Synonyms: Five Centimeters Per Second, Byousoku 5 Centimeter - a chain of short stories about their distance, 5 Centimetres Per Second, 5 cm per second

Type:Movie

Status: Finished Airing

Producers: None found, add some

Licensors:ADV Films, Bandai Entertainment, Discotek Media, Crunchyroll

Source: Original

Duration: 22 min. per ep.

Ranked: #748²

Members: 533,079

What you will definitely notice first is the animation. The drawings are beyond compare I have never seen such beautiful artwork in anime ever. This is 11 of 10 stars, not one less.
So, the plot. I don't think there is anything more beautiful in the world as pure, young love, everyone who was in love as a child can emphasize with that. No hesitation, no questions, just two souls melting in harmony. I fear as we grow older, most of us loose their capability of feeling that way, there is just to much stress and influence on us, what a pity. So... to the point; never has a movie (not just anime) projected this feeling of a young soul desperately in love more precise and moving than this one. I am a 26 year old man and I don't know when I cried the last time, but at a certain point in the movie I found myself dropping a big tear.
But beware: the movie is about chapter one. The second, still beautiful and honest, with a great metaphor and the very nice idea of changing the lead character, giving another angle on the subject, can just not compel with the first. And as many others, I did not like the last chapter either, but it is need to be said, that this plot does not harmonize with a good old fashioned Hollywood happy end, as most of the viewers would expect, or rather demand, I could say. This is a Japanese movie and Japanese movies take another angle on life itself. Just take it as it comes. This is definitely art.
If you are a romantic one, and open to art movies, this will become a piece of your soul. Honest thanks to the makers.

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This movie blew me away - it was amazing. I can't tell you anything more other than it revolves around love, life and time.
This film is stunning you simply must watch it! Don't be put off if you're not interested by the end of the first episode because by the end of the third episode everything comes together in one amazingly beautiful package.
If ever a film deserved 10/10 this was it. If you have ever felt love you will adore this movie because it captures that feeling flawlessly.
This is the type of movie that was made by dreamers, for dreamers. By romantics for romantics.
This movie is pure art. Miss it and you're denying yourself something special.

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This, for me, is quite probably one of the most touching animes that I have ever seen and one of the more heartfelt pieces of cinema that I have ever experienced. Basically, 5cm Per Second is a short movies split up into 3 episodes, the first one being 30 min, the second one 20 min, and the last one 15 min. Each of these three episodes portrays a pair of people and their relationship during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The story that it has is very simple and could be summarized in a few sentences but that is not the point of this series. The real point is the volumes of material that could be written about the emotion, feeling, and beauty that can found in this masterpiece. As you watch this, you will be able to distinctly feel for these characters and you will be able to connect with them as if you actually knew them because of how human and relatable they feel. You will be able to feel exactly the same as they do because in your childhood you will have felt precisely the same at some point and this connection comes through wonderfully. Only adding to this sense of wonder is what might by some of the better pacing in a series to date. Simply the way the characters progress and the way that it seemingly ends as soon as it starts will haunt you for hours or days afterwards. What strongly supports this anime is the excellent animation which stunning and the music, which while not jaw-droppingly amazing, still does not leave anything to be desired.
In short, do yourself a favor, take an hour out of your day to watch this beautiful work of art.

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First of all, let me start by saying that this movie has touched me more than anything I've ever watched before.
The storyline isn't too complex but very realistic and that is what makes it so easy to feel connected to the characters. Many movies have those 'lucky circumstances', those unbelievably strange situations that are always nice to watch, because they are usually our fantasy-moments. However, deep inside we all know that those situations could never occur in real life, that in reality everything would have been so much more simple and probably sad. Sometimes we even find ourselves wanting to see the 'real-life versions' of the plots..
Well, in this movie there are no 'lucky circumstances', no happy-strange moments. This movie is all about real life.. Yes, it may be sad. Yes, there might be no happy ending like in those Disney fairy tales. But there will be something much better - a real life love story that will blow you away..
Recommended for all age groups.

