A. 求解這部動漫的名稱~~~！！！
【秒速五厘米】
人物：遠野貴樹（男主）
《秒速5厘米》是日本導演新海誠於2007年發布的動畫電影。在2007年亞洲太平洋電影獎中獲得最佳長篇動畫電影獎。
中文名：秒速5厘米外文名：5 Centimeters per Second其它譯名：秒速5公分出品公司：CoMix Wave導演：新海誠編劇：新海誠製片人：西村貴世類型：愛情主演：水橋研二，近藤好美，尾上綾華，花村憐美，中村優子片長：63分鍾上映時間：2007年3月3日色彩：彩色美術：丹治匠、馬島亮子音樂：天門主要獎項：2007最佳長篇動畫電影獎故事梗概
時間是1990年的日本，遠野貴樹與篠原明裡原本是同班同學的好朋友，並且都對對方有朦朧的愛意。自從小學畢業之後，兩人入讀了不同的初中。分隔兩地的兩個人，靠著書信往來保持聯絡，直到貴樹知道即將跟隨家人搬到
鹿兒島，距離明裡更遠的地方，於是兩人約定了再見面的時間。計劃好的行程，卻遇上了暴風雪，電車在漫天飛舞的雪夜，走走停停，貴樹的心，也在細微的變化……
滿意請採納O(∩_∩)O哈！
B. 求 新海誠 全部作品名稱列表。
1996年 《英雄傳說4—朱紅血》 Documentation新海誠簽名照
1997年 《七星魔法使》 Documentation / 宣傳
1998年 《永遠的Ys1》 Documentation
1998年 《Brandish4》Documentation
1999年 《新英雄傳說3—白發魔女》 Documentation / 宣傳
1999年 《英雄傳說5—海之檻歌》 片頭動畫作畫 / 場景作畫
2000年 《永遠的Ys2》 片頭動畫
2001年 《新英雄傳說4—朱紅血》 Documentation / 宣傳
2001年 《Ys1&2完全版》 片頭動畫
2001年 《Zwei!!》Art&Graphics
2001年《Bitterweet Fools》OP MOVIE
2002年《Wind-a breath of heart-》OP MOVIE
2003年 《笑顏》MTV
2004年《はるのあしおと》OP
2006年《ef - a fairy tale of the two.》OP
2007年《信濃每日新聞》CM
2007 年《明日の君と逢うために》OP
2007年《貓的集會》CM
2008年《ef - the latter tale》DEMO.MOVIE
【個人重要作品一覽】
《遙遠世界》
陳舊的老電影效果，飛向白雲的紙飛機，熱戀中的男女，平凡的生活畫面，電車，地鐵，擁抱，細語，愛撫。以及貫穿始終的憂郁的藍調鋼琴曲。
全片實驗動畫的感覺非常重，鉛筆速寫調子與2D3D交替變換的場景，切換不定的鏡頭，似乎在講述一個若即若離的愛情故事。
《包圍的世界》
音樂：天門
1998年，新海氏用一周的時間製作的30秒全3D短片，使用Lightwave3D與PhotoShop製作。
靈感來自村上春樹的《世界盡頭與冷酷仙鏡》。
《少女和她的貓》
音樂：天門 / 聲優出演：新海誠、篠原美香
短片由瑣碎的生活場景展開，美麗的長發少女和她超級卡通的小貓，全片以少女的情感為主題，講述了漠然的生活，心靈傷痛與慰藉。場景的運用恰倒好處地切入了影片情感的表述。1999-2000年間製作的5分鍾黑白動畫短片。新海先生的2D動畫風格在這部作品中已經成熟。
《星之聲》（ほしのこえ）
2002年2月《星之聲》（星辰細語）
日文原名：ほしのこえ (Ho shi no ko e)
英文名：The voice of a distant star
導演/動畫製作：新海誠 音樂：天門 聲優：新海誠、筱原美香 主題曲：Low
