Byousoku 5cm

Alternate Titles: Byōsoku 5 Centimeter – a chain of short stories about their distance, 5cm per Second, 5 centimeters per second

Original Japanese Release Date: 2007

Episode Length/Run-time: 62 Minutes

Summary:

Three short stories wrapped up into one film follow the life of Takaki Toono from adolescence to manhood.  In each his childhood love Akkane manifests in a different form as their relationship changes with age.

Review:

This film was created by Makoto Shinkai.  One of the most influential and visionary directors (yeah, I said it) of our time.  So, with a name that can do no wrong, and has yet to create anything less than astounding where does Byousoku sit?

One of the things Shinkai is known for is his animation.  Form his distinct, slightly realistic character design to how the light hits everything from puddles of water to blades of grass his perspective is flawless.  His perspective on the world is nothing short of visually stunning.  The colors are vivid and create an amazing setting for a real life story.

Another thing Shinkai also works with often is an overarching theme throughout his films.  Like Voices of a Distant Star looks at time, Byousoku looks at distance.  How there is a difference between physical distance and the distance between two people’s hearts.  The fact that two people can be emotionally close no matter how far they are, or how far apart people can be emotionally even if they’re physically close with each other.

This is a story that anyone who has ever loved can relate to.  As a slice of life there’s not much more to describe and the best thing I can say about this film is simply: Watch it.  By not doing so you are doing yourself a disservice as an anime fan.  Very rarely can something evoke so much emotion from places you didn’t even realize your heart could hurt.

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