5 Centimeters Per Second - Separation 

About 10 years ago, I was dating this amazing girl. She meant the entire world to me, I felt as if I couldn't live without her. She introduced me to this movie short, I surprised her by learning the main song on the piano. I played her the song, we were madly in love. Little did I know, After 4 years of dating, our relationship went South, we broke up and it's been many years and I haven't heard from her ever again. Like the cerry blossom we were intertwined and later falling far apart. Maybe one day we can come back together, not as lovers but maybe friends. This hit me hard, bringing emotions I longed forgot about. Thanks

It's fascinating to contrast this and Kimi no Na Wa/ Your Name. They're almost exact opposites. This film is short, realistic, and about two people who are unable to maintain a connection, while Kimi no Na Wa is longer, fantastical, and more of a traditional romance. Their final scenes are set up almost identically, though the results are very different. It's interesting how one filmmaker can make two films whose ideas and perspectives practically contradict each other. I love both films, but they underscore very different views of the world.

“It’s ok to fall in love, but it’s also ok to fall out of love.” This made me realize that I’ve been holding on for too long. I had a girl about three years ago that stole my heart, but her parents got divorced and she moved far away. I’ve been having an ache in my heart since then that really hasn’t gone away. At this point, I don’t think I know her anymore. Thanks for helping me finally let go.

The whole part with Takaki in the train in the first episode hits me the hardest, every delay in travel time is like fate's way of saying he & Akari can't be together. :(

This movie is very depressing,it has that depressing vibe to it from the beginning. This movie made me cry on the inside, the most painful kind of tears, because I was Takaki once, didn't want to let go.

"he realized that it was the time to let go but the cold he felt was too unbearable" "she realised that he was never looking at her he was always looking for something far beyond" "Too much time has pass to have a spark or connection between them" "The dream that he had is over not all dreams are meant to come true" "he must bare the cold and the suffering to form a new bond"

how i interpreted the last scene is as follows. be patient with me. after their last meet at iwafune, they both knew that they would probably never see each other again. because already the distance between them was so much and takaki was about to move even farther away from akari now. hence akari's last words to takaki was " i am sure you will be okay from now on, i am sure of it " meaning she understood the situation well and wished for him to be happy moving forward in life. they never exchanged letters after that because towards the end we can see the letter she was supposed to give to takaki was still with her. and takaki had lost his letter. letters took days even weeks to reach and sometimes they even got lost. with the distance between them, letters would not have been enough to close the gap. then they spend almost 10-12 years away from each other, without any knowledge of each other's whereabout and no contact at all. they both longed for each other but the emotions and feelings were slowly starting to fade away. they knew they were never gonna see each other again so they both try to move on in their own ways. while akari finds someone she is happy with, takaki fails every relationship he gets in which makes him depressed. you can't blame either of them because there was no way that they could ever meet again. now the train scene, up until that point takaki had learned to forgive himself and he was trying to move on. akari was trying to do the same. and then as fate would have it, they cross each other in the train tracks. they both turn around to look but the trains pass by and block their vision. but why did akari leave ? why did she not wait for her childhood friend/lover. because she had a new life now, she had responsibilities of her own now. her husband was not just another character we can ignore. they had to go through so much to finally get engaged and decide to start a life together. she couldn't just abandon all that to run away with takaki again. she simply couldn't. so she left as a means of telling takaki that she moved on, that he need not worry about her anymore, that she has gone home ( unlike the time when they met , she waited but not now ). takaki was still waiting for the trains to pass because even though he was moving on, he still had that little ounce of hope left, that maybe, just maybe they can be together again. but when he saw that akari was not there on the other side, he got her message loud and clear. you see, love is not almighty. love alone cannot fill the gap between them that distance and time created. love alone could not overcome all that. so he smiled, knowing she was happy now, that he did not need to worry about her anymore and move on with his life just like akari did. the best part about this is that, in their last meet, akari's final wish to takaki was " i wish i could see the cherry blossoms together with you one more time " and takaki's last wish to akari was " i wish i could see you again, and if i do i don't want to be embarassed about who i become ". and in the end, at the tracks both of their wishes come true which helps them find closure at last. a beautiful movie 💔

Your channel needs more exposure....your soooooo underrated

I feel like the ending could also mean that they finally saw the cherry blossoms together

One dislike, but it's probably just a pour soul with a broken heart.