本作獲得 第1屆新世紀美術協會東京國際動畫片展銷會 / 第7屆神戶動畫 / 第6屆文化廳媒體藝術節 / 第8屆AMD AWARD數字內容大獎 等獎項
2002年2月，一部25分鍾的單集CG動畫《星之聲》在日本悄然問世。隨後便在日本業界激起了不小的波瀾——優美傷感的意境與雅麗眩目的視覺效果自然不必冗談，更加令人驚詫的是：除了配樂與聲優以外，全片的製作人員僅有一人——新海誠。以及他的一台電腦。在開始全篇之前，還不得不提一下被戲稱為人才培養學校的Falcom。
《永遠的Ys2》的OP動畫
對於Falcom玩家而言應該記憶猶新。絢麗的2D動畫效果配合近乎完美的節奏感，給人以強烈的感官震撼。這就是新海誠在職F社5年間的代表作之一
1996年，新海誠在大學結業後加入日本Falcom游戲會社（通常在相關仕事中以新津誠名義出現），負責程序、美工、動畫與宣傳影片製作。
在職Falcom期間，新海誠開始了個人動畫短片創作。包括1997年的黑白短片《遙遠世界》（1分30秒）、1998年的3D短片《被包圍的世界》（30秒）、1999-2000年的黑白短片《她和她的貓》（5分鍾）。2000年初夏，新海誠開始製作個人映像動畫《星之聲》。但由於工作的繁忙，導致《星之聲》一度停滯不前。2001年5月，新海誠向Falcom提交辭職。之後《星之聲》的製作步上正軌，2002年1月宣告完工，歷時共計7個月。 另外，新海誠也曾外注參與製作Minori游戲會社游戲《Bitterweet Fools》（2001）、《Wind·a breath of heart》（2002）片頭動畫。
個性而不張揚的創作理念與深厚的創作實力，使得新海氏的動畫風格性格彰顯，卻又平和親近。看似平凡瑣碎的場景物件設定，卻處處透著作者巧妙的安排，光線的大量運用更是在畫面的和諧中平添了幾分靈氣。
新海誠繼《星之聲》後的又一部力作，全片長50分鍾，2003年發售"雲之彼端約定的地方"
《星之聲》簡介:
美加子說：「也許，我們是被宇宙拆散的第一對戀人。」阿升說：「也許，思念可以超越時間與距離。」
星之聲，完全使用2D和3D的數字動畫，講述一個男孩和女孩被時空隔離，用簡訊互通消息的愛情故事。
背景設定：2039年，地球的調查隊曾在火星上遭到Tarsian的襲擊而導致全滅的命運。而7年以後的2046年，地球人已經利用從Tarsian手中得來的科技建立起了強大的宇宙軍，初步在近地球圈打敗了Tarsian，保住了地球的安全並開始組織遠征軍反攻轉入狀態。
一般來說動畫都是由一個動畫公司製作並得到商業投資才能做出來的，不過這部《星之聲》是個例外，他是日本獨立動畫製作人新海誠的個人作品。從2000年初夏開始，新海誠利用工作空餘在一台400Mhz的G4蘋果機上製作，直到2002年1月才完成了這部25分鍾的作品。除了音樂以外，都是他一個人獨立完成的。
《雲之彼端約定的地方》簡介：
音樂：天門 / 作畫：田澤潮
本片獲得《每日新聞》第59屆每日映畫Concours最佳動畫電影獎
在日本戰後被分割統治的另一個世界裡，1996年夏，位於聯邦國統治下的北海道的神秘巨塔工程悄然開始了。而在美國佔領的本州，這個塔真正建設目的卻無人知曉。
那塔是一座隔著津輕海峽也可以清楚看到的龐然大物。兩個15歲的少年：藤澤浩紀和白川拓也，對它有著不知道是敬畏還是憧憬的奇妙感情。他們利用軍需廢品，在山上的廢棄小站里組裝了一架名為ヴェラシーラ的小飛機。兩個男孩同時喜歡著班上的澤渡佐由理。無論是佐由理還是「塔」，對他們而言都是一種象徵，現在無法觸即，將來一定會接近的事物。
但是，佐由理在中學三年級時，突然得了原因不明的記憶障礙症，轉學去了東京。在無可名狀的虛脫感中，兩個少年漸漸停止了對飛機的製造，走上了不同的道路。
