5 Centimeters per Second is a heartwrenching animated feature film from Japanese director Makoto Shinkai. Released in 2007, it is presented in three parts which depict love, distance and time in the life of protagonists Takaki T?no and Akari Shinohara. The subtitle informs of the speed of cherry-blossoms falling: this precisely describes human relationships, their tenderness and brevity. The first chapter begins with a flashback beginning somewhere in the early nineties, which is named Cherry Blossom. The character of the male hero Takaki is introduced, who, in his childhood, is very close to a girl named Akari. Little Akari, later, has to move to a rather distant city with her family. While she tries to keep the distance in their relationship, writing letters to him on a regular basis, it still feels unbearable. A longer journey by train is nothing to ho, and with a bit of hardship, he finally travels to meet Akari. When they eventually come together, things are quite chaotic between them due to the large distance which they both hate. They kiss under the cherry blossom tree, sneaking a last kiss before they part, at least for the time being.
Khi Jikei tries to control the situation as the narrator’s voice, the second chapter, Cosmonaut stands out from the other chapters. This chapter takes us to Tanegashima where the narrator has moved for school and note previously introduced Takaki. He is preoccupied with his memories of Akari, and his class fellow treating him as a boyfriend Kanae Sumida has no hope of success. She finds it easier. In the course of time, the boy also became a phone addict like the rest of the Takami family. Constantly looking at her phone in anticipation of a message which never comes. Over the course of this chapter, the reader feels deeply the pain of Takamiki and the emptiness that dulness of time brings around. It showcases one more time the slo-tance in their intimate relation. It is heartbreaking. The girl loved, suffers abuse and what for? In the interchange, memories are made. Tak تكان peters out into darkness, stepping further from anything that came before like Takamaki the artist moving closer to a blank canvas wanting to create something. The dear in the present, he fantasises of a lost future with a treasured ex which is infatuating, obsessive, captivating and yet losing. Growing even closer to emptiness with every passing second. Perhaps this has been the hardest task for the film to present it as a man counting winds in his silence yet knowing which direction they blow. In Shiva the climax builds with the meeting at a railway crossing; forces togetherwing around the Akari, that bias dropped. In this moment brings about realisation to never-ending cycles of memories after waves of Akari. In Death, Tak at a gap watches the two terrified at the sky hoping it stays like this forever for those not prepared Graphic designs, featuring a few children laughing, accompanied the office’s message promoting the concept of a quiet smile.
The film’s plot is slow-fermenting and incorporates distinct Japanese aesthetic elements. Particular emphasis is placed on the broader theme of longing. The film’s loose ending prompts many to explore the questions of love, loss, and self-discovery.
Cast & Crew
Director: Makoto Shinkai
The stunning visuals combined with emotions-driven stories are Shinkai’s strong suits, and pursuing this type of work earned him a reputation for his film 5 Centimeters Per Second. This unwavering theme of unfulfilling relationships, usually bitter-sweetness that keeps people together and apart at the same time, has become Shinkai’s trademark style of storytelling. Some of his other fascinating works are Your Name, and Weathering with You.
Main Characters:
Takaki Tōno (voiced by Kenji Mizuhashi): Main lead in the film whose life is followed through three chapters in the movies. The emotions of the character were brought to life through Kenji Mizuhashi’s voice acting and art performance.
Akari Shinohara (Tamil Dubbed Voice by Yoshimi Kondō): A key character related by Tir Takaki; the protagonist’s first love and childhood friend. Gentle and kind, and confident, the character portrayed by Yoshimi Kondo was perfectly executed.
Kanae Sumida (Tamil Dubbed Voice by Satomi Hanamura): Other supporting character who symbolizes the unfulfilled love that adds another perspective in the emotional journey of Takaki.
Production:
Animation Studio: The animation is a detail that is intricately attach to CoMix Wave Films as one of the foremost animation houses in Japan and other animated resources.
Music Composer: Tenmon, whose mesh of plaintive but heartbreaking songs enhances the film’s overall strength. The end title song One More Time, One More Chance composed by Yamazaki Masayoshi is a heart breaking song that just fits the movie to the synopsis perfectly.
IMDB Ratings
5 Centimeters per Second has good ratings on IMDB of about 7.6 out of 10, obviously earning this tremendous rating due to the love of the audience even today. They join others in appreciating the film for its remarkable graphics, emotional heart, and the universality of its theme. The film’s color and warm tone are complemented by impressive sets that are often described as ‘poems’ in their aesthetics. The distribution and viewing pace have been quite the controversy; some liked the pacing for being meditative, others found it to be too sluggish.
The people who have watched the film, shinkai’s fans in particular, appreciate the film for its realistic treatment of love and more so loss. It does not have the happy endings found in most love stories, fans have to be patient throughout as this film offers a more mature almost painful side of relationships. The running time also provoked a lot of discussion because of the open ended nature of the relationship, what does closure really mean in relation to emotional fatigue.
Critical Analysis
What makes 5 Centimeters per Second special is that it is not complicated. The film does not have fanciful elements or intricate plot developments but rather revolves around the core feelings of the characters. The visual representation of cherry blossoms in the film emphasizes the fleeting quality of love and life, which is change. Makoto Shinkai is very effective in utilizing silence and visuals, which contributes to the audience getting attached to the characters.
Depression, a feeling that is seldom spoken about in detail, is by far one of the most troublesome ideas that transcends in all regions around the film. Without a doubt, every single individual has had days when longing, remorse, and heartbreak were present and did not last forever. Moving forward, Shinkai seeks to help viewers better understand themselves by portraying such emotions so convincingly.
Soothing as it is in both the sights and sounds the actual animations transform the story into a different realm altogether. The sound of snowflakes, the sun setting and the bustling city animates these scenes to be its own character. Sounds complement the visuals so well so that wind blow sounds and train rumbling sounds distance the viewers from the thoughts and let them ponder and immerse themselves in the film.
But the film does have its naysayers, critics say it has too much of a “downer” aesthetic due to its constant melancholy and does not properly resolve itself. Viewers seeking inspiration could also find the characters’ unresolved development as a source of irritation.
Conclusion
Fifth Centimeter per Second is an excellent film that investigates the creative space of love and its consequent loss. The film itself is not only about distanced love and longing, but also sadness that comes from accepting the inevitability of ‘moving on’, and manages to encapsulate those emotions through its beautiful animation and storytelling. The emotions from this film certainly do not disappear when the credits roll, and this is certainly a movie that should be watched by those who appreciate more deep thought oriented movies. AMD if watched as an unfulfilled love story, or the other way as a reflective story on the inescapable flow of life – it does not matter, this is still a great example of Makoto Shinkai’s artistry.
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