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5 Centimeters Per Second: a chain of short stories about their distance (秒速5センチメートルアチェインオブショートストリーズアバウトゼアディスタンス, Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru a chein obu shōto sutorīzu abauto zea disutansu), is a 2007 Japanese animated feature filmbyMakoto Shinkai. The film was finished on January 22, 2007.[citation needed] The first part of the film was debuted on Yahoo! Japan as streaming video to Yahoo! Premium members from 16 Februaryto19 February 2007.[citation needed]OnMarch 3 2007, the full length featured film had its theatrical premiere at Cinema RiseinShibuya, Tokyo.[citation needed] The film consists of three segments: Cherry Blossom (桜花抄, Ōkashō), Cosmonaut (コスモナウト, Kosumonauto), and 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル, Byōsoku 5 Senchimētoru), totaling about an hour of runtime. As in Shinkai's previous works, Tenmon composes for this film's soundtrack. The DVD was released on 19 July, 2007. A novel of 5 Centimeters Per Second is sold on the Japanese market[1] which includes stories that are not featured in the anime.
| 5 Centimeters Per Second | |
| File:Byousoku5cm.jpg | |
| 秒速5センチメートル (Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama Romance |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Makoto Shinkai |
| Written by | Makoto Shinkai |
| Music by | Tenmon |
| Studio | CoMix Wave Inc. |
| Released |  March 3, 2007 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Makoto Shinkai |
| Published by | Media Factory[citation needed] |
| Published | November 19, 2007[citation needed] |
Voiced by: Kenji Mizuhashi (Japanese); David Matranga (ADV), Johnny Yong Bosch (Bang Zoom!) (English)
Voiced by: Yoshimi Kondō (Part 1) and Ayaka Onouei (Part 3) (Japanese); Hilary Haag (ADV), Erika Weinstein (Part 1) (Bang Zoom!) Tara Platt (Part 3) (Bang Zoom!) (English)
Voiced by: Satomi Hanamura (Japanese); Serena Varghese (ADV), Kira Buckland (Bang Zoom!) (English)
The plot is set in Japan beginning from the 1990s and ending in modern day, with each segment centered on a boy named Takaki Tōno. It is important to note that the first episode takes place during a time period when cell phones are uncommon and e-mail has not yet reached the general populace.
Takaki Tōno quickly befriends Akari Shinohara when she transfers to his elementary school. They grow closer to each other due to similar interests and attitudes; for instance, they both prefer to stay inside during recess due to their seasonal allergies. As a result, they form a strong bond; they speak to each other using their given names without any form of honorifics, which is very unusual in Japan, even among people who are romantically involved. This fact is lost in the movie's translation to English and other languages, which reduces the implied closeness of their relationship.
Upon graduating from elementary school, Akari moves to Tochigi, due to her parents' jobs. The two keep in contact by writing letters, but despite the feelings that exist between them, they inevitably begin to drift apart. When Takaki becomes aware that his family will be moving to Kagoshima, he decides to go see Akari since they will be too far apart to visit each other at all after he moves. He also prepares a letter for Akari, revealing his true feelings. However, during the journey, he loses the letter, and a severe snowstorm continuously delays Takaki's trip by several more hours. The two finally meet, and as they share their first kiss, Takaki realizes they will never be together again. Stranded in a shed due to the snowstorm, they fall asleep after talking late into the night. Takaki departs the next morning, and they promise to continue writing to each other. As the train rolls away, Takaki regrets the loss of his letter, while Akari silently looks at a letter she had intended to give to him.
