5 Centimeters Per Second

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5 Centimeters Per Second
秒速5センチメートル
(Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru)
Genre Drama Romance
Animated film: 5 Centimeters Per Second
Director Makoto Shinkai
Writer Makoto Shinkai
Composer Tenmon
Studio CoMix Wave Inc.
Released Flag of Japan March 3, 2007
Flag of South Korea June 21, 2007
Flag of the Republic of China August 31, 2007
Flag of Hong Kong September 20, 2007
Flag of the United Kingdom N/A 2008
Flag of the United States March 4, 2008
Runtime 1 hour 3 minutes

5 Centimeters Per Second (秒速５センチメートル Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru?), subtitled "a chain of short stories about their distance." is a 2007 Japanese animated feature film by Makoto Shinkai. The film was finished on January 22, 2007. The first part of the film was debuted on Yahoo! Japan as streaming video to Yahoo! Premium members from 16 February to 19 February 2007. On March 3, 2007, the full length featured film had its theatrical premiere at Cinema Rise in Shibuya, Tokyo. The film consists of three segments: Ōkashō (桜花抄), Cosmonaut (コスモナウト), and Byōsoku 5 Senchimētoru (秒速5センチメートル), totaling about an hour of runtime. As in Shinkai's previous works, Tenmon composes for this film's soundtrack. The DVD was released on 19 July 2007.

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.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

The plot is set in Japan beginning from the 1990s and ending in modern day, with each segment centered on a boy named Takaki Tōno.

[edit] Episode 1: Ōkashō

Ōkashō (Cherry Blossom Extract): Upon graduating from elementary school, Takaki Tōno and his close friend Akari Shinohara drifted apart. Akari moved to Tochigi Prefecture due to her parents' jobs, while Takaki attended a junior high in Tokyo. The two kept in contact by writing letters, but despite the special feelings that existed between them, the only thing that persisted was time. When Takaki became aware that his family would move to Kagoshima, he decided to go see Akari since they would be too far apart to visit each other after he moved. However, when the day came, a severe snowstorm delayed Takaki's trip, and it would be hours before he reached Iwafune, where they promised to meet. The two finally meet late that night and fall asleep talking to each other. As they share a kiss, Takaki realizes that the two will never be together as time and circumstance draws them slowly apart. He departs the next morning carrying a bitter-sweet feeling with him.

[edit] Episode 2: Cosmonaut

Takaki is now in the third year of senior high in Tanegashima, where the Tanegashima Space Center is located. Kanae Sumita, a classmate of Takaki, has special feelings for Takaki, but she does not have the courage to express her love to him. She later observes that Takaki is always staring off into the distance, as if searching for something far far away. Even though she loves Takaki, Kanae understands that he is searching for things far greater than anything she can offer.

[edit] Episode 3: Byōsoku 5 Centimeter

It is now 2008, and all three characters have gone their separate ways. Takaki is now a computer programmer in Tokyo, and Akari is preparing to get married. One day, Takaki goes out and sees the face of a familiar-looking woman at a railroad-crossing. Puzzled by the encounter, he tries to look back, but two trains come and cut off his view. Takaki waits for the trains to pass, as if expecting the woman he had seen to be waiting on the other side of the railroad crossing. After both trains have passed, he is initially disappointed that the woman is nowhere to be found on the other side of the crossing, but eventually comes to realize that it is for the best, and goes his way.

[edit] Characters

  • Takaki Tōno (遠野貴樹 Tōno Takaki?)

Voiced by: Kenji Mizuhashi (Japanese), David Matranga (English)

Takaki is the protagonist of the film. 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 (篠原明里 Shinohara Akari?)

Voiced by: Yoshimi Kondō (Part 1) and Ayaka Onoue (Part 3), (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)

Takaki's best friend in elementary school. Like Takaki, she and her family moves a lot. After elementary school, she moves to Tochigi. Apparently she suggests taking a train to Tokyo to see Takaki, but her parents disallow her from going on her own. For a while, she and Takaki keep in touch via post.
  • Kanae Sumita (澄田花苗 Sumita Kanae?)

Voiced by: Satomi Hanamura (Japanese), Serena Varghese (English)

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.