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'The movie is named 5 Centimeters Per Second for the speed at which cherry blossom petals fall, petals being a metaphorical representation of humans, reminiscent of the slowness of life and how people often start together but slowly drift into their separate ways.'
Beautiful. Absolutely an instant masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai. I enjoyed Voices of A Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, But I never thought that he could pull off another great film.
Plot-wise, it has similarities with his previous works(Voices of A Distant Star), but it manages to create a different atmosphere here. Watching all 3 short stories consecutively, I'll have to say the final chapter was the best among 3. The pinnacle, however, is the first one. Second chapter is a little slow-paced, but it matches the movie theme nicely.
Can't have much complain towards the music. As usual, Tenmon proves he's got the talent with emotional piano pieces. The theme song is nice as well.
Animation & visual effects is stunning. Makoto Shinkai definitely gets a solid certificate to be one of the best visual directors out there at the moment.
Overall, a 9/10 for me. It's almost flawless, but nothing can be perfect, right? ;)

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For me, the difference between cinema and literature is that while the latter is fundamentally about words, the former should tell its story at least as much through visuals and movement as through dialogue. 5 Centimeters Per Second, however, tells its story almost completely through words. You could simply read the script and get the entire story.
For example, the first of the movie's three episodes begins, after a snippet of dialogue, with a series of read letters while you watch their receiver go about his day. The bulk of the episode is a train ride in which his anxiety over train delays is expressed mainly by hearing his thoughts about how anxious he is. Shut your eyes, and you wouldn't miss a bit of story.
You would, admittedly, miss some really stunning animation. This movie is absolutely gorgeous, with stunning backdrops that will take your breath away.
The story itself is moderately interesting, a slice of life contemplation of time and desire and feelings of loss.
But it's very slow. And while the movie has some emotional impact, most of it is contained in a final music video-style piece whose combination of lyrics and images would be almost as effective without the hour of story preceding them.
Most of the people writing reviews here find this movie deeply moving, and I do understand why. The situations are sad, the images are pretty, and a sense of melancholy hangs over the whole thing. But for me, it was too slow, too wordy, and lacked the things that, for me, make film so powerful.

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This movie is basically three separate chapters, each of them showing different degrees of separation between two people.
throughout the movie you'll see one of the best animation scenes in history. Its superb!!, images are incredibly neat and well done. In this department I would give the movie an 11 out of ten.
first chapter is absolutely flawless, its amazing, one of the best pieces of animation I've ever seen, maybe even the best. You are captivated by the characters amazingly fast, its fantastic. another 11 out of ten.
Second chapter is also very good but.. the first chapter is so perfect that you don't think much of the second one.
last chapter is good. actually it is PERFECT, it allows the movie to make its point. in other words, it ends the way it has to. I did not give this chapter a 10 ONLY because it made me really sad ( I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying this). I thought it was going to end in a completely different way.
Anyway, I recommend this movie a lot, just the animation and the first chapter makes it worth it. If you like the ending you could probably rank it as a 9.5 or ten.

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'5 cm per second. The speed at which cherry blossom petals fall.' It looks like Makoto Shinkai has directed another little minimalist masterpiece. Bearing a distant resemblance to underground coming-of-age classics such as My Life as a Dog, 5 cm interweaves three short stories seen from the viewpoints of different characters. Each story revolves around a specific time period in the protagonist's life: his last days at primary school, graduating from high school, his early life as an adult.
Through the prism of an early sakura-blossom romance, the film primarily explores the themes of distance and loneliness, though it does so in a gentle way that is akin to recollecting your most beautiful sunrise memory rather than resorting to being dark and gloomy.
The music blends in very well with the movie, enhancing the emotional experiences conveyed, while passing almost unnoticed - as should happen in the best soundtracks. The animation is top notch and the quality of the drawings is just mesmerizing. You may often get the urge to pause the movie just to explore the richness of the tapestry.
If you can find it, it's well worth a watch.
9/10

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This is a very good movie. It is slow paced and the ending isn't a typical Western ending. I had to look up the ending online to fully understand it but this is a great film on love and long distance relationships. It's also beautifully drawn. There's three parts to it. Part one was set in childhood and there's a section about a long distant train journey. Having lived in Tokyo myself and taken Japanese trains, I was blown away by how lifelike the animation was. Part two was set in the countryside during the teens and some of the animation there is also mind blowing. Part 3 is back in Tokyo in adult life. I can't say anymore or I'll ruin the film but overall it's a wonderful film.

