zraynor - 2013-12-08 19:54:02

"Suddenly, I was keenly aware that we wouldn't be able to remain together forever. The overwhelming power of our lives, the boundless vastness of time were stretching hopelessly before us." - Takaki Tohno

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Makoto Shinkai is a fairly big name in the anime industry, and is known for anime like The Place Promised In Our Early Days, Voices Of A Distant Star and Children Who Chase Lost Voices. If there is one thing that all of Makoto Shinkai's work keep in common, it would be the distance between two persons. And this is also what this movie is all about. Let me share my opinion about 5 Centimeters Per Second, a chain of short stories about their distance ~

Story (9/10)
This movie is about the relationship between two very close friends, Takaki and Akari. But sadly, Akari will be moving with her familiy to another region of Japan. Still, they manage to stay in touch with each other by using mail. Until Takaki finds out his family will also be moving away. Akari and Takaki decide to meet each other for one last time...

A very heartwarming, yet very sad story. The whole movie is parted in 3 chapters, and revolves mostly around Takaki. In the first chapter of the movie it's about his childhood, the second about his school life and the third in his adulthood. The story telling was very well done and the pacing is perfect. It didn't move too slow, but also not too fast. Still, it's a very simple story. Nothing's really complex about it but that doesn't mean it has to be bad. It's realistic. This is stuff that truly happens in real life. It's just meant to be painfully realistic and that's also the thing about this movie that touched me and a lot of other people to the very core.

Art (10/10)
To be expected from Makoto Shinkai. The art... Flawless and absolutely beautiful. I've never, ever experienced animation quality in an anime that was this good. The background animation was truly superb. It was rich of colors and had a lot of detail to it. Unique and very realistic. The mountains, the sky, the cherryblossoms.. everything.

The character designs were also perfectly done. They look all very realistic and have a natural haircolor. But sometimes, some characters had really oversized eyes, but in my opinion that is only a good thing. It is very fitting for the story and the atmosphere around it. And of course, because this is a drama/romance anime, emotions are really important. And so, they did a perfect job with showing the face expressions of the character. You could immediatly see when a character felt happy, depressed or angry.

There's nothing to complain about the quality of animation in 5 CM/S. I just can't describe in words how breathtaking the art is in this movie. This movie bust be watched in 1080p. Just search on Google images for "5 Centimeters Per Second gif" and you can see for yourself what I'm actually talking about.

Sound (10/10)
The soundtracks were simply all awesome and unforgettable. All of them are very fitting for the story and sad atmosphere. Especially the song "One more time, one more chance" (Performed by Masayoshi Yamazaki, who also wrote this song because his lover died in an earthquake in the 90's) is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard in my whole life. It suits the anime perfectly, because Takaki and Akari both want One more time, and one more chance to meet each other again.
The voice acting also, couldn't have been done any better. The voice actors all suited the characters they portrayed.

Character (8/10)
One of the weaker points of this movie, the characters. But still very good. Remember, this is only a movie of 60 minutes. So it's pretty obvious the characters don't get much development. So if you're a big fan of very complex character development, please don't put the whole movie down just because you didn't like the characters. But still like I said, the characters have some very good things about them as well. As the story progresses in this movie, some characters really did get some development. Especially Takaki, you can feel really bonded with him. You'll feel the exact pain that he is feeling, it could really get you far enough to make you cry. About the supporting cast of this movie, it wasn't that important actually. They were just there, and didn't get any development at all and had flat personalities. But there were none I actually disliked. You will only feel bonded with the main characters in this movie and I won't forget them in the future for sure.

Enjoyment (9/10)
This movie really has to be your thing. I know a lot of people who watched this, but weren't impressed because they aren't that much of a slice of life fan. Personally I enjoyed watching this movie a lot. As long as you like heartbreaking slice of life romance anime, with a calm and yet sad atmosphere, you would enjoy watching this anime just as much as I did.

Overall (9,4 out of 10)
5 Tears per second, 5 feels per second, 5 suicidal thoughts per second, 5 Centimeters per Second.
A heartbreaking story about two very close friends getting torn apart from each other. Simple, but beautiful and painfully realistic. With an art style that is out of this world. Enormous sad and beautiful soundtrack which is very fitting for this anime and very realistic main characters. This movie, really managed to touch me to the very core and will always have a special place in my heart. I truly hope you will feel the same way about this movie. Definitely rewatchable! Makoto Shinkai really delivers some great work and I'm looking forward to his newest project.

