Anime Fix

Name: 5 Centimeters Per Second or Byosoku 5 Senchimetoru (The title 5 Centimeters Per Second comes from the speed at which cherry blossoms petals fall.)
Genre: Drama Romance
Type: 3 episodes (63 minutes total)
Rating:9.8/10
The plot is in Japan in the early 1990s and ends in the modern day today. All the episode evolve around a boy named Takaki Tono.

First episode: Ōkashō (Cherry Blossom Extract)
A girl named Akari Shinohara tranfers to Takaki’s school and they befriend each other and grow closer due to there similar attitude and interests. As a result of this the grow a strong bond. Upon finishing elementary school, Akari has to move to Tochigi due to her parents jobs. They keep in contact by writing letter to each other, but despite what they feel for each other they envitably drift apart. Takaki then learns that he is going to move and decides to go visit Akari since he will be moving so far away he wont be able to see her. He writes a letter to Akari stating his true feelings for her. But during his journey to see Akari there is a major snowstorm and he loses the letter delaying him. When the two finally meet they share a kiss and Takaki realizes he will never see her again. They become stranded in a shed and talk late into the night and eventually fall asleep. The next morning Takaki departs and promises to keep writing to each other. As the train starts leaving Takaki regrets losing the letter while Akari looks silently at the letter she intended to give Takaki.

Episode 2: Cosmonaut
Takaki is now in senior high taking his third year in Tanegashima where the
Tanegashima Space Center is located. A girl in Takaki’s class, named Kanae Sumida, has a huge crush on him but to shy to confess her true feelings to him which Takaki is completely oblivious to. He just thinks her as a very good friend. Over time Kanae sees the Takaki keeps staring off into the distance as looking for something and neever finding it. Even though Kanae is in love with Takaki she knows that she can never give him what he is looking for.

Episode 3: Byōsoku 5 Centimeter (5 Centimeters Per Second)
Its now 2008, and all of the characters have taken there seperate paths though not much is known on Kanae. Akari is preparing to get married and Takaki is now a computer programer in Tokyo. Takaki still wishes to be with Akari to the detriment of his lifestyle and his other relationships, which a recent ex-girlfriend also acknowledges. While going through some old things Akari find the letter that she intended to give to Takaki. 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 as they cross soem train tracks. They both start to look back but a train crosses, Takaki waits for the train to pass, but when it passes the woman is gone. Takaki turns away smiling to himself as if he knew it was her.

Characters:

Takaki Tōno is the main character of this movie. Because of his parents’ jobs, he is forced to move a lot. He and Akari become close friends, but begin to drift apart when Akari moves away and they end up attending different junior high schools. In the second arc, he is shown to be an apt kyūdō practitioner and a member of his school’s kyudo club.

Akari Shinohara is Takaki’s best friend and supposed love interest in elementary school. Like Takaki, she and her family moves a lot. After elementary school, she moves to Iwafune. Apparently she suggests living with her aunt in Tokyo in order to stay with Takaki, but her parents disallow her from going on her own. For a while, she and Takaki keep in touch via post.

Kanae Sumida is a classmate of Takaki in high school. She has been in love with Takaki since he began attending her junior high school, but cannot express her feelings to him. Kanae loves to surf and rides a moped to school. She doesn’t know what she wants to do with her future. Her older sister is a teacher at her high school

I think this anime was simply amazing. It shows alot of what happens in reality. It shows all kinfs of love wether that be one way or reciprocated. It also goes very in depth into the relationships of each of the characters. I also like how to go through time period showing how each character has coped over the time.
The story itself was great but i wish it showed what had happend to Kanae. because after the second part she simply becomes unknown. Also another thing that gets me is the ending in reality im sure the girl would usually wait but i guess with this kind of ending it adds more drama.
I enjoy the directors reaction to this film and his style of writing this story.

Directors Reaction: (info from wikipedia)
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.

There was also a release of DVDs. Then later a collectors edition was released.
IT had the movie, a bonus DVD, and the 5 Centimeters Per Second Soundtrack including a bonus track called One more time, One more chance Piano version.

Some extra info on the movie that isnt really relatedinfo from wikipedia)
It has been reported that there was a huge line up in front of the theater 2 hours before the ticket selling started. The stage greeting which featured Makoto Shinkai was sold out. It also won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize, the Future Film Festival for best movie in animation or special effects. It won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards