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秒速５センチメートル [Byōsoku 5 Centimeter] #1-2
5 Centimeters per Second. Collector's edition
ONE MORE TIME…
Ever had trouble letting go of your love? A stunning official comics adaptation that manages to add new layers of emotion and intimacy to one of director Makoto Shinkai’s ( Your Name , Weathering with You , Suzume ) defining works—finally available in gorgeous hardcover!
“[W]hat this version has over the film—more depth. The format just allows for it, and Shinkai and Seike take advantage of that… So, if you’re a fan of the film, there are plenty of reasons to pick this version up. If you’ve never seen the film, I highly recommend it.” — ComicAttack
“Yukiko Seike’s adaptation acquits itself on all points. More than acquits itself, actually. Because as good as Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters is (and it is good), Seike’s 5 Centimeters is better… Roundly satisfying.” — Good Ok Bad
“History does not tend to smile on manga adaptations of anime properties… It is nothing short of a miracle that 5 Centimeters per Second is one of the best Japanese comics I have ever read … Seike’s take on the story is more human—a stunning feat considering the strong emotional punch of Shinkai’s original film.” — Ani-Gamers
“There are a number of things I expect from a romance manga, occasionally even things that change who I think I am. But I was genuinely shocked to find something in 5 Centimeters per Second that no other romance anime or manga has ever had. Good relationship advice.” — The Anime Harvest
Ever had trouble letting go of your love? A stunning official comics adaptation that manages to add new layers of emotion and intimacy to one of director Makoto Shinkai’s ( Your Name , Weathering with You , Suzume ) defining works—finally available in gorgeous hardcover!
“[W]hat this version has over the film—more depth. The format just allows for it, and Shinkai and Seike take advantage of that… So, if you’re a fan of the film, there are plenty of reasons to pick this version up. If you’ve never seen the film, I highly recommend it.” — ComicAttack
“Yukiko Seike’s adaptation acquits itself on all points. More than acquits itself, actually. Because as good as Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters is (and it is good), Seike’s 5 Centimeters is better… Roundly satisfying.” — Good Ok Bad
“History does not tend to smile on manga adaptations of anime properties… It is nothing short of a miracle that 5 Centimeters per Second is one of the best Japanese comics I have ever read … Seike’s take on the story is more human—a stunning feat considering the strong emotional punch of Shinkai’s original film.” — Ani-Gamers
“There are a number of things I expect from a romance manga, occasionally even things that change who I think I am. But I was genuinely shocked to find something in 5 Centimeters per Second that no other romance anime or manga has ever had. Good relationship advice.” — The Anime Harvest
468 pages, Hardcover
First published November 14, 2007
183 people are currently reading
5491 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 763 reviews
February 1, 2022
the way this utterly destroyed me
January 21, 2022
#moviediditbetter ( the movie was so aesthetically pleasing, like you can pause at any scene and make it your wallpaper)
I cried my eyes out on this line.Moving on, if I would have watched the movie before reading the book I would have avoided reading it. Coz the problem lies in storyline. The art is amazing as expected from Mr. Shinkai, he's a genius. The story was very sad compared to my tastes that's all. Mind you I love sad things but this was sad + depressing + boring and I don't like that combo..
I am searching for something
Something so undefined
That it can only be seen
By the eyes of blind
In the middle of the night
I cried my eyes out on this line.Moving on, if I would have watched the movie before reading the book I would have avoided reading it. Coz the problem lies in storyline. The art is amazing as expected from Mr. Shinkai, he's a genius. The story was very sad compared to my tastes that's all. Mind you I love sad things but this was sad + depressing + boring and I don't like that combo..
July 23, 2016
That ending:
Hi. I bought this book because my friend said it was really beautiful (potentially feelsy) and since I am a masochistic prick, of course I bought it. I wanted to read something fast, easy and heartbreaking. Boy, was this heartbreaking... The thing that is so heartbreaking is not that they might never see each other again, but that it was so uncertain of... everything.
This book is beautiful, and it's about love and drifting apart and finding yourself and... just life. It is heartbreaking and I loved it. I feel like it has a deeper meaning that I understand, in my soul and heart, but I can't put it to words... How do I describe this feeling of understanding?
I absolutely recommend you read this book if you want a sweet story.
Hi. I bought this book because my friend said it was really beautiful (potentially feelsy) and since I am a masochistic prick, of course I bought it. I wanted to read something fast, easy and heartbreaking. Boy, was this heartbreaking... The thing that is so heartbreaking is not that they might never see each other again, but that it was so uncertain of... everything.