I would recommend this anime movie to almost anybody. (In 1080p of course!!!!) Even if slice of life isn't really your thing, you can always try this movie out. It's only 60 minutes, what have you got to lose?

xdouglas - 2013-10-21 01:22:01

I didn't cry when I was seeing the movie, but after I finished it, even in this moment, I culdn´t stop crying.

Is a beautiful and tragical movie, I have a hole in my stomac because the movie has something I don't know what, wich makes you feel wear.

I cry in all movies, even in spiderman!, but during this movie, nothing, nothing! I just feel like: "oh, is a very good idea cut my veins"

But even with all that thigs you'll love this movie.

Story

Is a fail love story and until the end you'll waiting something and at the end you'll feel like you want to cry and cry and cry.

It have not sense if I explain you, you need to see the movie

Animation

That is art, the scenery is one of my favorite things, the flowers, the space, the clouds, the school, the stores, the roads, the houses, this things are wondering.

I can't put an 11, but If I could, I would have put an 11

Sound

It was great! Is so wear that the movie have not a lot of music, but this give to it a kind of sadness that is necesary for the story and for the development of the movie.

The voice, and the sounds of enviroment was really good.

Character

OMG!

Is hard to say who is the principal character, because all of them are important

Toono is my favorite character. Is a man, and he cry a lot, this is my favorite part. He don't care for that, he just say "I want to cry"

Enjoymet

I enjoy seeing the movie, it hasn't a lot of dialogues or story, well yes, but not a lot of suspence but is not boring. Even the principal characters haven't so much dialogues with each others.

boconnell - 2013-10-20 09:10:34

5 Centimeters Per Second. Thats the speed that the Cherry Blossoms fall.

A Truly amazing movie. Its a heartfelt anime with alot of feeling. the music is absolutely beautiful and brings the anime together. The Animation is a little old(that means its detailed), but thats what makes it amazing. It makes it look almost lifelike, and makes it feel like a classic.

The story is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a touching story. It definitely fits into the category of anime that make you cry.

angie.heathcote - 2013-07-22 23:28:48

Byousoku 5 Centimiter or 5 Centimiter per second, is another movie directed by Shinkai Makoto, who is known for stories like EF-Tale of Memories or Children who chase lost voices.Story: The story is quite typical in one way. Takaki and Akari are really good friends in middle school. They do get closer and closer until one day Akari has to leave the town.One year later Takaki gets told that he also is going to another town with his family. Before leaving he decides to visit his old friend Akari one last time by train. The whole story deals with the concept of distance, just as other works of Shinkai Makoto do. But this only is the first part of this movie.7/10Characters: The Characters of Byousoku 5 Centimeter is probably it's strongest point, since it does show every character in a unique way and creates an attachment for them that is hard to get in a 60 minute movie.We at first have our main character Takaki, that never stops loving the girl he loved back in middle school. He may seem a bit cliché at first glance, but the show depicts all him just as everyone else so well, that you just have forgive for this.Then we have Akari, the girl that had to move away from her boy. She isn't shown for a very long time but while she is shown the viewer is already growing attached to her.The last main character in the cast is Kanae, the girl who has fallen in love with Takaki and just is too shy to confess.10/10Art: The art of this Movie is just outstandingly good! The Animations are all fluent and the backgrounds look incredible! The character design makes them all the more likeable and everything just adds to the style the show wants to have.10/10Sound: The Sound might be the weakest part, since it does fit quite well, but isn't anything special or incredibly good. It does add to everything but doesn't really stand out on it's own. The Voiceacting though is just great and the characters sound really believable.7/10Enjoyment: Overall this Anime depicts the element of distance in such a beatiful way, that it really shouldn't be missed. It's strength is not that it is unique, cause it definitely is not, but that it executes it so perfectly, that there is no way around this Movie if you ever liked any kind of Romance or Slice of Life.9/10

