One More Time, One More Chance
by Masayoshi Yamazaki

Short review: A lot of people don’t understand why 5 Centimeters per Second is still one of Makoto Shinkai’s best works, but I think having a personal experience makes the movie hit really hard. This review is sort of my personal experience - why I think 5cm captures perfectly the feeling of a gradual loss and the realization that although it hurts, it’s a pain that has probably faded a long time ago.

Full review:

Warning: review definitely contains spoilers

Disclaimer: I am sorry this is a very personal review, so reader, you don’t have to read this lmaoo

I saw the movie 5 Centimeters per Second a few years ago with my S/O. We liked watching movies together but he was the real film enthusiast. I just went with whatever he wanted to do. Our relationship had a lot of… ups and downs, to put it nicely. But we always got back together. It’s kind of lame to admit but we broke up recently despite going through so much, and the reason is basically distance. We haven’t seen each other for months because of the pandemic and what was a video chat everyday dwindled into good morning/good night messages and eventually we accepted that we were doing things out of habit and staying together out of comfort, and called it off.

I watched the movie again today, on the day that was supposed to be our fifth anniversary. I don’t think it’s a big deal but I realized that I am not sure anymore what exactly I was holding on to. The last five minutes of the movie, this music video, really captures that.

Every time we were broken up, I would do those things that Takaki would do. I’d search for my ex, wondering if he’s across the street or somehow in the windows of the shop next door. I felt like no one else would do, even though I knew it couldn’t work out. I thought the best thing would be to be together, that it would be my one wish, and if that was granted and I said “I love you” properly, things would magically get better.

Whenever we did get back together though, it’s like the spark disappears again. I suppose in the end we mistook guilt for love. Assuming that being together we could fulfill the promises we gave and that would be enough of a reason. Takaki at the end of the movie crosses paths with Akari again, and coincidentally they fulfill the promise they made to see cherry blossoms again together. He realizes that his promise is realized, smiles to himself, and moves on.

Sometimes we hold on more to the promises we made with a person than the person themselves, and that might be a tragedy in its own way. I’m glad for everything anyway.

(The song is something I don't think I have to really talk about. It's heart-wrenching, even if you haven't seen the movie.)

Anyway, sorry about all that…. if you got all the way here, thank you for reading!!


Animation 9/10

Characters 10/10


Overall personal feels 10/10