YUI Thoughts: 秒速5センチメートル (5 Centimeters Per Second)

  After re-watching one of my favorite animations "5 Centimeters per Second" after several downs and lows in life... I couldn't help but write a review-like essay...but the it turned out to be rather more personal than analytic. Still, I believe there is some value in this article, which can be found after the break.

 “They say it falls at the speed of five centimeters per second…the speed it take for sakura petals to fall”. As I sit here staring at my laptop screen, I begin to wonder…at what speed have I been living for the past few years? It may be hard to believe, but it has been nearly two full years since I last saw 5 cm…almost two years since I was taken aback by this seemingly simple, yet complex; unflawed yet human story about the growing distance between two childhood friends. I had been recommended to watch this animation back two years ago solely because “the art will stun you”… but in the end, it was not just the art that amazed me… it was the story itself that seemed to change my perspective on the world around me. By the time I finished this hour-long animation, I was no longer living the same life that I had for the past 14 years. Something was different. Though it was like the aftermath of any good anime…thinking about it at times I spaced out, talking about it whenever I had the chance…and even though the words “five” and “centimeters” eventually stopped popping out of my mouth so frequently, this story had clung on. So just what is it, then, that makes this animation so special? What made it stick to me even two years after that day… and eventually become one of my favorite animations, if not, one of my favorite movies of all time?

  Looking around the internet, you will probably notice that 5 cm isn't all that of a well-received animation…let alone movie. Unlike Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” or “My neighbor Totoro”, Shinkai’s work isn't well known outside of the anime circle…nor is it always appreciated within. Having been absolutely appalled in the first few weeks of watching it, there were many people that I tried to  share the feeling with…but most, if not all, gave me the same reply with the same look on their face…”The art is great, the music is terrific, but…it’s too sad…it’s pathetic”. Faking a smile, I nod and agree, and go on to say that I recommended it simply because the art was great…but in reality, that’s not the case. Then again, I seemed to have forgotten that sometimes…not everyone experiences things the way we do. Sure, it was an overly heavy hour-long animation…but there’s more to it than being “pathetic”, more to it than the amazing soundtrack and breathtaking art…there’s a story that actually connects with audiences…audiences like me, who believes that 5 cm is not simply “Yet another Spirited Away” or even “Toy Story”…it’s an animation of its own.

  Sure, just like any great animation in history, 5 cm has your typical emotional soundtrack and breath-taking visuals…from the moment you start, you’ll notice your eyes wandering in all directions across the screen…from the delicate sakura (Cherry blossom) petals to the soft looking snow…there’s nothing on the screen that won’t make you gasp and wonder…”just how on earth did they draw that?” It isn't the realism that strikes you…but the amount of detail that was put into every single frame. From reflections, clouds, light…there’s not a single element that escaped while the real world was being transcribed onto paper. The whole world comes to life in a way that I have never seen before, for it is so simple…so real…yet so different…it’s a world that you have to witness with your own eyes to believe. Then there’s the all the sounds that soothes your ears from the moment the film starts… like Joe Hisaishi to Miyazaki, Tenmon is the composer for Shinkai (the new “golden duo”, if you will)… with piano melodies fitting perfectly with each scene, and making viewers reach out for tissues every now and then. Then comes the sound effects. Whether it’s birds chirping, trains roaring by, strong winds blowing on what would otherwise be a silent snowy landscape, or even a late 90s classic theme song echoing off the walls of a convenience store…everything you hear is heaven for the ears. Even the voice acting, though featuring lesser-known seiyuus, is superb, as each character is able narrate the story with clear emotion… reflecting their inner character with precision. It may be hard to believe, but this actually one of the few animations that manages to nail just about every aspect in the sound criteria.

  However, 5 cm isn’t just about the breathtaking visuals and joyous melodies… there’s much, much more to it. It’s the simplicity and realism of the story; the truth that we all try to escape from, that makes this film stand out above all else. I’ve read reviews out there…I’ve heard my own friends talk about it…how generic it all seems, how pathetic the story is, how simple it is… but the truth is, I’ve never really understood them. It’s true, 5 cm is an extremely depressing, heavy film that, by some standards, doesn’t even include a positive moral or lesson that you’d expect from great animations. However, in an era of escapism… be it Disney movies or even other anime films (which now mostly focus on the moe or harem factors), it was about time that we were given something more real…something we ALL truly can relate to; about time we faced the truth of life, not a fantasy world with high-tech robots…nor heroes with abnormal superpowers saving the day. It’s simply about life, and how harsh the reality of it can be, playing the antagonist in this case. I guess you can consider it a wake-up call for us…slapping us out of this dream of escapism. So from the story to the characters, every bit and every piece we see within the 62 minutes is relatable to ourselves…be it friendship, love, distance, or even life itself…these are factors we all face at some point in our lives. Even the characters were designed in a way to further emphasize this connection. Many complain that all characters in the movie look too “generic”…too simple to be even considered. While that’s true, I strongly believe that there’s a reason behind it…for it is Shinkai’s way of saying: It doesn’t matter who it is, be it the average looking Takaki or Akari…be it anyone in the crowd…be it you or me…this is a story that we all have experienced (or will experience), making all of us the protagonist…whether we are aware of it or not. This isn’t a situation where a beautiful female character just suddenly pops into some handsome guy’s life… it’s simply about two ordinary people with perfectly normal lives, just like you and me.