This movie hits really hard, especially if you are a real-life Takaki still holding on to lost love. 😔

I feel I have a pretty good grasp on what was going on because I went through the same thing. And I'm talking to fine detail in some cases. I met the love of my life when we were both very young. Her dad got a good job far away and she had to go with. She even lobbied to stay with her aunt just like Akari, but wasn't allowed to. We kept in touch and planned on getting back together when we were 18 but time and distance are insurmountable foes. I don't even remember who stopped writing who first, it just happened (yes it was still the snail mail era just like the film). It screwed me up bad and I hurt some nice girls by unfairly comparing them to this ghost from my past, on an unreachable pedestal because nostalgia always beats reality in our minds. The similarities were so crazy that I swore Shinkai created this film just for me. Really I'm pretty sure he went through the same thing.

i swear, i am still in love with this movie

What the hell do you mean this has 13k view? This is the perfect explanation on this movie's genius. Thank you for this video

115 likes and no dislikes. Nice to see only the best for Sage’s Rain.

This is my most favorite movie of all time for the themes it tackles, and the style through which it is done. Makoto Shinkai's movie is one laden with symbols. The title itself is reflective of the movie's theme: distance (spatial, temporal, and ultimately, emotional). The choice to use such small units--centimeters and seconds--is deliberate. Like the very molecules that form us, we all form bonds that will ultimately yield to the expanding nature of the universe. In small ways, we eventually move away from the people that were once close to us. The first chapter deals with spatial distance. It's a story of young love and the effect that distance had on them; it sets the tone of the movie, and we get some insight on the main characters as well. In the first chapter, it establishes how Takaki has a hard time expressing his emotions in words when we see him struggling to write a letter to Akari. It also establishes him as a person who cannot see well past his own emotions and is unable to strongly empathize with others when we see his reaction to the news that Akari is moving away. These are both important to note because it sets up how he grows emotionally distant from everyone else in later chapters. From the very first scene, the theme of the movie is set up, with Akari stating the title, and the train's symbolic meaning. The movie starts out with nearly the exact same scene we'll see at the end of the movie (they're even wearing similar clothing) when Akari is on the other side of the train tracks and Takaki is left behind. So not only does it foreshadow their eventual separation, but also how Takaki is the one that's left behind while Akari moves on ahead. And then there's the train that Takaki rides on. Takaki notes how many stations he has to stop on, we see how long it takes for it to get to its destination, and we see how the anxiety causes him great pain. This (and the title itself) echoes the theme of the movie: spatial and temporal distance and the effect it has on the hearts of people. By the time we get to the second chapter, it's clear that Takaki's long distance relationship with Akari did not work out, and although they don't make it clear until the third chapter, there have been hints as to why this has happened. As mentioned earlier, Takaki is unable to articulate his emotions, so he finds it difficult to write to Akari. There was also a line in the first chapter that hints at Takaki's other reason why he stopped writing: when Takaki wishes for Akari to give up and go home instead of waiting for him at the station. He had her well-being in mind and did not think he was worth the effort to wait for. The blizzard and the distance from the stations are all symbolic of the struggles they would have in their long-distance relationship. And although Akari was willing to weather the hardships, Takaki ultimately thought it was just best for Akari to let go. So during their long distance relationship, Takaki subconsciously wished for Akari to give up as well. What he did not realize (due to his inability to empathize) was that Akari was willing to wait for him as she did in the station. We see Akari writing with great pain--she tried her best to make it work between the two of them, but the communication wound up being more one-sided because of Takaki. By the second chapter, Takaki starts to grow emotionally distant from everyone. And although Takaki wants to share his thoughts and feelings with somebody, he finds himself unable to. As a result, Takaki finds himself writing messages to nobody, a confused and futile attempt to reach out to anybody, much like the object that had been aimlessly launched into space in that very same episode. And we're introduced to Kanae who finds herself in a similar situation: scared to put forth her emotions and commit completely to the choices she makes. As a result, she can't concentrate on surfing, she can't decide on what path to take in