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Wow, what a pretty movie! The backgrounds were gorgeous and the animation was beautiful, I applaud the artists who worked on this film. However, in the plot department, 5 Centimeters per Second is sorely lacking.
Chapter one was good, I did enjoy the first part. Childhood friends who fell in love, but their parent's jobs keep them apart. It was adorable, and set up for a beautiful tragic love story. After seeing it, I expected the rest of the movie to be just that, a beautiful tragic love story.
But then came part two. Where did Akari go? They just stopped talking? I don't know, I think if they were really as in love as we're meant to believe they are, they wouldn't lose touch. But I didn't lose hope yet, this movie could still be good. Everyone encounters problems in their relationship, perhaps this was all leading up to a big dramatic reunion at the end.
And once again I was disappointed in part three. Takaki is still thinking about Akari even after all these years, so maybe he'll look for her or write her or something. But nope, he makes no effort to get in touch with her. Okay, so maybe it'd be awkward. It probably would be, they hadn't talked in who knows how long. But then they pass each other in the street, recognize each other, stop, and look like they're about to finally speak to one another again. Then, a train passes between them and they just walk away. WHAT? Most disappointing ending of all time.Maybe Shinkai was trying to say there are no happy endings, but damn.
In fact, I found the movie as a whole to be quite disappointing. It was a lot shorter than it should have been. It spent too much time dwelling on less important things, leaving not nearly enough time for things like character development and plot development. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I found that we never got to know Akari, we never even really got to know Takaki. The person we got to know most was Kanae, And she's only really relevant in the second part. We hardly got to see Takaki and Akari's relationship, so it was difficult to feel Takaki's pain and longing over Akari.
Overall, I found this movie rushed through things that deserved more time and don't really understand what it was trying to accomplish. Was it a romance? Clearly, but where it the romance? Where is the struggle to keep their flame alive? If Takaki loved Akari, why didn't he go after her at the end? They were best friends, he should at least have said something. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why people enjoyed this movie so much. I think is was a poorly paced plot with little development and beautiful visuals in attempt to 'razzle-dazzle' the audience.
I apologize for my unpopular opinion.

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Having viewed the previous two films of Makoto Shinkai,I am enchanted by these animations.It is a beautiful and a little sorrow story in the film,but you will find the story is depicted in a totally different way after finishing reading the novel of it.Especially the 3rd chapter:5 cm per second.
In the film,there are a myriad of description about Takaki,while few about Akari.Admittedlly,the plot is evolved in the eye of him.However,there are almost equal depiction about Takaki and Akari in the novel.I like the feature of Takaki,he is a industrious kid thought physical trouble(his health condition is not very good in youth)and changing of the environment(he always moves) give some disadvantage in his young days.Later he entered a Univ in Tokyo,and in his campus life he also had some beautiful affections with his workmate in some social work.So he undergo certain pain emotionally,but this makes him a more strong man.He is also a boy of achievement:in the novel,he work as a programmer in a big company,and he has considerable income.Although succeed in career,Takaki's emotional life is not supposed to be very perfect.He still care about Akari even after having worked for a few years,or even in relationship with his girlfriend.The reason why he is so confused in the film is that somebody is haunting around him.
But after the train passed by,the girl(she is supposed to be Akari) in the other side of the railway disappeared.Our actor know that she had pursued her happiness.Okay,let's him start a new life!

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The plot itself is average and trivial. The story revolves around unfulfilled first love and a couple separated by time and distance. It seems to be a bit overdone in terms of its importance and the two main characters seem to make their life and relationship a lot more difficult than it really is. The whole story resembles those from the poems written in the age of Romanticism. However, it is not very appealing and genuine if we look at the mobile phones owned by the two main characters - they never use them properly to contact each other. Despite the plot which isn't any spectacular, the animation is very good. Maybe the characters are not anime masterpieces but the nature & surroundings are presented in a great detail and they have truly amazing colours - I haven't seen such a brilliant background in any anime I have ever seen.