angie22 - 2013-07-19 20:50:42

Makoto Shinkai is a fairly big name in the industry of anime films. The mind responsible for Voices Of A Distant Star and The Place Promised In Our Early Days among others, he has made his name for creating absolutely stunning landscapes, coupled with beautiful animation, set to simple stories of romance. And amongst his movies, 5 Cm Per Second is often hyped up to be the best.Now, let me get this out of the way now: The visuals in 5 Cm Per Second are nothing short of amazing. Shinkai creates some of the most brilliant landscapes I have ever seen. He emphasises the seasons with absolute perfection, bringing out all the most beautiful aspects of Spring, Summer and Winter (Fall is not pictured in this movie), making an incredibly immersive experience. Coupled with some of the highest-end animation I've ever witnessed, the visuals are probably the single biggest draw of the film, and I seriously recommend that you watch this in the highest quality that you possibly can.The story is separated into 3 acts, the first being about two childhood friends, Takaki and Akari, who were separated by distance. They keep in contact, but as one of them is about to move elsewhere, the other makes a journey to see them one last time. The second shows Takaki in high school, and is told from the perspective of another girl who is desperately in love with him. The final act shows Takaki and Akari as adults, showing the epilogue to their love separated by distance.The story, in all honesty, is very lacking. The actual plot of them is pretty much summed up in the above paragraph, with the rest of it simply being character interaction and focus on the scenery. This could actually have been the formula for a brilliant movie, but the problem is that the characters all fall completely flat. Not a single one gets any development, and we barely get any feel whatsoever for their personalities. Rather than putting any focus on the characters, the movie only really cares to use landscapes to convey emotion rather than giving us anything remotely human.Now, this may make it sound like this movie is bad, but to tell the truth I can't really bring myself to say it is. The story and characters may be completely 2-dimensional, but the story overcompensates with enormous production values, and it actually works. Hell, if you're the kind of person who generally likes love stories then you'll probably really enjoy that side of it as well. In essence, it's good if you're into that sort of thing. Even if you aren't, I'd still recommend watching this just for the amazing depth of the environment Shinkai builds.However, one thing that should not go unmentioned is the song at the end of the movie, "One More Time, One More Chance" by Masayoshi Yamazaki, which is quite possibly the largest concentration of pure, unbridled tearjerker ever compressed into a single song since Johnny Cash performed Hurt. The soulful voice, combined with the beautiful imagery and shots of the couple in their young adulthood bring home the entire plot perfectly in a way that will have you crying your eyes out in no time.Overall, 5 Cm Per Second is overrated, but generally entertaining and far from the worst way to kill an hour or so, and if you're a fan of romantic stories then you'll absolutely love it.Final Words: A must-see for fans of romance, and a great example of scenery porn for everyone else.Animation/Graphics: 10/10Story/Plot: 5/10Music/Background: 10/10Overall: 7/10

matt98 - 2013-07-01 11:46:12

Spoiler Free :)

5 Centimeters Per Second is a three part movie that focuses around the idea of distance and how it could affect a relationship. It tries to portray a realistic depiction of said relationship, without the usual anime tropes that appear in romance anime.

Note: 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of my all time favorite anime, I will however try and be as objective as possible in this review (because of reasons).

5 Centimeters Per Second's story takes up three parts, each spanning around 20 minutes or so. These parts greatly differentiate themselves from each other, and each tells a different tale around the same overall theme of this movie, distance.

In my opinion the message was very well delivered, and while it may not hit a home run with everyone (as it did with me) it can still hold its own weight.

The first part is undoubtedly the best one. It's a story that makes you feel like something is going to go horrible wrong, but it breaks away from the normal anime cliches and it depicts a sweet story about two kids falling in love, and how that love is being tested. The second part is arguably the weakest out of the three (though some might disagree) for it takes away all the feelings and emotions that were in the first part, and it tries to tell the same story from a different aspect. Although I can see where they were going with it, what they tried to accomplish just fell short. This and the third part could've been done a lot better. As it stands the second and third part just seem....rushed.

The main problem for a lot of people is it's ending, and how it just ends without giving any closure or payoff. Well, while the ending is hard to understand for some, it doesn't mean that it's bad. I for one think that the ending is the reason why this anime struck a nerve with me. It is bittersweet and realistic, but at the same time has that payoff that people are searching for (if you care to pay close attention to everything that's happening. But because the answers are not just given to you, people tend to think that there aren't any, which isn't the case. At any rate, even though I think that the ending is superb, it could've been done without the confusion and still hold the same merit.

Not everything in life goes according to plan, that's why I love this anime so much. You don't always get the girl, and when you don't, it can be heart breaking. The story tries to tell you these facts in a manner that not all could understand or appreciate. Regardless it could've been done better, where people actually were not confused, and the message was delivered clearly.

The animation in this anime is amazing. Correction, the art in this anime is amazing. The animation is without a doubt the worst element of the movie. It tends to skip frames from time to time and adjust the camera in a way that makes us ignore all the flaws. It also implements a lot of tricks and shortcuts to make us think that it is well animated, when in actuality it isn't.