在2001年的東京，已經是大學生的浩紀和拓也再次相會。得知佐由理依然身陷病中，常年沉睡。二人想要把她解救出來。在這個過程中，他們不知不覺的接近了「塔」和這個世界的本質，以及佐由理隱藏的秘密。
《秒速5cm》 簡介：
整部影片分為：
第一話《櫻花抄》講兩個人互相表露心意及對未來的迷茫。
第二話《宇航員》講的是沒有明裡時，男主角貴樹安靜而孤獨的生活。同時借另一個女孩子的描述，也可以看出貴樹對明裡的思念。
第三話《秒速五厘米》講的是已成年的男女主角過著基本不相乾的日子。從男女主角交錯的對白中，向我們講述了人生的變化無常及我們力量的渺小。
由三個故事組成的《秒速5厘米》拋棄了懸念，回歸生活，大量的現實取景，用接近寫實的動畫向人講述因為小學畢業而離別的遠野貴樹和筱原明裡兩人，對相互抱有好感而時時記掛在心。但由於分別的阻隔只能把這份特別的感情寄予在別處。隨著時間的流逝，終於有一天貴樹在一個大雪天里決定去找明裡，表白自己的內心……
動畫三部分，分別是描寫貴樹與明裡再會的《櫻花抄》，以旁人的視點表現的《宇航員》，以及表現兩人精神上彷徨的標題短篇《秒速5厘米》（電影副標題為「a chain of short stories about their distance」）意為：有關他們之間的距離的連續短篇故事。
《秒速5厘米》已於2007年11月16日推出小說版，同樣由新海誠執筆。
STAFF&主題曲：
原作·腳本·監督：新海誠
角色設定·作畫監督：西村貴世
美術監督：丹治匠·馬島亮子
音樂：天門
主題歌：山崎まさよし《One more time, One more chance》
CAST：
遠野貴樹：水橋研二
篠原明裡（第1話 「櫻花抄」）：近藤好美
篠原明裡（第3話 「秒速5厘米」）：尾上綾華
澄田花苗：花村憐美
【名家評說】
大冢英志（評論家）：第一次，在心中隱隱出現了超越這一時代的感覺。
藤島康介（漫畫家）：這是一部僅用計算機和極少數人參與製作成的作品。與很多人預料的相反，其作品的成熟度和細節的描述使得整部作品成為極為成功的典範。
富野由悠季（高達之父）：建議目前動畫界的導演和製作人員都能去看看《星之聲》，實在是太好了。
高橋望（《貓的報恩》製作人）：完成度極高的作品，對新海導演用尖端技術所表現的手法留下了深刻印象。
由水桂（日本數碼視覺偶像創始人）：新海誠是現在最應受注意的CG藝術家之一，對於給予觀眾共鳴與興奮方面，他有天生的素質。
結合資料...把沒用的刪了...希望幫得到樓主...
C. 一部日本電影，忘了叫什麼...
四月物語
簡 介
每年櫻花飄飛的四月，是日本大學開學的日子。與父母家人告別後，北海道少女榆野卯月隻身來到東京武藏野大學開始了新的生活。陌生的城市、嶄新的環境以及新結識的同學和鄰居都有點讓她不知所措。班裡組織新生作自我介紹，當被人問到為何選擇武藏野大學時，榆野卯月突然表現得十分緊張。原來高中時代的榆野卯月一直暗戀著比自己大一屆的同學山崎，正是由於山崎去年到武藏野大學上學，卯月才追隨而來的。卯月經常懷著著份暗戀之情前往山崎打工的武藏野書店，最後她哪櫻租終於在一個雨天與山崎進行了交談。離開書店後，卯月在雨中突然想到成績不佳的自己竟然通過努力考到了著名的武藏野大學頌中，這真堪稱愛的奇跡。
◎片 名 四月物語
◎英文名稱 Apirl Story
◎年 代 1998
◎國 家 日本
◎類 別 愛情
◎導 演 岩井俊李兆二
◎語言 日語
◎主 演
松隆子
田邊誠一
石井龍也
江口洋介
D. 求用英文翻譯這篇《秒速五厘米》的影評~
真是一項嚴峻的工程啊，呼呼，終於翻好了。。。有些地方是意譯，不完全跟中文一致。
希望能幫到你O(∩_∩)O~
"I hear that It has a speed of 5 cm per second."
