Shinkai can't pull it off after three tries I think its an unfair comparison.

Replay value; low.
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This movie tells a really important life lesson, don't spend your life running after people, and don't waste a life wishing you would have approached people. In simplest terms. Don't let fear of the unknown paralyze you.

Ohkay, let's begin.

Story-
Although today Tono Takaki and Shinohara Akari live far apart due to a family move shortly after elementary school, they were once two shy young students brought together by their shared differences from their peers. It is because of this that the two built a bond of closeness between them that still survives through their continued correspondence, even over such a distance. Secretly they both fear the loss of this bond over time, and for this reason they arrange a meeting between just the two of them. The journeys both of them take in their minds and in their lives create an atmosphere of intense emotional upheaval, but also a sense of peace. It is a twist of fate and a series of decisions that put the two in place to carry what they choose of their pasts into the future they will create for themselves.
The thing about this movie is that even in it's happiest moments, you still had this sense of unbearable sadness. Oh the agony.

Art-
Shinkai Makoto is a real visionary. His ability to construct such rich and detailed artistic presentations is phenomenal. He’s more than willing to take artistic liberties with the laws of physics if it means enhancing the atmosphere or subtly pushing a visual motif. Specular reflections may have the intensity of laser light, and the reflection from a rear view mirror will focus exactly onto the camera from several hundred meters away. Strands of grass dance independently in the wind and the distant sea shimmers like a starry night. Shinkai‘s works have backgrounds that are alive.
It’s easy enough to wax on and on about how good the art and animation in 5 Centimeters Per Second is, and while it is an achievement worthy of a massive amount of acclaim, what ultimately defines a film is its story. And while I was left in awe at the artistic component of 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Sound-
Each track is packed with so much emotion that you realise that this movie wouldn't be even half as powerful as it is without its soundtrack. They may be simple piano pieces, but they're really very powerful in what they do and add so much to this already emotional story. Music is one of the first things that stands out to me when watching anime, so of course it has quickly become something which means a lot to me, so it's especially nice to come across a soundtrack like this, a soundtrack which packs so much emotion even when you listen to it away from the movie. It's very pretty and well worth listening too if you watch this movie.

Characters-
Well analyzed, but ill resolved.
Like in Makoto’s other works, the characters are essentially blank slates. They have no defining characteristics, and have only a minimal amount of development. Thus, many might criticize 5 cm’s characters as shallow and unmemorable. However, the lack of development gives the events an undeniably universal feel since the characters are so undefined, empathizing with what happens to them becomes extremely easy.

5 Centimeters Per Second is worth watching for the art alone. But, to add a bit of cake to the icing, the first chapter is also outstanding, presenting a touching and innocent romance filled with powerful gestures and heart-warming moments.

As a whole, 5 Centimeters per Second is a heartrendingly powerful work. As Makoto continues to release these somber masterpieces, the fact that they must be partially autobiographical becomes increasingly clear. Makoto’s raw and heartbreaking material feels so personal and intimate that he could only be drawing from his own bittersweet memory.

"At what speed must I live to be able to see you again?"
Oh this quote, gives me tingly feelings in the heart. read more

Time is powerful. It can destroy and it can create everything. From memories, to emotions. And that is what I felt was emphasized throughout the whole movie. However, everything that is grand or beautiful takes a lot of time. This is suggested not only by the name it self, but also by a lot of other different things, like the shuttle's flight, and the whole journey by the train.

Generally speaking, the whole story is suggesting us that such a powerful thing like emotion, or love to be precise, takes such a long time to be only weakened. Even though it was quite simple. No extreme plot twists you see in generic anime, no fast pacing and nothing that changes the flow and life of the entire humanity. It really is a simple story about one relationship, how it was destroyed by distance and time. Somehow I even felt modern society being criticized, but that could not be the case. However, I really liked how everything progressed. There were quite a lot of flashbacks, which were strengthening the feel of a bond between Akari and Takaki. Time skips did the role in engulfing the viewer in the characters emotions too. And that is why I like 5 centimeters per second so much. It really sucks you into the story. You begin to feel what the main character feels. And that is incredible.

The art was perfect, just perfect. In reality there is nothing else to say about it. It's just how every person imagines perfection. To me perfection in art is a masterful combination of technical side of animation and director's work. And in 5 Centimeters per Second it really was masterful. Watching it in full HD really showed me the technical side of the animation. But it wouldn't be perfect without splendidly done environments. You could say that each shot in the movie was a work of art. The skies, the snowy nights, the sea. Only watching this without taking care about the story and the characters would have been so melancholic and calm that I would have enjoyed it a lot.

That brings us to sound. I really can't say much about it, besides it being perfectly blended with art. Their combination created before mention atmosphere and let us feel the temper of the movie better.