Moreover, people shouldn't confuse the anime's great art with it's animation, as the art in this anime is simply gorgeous.

Do not confuse good art with good animation. If there was an art rating on this site, I would of given it a 9. But there isn't, and we are stuck with the animation rating, and as it stands, the animation in this anime is average at best.

For the final animation score I will assume that the site takes into account art+animation, and since the art is a 9 and the animation is a 4 I'll give the combined score a 6.

The anime barely has any music to speak of. It is filled with ambient songs and background noises that try to set the mood. And while this does work (kinda) it still leaves a lot to be desired.

The voice acting I've found to be stellar in both the Japanese and English dub. With that being said I would recommend either one depending on your preference.

The last thing that is notable is of course the final song of the movie 'One More Time, One More Chance' which still brings me back into the movie, and the 'feels' that always tend to go along with it, and because of that it's wonderful and I love it.

With all of this being said the overall sound of the anime is just above average, nothing special though, as there is basically no OST to speak off. And one good song does not make a great sound rating.

The anime only has three characters, the main couple and a second girl that tries to make an interesting love triangle out of the whole movie (and it fails). The love triangle is not her main purpose, and I really hope that it wasn't intended to be. But the execution was really lackluster

I don't see how the love triangle could've worked out honestly, it just feels shoe horned in without a clear objective. It tries to show how true love is stronger than anything, but at the same time the movie tries to be (and is) a realistic depiction of what happens with distance. You cannot have these two factors intertwine with each other. You cannot have the standard love triangle cliche along with a mature story about love, it just doesn't work that way, and that's why it fails.

Of course I doubt that this what the author was going for.

Other than that, the main characters are interesting and you never feel annoyed by them. Their design is pretty standard, but it allows for the viewer to still feel the emotions that they are going through.

Some might say that they are inconsistent, but I tend to disagree and say that they are realistic.

At any rate, as with the story, some aspects of the characters seem rushed and just not up to snuff. The main couple is well executed, but the third wheel not so much. All in all it needs more polish, and it didn't get any.

This is the only anime that I've cried on (manly tears of course), and it is very precious to me. The first time that I saw it, I was like "this is an ok movie". But when i re-watched it and when I understood all the things that had happened (you will miss out on a lot of stuff the first time around) I just leaned back in my cheer, and tears just started popping out.

However I did say in the beginning that this would be as critical as possible, and so I cannot give this anime a perfect score (for if this review's scores were subjective, the final one would be a 10).

The anime is just rushed, it could've been so much better had it been given enough time. Everything needs to be polished and improved, literally every aspect of the movie is lacking in something, and that hurts the anime's score as a whole.

I would still recommend this anime to anyone, because of you invest enough thought into it (like I did) you will be rewarded with a realistic, heart breaking, bittersweet story that might just make you cry,

carolina.nader - 2013-05-19 04:54:48

Emotions Experienced:

I'll be honest here because I'm comfortable enough with my manliness to admit I cried at the end the ending just broke me down.

Story:

The whole way through the story wasn't fast but just fast enough that you could keep going with interest. Throughout the story it wasn't a happy mood but it wasn't sad either it felt like a content everyday sorta mood. There is not much to say about the story except it strangely draws you in yet keeps you at a distance. Just a average realistic boy moves away from girl story.

Sound:

Very good choice of music for key parts.

Overall:

This story left me heartbroken at the end. It was so good to me because it seemed just so relatable, you can so easily understand the main characters point of view cause it wasn't spectacular its just about how he moves away from a friend an experience anyone that has moved at least once should have. Overall I found it to be a good movie with a nice soundtrack. I would recommend this to romance fans I can't see anyone else watching it though. Warning it is not a Disney ending you will cry.  10/10

