When talking about the similarities of Makoto Shinkai's stories,long-distance relationship and coming of age separation immediately comes to mind. Those seems to be the bread and butter core that are omnipresent in every one of Mr Shinkai's heartwrenching tales. Therefore,it is hardly surprising to notice the recurring themes in his works because in the end,it still worked like a charm. 5 Centimeter per Second is no exception. Some said it was because of Mr Shinkai's poetic style of storytelling,others mentioned his whimsical way of concluding a story while a few went as far as to saying Mr Shinkai continue to exploit human's sentimental side and tinker around emotions with sappy romance. You know what,I agree with them (even the 3rd) but still,those reasons aren't the biggest success factor.
Not to take away anything from the story which is heartwarming to say the least,the main reason why 5CPS was able to be successful is largely due to its stellar graphic presentation whereas the story and its execution are actually just the icing on the cake. It is inconceivable for one not to be fascinated by all the visual glitters in the scenic setting of 5CPS. The art is to the extent where one may be more interested in admiring the background than say..reading the storyline. This is ultimately what Mr Shinkai does best,producing superb quality animation with mesmerizing graphics that makes for an enthralling experience completely different from your normal vapid animation style.
If you're new to Makoto Shinkai's film or Japanese animation in general,chances are you'll gonna love this film to bits. Not only because of its visual masterpiece but also the bittersweet nature of the story. But if you did already watch Mr Shinkai's previous works,it is unfortunately not a whole lot different originality-wise. I happen to enjoy Voice of the Distant Star more myself.
P.S I kind of rushed this so take this review with a grain of salt. (:
"The things I had to tell her... and the things I hoped she would listen to. There were so many of them.." -Tono Takaki