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The movie is subtitled 'a chain of short stories about their distance' and I can think of no better way of summarizing it without giving away the mystery.
'5 Centimeters Per Second' can be classified as a love-drama film as it contains plenty of both.
I recommend this movie even to those that dislike anime, because if you watch just four minutes of the movie you simply forget you are looking at a Japanese-style film. The emotions are very powerful and you just cannot help but love the characters. It was very hard for me to give it 9/10 stars, but I felt like the second episode was missing something.
-- Story: '5 Centimeters Per Second' is composed of three chapters/episodes. Makoto Shinkai does a fantastic job at creating a story that immediately finds a way into your soul. Despite being an anime movie, there are no Sci-Fi nor any Fantasy elements. It is simply a reflection of life with it's struggles and obstacles, that come together in deep moments.
**SPOILER**The first chapter tells the story of close friends Takaki Tōno and Akari Shinohara and how time and space forces them to go their separate ways. After graduating elementary school the two keep in touch by writing letters and visit each other one more time before Takaki and his family move further away from Akari's town. Despite the two's mutual special feelings, they do not speak about them until their last meeting.
The second chapter introduces Kanae Sumita, a classmate of Takaki that falls in love with him, but cannot express her feelings to him. One day she notices Takaki staring into the distance and understands that he is searching for something far grater than her.
The third episode finds our character in very different situations. Years later, we see Akari somewhat happy, getting ready to marry a man, but still melancholic after finding an old letter of hers addressed to Takaki. In another place in Japan, Takaki has a job, but lives alone and cannot let go of his past memories.**/SPOILER**
-- Art and Animation: The environment instantly sucks you in and you find yourself immersed inside the same dream-like situation like Takaki Tōno. The movie has one of the greatest artistic presentations of it's genre. Many may shy away from the prospect of watching a movie that has love and drama as center elements, but the movie is worth watching for the art alone. Makoto Shinkai has created perfect environments, enhanced by light and details such as individual grass seeds moving in the wind.
The style of animation is fantastic. Takaki's simple gestures of frustration while waiting in the delayed train speak out better than any words.
--Characters and voice acting: At first glance the characters look like the average Japanese hikikomori (introvert), but it's hard to imagine any other characters taking part in such sweet and heart-warming situations. All the three (soon to be adults) find it hard to express their feelings which gives the viewer something to relate to.
The voice acting is relatively good. Although the fast-pace Japanese language may be hard to get used to, the actors' whispers and thoughts are able to send out powerful emotions.
--Music: The music, composed by Tenmon consists mostly of piano elements and also a song used for Episode 3: 'One more time, one more chance' written and performed by Masayoshi Yamazaki. All these go extremely well with the melancholic atmosphere of the movie.
--Overall: If you like beautiful art and animation, plus a good story, then '5 Centimeters Per Second' is a must-see. Even though it is only one hour long, the movie talks about heart-braking situations and hidden feelings, things we can all relate to. Just make sure you have a box of tissues with you before watching. :)

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I could copy almost my entire review of THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS, Shinkai's previous film. More Takahata than Miyazaki... check. The same wistful, nostalgic tone is woven throughout these three episodes of youthful romantic pinings turned into bittersweet adult reminiscences. Breathtaking animation... check. The artistic style is uncommonly beautiful, with extraordinary attention to detail, gorgeous color and lighting, and images that deftly evoke a sense of melancholy. If all anime looked this astonishing, I'd watch more of it. Satisfying human elements but oversentimental... check. I could relate to the feelings expressed by Takaki, Kanae and Akari -- surely there is something nearly universal about those unrequited adolescent yearnings that can resurface years and years later -- but had to roll my eyes a bit at all the tinkly piano and whispered voice-over. Where this film surpasses its predecessor is in its lack of a goofy sci-fi subplot. There is a rocketship involved, but it's a background element purely for metaphorical purposes. Without that sort of distraction, I was more easily charmed by the gentle rhythms, pleasant characters, and lovely visuals.