life, and she can't tell Takaki how she feels. The second chapter deals with emotional distance, and Takaki and Kanae are both the cosmonaut of the title; emotionally alone, they both needed to venture into the unknown in order to find something or someone. When Kanae finally decides to "launch" herself, she's finally able to surf and embrace the fact that while she still doesn't know what's in store for her future, she's no longer afraid of it. But when it comes to Takaki, she finds that he's simply too far for her to reach because Takaki finds himself unable to do the same and has been stuck in the same place emotionally, and stays there until the movie's ending, because he does not know which direction to go, unsure of what it is that he is searching for. That is why he feels that what he is searching for is simply beyond his reach, which is why he becomes entirely disconnected from everyone. This brings us to the third chapter where Takaki has actually tried to move on. The third chapter starts and ends with the scene on the train tracks (or just about--we first see that Takaki is now working at home) so everything in-between is a big flashback. We find out that Takaki moved to the city again and has grown emotionally distant from everyone and that depression has completely taken hold of his life. The third chapter is about temporal distance; the passage of time had disconnected Takaki from everything entirely and the main thing that Takaki is longing for is his lost past--that "dream of long ago": the life he might've had if he had stayed with Akari instead. It's important to note though that at this point, Takaki is no longer in love with Akari herself, but rather, with the idea of Akari. All the things he is longing for are not physical but abstract things that he cannot grasp, which is why he finds it so difficult to find any way to resolve his longing. He's made efforts to move on, as evidenced by his relationship with his new girlfriend Risa, but he's as distant with her as he is with everyone else. And so eventually, Takaki's depression reaches a breaking point where everything just makes him so sad that he lacked even the energy or motivation to do something as simple as picking up his own keys. So one day, he decided that he'll take charge of his life again by making major changes, since starting over fresh would hopefully allow him to move on from the past. He quits his job, he cleans himself up, etc. And we see a cleaner Takaki that seems a little happier. And then we see Akari who had moved on with her life entirely and is reminded of Takaki. And that's when we get our explanation of what happened to them through a series of flashbacks. In the flashback, we see Takaki open his mailbox with a smile on his face, implying that Akari kept in touch. But we see Akari open her mailbox with a sad look on her face, implying that Takaki did not keep in touch due to the reasons I've mentioned above. Eventually, Takaki gave up entirely and stopped writing. Little by little, Akari was left to ponder why Takaki stopped writing and the logical conclusion for her would be that Takaki no longer cares for her the same way. In which case, she would've had enough basis to move on. Basically, she would've formed her own conclusion and that would be enough to give her some closure as opposed to Takaki, who could blame nobody but himself and the circumstances that he felt were out of his control for their complete separation. These feelings of helplessness and regret took root and festered over time within Takaki. The ending is told through a song and montage rather than the usual accompanying monologue because it allows the viewer draw from their own personal experiences to make the movie more poignant. (I myself have gone through a very similar experience as Takaki.) But at the same time, the scenes are there to explain exactly what had happened. The song itself has great meaning too, explaining Takaki's great longing. The song allows us to interpret their meeting at the train tracks as either real or imaginary. It's possible, like the song implies, that Takaki simply sees Akari wherever he goes. Either way though, the meeting itself is a test of sorts for Takaki and it was meant to completely summarize their whole relationship in one simple but poignant scene. The train tracks and the trains themselves--being separated by the tracks and the time it takes waiting for the train to pass--is symbolic of the spatial and temporal distance created between the two and how, after the trains have passed, Takaki is still left waiting while Akari has moved on. Takaki accepts this, smiles, and walks away as well, showing that he now acknowledges that it's time for him to move on as well. I've seen so many people complain about the ending, and how he should've ended with either Akari or Kanae, but ending the movie with him getting back with Akari or with someone else ruins the theme of the movie, which is why it had to end the way it did. It wasn't a sad ending, rather a bittersweet one. We just needed to know that Takaki will move on and will eventually be okay, which is the best way the story could've ended in my opinion.

