5 Centimetres Per Second: Realistic and touching

Written by Little_Wolf-18 on April 13, 2012 at 3:08 AM

Slow but highly realistic and definitely touching, this anime movie will probably hit home for many people out there.

The plot is beautiful, emotional, and at the same time realistic and quite heartfelt, and makes for a peaceful watch quite uncommon in today’s anime world. The end is unexpected, though somehow open, and might not quite satisfy everyone.

The story consists of three sections linked together showing different stages of love. The stages themselves were perfectly set, but to me, the change seemed somehow abrupt as each part took a minute to get into; the gaps between the story parts were a bit too big for the plot to flow flawlessly all in all. It wasn’t that much of a deal since I had the movie in three different files anyways but it might confuse some people…

Genre-wise, “5 Centimetres Per Second” has slice of life, drama, romance, and perhaps tragedy. There sure is a lesson for life to be learned from this – how not everything in life is achievable, and some things don’t go the way you wish; surely a watch for all ages IMO.

The characters are cute, not all that memorable but realistic; if you look closer, they’ve got quite contrasting personalities, and their journey towards self-realisation is something many will be able to relate to. Vague hopes, dreams, and uncertainty create a quite mixed but still touching atmosphere.

The dialogue’s sincere, quite cute and touching, but it can’t be denied many anime movies have more dialogue. “5 Centimetres Per Second” is more about the setting (which is perfect) than the dialogue, so it may seem boring to some people (a friend of mine *sighs*). I didn’t have much of a problem but you're warned…

The animation, in contrast, is pure art. Detailed and beautiful scenery and smooth animation, combined with a quiet but fitting soundtrack. 6/5 :D

“5 Centimetres Per Second” might be hard on those used to comedy, loads of fighting, or those who don’t expect anything realistic. However, to anyone not looking for a total escape from reality, this is a true and heart-touching tale for all ages. I'd sure watch this again!~