There are only 3 characters in the movie. Their development was pretty good but not as deep as I expected. Their emotions are felt through the screen and speakers like they were actually someone close to you. It was quite realistic, but only concentrated at one emotion - love.

I enjoyed 5 Centimeters per Second a lot. Everything in the movie was done so masterfully that I couldn't see anything but the screen for a whole hour. I was so dragged into the story and characters emotions that it made a amazing impression to me. And that little philosophic view into time and how modern society has forgotten it's power and meaning spiced it up to my liking.

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It should be noted that first of all, I’m writing reviews for both The Place Promised in Our Early Days and 5 Centimeters per Second at the same time (and as such, I’ll be including the same opening paragraph). Both of these series, feature films, animes, whatever you want to call them hold a special place in my heart/head, again your call. Not because they’re overly interesting or because they’re extremely entertaining but because they make me sad. Strange, right? Well, I’m willing to bet that any anime lover will instantly favorite (no, not add to their favorite list or anything grand) any anime (or anything for that matter) that can hit a cord within him or herself. Anything that can resonate with our frequency or run parallel to our curves; anything that can make us think about our own lives or make us grow as a person; anything that brings a new light to our eyes or makes us hold our breaths; in short: anything that changes our lives if only for a moment is something we’ll remember forever. Shinkai Makoto is one of the few directors/writers to have done so to myself.

Let’s get to – wait, I’ve said this already… Ok, whatever, let’s start.

Story:
Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. It’s that simple on paper right? Of course, on paper it is but in real life, love is never that simple. Never. Shinkai Makoto captures the difficulties of love all in part one. All throughout the train ride, Takaki (symbolically) experiences the difficulties of love: frustration, anxiousness, depression, helplessness etc. (albeit, it’s not love he’s frustrated at etc.). As we move on to part two and three we see an outsider’s thoughts as well as Takaki’s. This round the world perspective helps to build the central plot of love from more than one angle. The premise is simple enough but just with love, the plot is never that simple from square one. Granted, this story won’t have your head turning from twists but you share in the uneasiness that is love.

Characters:
As said before, we’re given a round the world perspective. We begin with Takaki, drift to Kanae and end with Takaki again. For all we know about Akari and Takaki’s prevalence, this format leaves with a formidable cheering in Kanae’s direction. Akari is generally distanced from the viewer in part one just as Takaki is. We go through the same thing he does but we can in no way understand how he feels unless we’ve gone through something similar. This is similar to the following situation: you can hear someone talk about how delicious fried squid is but until you try it for yourself, you’ll never be able to truly understand their argument. By the final part, the viewer is generally reserved about Akari. This instantly gives us a backdrop to Takaki’s current situation. Shinkai Makoto has weaved a spider web of character development; there’s not much you can do but admit to the pervasiveness of sympathy for the characters because in fact, most of us have experienced what they have.

Art and Music:
Again, what’s to be expected is expected. I will however give to applaud to this one. If you thought The Place Promised in Our Early Days looked good, then this will blow you out of the water. Some scenes are breathtakingly beautiful and truly set the mood that no other animation could. The sound is just as amazing; little things like the opening of an umbrella or the shot of an arrow really draw you into the entire experience.

5 Centimeters per Second hits a lot closer to home than The Place Promised in Our Early Days if only because love is generally a more universal topic. Not only that, but Takaki and Kanae are extremely easy to sympathize with. Both characters describe a different stage of love: the need to be with the one and the want to be noticed by the one that everyone can relate to. If you’re not a fan to these types of anime’s i.e. the ones that force you to sympathize with a character and their inability to change their situation then it’d be best to stay away from this.

The Comparison:
The Place Promised in Our Early Days offers a more developed plot and more diverse characters while 5 Centimeters per Second gives a shallow but time tested plot and universal characters. The former however appeases a more general crowd while 5 Centimeters per Second is very much a romance/drama.
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5 cm/second
“Five centemeters per second. They say that’s how long a cherry blossom petal falls to the ground.”

The story follows the lives of Akari and Takaki. It was divided into 3 parts:
The first part is Oukashou – introduces Akari and Takaki’s lives when they were still in elementary school.
Following it is Cosmonaut -- shows Takaki’s high school years and his friend Kanae who harbors romantic feelings for him but decided not to confess.
Lastly, 5 centimeter per second shows Akari and Takaki as adults.

It has a fantastic quality of art. Every landscape and each scene is very realistic. The ending theme suits the meaning of the whole movie.