"Hmm,what?"
"Cherry blossom falls at a speet of 5 cm per second."
Standing at a crossing under the sun,Takaki Tōno stared at the high-speed train before him.It seemed that he had seen a shadowy figure of Akari Shinohara through the train window that flashes, who stood right in front with a pink umbrella.The cherry blossoms were flying indistinctly and slowly, just like the dessert after drinking tea, which tastes sweet in the bitter.
That year, Takak was ten.
Her lips are warm and soft which nearly melt his heart. Original surprise and subsequent hesitation are succeeded by a feeling of comforting peace. Just like fingers ran gently over the petals, warmth full of my heart. Neither The sound of snow falling from trees nor the whisper of the wind pass by makes the boy open his eyes. It』s the very place where his heart, spirit and all other deepest sentiment live. He believes that even if the long awful time and space, nothing could separate him from this place.
That year, Takak was thirteen.
The fury of the roar, the towering clouds of water vapor column, even the thunder fires used by gods to tear the canopy could be inferior. Takak keeps looking up at the sky, fascinated, paying no attention to the soreness of his neck and the girl by him who nearly dropped a tear. Oh ,that is a distant journey which has to be told in light years, a lonely journey that will never meet a hydrogen atom. Long enough just like thousands if nights when I』m alone, the Deer Island is as bright as the sky of city with colorful lights while glow-worm light r of phone screen in contrast. Messages without a receiver have not been seen or been heard of, like the sick letter which missed in the cold wind at the year of 13 and words that haven』t been told to the girl who is about to go in a leaving train.
That year, Takak was 17.
Standing at a crossing under the sun, Takaki Tōno stared at the high-speed train before him.It seemed that he had seen a shadowy figure of Akari Shinohara through the train window that flashes, who stood right in front with a pink umbrella.The cherry blossoms were flying indistinctly and slowly, just like the dessert after drinking tea, which tastes sweet in the bitter. All of this, with how is similar what happened at the year of 13. Not until the airflow lifted up by train disappears, he found nobody in the other side of the crossroad.
That year, Takak was 27.
That』s the story Xin Haicheng shared with us in A chain stories about distance, which tells the growth of a boy, much like our own memories hidden inside. As Xin said in the interview, we try our best to play the common life and less dramaticism. It also shows the different emotions of the earth ,and the beauty of the world. We record the real scenes with cartridges so as to make it look more realistic. Each of us once was Takak,or Akari more or less. Part of our experience become lively to be Takak and Akari on the screen.
The film has a subtitle A chain stories about distanc. Our life inevitably faces distance of time and space and the following distance of emotion. Ruthless time and space will
consistently rece our efforts or possibility on strive to break the distance and when we get used to the distance, we are part of it. After finishing watching the film for the first time, I map the sad feelings into a coincidence,such as Takak 『s letter taken by the wind,or the untimely train at the end. And combined with the subtitles, we can find that they are all metaphorical carrier for"distance" by Xin. Both the emotion which can only be held by thin writing paper,and meeting that cut off by passing train are paper ships drifting in the long river of time. They can temporarily floating on the surface of the water, toward the distant sea, but eventually will be dispersed in the chaos of the water.