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Three interconnected stories about love and loss and how some hearts change and some don't. Part one a boy goes to meet a girl who lies at the end of a long train ride. Part Two a girl in the boys new high school tries to attract his attention. Part Three years later. The tales are bitter sweet lovely and delicate. They are not perfect, but since they are almost tone poems of emotion its okay.
I missed this at the NY Children's film festival and had to wait for the DVD release...Oh man I thought it was tough for parents to explain the Girl who Leapt through Time-What would parents and young kids have made of this? I know the kids would have trouble processing it since their experience wouldn't allow for it and the parents would probably be broken hearted...mommy why are you crying? How do you explain this sort of emotion to a child?
As for me, I have no idea what to say... Similar and yet different to the directors Voices From a Distant Star, this is a film about distance and communication (or lack there of) and how the heart approaches what it yearns...
I am moved to somewhere beyond words. Echoes of my own life aside there is something about the emotion that moves you-why am I crying? I don't know. The wall against such things has been punctured and while the tears were never a torrent there was a few moments where they definitely flowed.
Its not perfect-frankly I don't know what it is, but it moved me...
Take my advice, and that of the song at the end-tell the person you love that you love them.
------------
PS In theory the three parts of the movie can be seen separately...but in reality I doubt that they would work as well in parts- certainly the third one won't since all of the emotion come from the first two parts.

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The start makes for a brilliant opening, 2 childhood friends move away from each other and write letters to keep in contact, setting the way for a beautiful story of friendship and love, but as the story progresses the main character and heroine drift apart. Not bad as this makes for a great set up to a reunion. A reunion that never happens. the MC slowly drifts into depression in the third part as well as never meeting the main heroine again. the final scene is one of the most annoying scenes I've seen, on par with the ending to 'Kimi no iru machi' as it tempts you with closure between the two and then ends without a single word or look between them. The whole films feels like a waste of time by the end of it as although the film seems to aim for 'Well life sucks sometimes' approach, it comes off as if the film is unfinished.

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Expected a lot, turned out its just a story of real human persons with whole lot of disappointments..... yeah I know that's life. You are not getting any entertainment from it instead you might recall couple of your disappointments of your life while watching it. In the end the movie left you with nothing expect with sad empty feelings.
There is nothing wrong with the movie. Maybe I am the wrong one by thinking movie is a great piece of art to entertain people....
After watching 'Kimi no na wa.', I thought '5 cm/s' will also be a great masterpiece. But I was wrong. It left me with an emotional state which is hurtful & its killing me.

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5 Centimeters Per Second contains three short stories, connected by the main character and his childhood love-interest, essentially following their grow up. As many others already marked, the animation is simply gorgeous, and I can't add any more to this - Makoto Shinkai is indubitably one of the greatest animation geniuses of all time.
While the visuals are superb, the plot is mediocre at best. I'm an otherwise emotionally sturdy, level-headed guy, but I'm also an absolute sucker for romantic tragedys. This stuff - even the cheesier ones - can make my eyes wet like putting my head in a bucket full of red onion. With 5CPS however, my eyes remained dry and my heart remained... err... unbroken?
Each sequence is overshadowed by the immense despair of Takaki, longing for his never-fulfilled love to Akari. In the first episode, Cherryblossoms, it works well: my suspense built with Takakis during the train scene, and I felt soooo relieved when Akari was still at the station. It was sweet. During the sad goodbye, I was sure they were going to meet again, and that we're going towards a happy end. The second sequence then broke this expectation of mine. Instead of searching ways to stay in contact, Takaki goes full hopeless, writing emo messages to himself, while completely ignoring Sumida, a girl who fell in love with him. I GET THE VERY BLATANT MESSAGE, MR. SHINKAI! But come on: Takaki were in his 17-18's at the time. When did Takaki and Akari stopped sending mails to eachother? Why didn't they change numbers? And if Takaki was so goddamn in love, couldn't he visit Akari... like in the summer? If their love was truly impossible to be fulfilled, then this desperation of Takaki were justified. But I feel like it wasnt, and otherwise real and deep emotions regarding love felt like teenage angst and self-pitying. This organically carried on to the third sequence. Thats where realism finally kicked in: while Takaki was still deep in depression, Akari lived her life on, getting engaged and stuff. And when they met again at the intersection, I was so glad Takaki didn't run after Akari, but let her go - the only sensible thing he had done since sequence one.
Overall it's a good one-hour movie, and a must-see for the visuals. The plot however is very lacking in some aspects, making very hard to live up to the emotions 5CPS intended to induce.

