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It’s 3 in the morning and I’m not up cramming or anything. I’m watching Japanese cartoons, or anime. Oh, it’s childish, and... Foreign. No. Not this one. Because there is nothing childish or foreign about human emotions; about the bitter feelings of people drifting to their separate ways. That is 5 Centimeters per Second, the speed of a cherry blossom falling, an anime film that had yet to be released in North America and was sold out in Japan. It is the story of struggles against time, space, people, and love. This film is universal.
What I liked about the story was the portrayal of childhood ... love. To have a childhood like the main characters did is truly romantic, (although it was bitter, it was bittersweet,) and it reminds us the importance of childhood to children (read this, Mom and Dad). The general plot of the story is of a boy whose childhood love interest moved away to another city and how, as he is growing older, he is still reminiscing over her departure. When I first read the introduction of this film on a website, I instantly fell in love with the story. How did I know? I had a warm feeling in my chest that I couldn’t deny. And you would too. The story is as beautiful as the first time you seen a flower.
The theme of the film is “distance”. You can see many display of it throughout the film, such as the trains and the launching of a rocket, the director’s decision to put them in is brilliant, and they really help connect the audience to the atmosphere.
I think that all of us can relate to 5 Centimeters per Second. At some point in our lives, at some point in our childhood, there had been a someone that came and went. And we think back on the fond memories of them, and how glad we were to be alive. Watching this movie was like going through that again.
Many people would stop watching when the ending song starts. It may look like a recap when the song comes up, but it’s not. I couldn’t understand the lyrics, but luckily a translation is given in the subtitles. I watched the ending twice to read the lyrics in the first time, and see the video in the second time. To me, the song was the climax of the film.
The movie is drawn, of course, being an anime film. If you are not familiar with anime, you can try Google Image to get a broad idea. I don’t think I would watch the movie again if it were made in to live action. Real actors just could not offer as much as the anime characters. There is a certain hint of innocence that people lack. And that’s why the movie was so powerful, it cannot exist in real life as pure as it existed in your mind.
I highly recommend seeing this film. But, since it had yet to be released in North America, it’s going to be difficult to find it at your local Rogers Video. Luckily, Youtube has many users who felt the same way and uploaded the film for your viewing pleasures. You can watch the original Japanese version (with subtitles) on Youtube in different parts. There are three parts, or episodes, to the movie. Just start from episode one.
It might be the first movie of the rest of your life.