It acknowledges the likelihood of losing touch with one another, which thereby comments on the traditional belief that despite the obstacles, a couple can manage to make a long-distance relationship work. As I thought, it’s going to be a little lonely,” Akari’s alluding to the possibility that their relationship will be torn asunder lends a tone of tragic irony to her words. Thus, when Akari responds to Takaki’s letter, regarding his family’s moving, “It’s pretty far away this time, isn’t it? When the time comes, it will no longer be a distance which would allow us to just get on a train and meet each other. Memories fade and details grow dim, but this is what leads the individual to feel all the more strongly as one laments the loss of something that used to hold great meaning. The decision to tell the story in such a manner lends a greater sense of sadness and longing to all acts and events the dread of the inevitable casts a long shadow over the past, yet it is this same understanding that creates urgency. Shinkai’s use of retrospective narration allows him to comment on the naivety of childhood romance. Akari and Takaki when they were kids at elementary school. As time passes, Takaki learns that his family will be moving farther away from where Akari is living, so the two of them decide to see each other one last time before that happens. Despite their separation, they promise to write letters and visit one another. After becoming close friends and graduating, Akari tells Takaki that her family is moving-a thing which occurs often in both Akari and Takaki’s families. Shinkai comments on the naivety of idealized romance, the notion that a couple will surmount whatever obstacles they encounter, and blends the lines of dream and reality in order to create a painfully conflicted and somber reflection.īelow is an English-subbed trailer of the film for those of you who are interested in checking it out, and as a word of warning, this article does contain multiple spoilers.ĭuring the first part of the film, “Cherry Blossom,” Takaki reflects on how his relationship began and developed with Akari-a girl whom he meets when she arrives at the same elementary school as him.

Divided into three parts, Shinkai presents the bond established between these two characters at childhood, traces Takaki’s growth-or lack thereof-as he enters high school, and later, the adult world.Ĭontrary to the idealized depiction of love and the “happily-ever-after”s one comes to expect from traditional romantic fiction, Shinkai subverts typical romantic norms in favor of a more realistic portrayal of love and relationships. Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second is a story of anguish and longing, following the life of Takaki Tohno, his relationship to Akari Shinohara, and the growing distance between them. 5 Centimeters Per Second: A Stark Portrayal of Romance

5 cm persecond