5 Centimeters per Second

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5 Centimeters per Second

2007

1h 3m

Drama

Romance

Animation

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4 Reviews

87%

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2,500+ Ratings

Young love, missed connections, and unrequited feelings collide in a romance from Makoto Shinkai, the visionary director of Weathering With You and Your Name. Told in three vignettes, 5 Centimeters per Second: A Chin of Short Stories About Their Distance, explores the joys and heartache of falling in love set against the backdrop of the breathtaking visuals that define Shinkai's work. Takaki yearns to spill his heart out for childhood crush Akari, but their families move away before any feelings can fully blossom. They stay in touch, but eventually drift apart with school and new friends to distract them. As the seasons pass, Takaki navigates his relationships while haunted by all the things he left unsaid with Akari, his first love.

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Ronnie Scheib

Variety

03/07/2008

[An] exquisite, light-drenched tone poem.

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Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

10/05/2007

3/4

As poet of heartbreak, Shinkai could be accused of treacly mush (the voice-overs are a bit florid, and the saccharine piano score doesn't help), but he's got a delicate touch with sentiment that will have receptive viewers reaching for a Kleenex.

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Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

07/12/2022

4/5

This is a tearjerker coming-of-age anime about unrequited love and missed connections. 5 Centimeters Per Second is filled with beautiful images and insightful observations about how people who are once very close can slowly drift apart.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

06/12/2022

2.5/4

So-so.

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Sean T

Sep 15

Its short, its brief, but it conveys a deep and realistic message. Its hard breaking and sad..

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Jerilds G

May 29

It's really mid. It's not deep, or sad. I watched it and felt unfilled. Not because I was sad or disappointed, but because I felt like I wasted my time. It's mid, and it's really not worth a watch.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Mar 15

Shinkai at his best. It is wonderfully directed and executed. The backdrops are stunningly beautiful throughout the movie. The storytelling is effectively done through highlights and narratives. An unconventional Love Story that is moving and thought provoking.

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Feb 12

I have never been more bored in my life, this was the most painful hour of my life... save yourself the trouble, of following this and watching these terribly drawn faces - unless you want to have a laugh !

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Jay W

12/01/2024

I went back to watch "5 Centimeters Per Second" after being so impressed with Makoto Shinkai's other projects. It is nice to see an artist find his footing. "5 Centimeters Per Second" follows, what else, star crossed lovers - Shinkai's usual wheelhouse. The movie is broken up into 3 distinct sections, all following a Japanese boy named Takaki Tohno through different times in his life. The first is when he is a 12-year-old experiencing his first love. The second follows him in High School years later as others pine for his affection. And the final story is when Takaki is an adult. The animation is beautiful, some of the best you're ever going to see. Makoto Shinkai has a distinct style of detailed photo realistic 2D animation that is like no other. The story borrows a lot of typical romantic tropes but presents it all in a new way. The characters are nothing special, but I really like the unique themes of the movie. Some moments, particularly towards the end, the movie gets a little pretentious. The movie is likely not going to be understood by younger viewers. There are moments where the movie feels like it is style over substance, but with style this good, who needs any substance?

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Faiz D

08/29/2024

One of the best animated movies that I have ever seen. Poetic and breathtakingly beautiful over-all makes this film a must-watch.

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Makoto Shinkai

Director

David Matranga

Takaki

Hilary Haag

Akari

Serena Varghese

Kanae

Makoto Shinkai

Writer

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Synopsis

Young love, missed connections, and unrequited feelings collide in a romance from Makoto Shinkai, the visionary director of Weathering With You and Your Name. Told in three vignettes, 5 Centimeters per Second: A Chin of Short Stories About Their Distance, explores the joys and heartache of falling in love set against the backdrop of the breathtaking visuals that define Shinkai's work. Takaki yearns to spill his heart out for childhood crush Akari, but their families move away before any feelings can fully blossom. They stay in touch, but eventually drift apart with school and new friends to distract them. As the seasons pass, Takaki navigates his relationships while haunted by all the things he left unsaid with Akari, his first love.

Director: Makoto Shinkai
Screenwriter: Makoto Shinkai
Production Co: CoMix Wave
Genre: Drama, Romance, Animation
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 16, 2020
Runtime: 1h 3m

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