At first glance, it seems like a simple and ordinary romantic movie, but I’m telling you it’s not. Instead it is a very gentle and profound movie that shows us the painful realism in life which is growing in different places can make 2 hearts impossible to be together. This anime presents a real world from a different point of view. It shows us a realistic view of the struggles that people face against time, space, people and love. It also teaches us that true beauty can be found in brief passing moments and that’s why we need to cherish it.

The title itself is a metaphor representation of reminiscent of the slowness of life. Cherry Blossom is metaphorical of how often people start together slowly and as the cherry blossom falls it just shows that people also slowly drift to their separate ways.

5 cm per second is an enjoyable and poignant tale that will make you reflect on the realities of life. It is highly recommended for everyone.
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Makoto Shinkai is a critically acclaimed director that has been dubbed the "next Miyazaki" for his brilliant animated movies. He himself has stated that it's an overstatement, and I have to agree with that. Although his artwork is outstanding and his themes of distance are decent, his films tend to not use these elements to create something interesting. And if there's any film of his that defines this, it's 5 Centimeters per Second.

The theme of two childhood friends slowly drifting apart by time is a very compelling story, and draws many people to this anime, including me. The actual execution of it isn't really all that great though. Telling a story through the animation is a vital part of any animated product (otherwise, why bother having it animated), but this anime seems to be a little confused on that front. The main reason for this confusion is the narration. Why does this anime have narration? If you're going to tell a story through the animation, show the actual story through the animation. Don't cut to some symbolic image that doesn't have any context in the story if you don't know what the symbolism means and put some words over it. Now don't get me wrong, there are a lot of scenes focused on the characters and their actions. The problem is, there's almost always narration occurring on these scenes, telling us what we can clearly see. Some subtle scenes exist, like the main male trying to deal with an ex-girlfriend and the fact that the main girl didn't give the boy the letter (although even in that scene, there was some narration). Because of this, the story feels like a silent film that doesn't go all the way, and it can make the movie sound like it's trying to say more than it actually is, At worst, it is downright boring.

The characters themselves aren't very interesting. I get the fact that they're supposed to just be normal, so they don't have any actual outstanding traits (except for maybe Kanae), and that the point of these characters is that you could replace him or her and it wouldn't make a difference. However, in my opinion, characters are supposed to be characters first and symbols second. While Kanae is okay, the two main leads don't have much going for them and I didn't really get why I should care for them besides the situation they are in. If you think the situation is the reason you should care about them, that's fine. I don't share that opinion.

But the main reason I don't like this anime (besides the narration) is that it never cheers up. There are virtually no happy scenes to contrast with the sad ones, making the sad scenes lose impact. I recall that the very few happy scenes we do get are in the first episode only, and even then, they felt way too gloomy to really be cheerful. It's sort of like watching one of Will Smith's Oscar-baiting movies. While there are probably some movies that can do all gloom and be really effective (I have not yet seen Grave of the Fireflies at the time I wrote this, but from what I heard, it's pretty much all gloom as well), this film isn't one of them.

One last thing that people are conflicted about is the ending. Should have removed the pop song. The scene was a lot more effective in the beginning of Episode 3, where it was virtually silent. And I'm sure everyone has discussed the ending, so I'll just say it has a good moral. There are times when this does happen and it can be a downer. But never play that pop song again.

All in all, 5 Cm Per Second is a bit of an insubstantial movie that is meant to target your emotions rather than actual logic. Unfortunately, the narration, the constant usage of pointless scenery, the bland characters, and the fact that it doesn't follow the "show don't tell" method really makes it hard for me to care. Sometimes, I get the feeling that people just like the story concept and don't really care about the actual execution whenever I read positive things about this movie. If you're a Makoto Shinkai fan or if you can feel the emotions, despite or because of the narration and pop song, you'll like the movie. If you're not, you'll most likely fall asleep. read more

I saw this film in the 35mm room at Otakon 2007, though it sourced from a DVD :(. The graphics and animation were amazing; intricately drawn backgrounds, with skies that looked like they were lifted from paintings. Character designs were appealing and fairly detailed. Basically the best looking piece of animation I have seen in a long time.

This film is more about the development of the characters and their relationships than a story, with each episode focused on a different character/aspect of the relationship. Splitting it into 3 distinct episodes has some good and bad sides. It allows for some very focused storytelling, with no time for fluff -- there are no useless lines in this film. However, I wished the episodes were a bit more connected, as it was difficult to understand what caused the main characters to change in between episodes. If you have seen the director's other works, this film is closer to three episodes of "Voices of a Distant Star" than "Beyond the Clouds".

The only other thing I didn't like about the film was the constant reference to 5 cm per second. Aside from the first time it was mentioned, each reference sounded like it did not fit naturally into the conversation.

In short, an enjoyable film that I think would have been better if the episodes were better connected. read more