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First of all I'm not anime fan, although I like Miyazaki movies very much.
Next thing is that giving 10 is hard thing for me, cause I always think there is (or will be) something better.
But this movie is a masterpiece. For me the best part is storyline. Most intensive drama I've ever seen. I would never think that animated movie could touch such topics and more important that it would do this in such a great way.
I've already watched it 3 times, and every time I cried like a girl. Maybe this is because I've been in all those situations. I've been like Takaki (loving someone with the purest love of all - love of a child). I've been like Kanae - loving someone and not having courage to say it. I've been on the other side, like Takaki again, being with someone who loved me when I was still with love with someone else. And again been like 3rd chapter Takaki, daydreaming of love that is gone, that would never come back ...
In that move all those feelings are drawn so gentle and sharp at the same time. I've never seen feelings pictured that great and I've seen plenty of movies.
Storyline is something great here ... but scenery is another masterpiece. After watching that movie Japan seems the best place on Earth to live. Sea, heaven, clouds, grass, wind, mountains, everything here seems so alive. But the best thing is play of the light. Everything here is so natural, sometimes even seems better than in real world. All lightning here brings memories of places and things I've experienced before.
Characters seems to be kinda mysterious, cause they are Japan. Japanese people keeps their feelings deeper then Europeans, so sometimes this could look a bit odd. But even though I feel like I'm experiencing all those things again. Some says that animation of characters is a flaw here, but for me it's at the proper level. Just where it should be.
And last piece of this puzzle is music. Not overwhelming and greatly composed into this picture. And ending song ... even I don't understand Japanese at all, it makes my eyes wet every time I hear it.
Seen tons of bad, average, good and great movies, but this one is the best I've ever seen.
Thank you Makoto Shinkai.

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The title of the film '5 Centimeters Per Second' signifies the speed at which cherry blossoms fall. It also is a metaphor for how our lives and our relationships slowly evolve over time. This is fitting because 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the most real and emotionally moving movies I have ever come across, and a 10 star rating isn't enough to do it justice it should probably be a 12 stars out of 10.
From the very first frame of the movie you will be struck by the awe inspiring beauty of the animation. Unlike the saying that 'beauty is only skin deep' this movie has a soul that is more beautiful than its animation. Unlike many other movies 5 Centimeters Per Second keeps its theme simple, LOVE. The film explores the emotions, pain, and evolution of even our most cherished relationships when strained by time and distance. We take this journey over 3 phases of life with Takaki Tono, Akari Shinohara, and Kanae Sumida with each phase dealing with a different aspect of the relationships.
The Music in the film is on par with the animation, in that it is completely mesmerizing, after seeing the film the soundtrack has the power to bring back those emotions long after the film has ended. The music is just natural and beautiful as rest of the movie.
Makoto Shinkai has done an excellent job weaving a movie that is so deeply moving and so beautiful around a very simple but powerful story. If you have not seen it yet 5 Centimeters Per Second is definitely one to see. I've seen it 4 times already since discovering it and have loved it even more every time. This movie is truly a masterpiece especially when you add the fact that there are no science fiction or fantasy angles to it, but it is a view into real life through anime. The film really reaches into your gut and grabs your soul.
5 Centimeters Per Second is a brilliantly emotional movie that will touch your heart and ingrain itself in your soul. A must watch for anyone who has not seen it yet.
*** Spoilers Beyond This Point Do Not Read If You Have Not Seen the Film!***
I was moved by all 3 of the main Characters in this film as I could feel how true their love was, as well as feel their pain.
Takaki Tono - From the start of the movie we see Takaki tell the story from his point of view, and there are several points where you really feel his pain, such as when he is on the train to go see Akari after one year of distance, and despite his longing to see her, when he realizes how late he will be he thinks to himself 'Akari please don't wait for me'. His concern for her over himself shows that he really does care for her. There are many more instances in the movie when you feel his pain such as when you realize all the emails that he is writing are actually not going out to anyone but to no one.
Akari Shinohara - You feel Akari express her pain when Tono flashes back to when she had called him to inform him that they would not be lucky enough to attend the same Junior High together because her parents and her were moving away. Tono says he could feel her pain through the phone, and this same pain is conveyed to the viewers. It is also evident that Akari does love and care for Tono because she waits far beyond the expected time for Tono with no guarantee he will be there but her heart telling her so.
Kanae Sumida - She is probably the character I sympathize with most because throughout the second part we see that for years she has lived in an obsession and love of Takaki Tono comparable only to His for Akari, but a the same time despite her obsessive love Kanae is able to realize that Tono does not love her and in fact never seems to look at her. Her understanding of the person she loves, and selflessness of not revealing her feelings to him after this realization really make her love mean something, and this also makes me feel the most pain for her because she is the one character that does not even get a grain of the love she gets back.
The 3 parts the movie is divided in also explore different kinds of distance and the pain that it can cause.
The first part is about the physical distance and the pain and longing that it creates within both Akari and Takaki. The second section is about the emotional distance between Kanae and Takaki. And the 3rd Section is about the pain of not being able to let go as Takaki is still unable to let go of his memories of Akari, and in some ways is more in love with them than Akari herself.
The brilliant ending scenes with the song, especially the train crossing really cap of an excellent movie.
***** End of Spoilers *****
Makoto Shinkai manages an emotional connection with anime that very few live action movies can even claim to produce. All in all this is one of the instant classics, and masterpieces. If you haven't seen it this is absolutely one to watch as it is a brilliant film on every level and from every aspect. This is art at its best in all phases. The story, animation, and music are brilliantly woven into the soul of this movie, not only mesmerizing you with its beauty, but moving you and leaving a permanent impression on your soul
12/10
Must Watch!!!! An Anime Masterpiece!