This book is beautiful, and it's about love and drifting apart and finding yourself and... just life. It is heartbreaking and I loved it. I feel like it has a deeper meaning that I understand, in my soul and heart, but I can't put it to words... How do I describe this feeling of understanding?
I absolutely recommend you read this book if you want a sweet story.
February 5, 2023
*2.5 stars💫
May 5, 2019
I kinda see what this was trying to do, but to me it just felt like the story kinda went nowhere. Nothing really happened... they kinda just grew up and that's it.
November 18, 2023
"I don't quite understand yet what it really means to grow up. But what I want is to be a person who won't disappoint you."
Well, this was the definition of wistful and gloomy!
This is about Takaki, who we get to follow as he grows up from elementary school to beginning his career. His best friend in elementary school, Akari, ends up moving away before they start middle school. At first, they send letters back and forth, but soon, this dwindles, and neither remembers how it happened.
There's also the story of Kanae who meets Takaki in middle school and falls in love with him but realizes that he seems to be longing for something—someone—else, and it breaks her heart.
This ends up being a theme in his life, where he is not living in reality and allowing himself to have new experiences because he's stuck in the regret of not having kept his promise to Akari that they would always stay in contact.
Beyond this storyline of first loves, there's the ultimate theme of not really having a clear picture of what you want your future to look like and the stress and pressure that this brings. Then the melancholy of feeling like you chose wrong.
This was a relatable story, in many ways, though sometimes hard to follow as to which character was saying what, but I think it might be because I'm not that good at reading manga.
Also, the ending was great. I liked that it doesn't quite resolve anything, but just results in all the characters deciding to take life as it comes and not pressure themselves to figure things out right now.
"But I hope we meet again, in some new way, as new people and that something new starts. It's not a promise. May I just hope so?"
Promises are tricky. This story made me want to be more careful about my words as they really can maintain a hold on my heart and other people's.
I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation.
Well, this was the definition of wistful and gloomy!
This is about Takaki, who we get to follow as he grows up from elementary school to beginning his career. His best friend in elementary school, Akari, ends up moving away before they start middle school. At first, they send letters back and forth, but soon, this dwindles, and neither remembers how it happened.
There's also the story of Kanae who meets Takaki in middle school and falls in love with him but realizes that he seems to be longing for something—someone—else, and it breaks her heart.
This ends up being a theme in his life, where he is not living in reality and allowing himself to have new experiences because he's stuck in the regret of not having kept his promise to Akari that they would always stay in contact.
Beyond this storyline of first loves, there's the ultimate theme of not really having a clear picture of what you want your future to look like and the stress and pressure that this brings. Then the melancholy of feeling like you chose wrong.
This was a relatable story, in many ways, though sometimes hard to follow as to which character was saying what, but I think it might be because I'm not that good at reading manga.
Also, the ending was great. I liked that it doesn't quite resolve anything, but just results in all the characters deciding to take life as it comes and not pressure themselves to figure things out right now.
"But I hope we meet again, in some new way, as new people and that something new starts. It's not a promise. May I just hope so?"
Promises are tricky. This story made me want to be more careful about my words as they really can maintain a hold on my heart and other people's.
I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation.
February 28, 2016
Edit- Upping the ratings to four stars because so many days and books later, I still catch myself thinking about it at the oddest moments. My greatest quibble was the ending (still is) but upon serious reflection, I've decided that I wouldn't have it any other way because that's how life is! Relationships are messy things- they don't always go the way you want them to. You meet people, you grow to love them, you learn a great number of things from each other and there's always a solid chance that things might not work out (at times, circumstances are to be blamed) and I'm okay with that, too. I love how beautifully this truth of life is captured here. Yes, I'm bitter but I'm going to deal with it.
<8th January, 2016>
I'm so invariably pissed right now, and it's not because this manga was bad, oh ho ho...far from it.
The ending was awful (seriously, you can't end a story like that, where's your humanness???), and I wanted to shake Tono-kun and knock some sense into his dense head, perhaps. Because the whole woe is me act gets really old really fast, dude. And look, I get it, you're a kind person and a decent enough human being, but seriously get your shit together and stop toying with other people's feelings! D:
Yet, despite the bull-headed asshole of an H, this book deserves each of the three stars (or more) because the emotions conveyed were so beautiful and unalloyed that I almost cried a few times. BUT. Acting like an A-Grade asshole, not cool dude, not cool.
November 9, 2025
the only emotion i felt aside from confusion was aggravation — takaki was a complete loser, i’m sorry; i can’t wrap my head around the fact that so many women found him desirable and yearned after him for long… he was absolutely not desirable in any way.