[edit] Staff

  • Director, Writer and Original Creator: Makoto Shinkai
  • Character Design and Art Director: Takayo Nishimura
  • Background Art: Takumi Tanji, Ryoko Majima
  • Music: Tenmon
  • Production and Distribution: CoMix Wave, Inc.

[edit] DVD release

The DVD was released on the 19 July 2007 in Japan, according to Makoto Shinkai's official website.

The title was licensed by ADV Films and reported for a December 2007 release.[2] However, Amazon.com's original English release date was the 4 March 2008 but then was later moved back to the 25 March 2008.[3] The official Russian release was already in stock in January 2008. [4] ADV has also more recently confirmed that they will also be launching 5 Centimeters Per Second on DVD in the UK.[5]. ADV Anime UK are awaiting authorization to distribute it in the UK following the liquidation of its London Office. There is still much to be confirmed about the release of the movie in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Regular Release

  • 5 Centimeters Per Second (63 Minutes)
  • Interview with Makoto Shinkai
  • Theatrical Trailer

[edit] Collector's Edition

  • Film strip of selected frame from part of the movie

Disc 1 (DVD)

  • 5 Centimeters Per Second (63 Minutes)
  • Interview with Makoto Shinkai
  • Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2 (DVD)

  • 5 Centimeters Per Second (Animated Storyboard, 63 Minutes)
  • "Oukashou" Yahoo! Japan (Streaming Version, 29 Minutes)
  • Interviews with Japanese Cast (20 Minutes)
  • "One More Time, One More Chance" (Music Video Byousoku 5 cm Special Edition, 6 Minutes)
  • Making Of (Still Gallery, 3 Minutes)

Disc 3 (Audio CD)

  • Original Soundtrack (28 Minutes)
  1. Ōkashō (桜花抄) [4:51]
  2. Omoide ha Tooku no Hibi (想い出は遠くの日々) [1:14]
  3. Shousou (焦燥) [1:09]
  4. Yuki no Eki (雪の駅) [2:19]
  5. Kiss (Ｋｉｓｓ) [3:13]
  6. Kanae no Kimochi (力ナエの気持ち) [1:47]
  7. Yume (夢) [1:40]
  8. Sora to Umi no Shi (空と海の詩) [2:00]
  9. Todokanai Kimochi (届かない気持ち) [1:41]
  10. End Theme [2:52]
  11. One more time, One more chance PIANO ver. (Bonus Track) [5:00]

[edit] Reception

It has been reported that there was a huge line up in front of the theater 2 hours before the ticket selling started.[6] The stage greeting which featured Makoto Shinkai was sold out.[7] It also won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize, the Future Film Festival for best movie in animation or special effects.[8] It won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[9]

[edit] Theme song

The song was also the theme song of the 1996 Japanese movie Moon and Cabbage. The reason Makoto Shinkai chose such a famous song was that he wants to evoke images of everyday happenings, and choosing a song that "everyone knows about" would add realism to the movie.[10]

[edit] References to other Shinkai works

In a brief scene in Episode 1, "Ōkashō", Akari and Takaki encounter a cat named Chobi and talk about another cat named Mimi. This is a reference to characters which appear in one of Makoto Shinkai's earlier works, She and Her Cat.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ (Japanese) Director's notes (2006). Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
  2. ^ McCutcheon, David (2007-06-25). 5 Centimeters Per Second's Debut. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
  3. ^ 5 Centimeters Per Second's release date according to Amazon.
  4. ^ 5 Centimeters Per Second's Russian release according to Reanimedia Store.
  5. ^ 5 Centimeters Per Second UK release confirmation at Amecon. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  6. ^ Long line up on premier date (2007-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
  7. ^ Greeting from Mr Shinkai on the Eve (2007-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
  8. ^ Byousoku 5 Centimeters wins the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize (2008-01-21). Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
  9. ^ 5 Centimeters Wins at Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Anime News Network (2007-11-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-25.
  10. ^ (Japanese) 山崎まさよし「One more time, One more chance」 (2006). Retrieved on November 21, 2006.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Works of Makoto Shinkai
Films
The Place Promised in Our Early Days  · 5 Centimeters Per Second
OVAs
Music videos