Tuesday, 23 October 2018

ADVANCED ANIME REVIEW: 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND

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5 Centimeters Per Second
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: U
Running Time: 59 mins
Aspect Ratio: 16.9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Truehd/ Japanese 2.0 Dolby Truehd
Release Date: 29/10/2018
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes 

The movie's title is a reference to the rate at which cherry blossoms fall to the ground during the spring period in Japan. Cherry blossoms are also to do with the time spent by romantic couples during the cherry viewing of the month, though if Japanese period dramas are anything to go by, to the samurai they also signified the heartache they would go through in life through to death. 

In this case, two childhood friends write to each other as they have found themselves separated since being young kids at school. Now Takaki is a freshman and he feels lonely not being around her, growing up slowly but unhappy. After all the writing, Akari to Takaki and back again, she gives him the opportunity to meet her. She organises for him to come to Tokyo and he is anxious at how she will look when he finally meets her, and isn't prepared for the long, tiring journey ahead.

Back in the past, Takaki hoped that Akari would be transferred to his school - she was, but only for a brief period before she became relocated to Tokyo. Even then they were the dearest of friends,  Akari knows that at some time Takaki is moving far away and thus it might be the only chance they will see each other at all.

The movie is split into three different sections;

Act 1 - Cherry Blossoms
Act 2 - Cosmonaut
Act 3 - 5 Centimeters Per Second

The first has the two of them when they knew each other as kids at school, and started to grow up, the second one has them growing up even more so as Takaki has to think of his future and whether it means going to University or getting a job, but all he can think of is Akari and how her life must be without him, while part three is the conclusion.

This is the story of two lovers who occasionally meet, mostly write to each other, and take life one step at a time. It is a slow moving anime that touches at the heartstrings of the viewer. The story is more a case of when they will meet again as opposed to they will never meet at all. Akari and Takaki were made for each other in every way, but can she tell him how she really feels? The third part could go either way as they might be together, or perhaps live their lives apart. This is a slow movie to sit in front of for 62 minutes and if you like fast-moving anime they you might not enjoy this at all. It is definitely a girl's type of movie, full of regret, love, romance and tearful letters going back and forth.



Bonus Material:  Interview with Director Makoto Shinkai, Interview with Voice Cast, Making of Montage and Original Trailer.

Summary: This is a wonderful tale of how first love blossoms, and the awful reality of loss becomes everlasting.

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