  Speaking of “you and me”…I myself can tell you that this is perhaps the only fiction work I’ve ever come across that I can fully connect and relate to…which is why I feel that my views on life just completely changed on that first day of seeing this film. The themes within the film…friendship, the process of growing up, distance, cruelty of life, love… they are executed in such a way that makes it feel so…close to the viewers (me at least). I’ve been moving from place to place since the age of 3. I never had a “home”, as I never stayed in a country for more than six years…I never had “childhood friends” to grow up with…I never really felt like I "belonged" anywhere (whether or not I did, that's another story). So the moment I saw Takaki…I felt like I could understand him better than any other character I had ever seen…or maybe even a person I’ve ever met. The happiness he felt of having a friend like Akari… the feeling of wanting to cling on, the things torn away by fate…I not only understand, but I can feel it as well. The emptiness in his eyes are almost  like my own reflection…the sadness in his voice echoes that of mine at times. The pain he had to withstand…though he is nothing more than an anime character…I understand. I’ve never really had a childhood friend like Akari to Takaki… but I did make friends that I consider very dear to me. But never once was I able to hold on to any…never once was I able to grow up with them like a usual child/teenager. Never once was I able to experience everything friends are supposed to experience through their childhood and adolescence. The day he parted with Akari…was a déjà vu, of my plane taking off…and without words, I can fully comprehend what he must be feeling from within. The day he reunited with Akari, however, is subject I cannot comment on…since their reunion was the end of an innocent friendship, and the beginning of a relationship. Love…that’s one element I really can’t comment on, as I’ve never had the experience…but from what I speculate, Shinaki was able to nail this one as well. Love itself is a complex element…if not, the most complex element in life…yet he was able to depict it so well in hour, from the sweetness of it to the pain that it eventually leads to (if you’re unlucky, like Takaki). Nevertheless, the emotions of each character is clearly shown through every stage…and very humanly, something most movies fail to achieve. I guess then, that I can expect to feel the same if I were to ever get the chance of reuniting with anyone. This is the real magic about 5 cm…being able to relate so closely…with so much detail…it’s as if I knew Takaki better than I knew anyone around me. The whole process…first the shock…the pain kicking in…feeling desperate…trying to do something to change fate…and then eventually accepting it and “moving on”…or rather…giving up. It’s all there…mainly thanks to Makoto Shinkai’s own personal experience. Like Takaki, Shinkai grew up in loneliness…and it is because of this, that he is able to depict the element of distance, loneliness, and life as a whole with such accuracy…with such precision. Perhaps he, too, sees a reflection of himself in each of the characters from his movies.   

     So then, you ask me…how is this really the “Best and most inspirational animation ever” if all it does is make your life seem more oppressive? While I accept the fact that, yes, I might’ve been doing nothing more than making myself look like a pathetic little idiot in the last paragraph…I don’t believe that it’s the only thing that resulted from watching 5 cm. As I said before…it still is an inspirational film with its own unique message. From watching this hour long film, I’ve come to realize that…life IS cruel. I’m not imagining it, nor am I the only one. It will NEVER go the way you want, and you will NEVER know what happens. Most importantly, life goes on…it won’t stop and wait…it simply goes on. Everything left unsaid…everything left undone…it will stay that way until your dying breath. So live life at your fullest…DO the things you want to do, SAY the things you want to say…because life is too short for regrets…because you might not have that tomorrow. It's almost as if Shinkai is saying "I know how you feel, but look at what will happen if you let the reality of life get to you...if you lose hope in life). We begin to strive for a better future; to not end up like Takaki.  And I think that…is the most valuable lesson one can get out any animation, movie, or story.

I must come to admit, my review is not a very plausible nor helpful one… as it was mostly based on personal opinions and experience, and less about actual film analysis. My main goal, however, is to convince people that this isn’t a movie about analysis…it isn’t about the elements…the character design, the soundtrack, storyline complexity, variety, blah blah blah… it’s about the feel. It’s about how people are able to connect to the story… how lives and opinions, like mine, can change because of one single animation. Yes, it’s not a perfect story or animation…but then again, it’s because this is an ordinary story about everyday life…and as well all know, life isn’t perfect. Which is why I would recommend this to anyone, whether or not you’ve experienced (or are experiencing) something similar…because well ALL are experiencing the once most important element of the story, and that’s life itself. Finishing this movie, you’ll be left wondering…at what speed are we living our lives? Maybe it just so happens to be… at five centimeters per second.