April 24, 2014
Hi there, I am here to present to you guys another interesting
anime film to watch. The reason why I watched 5cm was because of the uncanny
likeness it had to my past.
Byousoku 5 Centimetre (5 Centimetres Per Second) is a 2007 Japanese-animated
romantic drama film by Makoto Shinkai. The story is set in Japan in the 1990s
and ends in modern day in three segments; Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut and 5
Centimetres Per Second.
It is a tale of two people; Tono Takaki and Shinohara Akari who
became close friends due to similar interests and attitudes. After a short
period of time, they fall in love with each other but as time moves on, they
become separated when they move places because of their families. Despite the
distance between them, Takaki and Akari continue to exchange contact in the
form of letters. However, as time continues to move on, their contact with one
another begins to cease and they soon realise they may never contact each other
again.
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The absence of science fiction and fantasy elements in 5cm makes
the film more “down-to earth” as it focuses on the everyday life of the main
characters to present the real world from a different perspective and this
appeal to me even in mundane scenes. In addition, the way Makoto polished these
elements to produce 5cm made me feel like that that film itself was based on
his own memories.
The film being split in three segments with each part showing Takaki
at different stages of his life; the first part in primary school, the second
in high school and the third as a young adult offered a beautiful and delicate
look at the development of his life throughout the years.
For most part of the film, the soundtrack was quiet and passive
and to me, it fits the somber and contemplative mood of the story quite well.
On the other hand, there’s also a short song presented in a montage of scenes
from the entire film near the end that depicts Takaki’s unrequited feelings for
Akari and this made me feel emotional as I remembered my past.
Overall, I loved the film with the way the story was separated in
three segments because it paints a broader picture about the progression in
both Takaki and Akari’s life and it’s also something I never seen before.
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Trivia:
Back when I was on exchange in Japan during high school, I met a
girl who coincidentally was also called Akari in our
Japanese sister school and we became good friends while studying there. Even
after I went back to Sydney when the exchange program was over, we still
remained in contact via email for a couple of months but eventually we drifted
apart and I never got the chance to express my feelings to Akari. This is why I mentioned earlier that the film had a resemblance to my past as it
reminded me of this bittersweet memory.
Ratings:
Story: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Music: 10/10
One more chance, one more time
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