——
can’t wait to be emotionally destroyed 💪🏼
——
can’t wait to be emotionally destroyed 💪🏼
May 24, 2014
First I read the novel, then I watched the film and after it, I read the manga. It made me cry on some of its part but of all the books that made me cry, this one is different.It's not like the other books that will make you cry an ocean . After reading it , the story has left a heavy depressing mark in my heart. yes, it's painful and depressing at the same time. The depressing aftereffect will make you think about life and about the power of time and distance to disconnect people's once strong bonds.
I could entirely relate to his(Takaki) feelings ...how hard it is to love someone who's too far from you. how hard it is to endure a world without that someone and trying your best to occupy your mind with different things but at the end of the day, you still think of that someone.
Somehow, later in life , we will meet a lot of people that will bring you into the different roller coaster of emotions but in the end no matter how many people you meet who made you somewhat happy and gave you much of experience, there's only one person who can fulfill the empty holes of your heart ....
I don't like how their story ended ....
But that's life ...
We have to endure it ...
It goes on ..
That's why we have to move on =(
But,
the thing I've learned from it the most is that,
we can never move on in life
without 'closure'.
I could entirely relate to his(Takaki) feelings ...how hard it is to love someone who's too far from you. how hard it is to endure a world without that someone and trying your best to occupy your mind with different things but at the end of the day, you still think of that someone.
Somehow, later in life , we will meet a lot of people that will bring you into the different roller coaster of emotions but in the end no matter how many people you meet who made you somewhat happy and gave you much of experience, there's only one person who can fulfill the empty holes of your heart ....
I don't like how their story ended ....
But that's life ...
We have to endure it ...
It goes on ..
That's why we have to move on =(
But,
the thing I've learned from it the most is that,
we can never move on in life
without 'closure'.
April 6, 2020
4.5 ⭐️
I love Makoto Shinkai’s work.
I watched the movie a long time ago, probably in middle school (God, I feel old), I remember being all sad and listening to one of the songs from the soundtrack for weeksss, it got to the point that I knew the lyrics by heart - mind you, it was in Japanese. (I can still remember the chorus word by word and it’s so flippin’ weird, like I can’t for the life of me remember more vital information but a Japanese song that featured as soundtrack for a 2007, 1 hr movie - sure, add it to the vault)
I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind to speak about this manga because I’m in a very cheery mood (as opposed to last night when I was flipping pages like my life depended on it) and the heavy emotional topics that this deals with require more contemplation and a more heartfelt and solemn delivery.
I’ll probably feel more in touch with the side of me that cares for beautiful metaphors and contemplation in regards to time, chance and human connection but at the moment all I can say is that I loved this.
It probably has to do with the fact that it triggers my emotional memory since I watched the movie during such a defining period in my teens but regardless of that, I don’t think anyone could regret reading this because you can definitely take something away from it, depending on how you interpret it..
I love Makoto Shinkai’s work.
I watched the movie a long time ago, probably in middle school (God, I feel old), I remember being all sad and listening to one of the songs from the soundtrack for weeksss, it got to the point that I knew the lyrics by heart - mind you, it was in Japanese. (I can still remember the chorus word by word and it’s so flippin’ weird, like I can’t for the life of me remember more vital information but a Japanese song that featured as soundtrack for a 2007, 1 hr movie - sure, add it to the vault)
I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind to speak about this manga because I’m in a very cheery mood (as opposed to last night when I was flipping pages like my life depended on it) and the heavy emotional topics that this deals with require more contemplation and a more heartfelt and solemn delivery.
I’ll probably feel more in touch with the side of me that cares for beautiful metaphors and contemplation in regards to time, chance and human connection but at the moment all I can say is that I loved this.
It probably has to do with the fact that it triggers my emotional memory since I watched the movie during such a defining period in my teens but regardless of that, I don’t think anyone could regret reading this because you can definitely take something away from it, depending on how you interpret it..
January 13, 2019
To see a preview of the art and a trailer for the film this graphic novel adaptation is based on, be sure to check out this review on my blog, Reading Robyn!
When you look back at your life what stands out?
The story behind 5 Centimeters per Second is one that will seem familiar no matter what your personal experiences are. At some point we all lose something, we all regret losing something, and we all long for the something we lost. For Tohno Takaki he fell in love at a very young age and lost the chance to experience it when the girl of his mutual affections, Shinohara Akari, moves far away. They fall out of touch, but she's the girl he just can't move on from. There's no closure, no ending, just a long silence of something that never got the chance to be anything.