We know the fact well, but could do nothing. We want to fight against only find all these efforts are in vain just like Florida』s endless slavery. Thouth we cannot escape from the passage of time, we can remember something. We want to tell people that they arehere, and shouting in the fact that I do here. This is the reason why the film moves us. In front of the problems that cannot be resolved, we have to make such a fantasy to keep living.
Maybe living with a speed of five cm per second, I will meet you again.
E. 秒速五厘米英文簡介
Shinkai Makoto is a real visionary. His ability to construct such rich and detailed artistic presentations is phenomenal. Anime has several directors that are talented and evidently passionate about constructing a stimulating visual effort pulsating with detail and motion and irregular, yet controlled camera movements that keep the audience on their toes, including Ishihara Tatsuya, Shinbo Akiyuki, Satoshi Kon and, of course, Miyazaki Hayao, but I』d willingly make the argument that none has the ability to manipulate complex and dynamic interactions of light and shadow, reflection, colour and bloom as perfectly as Shinkai does. It』s not that Shinkai creates perfectly realistic visual environments; he』s more than willing to take artistic liberties with the laws of physics if it means enhancing the atmosphere or subtly pushing a visual motif. Specular reflections may have the intensity of laser light, and the reflection from a rear view mirror will focus exactly onto the camera from several hundred meters away. Strands of grass dance independently in the wind and the distant sea shimmers like a starry night. Shinkai』s works have backgrounds that are alive.
It』s easy enough to wax on and on about how good the art and animation in 5 Centimeters Per Second is, and while it is an achievement worthy of a massive amount of acclaim, what ultimately defines a film is its story. And while I was left in awe at the artistic component of 5 Centimeters Per Second, the story-telling isn』t quite on the same level as the visuals. Shinkai again deals with what appear to be his pet themes of distance between love and coping with separation, but does so this time without introcing a prominent sci-fi element as was the case with Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. 5 Centimeters Per Second is divided into three chapters, each analyzing the relationship between the two leads at different points of their lives. The problem is that the latter two chapters simply aren』t as absorbing and touching as the first, which shows a heart-warming and tender display of love almost guaranteed to move almost anyone inclined towards anime romances. The second chapter lacks the emotional impact of the first, even though it does provide some intriguing character analyses, but the third chapter is uncharacteristically cynical and pessimistic from Shinkai.
While the change in tone is jarring, this I』m not opposed to in itself, since it avoids the cliches of the 「Pure Love」 genre. What I didn』t approve of was the fact that the ending offered no real resolution. There』s simply no solid denouement; the film shows a montage (which is, in my opinion, one of the laziest story-telling techniques in cinema) and then cuts to the credits.
5 Centimeters Per Second is worth watching for the art alone. But, to add a bit of cake to the icing, the first chapter is also outstanding, presenting a touching and innocent romance filled with powerful gestures and heart-warming moments. Unfortunately, the highlight of the film is over after twenty-five minutes, and the story slowly becomes less and less emotionally engaging, ultimately leading to a disappointing non-ending. This is still better than most other anime you』ll see this year, but don』t let the Shinkai-hype overwhelm you; this isn』t his best work and he』s not as good at crafting a story as Miyazaki… just yet.
2
Takaki and Akari attended elementary school together, where a mutual interest in the library led them to become good friends. Their parents' work situation ultimately foiled their plans to attend the same middle school, but they kept in contact by mail. One snowy night, shortly before another move takes him too far away for an easy visit, Takaki hops on a train to visit Akari one last time. Years later, in high school on Kagoshima, a girl named Kanae finds herself smitten with archery-minded Takaki, but her struggles to summon enough courage to confess her feelings are mirrored by her difficulty properly catching a wave in her surfing hobby. And it always seems like Takaki is messaging someone. . . Further years pass and Takaki finds himself working in Tokyo, where a chance encounter just might change his life.
