Having just come in from watching other slices of life and romances, I came in expecting 5 Centimeters per Second to be a lovey-dovey story with a happy ending like most anime in the romance pile.
No.
5 centimeters per Second is a realistic love and heart-break story that focuses on the lives of two school children, Tohno Takaki and Shinohara Akari and their battle through time and distance to be happy.
Chapter 1:
First meeting in school, Takaki and Akari become friends quickly, and it seems that nothing can break them apart. Sadly, a tearful goodbye is shared between the two as Akari must move to a town hours away because of her parents work. This follows the journey of Takaki when he takes a train to see his best friend, under the narration of her own voice from the letters that he has recieved.
Chapter 2:
Times have changed, and 6 months later, Takaki has unfortunately moved towns aswell. The two schoolchildren have fallen even further apart and a new girl has arrived in Takaki's life, Sumida Kanae. Ever since she first saw him, she knew that he was different. Yet, everytime she tries to tell him how she feels, she finds herself unable to find her breath. How long must she wait before she can reveal her secret?
Chapter 3:
The years have not been kind to Takaki. His girlfriend of the past 3 years has left, his 1 room apartment is a mess and he is stuck in a desk job. Will the dreams of a girl he once loved bring back the firey passion and determination that he had when he was a child?
Actual review:
Movies like this only come around once in a lifetime. This film grips tightly at your heartstrings when the first petal falls, and won't let go, even when the last flake of snow has landed. An emotional rollercoaster, i'm not even sure how to describe it. Like I said before, I was expecting a lovey dovey long distance relationship story, but I got an emotional story with deep meanings and character developement that is scarcely seen.
The artwork is amazing. Every frame from this beautiful film could be used as a wallpaper or a piece of art.
The sound blends perfectly with the narrations and the action. It couples them together and the only time when it lets go, it when is needs to embrace a new modd.
The characters and their development are well excecuted. They make you feel like they want you to be part of their story, and you feel like you are actually listening to the voices of a real person.
The only gripe I would have is with the ending. I feel that the song before the final scene wasn't really necessary and broke up the flow. It could have easily been replaced by a monolouge by Takaki or Akari. Another thing is that the central character from the second chapter, Kanae, is left out to dry once the third chapter comes along.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone that has a taste, or just needs to have a good tear-shed.
