Anime is known to be used to convey just about any genre imaginable. Are you looking for a family-adventure film? Violent action? Horror? Comedy? Porn? Like the Internet, if you can think it, it probably already exists in anime. But what about romance? Yes, there are examples like that, but you need to be more specific about what you are after. If you are looking for a sappy love-story that ends with a couple kissing, there are options. But what about something a little more complicated? A little more real to life? Not all relationships work out the way you think they would.That's the attitude to go with when watching "5 Centimeters per Second." The 2007 film isn't the first directed by Makoto Shinkai, but it is probably is most widely known, the single title that comes to mind whenever hearing his name. Shinkai's movies all deal with a similar theme: love trying to overcome impossible boundaries and distances. In his other movies, this usually materializes through science-fiction or fantasy elements, giving us stories of love across time and space. "5 Centimeters" is a bit more grounded, simply by showing us a relatiohsip that grows apart after moving to a different town on the other side of Japan.Technically, there are three short stories in "5 Centimeters," making up a relatively short feature film at only 63 minutes. And technically, the last story isn't realy a story, but more of a short epilogue tied into a music video. The first story is the most memorable, of a boy and a girl (perhaps 10 years old) who are good friends, often teased to be lovers in school. Tanaki learns that Akari is going to move away after graduating, and soon after, will move away to an even farther locaton. Before the second move, Takaki makes plans to travel alone by train to see her again once more. Traveling at night in a snow storm, its a tense but quiet ride, all the more moving when we see Akari waiting for him, even hours behind schedule.The second story also involves Takaki, now in high school, but focuses on a third character named Kanae. Kanae has fallen for Takaki, but deep down knows that he doesn't have the same feelings for her, and his politeness as a friend causes conflicting emotions in other aspects of her life. The third story is from Takaki's perspective again, now as an adult, struggling to find meaning in life or to find success in new romance: he still remembers Akari, and begins to learn to let go, long after Akari did.
It might be a spoiler, but that's how it goes: they don't get back together. It isn't necessarily a sad ending, but it might not seem satisfying either. But it feels real and relatable, and is able to convey emotions we recognize that rarely get any attention in mainstream romance movies. Sure, it's sappy, and maybe a little boring, but it has merit.The visuals are the big knockout of the movie. Visually, the pink cherry blossoms, children running down the street, cold breath as you walk out into the snow in the middle of the night, catching a big wave on your surfboard alone an empty beach... these are all scenes that, when mentioned, recall scenes from "5 Centimeters per Second," and no where else. The production values have improved tremendously (with still room to grow in future films). Notice that I am describing environments, not characters. The character designs are lacking, and aren't especially well animated, but this is made up for in the incredible backgrounds: the amount of detail in any given scene is beautiful, and the way light reflects makes a moment in time feel magical. Even simple scenes like street lights passing through a train window look too good to exist, like eye-candy to make you feel all the more emotional. Similarly, the acting is good (moreso in the Japanese dub than the English dub, but both fair well with strong subject matter), and the music too, with a vocal theme song making up most of the runtime for the final story. In addition to love, Shinkai has an appreication for sappy pop songs, something that would be utilized in future movies too. In many ways, this was a signal that Shinkai had officially arrived as a director, and a sign of what we would expect in the years to come.The title of the movie "5 Centimeters per Second" comes from the approximate speed a cherry blossom petal falls to the ground. It's a melancholy metahpor for love in real life: beautiful, but fleeting, and likely to eventually hit the cold hard ground. It will depend on the viewer if they find the movie at all satisfying. Perhaps if you've experienced real love, or understand its complexities, than you might stand to appreciate the movie to its fullest. And if not, then at least you can enjoy looking at the petals as they scatter in the wind like snow. That is something everyone can agree to enjoy.