-HauntedW

cummerata.jody - 2013-05-18 10:39:35

Makoto Shinkai's works tend to revolve around melancholy themes such as longing and loneliness. I've watched some of his stuff before, namely "She and Her Cat" and "Voices of a Distant Star", and in those cases, I feel the frameworks in which he chose to express himself were stumbling blocks. In "She and Her Cat", the concept of a cat being in love with his owner was not one I could take seriously within the short length of that anime; as for "Voices of a Distant Star", the gimmicky use of mobile phone communication that's at the heart of it gets more absurd the more I think about it.In "5 Centimeters per Second" though, Shinkai takes those same themes and embeds them into a very ordinary premises: two initally close friends growing apart as the physical distance between them became larger and larger due to circumstances beyond their control. There are no fantasy or sci-fi gimmicks here; everything clicks together seamlessly and is for once believable. Because of this, "5 Centimeters per Second" is my favourite out of Shinkai's works. (Because I come from a scientific background, I will now proceed to efficiently express the title of this anime as "5 cm/s" for the remainder of the review.)5 cm/s is split into three episodes. The first time round, I watched the anime as three separate episodes with breaks in between. I later rewatched it as a continuous movie, and found it worked much better, because the connections between the episodes came out more strongly, and the 3rd episode didn't seem so jarringly short.The first episode, "Cherry Blossom", is an endearing tale of puppy love, and is the strongest segment of the movie. Not only does it sets up the premise and introduce Takaki and Akari, the main subjects of the story, it also establishes the main theme. It's in this episode that we learn the meaning of 5 cm/s - it's rumoured to be the speed at which cherry blossoms fall, which in turn is a metaphor for people slowly drifting apart, and those delicate, beautiful moments in life that seem to end all too soon.The story begins with the Takaki and Akari already separated. The narrative interlaces events from the past, when the two were classmates as well as the closest of friends in elementary school, and the present, in which Takaki, who is about to move even further away, gets on the train to visit Akari, possibly for the last time. The entwining narrative is further supplemented by unconventional dialogue made up of Akari's letters to Takaki during their separation, and Takaki's introspective responses and reflections. In this way, the initially fragmented picture becomes increasingly clear as the episode progresses.When it comes to setting the mood, I generally find the audio to be a more important component than the visuals. However, 5 cm/s showed me this isn't always the case. Though the wistful music and sombre narration did much to enhance the experience, the art plays at least a big a part. The sceneries are magnificent, with ones such as cherry blossom filled spring and desolate, snowy landscapes helping to invoke emotions like the soft glow of nostalgia and feelings of loneliness and despair. Sometimes, less is more; the beauty and sense of poetry may also be prevalent in other Shinkai works that I've seen, but it's only here in this most simplistic of scenarios that the aforementioned qualities truly gain substance. The story may just be about a long and dull train journey, but it's a journey that's charged with anxiety.The second episode "Cosmonaut" shows Takaki in high school, but the story is actually told from the point of view of a classmate, Kanae, who happens to have a crush on him and is looking for an opportunity to confess.Perhaps the most remarkable thing about "Cosmonaut" is that it somehow manages to push the visuals up a further notch. The most beautiful of every day scenery - red-gold sunsets, clouds blown across a dazzling blue sky - are selected, and their brilliance captured in the astonishing artwork. Despite the lack of sci-fi/fantasy elements, Shinkai still found a way to lift the restrictions on his imagination, bringing forth flashes of surreal imagery breathtaking in their outlandish colours and unearthly beauty. If the age rating of movies took into account scenery pr0n, then this scenery hentai of an anime would no doubt be classed as an 18.Though the story of "Cosmonaut" seems like a mostly independent segment, viewing it as part of the whole movie strengthens certain elements within it and helps to give a sense of overarching purpose to the movie. Through this episode, we begin to get a picture of how Takaki lived his life after being separated from Akari, and of his constant pining for something that's beyond his reach.The picture becomes complete in the final episode which shares the title of the movie. This episode is a lot shorter than the others. It features Takaki and Akari all grown up, and takes a glimpse into their respective lives.At the heart of the episode is a chance meeting at a railway crossing. There's a montage at the end which rudely kicks in and disrupts the flow of the narrative. The topic of the song used in the montage is very appropriate, but the song's loudness, or at least the relative loudness of its introduction, contrasts poorly with the understated mood. Also, I don't think it added much value, since the movie had already said everything it needed to say up to that point. I think Shinkai REALLY wanted to use the song for its relevant lyrics, and ended up nailing it on as part of an un-needed montage. As the awful montage comes to an end though, we are treated to a most meaningful ending that resolved the earlier scene at the crossing. This scene may look simple, but it's actually representative of the very core of what the whole movie is about, and it's just the perfect ending for 5 cm/s.Other than the montage, the movie does have a few other issues, mostly to do with the characters. Firstly, the design of the characters are a bit lacking, especially compared to the level of detail found in the scenery. This complaint also extends to the personality of the characters themselves - they can seem a little flat and overly pensive. Takaki, being the central focus of the movie, suffers from this in particular. Apart from his tendency to brood, he seems to be almost devoid of any other personality traits; he feels too much like a plain vessel created soley for the housing of the melancholy feelings in the movie. As a result, rather than being character driven like it should be, 5 cm/s feels more emotionally driven.Still, these flaws aren't too glaring because of how short the movie is. Taking everything into account, 5 cm/s is still a very fine movie. And that's coming from someone who's not a big fan of Shinkai's works.