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I regularly check IMDb-reviews, but this is the first time I feel compelled to post a review myself.
Intrigued by the high ratings and the fact that the DVD seems to be out-of-print, I got the DVD via eBay. After having just watched the movie, I can only say that this is the most stunning, amazing Anime-movie I have ever seen. The artwork, the music, it all fits.
As a whole, 'Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru' is beautiful, and yes: sad, but the kind of sad that is -imo- in no way depressing, but much rather beautiful and moving.
I recommend it to everyone who reads this review.
Thijs

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'Do you know the speed at which cherry blossoms fall? 5 centimeters per second... At what speed must I live, to be able to see you again?'
Another Japanese film that proves, yet again, how this country is doing it all wrong. Like their style of living and architecture, Japanese film is about simplicity with depth, beauty expressed with such subtlety that you never see it coming, and sophistication while remaining lighthearted. 5 Centimeters Per Second (Referring to the rate at which the petals fall from a Cherry Blossom Tree) artfully explicates love, loss, yearning, regret, strength, perseverance in three interconnected 'episodes' in the young male protagonists' life: First as a preteen, then as a teenager, and finally as an adult, after life had, yet again, taken priority over love.
Beautiful cinematography, beautiful colors, beautiful music. Most of all, beautiful words. I am aware this is a graphic novel, but, had it been written as a novel, I have no doubt this would be one of my all time favorites. Makoto Shinkai paints pictures, emotions, characters like Monet with a paintbrush.
'And right then it felt like I finally understood where everything was, eternity, the heart , the soul. It was like I was sharing every experience I'd ever had in my past 13 years. And then, the next moment, I became unbearably sad. I didn't know what to do with these feeling. Her warmth, her soul. How was I supposed to treat them? That, I did not know. Then right then, I clearly understood that we would never be together. Our lives not yet fully realized, the vast expanse of time. They lay before us and there was nothing we could do. But then, all my worries, all my doubt, started melting away. All that was left were her soft lips on mine.'
'When I read her letters, I always envisioned her alone. In the end, the train spent around two hours... motionless, in the middle of nowhere. Every minute seemed like an eternity. Time felt heavy with malice, as it slowly crept by. All I could do was grit my teeth, and try to hold back my tears.'
'The things I had to tell her… and the things I hoped she would listen to. There were so many of them.'
My one wish right now? To have a love like theirs. Of course, in my world, I refuse to accept the realities in life. In true denial, I tell you with confidence that I would make this work out, to conclude with fireworks, a wedding, a happily ever after.
'Over the past few years, I've wanted to move on. I wanted to grasp on to something beyond my reach. What that is, I don't even know. All I've been able to do is go on working. Then one day I realized that my heart was withering, and in it there was nothing but pain. One morning, I realized that the beliefs I had once held so passionately had disappeared. That was it, I could not take it anymore...'
The passage of time and distance are two motifs always in the background, illustrating how it can both diminish and heal our pain, especially that caused by vivid relationships. Questions surrounding decision making and the process surrounding it are also explored from different angles and point of views- how sometimes the best ones can be the hardest to make; how sometimes we are not given the option to choose; how growing up and attaining the power to do so in certain circumstances is not always a progression to be coveted, as we have no one to blame but ourselves. Although it is an animation (Which, by the way, is done beautifully), the problems explored, questions raised, and answers revealed are quite mature. Yet, they are shown in such a way that even young children would be able to understand at a certain level.