Makoto Shinkai has been hailed by some as 「the next Miyazaki,」 but such praise is premature at best and hyperbole at worst. While this newest project confirms the remarkable talent he displayed in his previous efforts, he has yet to show any range or variety. Like Voices of a Distant Star and Place Promised in Our Earlier Days (and, for that matter, his first short She and Her Cat, too), Five Centimeters Per Second is a story about longing, about the isolating feeling of loneliness and the desire to make and maintain connections. But though it may not differ much in style, tone, sound, or look from his other proctions, you will not find another anime director better at hitting just the right note, and using just the right combination of lines and visuals, to much such stories work.
Shinkai's previous projects have shown that his storytelling style is best-suited to shorter, more intimate works, so he tackles this 62-minute feature by breaking it down into three sequential parts showing chief protagonist Takaki at different stages of his life; the first in middle school, the second in high school, and the third as an alt. The first part, with Takaki striving to meet Akari despite weather that seems determined to thwart him, is the strongest and the one most able to stand on its own. It offers such a beautiful and delicate look at the development and exercise of young love that it can appeal to a viewer's emotions without being sappy. The second part, where Takaki becomes a supporting character while the focus falls on Kanae, is more an exercise in unrequited love, with an unusual (and in some senses unsettling) twist late in its run. The third and by far shortest piece, where Takaki splits feature time with Akari, has a 「moving forward with your lives」 element to it and is the part least likely to match with viewer expectations.
Taken indivially, the parts offer nice little vignettes, but taken as a whole they paint a broader picture about the progression of life and love. The ending, which is where this work differs most from Shinkai's previous efforts, will doubtless be controversial and may leave some fans unsatisfied, as it opens itself to multiple interpretations. Some may feel as if it just ends without resolving anything, but if one considers Takaki's few lines of narration in part two, how that part ends, and how everything fits together, it becomes clearer that actually resolving things was never the point. Whereas Voices was about trying to maintain a connection and Place Promised was about reestablishing one, Five Centimeters is ultimately about moving on from past connections instead of just living in the past, about finding a way to become happy in the present rather than just pining for what has been lost over time. In that sense Five Centimeters is Shinkai's most mature and complicated work yet.
As with Place Promised, Shinkai was directly involved in nearly every aspect of this proction, which leaves his stamp on this work as indelibly as Miyazaki does on any of his movies. (This is the one place where comparisons between the two are justifiable.) All of the elements seen in his previous works are here: extensive use of in-character narration, nearly photorealistic recreations of actual real-world settings, impressive use of lighting effects, scene selections chosen with an eye to establishing and enhancing mood, occasionally dazzling vistas, and carefully-crafted, precisely-worded dialog which avoids any extraneous comment and invariably contributes to the overall feel of the work. Striking, as always, is his vivid use of color, although it seems a bit brighter and glossier here than in his previous work. His character designs have improved markedly since his work on Voices but are still the weak point of the artistry, as is the character animation; scenes of moving clouds and vehicles, blowing snow and grass, crossing gates, even birds – really, he excels in animating everything except people, and his scene selections strongly suggest that he realizes that.
Tenmon, the artist who did the music for Voices, returns for this project, and indeed his score for the first part is only a minor stylistic variation on the light piano numbers used in Voices. Large sections of the second part pass without any score, and the bits that do have it offer a similar blend of poignant, low-key piano numbers mixed with light orchestration. Part 3 lacks a score until the background song 「One More Time, One More Chance」 takes over; though it may be a little too loud, it fits quite well in both lyrics and tone. The proction also excels in its use of sound effects, especially in the bow-shooting scenes in Part 2.
The Japanese b uses a different seiyuu for Akari between Parts 1 and 3, while the English b uses Hilary Haag passably well at both ages. David Matranga, as Takaki, strains a bit when attempting to voice a very young version of his character but otherwise does a fine job, and Serena Varghese hits the mark just right as Kanae. Because so much of the dialog is narration, the English script varies very little from the subtitles, although in many places the English spoken lines and Japanese spoken lines have somewhat different timing. (This is not easily noticeable unless you listen to the English b with the subtitles on, however.)
