The title is translated to “Five Centimeters per Second” in its English release.
Spoiler Alert: While spoilers are carefully avoided, some facts need to be revealed to make a point. Please read at your own risk.
(photo credits: Wikipedia)
Warning: This Anime may make you cry. Hard.
Byousoku 5 Centimeter (let’s abbreviate that to B5C, shall we?) is a story about two childhood friends separated by destiny.
The protagonists, Takaki and Akari, met when their family moved to Tokyo. They instantly clicked, probably because they were both sickly and preferred to study during break times.
The two formed a strong bond. In fact, Wikipedia describes it best in saying:
“…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…”
- Wikipedia
Set in the 1990s, the two are forced to rely on snail mail to communicate with each other when Akari’s family had to leave Tokyo because her father had to work elsewhere.
As time goes by, they struggle to keep their relationship alive, even as Takaki was forced to transfer himself to an even farther place.
The movie tells, in three parts, the story of this struggle - this strive to reach something unreachable, and the heartache that goes along with it.
The title is a reference to the speed of a falling cherry blossom according to Akari. It is also a reflection of the slowness and the drifting nature of time, of how no matter how much one wants to reach the finish line, he/she has to be patient and go through the motions in life.
By the way, the seiyuus of the two main characters do not have any other voice-acting roles, but they’re really, really good, especially Ayaka Onoue (Akari). Her voice was simple, straightforward, but really meaningful. Just by listening you can feel her character’s longing and pain. Watch it, listen carefully, and see what I mean for yourself.
I won’t spoil whether our two lovebirds will have a happy ending or not, but trust me on one thing, some people (like co-contributor bakaranger) find the ending the most powerful part of the movie, while some, like myself, find the first chapter the most heartwarming (and sad).
The point is, the movie is emotionally powerful and affects each viewer differently, but one thing is certain - it WILL affect you.
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