As in real life, we cannot always have happily-ever-afters. Sometimes love in unrequited. Sometimes we make difficult decisions that we regret. Sometimes we have to live with the consequences. But what keeps us going in life, especially in matters of the heart? Hope.
'Yesterday, I had a dream... A dream I have had since long ago. In that dream, we had yet to turn 13. We were in a vast countryside, completely covered with snow. The lights of the houses extended far into the distance, a dazzling sight. We walked on the thick carpet of fresh snow, but did not leave any footprints... And because of that, we both believed, without any doubt, that someday we'd watch the cherry blossoms fall again… together.'

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5 Centimeters Per Second is one of those types of films that a person can easily relate to even though a person's circumstance wasn't much like Takaki's. Each of the three chapters have a sort of bittersweet feeling to them as we proceed from childhood to adulthood from the protagonist of the story, Takaki Toono. The film is beautiful, yet, the viewers can't help but notice a hint of sadness as the film progresses to the third chapter.
The melodies that play throughout the film also compliments the scenes well but not overpower the scene.
Some viewers may find the first chapter to be a little strange, especially when today's technology weren't as big as it was 10-20 years ago. Computers weren't as widespread as it was today. Cellphones weren't as popular back then, they were bulky. Social networks like Facebook were pretty much non existent. To keep in contact with someone the best option was in person, through the home phone(or collect calling,) or through written mail. We only begin seeing that Takaki has a cellphone once he is in high school.
*Major Spoiler*
The ending, depending on the viewer, could seem to be saddening, or even a depressing scene. Some people, like I, see it as a bittersweet moment. This is because I see the scene as a metaphor that Takaki has finally, after many years, begun to truly begin moving on from his past.
*Major Spoiler*
Overall, I highly recommend anyone to watch this film.

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I'd actually give this a 9.5 if there was an option, but since not, 9 will have to do. The animation for 5cm per second was very well done. Everything was clean and smooth with nice vibrant colors when called for. But besides the animation aspect, it would have to be the seiyu that truly bring this story to life. The heart felt emotions that are portrayed seem to magnify the aspect that this movie is a three part shot shown at once.
Overall this movie did what i believe it was set out to do, that being a slice of life and how people come and go in our own lives. If you're looking for something slightly more sophisticated animation than Paprika, this film will be worth seeing.

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From the same guy that did Voices of a Distant Star (and with a slightly similar subject), 5 Centimeters per Second has beautiful animation and a melancholic feeling throughout. It speaks of the hopes of youth and the alienation inside one's soul as time passes. I liked all three chapters, although the last was really short and it ended with a sudden and badly chosen ending song.
As a fan of anime films, I highly recommend it, but it is not for everyone. There is no action, no sci fi, no definitive ending; just the thoughts of young people as the go through life. The feeling in the movie is strong and I've rarely seen something so introverted as this. But that is a good thing for me. Give it a try, it lasts only one hour.

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