Amongst the Extras on the disc are a photo montage of setting scouting for the movie that can make a viewer appreciate exactly how accurately detailed some of the background animation really is. Also included are two interviews: one with Shinkai and the other with members of the Japanese cast. Although ADV's proction lists the three parts as if they were episodes on the menu, it uses no chapter breaks within a part.
The question that will inevitably get asked is where this work stands compared to Shinkai's previous efforts. It is his best effort to date, or his worst? The answer depends heavily on what you are expecting to get out of it. Evaluated purely on technical merits, the overall artistry is a very slight step down from Place Promised, but the timing and pacing of its storytelling is better. It has better character designs and more complexity than Voices, but not as broad an appeal nor as poignant and heartfelt an ending. It achieves the same degree of elegance and eloquence in storytelling, so the decision largely comes down to a matter of personal preference. From this reviewer's perspective, Voices is the true masterpiece of the lot, but this one works just fine, as long as you can come to terms with the ending.
3
Tohno Takaki and Shinohara Akari are two classmates in an elementary school. During their time together they have become close friends. Their relationship is tested when Akari transfers to another city because of her parents' jobs. Both of them struggle to keep their friendship alive as time and distance slowly pulls them apart. When Takaki finds out that he is moving farther away, he decides to visit Akari one last time.
The movie is a collection of three stories; the first episode, Oukashou, shows the day of their reunion. The next episode, Cosmonaut, follows the story about Takaki after the reunion takes place from the viewpoint of another person. The last episode, Byousoku 5 Centimeter, clips out the movements of their thoughts.
4
"5 Centimeters Per Second" is a one hour Japanese animated feature film with drama and romance. This movie looks to be pure drama as it revolves around several characters. There is no fantasy or science fiction present as it looks to present the actual world from a different perspective.
This movie is to be a perspective of everyday life through the eyes of director and writer Makoto Shinkai. The name comes from the cherry blossom which is a national symbol of Japan. The rate in which a petal falls from a cherry blossom tree is five centimeters per second. It looks to be the most realistic and humanistic animated movie that I have ever seen.
Mainly, all of the segments focus on a boy named Takaki Tono. The three episodes that make up the movie are labeled as: "Okasho" which is Cherry Blssom Extract in Japanese, "Cosmonaut", and "Byosoku Centimeter." Each section details the life of Takaki at different points. The first section takes place around 1990 where Takaki had graated from elementary school as he and his close friend Akari Shinohara have drifted apart. Akari moved because her parents had gotten a job transfer. Akari goes to middle school in Tokyo.
5 Centimeters Per Second details Takaki's life as he has to move very often e to his parents' jobs. This makes it hard for a person to make friends let alone get into a relationship. In short, it shows that you really cannot have a steady personal life if your parents are moving to another place for a year and then move somewhere else for another year.
5
For quite some time now those in the know have been declaring Makoto Shinkai the next Hayao Miyazaki. Starting with short films animated purely by himself on his home computer Shinkai has steadily built a fiercely loyal following around the globe, his fans drawn by his clean lines, attention to detail and willingness to let his character's breathe. Shinkai, like Miyazaki, is one of those very rare film makers - even more rare in the animation world - who understands that less can often be more, that the quiet moments often tell us more than any amount of action or dialog ever could, and he has an uncanny knack for capturing the pregnant pauses that open the souls of his characters. While Shinkai's latest, a triptych of interconnected stories titled 5 Centimeters Per Second, does not quite raise him to the current level of the great master it definitely represents a huge step forward and is exactly the sort of film that you would expect to come out of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli on one of their better days. Yes, though the film has its weaknesses, Shinkai really is that good.
5 Centimeters Per Second - named for the speed at which cherry blossoms fall to the ground - is made up of three stories surrounding Takaki, a Japanese boy, at three different stages of his life. We meet him when he is young, just in junior high and coping with the departure of Akari - his closest friend, a girl for whom he has developed feelings he cannot express - the year before while also preparing for his own move away from Tokyo and to a remoter part of the country. We then move to Takaki at the final stages of high school, preparing to move on to the next stage of his life and completely, blissfully ignorant of the feelings Kanae, a girl in his class has for him. Finally, we meet Takaki again as a young alt, twenty six and giving in to disillusionment.
