"The title 5 Centimeters Per Second comes from the speed at which cherry blossoms petals fall, petals being a metaphorical representation of humans, reminiscent of the slowness of life and how people often start together but slowly drift into their separate ways."


For the longest time, I would rewatch the last part of the film whenever I had troubles with my relationships. Not for masochistic purposes or anything (as the movie isn't necessarily good for the heart), but for me to keep going. I needed the strength, I needed an encouragement, and this movie's couple showed me everything I didn't want to happen to me in the future.

Or at least, that's what I used to think.

The thing about me is that I've moved from country to country, so my relationships had always been long distance. Well, correction: two were "almost" relationships that never happened, while the last one - the first one I've actually called my "boyfriend" - moved back to his city after high school. At first it was great: lots of phone calls, texts, and promises to visit each other every once in a while. But just like the time it takes for cherry blossom petals to fall, all those things started to dwindle as time went by.

I've never found loyalty to be that difficult to maintain, so distance was never an issue for me. I would always make an effort to reach out, to call even after a tiring school night, and to ask how his day was even though we no longer had anything in common and had nothing else to talk about. On the other hand, he never called me when I was sick. He never asked me if I was doing okay at school. In the end, I was the only one trying to maintain contact, just like all my relationships had been.

Long distance relationships are not impossible, they just require mutual effort to make them work. All this time, I have put all the blame on Akari for letting go so easily, but in truth, it was partly Takaki's fault for not keeping in touch with her. He was the one who stopped sending out letters in the first place. She made the bold choice of moving on, and in the end, she found the happiness she rightfully deserved.

I wish I could reach the same type of closure someday and be happy at last.

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