an ex-classmate fell in love with me, but I saw her as a friend at the time. she liked me for a year before she gave up. She stopped believing in that kind of love between us. but we remained friends. we lost contact after graduation. we had not spoken for a year, we just grew apart. I started to wonder how she was doing. I wanted to know if everything was oke. I started to think about it more often, that question often popped into my head. then I started to feel empty. I realized that I was not happy at all. I realized that I needed her. not to be happy, but to cry with. I love her, I finally realized that I loved her, more than friends. but I was too late. I didn't know, I really didn't know that I saw her like this. I wanted to speak with her again but maybe she is happier without me in her life I thought. (fast forward) we met and had contact after half a year. we became friends again. I finally knew how she was doing. but now I feel like I am that spaceship. lost in space. I see a bright star that is getting less and less fierce. she has already given up, while I still hope. I hope it will become something. I am strong, but hoping in silence hurts.

*“They say it is 5 centimeters per second”* *“Huh? What is?”* *“The speed of falling cherry blossom petals is 5 centimeters per second”*

*Just keep moving forward*

Woke up to a new video from you, feels good Edit: that ending now makes me feel sad

Such a heavy film. I remember watching it for the first time and just sitting there as the credits rolled wanting more, wanting some happiness. I have since gone through events that have made me relate to this movie. But I am glad there is an extra chapter in the manga.

Like Obito said- I see..... I get it now, I'm in hell

This is my first shinkai movie and I love this movie than the other Imo, this is the best of shinkai creation The love story in this movie is so good At first, I confused with the plot But, after watched this again, I start understand the plot Thanks sages rain, for the conclution About a dream and the meaning of love :)

This is definitely the best analysis Ive seen. Thank you so much for this. !!!

I love your analysis on anime related shows and movies! You do such a good job, Thank you for your content!

Perfect timing, I can relate to this video 100%, watched it twice and even now it still gives me chills

Your videos are amazing, your voice is what pieces everything together. I feel so calm when I hear your voice.

Sir, your analysis in every video is well written, enlightening, and inspiring

I just started watching today. And you have got yourself a new subscriber. These videos are beautiful. True quality

This essay gives so many new layers I didn’t see. Doesn’t it break your heart? So beautiful.

Fantastic content as always man keep it coming definitely one my favorite channels on RU-vid

Thank you for reminding me that there is beauty in separation. The someday that I am constantly hoping for may never come. Life goes on~

Your analyses really answer my questions. Thanks for the depth you put into them

really loving this channel keep up the great work man

Never fails to make a great video! Awesome job keep it up sage rain!

Thank you for this. 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of my all time favorite movies!

Yo man I just gotta say that I really love your channel and its content man. There's no one else on this platform that offers the same unique and philosophical outlook that you have and I wish all the best. Hope this channel blows up and gets the attention it deserves :)

that was beautiful, sage. ya get me every time.

You've made me interested in these works. Pretty inspiring vid.

I’ve never seen nor heard of this movie, but you made me cry just from this video.

Thanks for making yet another video man. They always make me feel engaged and intrigued. Keep up the good work. If you could make a video on the bond between the cast of a show next, I'd be forever thankful. And do you have a PO box, by any chance?

Beautiful ✊🏽 keep going man it will pay off

This explanation was great!

Never fails to amaze me! Great video Sage Rain!

No way, I literally watched this last night. And now I get to see a video about it?! Is the universe or something or someone above us trying to tell me something? If so, that’s both amazing and somewhat scary at the same time for me.

What a beautiful movie and what a beautiful video. A true masterpiece.

This video really spoke to me. I freaking love your channel.

I love your videos bro keep up the good work

Gosh man you hit right in the feels

Nice video, you helped change my perspective on things. Thanks.

Great video as always bro! Jeez I've been binge watching your videos as of late xD Keep up the good work man!