Takaki is now in the third year of senior highinTanegashima, where the Tanegashima Space Center is located. Kanae Sumida, a classmate of Takaki, has had a strong crush on him since middle school, but does not have the courage to openly confess her feelings. She spends all the time she can with him, even waiting long after school for the chance to go home together. It is obvious Kanae has strong feelings for Takaki, but he appears to be blind to them; he simply regards Kanae as a good friend. Over time Kanae observes that Takaki is always writing emails to someone, or staring off into the distance as if searching for something far, far away. It is revealed later in this segment, that the emails Takaki is constantly writing are merely to himself, and he has had recurring dreams in which Akari is featured. Despite her feelings for Takaki, Kanae believes he is searching for things far greater than anything she can offer and eventually decides against telling him how she feels.
It is 2008, and all three characters have gone their separate ways. Takaki is now a computer programmer in Tokyo, and Akari is preparing to get married. There is no clear indication as to what Kanae has done, but in the ending montage she can be seen slightly older laying on the ocean water next to her surfboard as well as saying goodbye to Takaki as he is leaving via airplane. Takaki is still longing for Akari to the detriment of his lifestyle and his other relationships, which a recent ex-girlfriend also acknowledges. Akari, while going through some old things, finds the letter she intended to give to Takaki but never sent. She feels nostalgic for those days but has moved on with her life. On the verge of a breakdown, Takaki quits his job.
One day while walking down a road, Akari and Takaki presumably pass and recognize each other, across a train crossing. They both pause and begin to look back, but the passing trains quickly cut off their view. Takaki waits for the trains to pass, but sees that the woman is gone. After a pause, he smiles to himself and continues walking.
Makoto Shinkai had expressed that, unlike his past works, there would be no fantasy or science fiction elements in this film. Instead, the feature film would attempt to present the real world from a different perspective. Makoto's film gives a realistic view of the struggles many face against: time, space, people, and love. The title 5 Centimeters Per Second comes from the speed at which cherry blossoms petals fall, petals being a metaphorical representation of humans, reminiscent of the slowness of life and how people often start together but slowly drift into their separate ways.[2]
The DVD was released on the 19 July 2007 in Japan, according to Makoto Shinkai's official website.[citation needed]
The title was licensed by ADV Films and reported for a December 2007 release.[3] However, Amazon.com's original English release date was the 4 March 2008 but then was later moved back to the 25 March 2008.[4] The official Russian release was already in stock in January 2008. [5]OnJuly 11, 2008 ADV Announced that it was discontinuing print of the DVD.[6] Bang Zoom! Entertainment has re-dubbed the entire film at the request of its original Japanese distributor, and the new dub was first streamed via Crunchyroll as part of their Day of Makoto Shinkai on February 28, 2009.[7]
ADV has also more recently confirmed that they will also be launching 5 Centimeters Per Second on DVD in the UK.[8]. ADV Anime UK are awaiting authorization to distribute it in the UK following the liquidation of its London Office. There is still much to be confirmed about the release of the movie in the United Kingdom with production discontinued. [9]
On 29 March 2009 the distribution company Madman Entertainment announced plans to release 5 Centimetres Per Second in Australia. [10]
Disc 1 (DVD)
Disc 2 (DVD)
Disc 3 (Audio CD)
It has been reported that there was a huge line up in front of the theater 2 hours before the ticket selling started.[11] The stage greeting which featured Makoto Shinkai was sold out.[12] It also won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize, the Future Film Festival for best movie in animation or special effects.[13] It won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[14]
The song was also the theme song of the 1996 Japanese movie Moon and Cabbage. The reason Makoto Shinkai chose such a famous song was that he wants to evoke images of everyday happenings, and choosing a song that "everyone knows about" would add realism to the movie.[15]
In a brief scene in Episode 1, Akari and Takaki encounter a cat named Chobi and talk about another cat named Mimi. This is a reference to characters which appear in one of Makoto Shinkai's earlier works, She and Her Cat.
During the first chapter when Takaki buys the railway guide, the cover of one of the books is a scene from The Place Promised in Our Early Days involving a train travelling across a hill. In the second arc, viewers can see a tall, thin tower that was also used in the movie. Also, the first and third arc contain a railroad crossing similar to Voices of a Distant Star.
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