The first two segments of the film - titled Cherry Blossom Story and Cosmonaut, respectively, provide the real meat to the affair with the final section, 5 Centimeters Per Second, feeling sadly like a perfunctory and unfinished coda. The closing act leaves you wishing that it had been something more but for the first two acts - self contained shorts, both of them - Shinkai proves to be pure gold. His animation is stunning, beautifully detailed and impeccably framed with Shinkai showing a masterful ability to mirror the emotion of his human players in his shot selections and pacing. His characters ring startlingly true, the emotional core so strong, their relationships sketched out so simply yet effectively that it could be used as a textbook example of how to show an audience your characters while actually telling them very little. Cherry Blossom Story, in particular, also shows a remarkable grasp of the editing process, Shinkai nimbly cutting between perspectives and time periods to gracefully sketch out the relationship between Takaki and Akari.
Through the first two segments of the film Shinkai's grasp is remarkable he manages the difficult feat of capturing both the flush and excitement of young love along with the nervousness and fear that it brings all the while shooting it through with the sort of wistful melancholy that comes from knowing that you can never have what you most want. It's a complex bit of work that Shinkai makes seem simple and effortless and that, in and of itself, is the mark of a true master storyteller. The final third, however, feels only half done. Akari is engaged to marry someone else and seems a little apprehensive, Takaki is aimless and drinks too much unsure of his place in the world and purpose in life. Shinkai sets this segment up very well indeed and seems poised to go some interesting, challenging and unexpected places with his characters but then, inexplicably, he opts to instead cut it into a flashback laden romantic music video. Literally. It's a bizarre decision that really takes the heart out of this section but the first two segments are so flawlessly strong that the overall experience is still a very strong success. Keep an eye on Shinkai, he is poised to become a true giant in the animation world in the very near future.
6
http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/5-centimeters-per-second.shtml
7
With 5 Centimeters per Second, Shinkai Makoto has polished the elements that made his previous anime so heartbreakingly poignant and proced a wonderful work. If the film did not have a disappointing third arc, this would be his best work thus far and probably the best of the year.
5 cm』s story will feel warmly familiar to those who have already had the pleasure of watching the director』s work. Makoto is still very much obsessed with capturing the sheer, unrivaled beauty of an impossible love. No matter how cruelly fate intervenes, his protagonists cling desperately and determinedly to their love, as if it were a lone piece of driftwood amidst an angry and roiling ocean. These themes are no less powerful here than they were when Makoto first explored them, and should strike a chord in all but the most hyperactive viewers.
While 5 cm foregoes the science-fiction elements that Makoto is usually known for, the down-to-earth, slice-of-life story is never boring. If Makoto』s first two major stories had anything wrong with them at all, it was that Voices of a Distant Star was too simplistic and The Place Promised in Our Early Days had too much excess baggage. In 5 cm, however, Makoto finds the perfect mix; the film manages to be wonderfully rich without having a trace of unnecessary plotting. For the first two parts of the film, 5 cm meets and even exceeds Makoto』s former material.
Only the third and decidedly imperfect act prevents me from scoring 5 cm as highly as Makoto』s first two works. Sadly, I can』t help but believe that Makoto ran out of either time or funding, because the final arc is rushed and sloppy. For one, the episode makes a key mistake of introcing a new character and then doing almost nothing with her. Even more disastrously, the haphazard pacing actually serves to undermine the message that I think Makoto is going for. As a result, the final proct feels positively amputated.
As a whole, however, 5 cm is still a heartrendingly powerful work. As Makoto continues to release these somber masterpieces, the fact that they must be partially autobiographical becomes increasingly clear. Makoto』s raw and heartbreaking material feels so personal and intimate that he could only be drawing from his own bittersweet memory.