Hey, I read your 5 cm/s review, I like the fact you observed that there IS a message, many people fail to do even that.
But honestly, what makes it a masterpiece to be is the sheer number of different perspectives you can look at it, yours is only one of the many.
Here's another perspective: there never was a relationship to begin with, they were friends for a while and then just drifted apart, with one always longing for the other. One could argue that a dysfunctional relationship that is at least better than one that never existed in the first place, it left the main character longing and always thinking about the possibility, which is painful in itself.
It is also a portrayal of real life (and this is the big topic). Life sometimes just doesn't work out and you can't really blame anything, it is just how the world works, it may move forward without you. It means that people will meet and create memories, move on, and be able to hold these close despite having left. What 5cm Per Second shows is not really a matter of fixing, keeping or even having a relationship, but a part of life that comes and passes and the obstacles that come in between relationships.
People can be separated by barriers, there are social barriers, age barriers, 5 cm/s depicts the barrier of time and distance.
One can always try to break through these barriers but that is often wishful thinking, yes you can be brave, yes you can tank through the embarassment but it's not as simple as that, for example you can just be brave and try to break through a social barrier, but if done stupidly, or at the wrong time, that could simply lead you to failure to do anything and ruined chances, so no being brave doesn't always cut it in real life (it does in anime though).
Now back to 5 cm/s, the barrier of distance is shown by how they moved away from each other and were only able to send letters, episode 1 shows the struggle to close that distance in a poetic manner. The barrier of time shows how the girl (Akari) changes over time, feelings change, relations fade. In the end, we can see that she is married and obviously holds no attachment to the main character anymore even though she might've in episode 1 or maybe even 2.
Both of these barriers/obstacles work together to create a gradual downfall in their relationship (or potential relationship as it never really happened).
It also allude to the title of the story, 5 centimeters (distance) per second (time).
Another message that can interpreted from this is a very common one - the theme of letting go, but 5 cm/s puts this theme at its extreme and shows us that this is actual very common in real life.
I'll explain episode 2 as to not neglect it so much, it serves to further move forward the barrier of time and distance but it also highlights the harshness of love and maturing into an adult. This is all shown through the female character during this episode, she falls in love with the main character but soon realizes that he already has someone deep in his mind. She's unable to confess her feelings but at the end we see her surfing and moving on with her life/maturing. This is to contrast with the main character's unrequited love where he didn't move on/let go and sadness overwhelmed him which led to the sad ending.
I respect the fact you identified a message from the story, but I want you to think deeper about it, there is a reason some ppl think it's a masterpiece, everything was done for a reason, saying "i got bored of it, I wish it had better/happier ending" simply means you didn't understand or connect with the purpose of the movie, and I'll admit, it may not connect with everyone, but again, it's supposed to be a depiction of real life with many interpretations/perspectives, if one is willing to think about it, I'm sure they can find that connection.
The barrier of age is portrayed in Garden of Words (Kotohona no niwa) if you want to check it out and it's just as beautiful as this one, although themes are less heavy so it appears happier.
Unless you've lived a happy-go-lucky life, we've all been heavily impacted by the barriers of age, time, distance and social barriers at some point in our lives and Makoto Shinkai's stories blossoms this concept. This is why another theme that these stories may convey is the idea that we should treasure our existing relationships and the people close to us because a lot of it happens by chance and with all the obstacles that might come between any 2 people meeting each other and forming a relationship, the chances you had with the current people around should be treasured.
I'm going to convert this into my own review but just wanted to let you know.
All Comments (2) Comments
But honestly, what makes it a masterpiece to be is the sheer number of different perspectives you can look at it, yours is only one of the many.
Here's another perspective: there never was a relationship to begin with, they were friends for a while and then just drifted apart, with one always longing for the other. One could argue that a dysfunctional relationship that is at least better than one that never existed in the first place, it left the main character longing and always thinking about the possibility, which is painful in itself.
It is also a portrayal of real life (and this is the big topic). Life sometimes just doesn't work out and you can't really blame anything, it is just how the world works, it may move forward without you. It means that people will meet and create memories, move on, and be able to hold these close despite having left. What 5cm Per Second shows is not really a matter of fixing, keeping or even having a relationship, but a part of life that comes and passes and the obstacles that come in between relationships.
People can be separated by barriers, there are social barriers, age barriers, 5 cm/s depicts the barrier of time and distance.
One can always try to break through these barriers but that is often wishful thinking, yes you can be brave, yes you can tank through the embarassment but it's not as simple as that, for example you can just be brave and try to break through a social barrier, but if done stupidly, or at the wrong time, that could simply lead you to failure to do anything and ruined chances, so no being brave doesn't always cut it in real life (it does in anime though).
Now back to 5 cm/s, the barrier of distance is shown by how they moved away from each other and were only able to send letters, episode 1 shows the struggle to close that distance in a poetic manner. The barrier of time shows how the girl (Akari) changes over time, feelings change, relations fade. In the end, we can see that she is married and obviously holds no attachment to the main character anymore even though she might've in episode 1 or maybe even 2.
Both of these barriers/obstacles work together to create a gradual downfall in their relationship (or potential relationship as it never really happened).
It also allude to the title of the story, 5 centimeters (distance) per second (time).
Another message that can interpreted from this is a very common one - the theme of letting go, but 5 cm/s puts this theme at its extreme and shows us that this is actual very common in real life.
I'll explain episode 2 as to not neglect it so much, it serves to further move forward the barrier of time and distance but it also highlights the harshness of love and maturing into an adult. This is all shown through the female character during this episode, she falls in love with the main character but soon realizes that he already has someone deep in his mind. She's unable to confess her feelings but at the end we see her surfing and moving on with her life/maturing. This is to contrast with the main character's unrequited love where he didn't move on/let go and sadness overwhelmed him which led to the sad ending.
I respect the fact you identified a message from the story, but I want you to think deeper about it, there is a reason some ppl think it's a masterpiece, everything was done for a reason, saying "i got bored of it, I wish it had better/happier ending" simply means you didn't understand or connect with the purpose of the movie, and I'll admit, it may not connect with everyone, but again, it's supposed to be a depiction of real life with many interpretations/perspectives, if one is willing to think about it, I'm sure they can find that connection.
The barrier of age is portrayed in Garden of Words (Kotohona no niwa) if you want to check it out and it's just as beautiful as this one, although themes are less heavy so it appears happier.
Unless you've lived a happy-go-lucky life, we've all been heavily impacted by the barriers of age, time, distance and social barriers at some point in our lives and Makoto Shinkai's stories blossoms this concept. This is why another theme that these stories may convey is the idea that we should treasure our existing relationships and the people close to us because a lot of it happens by chance and with all the obstacles that might come between any 2 people meeting each other and forming a relationship, the chances you had with the current people around should be treasured.
I'm going to convert this into my own review but just wanted to let you know.
I really liked your review on Byousoku 5 Centimeter, at the moment I relate so much to it, thank you for writing that.