thurman11 - 2013-05-12 15:34:39

The term ‘5 Centimeters per Second’ is a referral to the fact that a cherry blossom drifts to back down to earth at this particular rate of speed. It also refers to time in general and time is the theme that runs through this beautiful animated treasure from Makoto Shinkai.  Shinkai takes pleasure in measuring events in the minutest of detail, like falling snow or passing clouds which, when seen through his eye, take on a whole new level of visual wonder.

5 Centimeters per Second is broken into 3 distinct parts and the story has what most would consider to be no plot at all. It touches the moments that make up the life of its young protagonist from childhood through to adulthood and frankly it’s not the type of fare that is generally played on regular TV or even cable for that matter.  Indeed it has trouble even securing play on niche channels but, if you can find it, it is well worth a watch as it brilliantly captures what can only be described as a poem in animated form.

Cherry Blossom Youth, the 1^st of the 3 parts, starts out with love, warmth and companionship and ends in loss and sadness. What Takaki and Akari share is a passion for books and all things erudite.  They also have in common the ridicule of the local school bullies which brings them ever closer.  Shinkai shows us the pain and the joy of being a child so well in this first part and, even as the 2 friends are torn apart, their friendship continues to survive through sending handwritten letters as modern communication devices of cell phones and email has not yet reached the general population. The train ride that takes Takaki on what will ultimately be their final meeting is haunting in its intimacy with all things mundane.

Cosmonauts is next and here we find our hero loner on Tanegashima Island.  Takaki still yearns for his long lost friend and writes messages in text that he ultimately never sends to Akari.  So engulfed in his sorrow for the loss is he that poor Kanae, a young girl whose voiceover accompanies the 2^nd part in a whispered and haunting monologue, is barely able to attract his attention or his affection even as she yearns to declare her love for him. Why Takaki is here is never quiet explained and we watch what he sees as skies filled with complex and incredible patterns of all kinds float by and rockets from the nearby Japanese spaceport crisscross the sky overhead. 

5 Centimeters Per Second is the 3^rd and final act and takes place in the present day cityscape of modern Tokyo. Here we find Takaki engulfed in the loneliness that has taken over his life.  He wanders pointlessly through the lonely city, downhearted, disenchanted and broken inside.  At one point we feel giddy as a chance sighting at near the railroad tracks makes us believe that our fallen hero has found his long lost friend but I is not to be. This was the least of the 3 and Shinkai seems to just throw together a montage memory sequence while adding an annoying schmaltzy pop tune on top.

Often called ‘the next Miyazaki’ Shinkai definitely leaves you with the feeling that you’ve just been dreaming.  His effects are lush, his backgrounds detailed and vivid.  His characters seem sometimes to fall a bit short in terms on not only emotional resonance but animated style and substance as well but it seems to me that they then pick up a bit from the luxuriance of the surroundings drawn for them. 5 Centimeters per Second is well worth a look if you’re into haunting little pieces that will leave a little bit of residue on your soul.

ngraham - 2013-04-08 19:44:19

Originally published on Anime Viking: http://animeviking.wordpress.com/----------As with Shinkai’s other creations, 5 Centimeters Per Second deals with human relationships, in this case two lovers being separated by distance much like his previous Voices of a Distant Star. This time, however, the story is a realistic and down-to-earth. Life happens, it cannot be helped.While this should be a splendid and tightly written story about love and growing up, it fails in the same regard Voices of a Distant Star did. Namely: the lack of connection to any of the characters.Despite telling its story through three different parts of Takaki Tohno’s life, we never venture into his head. We do not understand his thoughts, his motivations of anything. Instead, the viewer is but an observer of what he goes through. This is where 5 Centimeters Per Second fails. I should not feel detached and apathetic. I should be one with Takaki.Not even the most beautiful visuals and music can make up for a shallow core. It does also does not help that each of the parts feel detached, as if they were three different stories clumsily put together. Had the emotional investment been greater, or if at least some reason to care existed, this may have worked better.When I do not even understand the characters, even though I am painfully aware of the message 5 Centimeters Per Second is trying to convey, everything goes to waste. It is a real shame.