Makoto Shinkai has done it again! As if Voices of a Distant Star wasn't an amazing feat, Shinkai moves forward with yet another amazing story between a boy and a girl separated due to their families yet continue to stay in touch throughout the years by exchanging letters. 5 Centimeters Per Second is an amazing production which has a unique animation style similar to Voices of a Distant Star. The story is split up between three episodes. The first focuses on Takaki as he journeys to see to see Akari by train. Along the way he remembers the past they shared together. The majority of the first episode focus on the heart break of the two's separation and the difficulties of parting with one another. The second episode focuses around Takaki as Sumida whom both attend the same high school. Sumida secretly has a crush on Takaki but is very bad at hiding it from others, except for Takaki who continues to be absorbed in his relationship with Akari. In the final episode, after high school Takaki, he recollects his past with both Akari and Sumida.

  

As I watched this series I was most taken by the animation style which was explained before was very lifelike. In fact Shinkai expresses this fact early in the film when he uses real footage along with the animation which stresses how amazing the animation is throughout the movie. One other great aspect was the simplicity of the plot, and the use of symbolism throughout the movie. An example is Takaki's habit of constantly glancing at his watch as he departs on his long journey in the first episode. The watch symbolizes both yearning to be with Akari, the anxiety Takaki feels along the way, and the sense of loneliness he feels. The relationship between Takaki and Sumida presents an interesting story in the fact that Sumida has very different likes compared to Akari, as she shows herself as a bit of a tomboy at times. As the story progresses Sumida continues to yearn for Takaki yet Takaki continues to see beyond her looking towards the stars. In the final episode all both stories combine together several years later in a heartwarming tale of everything Takaki has gone through in the past. I can say without doubt 5 Centimeters Per Second is a masterpiece, exquisite beyond words. Anyone who considers themselves a true anime otaku should take the time to watch this masterpiece with one of the best plots within the last few years, which has been flooded with cliché series with limited originality. 5 Centimeters Per Second stands out from the rest to the point of being one of my favorite series of all the time and definite within my top 10%.