Most helpful and amazing RU-vid channel ever

Excellent video about distance and you're so right when one dream fails another dream isn't too far away keep your heart open or you'll lose that life is a marathon and not everyone is meant to stay forever cherish the time you had with them but move on at the same time or you get stuck with a fantasy in your head that can ruin things...fall in and out of love till you find that one who stays

What makes this movie good is the fact that it is real, love doesn't conquer all, shit happens and people grow apart, that is life

Great review! can't wait for more content from you

This movie is eye opening , as a teenager who is attempting to get over his first serious relationship this movie helped open my eyes to the beauty of separation. It reminded me that people grow apart and that through baring the cold and pain we can open new doors of opportunity for ourselves. It help remind me that not all things are meant to be however by accepting this we can create new meaning and connection in our lives . To any person struggling through getting over somebody I just wanna say that moving on hurts but not moving hurts even more . To the creator of this video I just wanna say thank you it was wonderfully made. Have a good day

This is freaking relaxing bruhhh ur voice is so goood!

Thank you for this video. It really helped me

You’re the best there is bro 🐐

literally gave me chills

I love your videos💜

You make some of the best videos ok RU-vid.

Beautiful absolutely loved the movie and this video. You sir EARNED a subsriber.

Well youve done it again you've inspired me and gave me another revelation

This is art.

Alway's looking forward to your video's.

No matter how many time i had watched this anime, there's something left un-understood, *You FILL that space with this videos*! Arigatoh❤️

Hey Sage, I have to say that was a very good analysis you did there and if you managed to come up with all that after watching the show several times and got its theme I am very impressed. Since you I can see you enjoy this piece of Shinkai's work a fair bit I would recommend either the light novel adaptation and the manga. The light novel written by Shinkai himself. It fills in some blanks and has chapter dedicated to Akari's perspective. The manga while not drawn or written by Shinkai himself was overseen an approved by the man so I would also suggest you check it out if you have the interest. It also fills in some gaps and adds to the story. Anyway good work man. Enjoyed your review and perspective.

whenever i see this movie i think of this guy i used to like a lot, he went missing 4 years ago. i’ll never forget him, and i hope from the bottom of my heart that he is okay.

Thanks for this, I finally understood the letter scene.

Wow so great.... refreshed my memories this is one of great work of mokato shenkai...❤

Beautiful! Keep it up!

Another amazing video

Uploaded a day ago and still no dislike, you're the only person that cold achieve that 😁❤️

Very well narrated

I like what you about 'in some cases people are only meant to be with each other for a certain amount of time.' I feel that Takaki was happy that she was happy and he could finally move on with his life. Or maybe because he felt because he saw her again maybe they might get back together one day? It's hard to know what to make of the ending but this is why this film is so meaningful. Not every love story ends happily so make as many good memories as you can people. I hope my love story hasn't ended yet.

i love it.

Thanks for the video. I mean it, Thankyou very much.

I thank u for this vid I learned a lot from your wisdom and from the meanings in the movie, it hurt when I watched the movie because I would've felt the same but I didn't consider her side thanks man.

I just found your channel, subscribed and much respect

Needed this video thx

What an underrated channel.

So beautifully done. Its sad that you don't have the views and subscribers you deserve.

Love 5 centimeters per sec and this channel

I love hearing your voice.

Your videos make me think deeply about Things

The ending mess me up that I literally look for the manga when I did it also left me in a cliffhanger... But for me he ended up with kanae

Amazing ♥️

through failed dreams other doors open and new opportunity arise holy shit that is mind opening

Great Video!

I’m late but these fucking videos you post have me in tears and I’m a grown man

This one I can say actually did end up helping me out in the long run. I was a amazing relationship that really did come crashing around me and to this day I still have feelings for but I had to learn that you can't keep leaving in the past and you must learn to let go. As much as I didn't want to but I knew I had to because if I didn't I wouldn't be able to grow or become the person I never was

beautiful

Sage urs vids hit different😔but I love ur vids hella Bc they mean a lot

I know it's been said time and again but your channel really does deserve more than you receive. While I don't have a Patreon account or anything, I can click that like button to show my support. It's the least I can do. :D

every time i watch this movie i cry every time

Awesome video bro. 😘

thank you

My life was this movie. It meant more to me than anything.

thanks for this video. i watched this movie once last year, but i am gonna admit that after your video, the movie just hit different. i didnt remeber a lot about the movie, and during your video i began to cry and got pretty melancoholic. i am passing through a similiar situation and yours words was just what i needed to listen. I love your chanel, i met you because of the ATLA'S video and i am just so glad to know your chanel. Congratulations for your amazing work.