This graphic novel is just two volumes long and is based off of the 2007 animated film of the same name. The author Makoto Shinkai also wrote and directed the film, which can only mean good things for the adaptation quality.
I'll be honest, it feels wrong to talk about the graphic novel without at least linking to the movie trailer. The art of the film is so beautiful that I almost feel like on a visual level it could be a better format for the story, but I will have to wait till I see it to make any comparisons. The trailer here is the subtitled version, though there is an English DUB of the movie as well.
As the story goes we see the various relationships Tohno falls in and out of. Growing up isn't easy, love isn't easy, but you've got to make it work somehow right?
What I enjoyed about the graphic novel is that we don't just see things from Tohno's perspective. This is not just his story, it's also Shinohara Akari's story, and Kanae Sumida's story, and a bit of Risa's story too. Normally these women would be considered secondary characters Tohno's narrative, but 5 Centimeters per Second stays true to its realism in making these characters have their own development and their own life story that we get to somewhat engage in.
Despite the overwhelming praise I've seen in people recommending this, I didn't come away from the book liking it as much as I thought I would.
The graphic novel has a unique perspective that as a reader you add your own personal meaning to the story being told. What stands out to me may not stand out to others and vice-versa. You may see this as a depressing story or you may see this as a hopeful story. Either way it's all up to how you interpret the characters and their interactions on a personal level.
The experiences I bring to it is part of the reason of why I just didn't enjoy the first part of the book with the events between Tohno and Shinohara Akari. I just couldn't see a good reason for why these two were so very attached to each other. As someone who has moved around a lot it was impossible for me to view their separation via distance as something as dramatic as the story needed it to be. Yes, people lose touch, but it's not impossible to stay in contact if you want to as badly as these two did. That personal experience I was talking about involved me moving 5 hours away from my best friend and we kept in constant contact for four years after after that move.
But not all was lost! I became quickly engaged in the story when the character of Kanae was introduced. I connected with her instantly, which made her the most relatable character in the story to me. Different people will connect with different characters. The great thing about this sort of story is that it isn't required of me to connect with each and every one in order to enjoy the book fully. 5 Centimeters per Second is like a collection of short stories that happen to be interwoven together as part of life's grander scheme. It's something that you'll want to read more than once just to see what you can devise from its meaning.
Despite any misgivings I had at the start, this graphic novel is something I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in reading it. I'm seriously looking forward to checking out the film just to experience this story again.
When you look back at your life what stands out?
The story behind 5 Centimeters per Second is one that will seem familiar no matter what your personal experiences are. At some point we all lose something, we all regret losing something, and we all long for the something we lost. For Tohno Takaki he fell in love at a very young age and lost the chance to experience it when the girl of his mutual affections, Shinohara Akari, moves far away. They fall out of touch, but she's the girl he just can't move on from. There's no closure, no ending, just a long silence of something that never got the chance to be anything.
This graphic novel is just two volumes long and is based off of the 2007 animated film of the same name. The author Makoto Shinkai also wrote and directed the film, which can only mean good things for the adaptation quality.
I'll be honest, it feels wrong to talk about the graphic novel without at least linking to the movie trailer. The art of the film is so beautiful that I almost feel like on a visual level it could be a better format for the story, but I will have to wait till I see it to make any comparisons. The trailer here is the subtitled version, though there is an English DUB of the movie as well.
As the story goes we see the various relationships Tohno falls in and out of. Growing up isn't easy, love isn't easy, but you've got to make it work somehow right?
What I enjoyed about the graphic novel is that we don't just see things from Tohno's perspective. This is not just his story, it's also Shinohara Akari's story, and Kanae Sumida's story, and a bit of Risa's story too. Normally these women would be considered secondary characters Tohno's narrative, but 5 Centimeters per Second stays true to its realism in making these characters have their own development and their own life story that we get to somewhat engage in.
Despite the overwhelming praise I've seen in people recommending this, I didn't come away from the book liking it as much as I thought I would.
The graphic novel has a unique perspective that as a reader you add your own personal meaning to the story being told. What stands out to me may not stand out to others and vice-versa. You may see this as a depressing story or you may see this as a hopeful story. Either way it's all up to how you interpret the characters and their interactions on a personal level.
The experiences I bring to it is part of the reason of why I just didn't enjoy the first part of the book with the events between Tohno and Shinohara Akari. I just couldn't see a good reason for why these two were so very attached to each other. As someone who has moved around a lot it was impossible for me to view their separation via distance as something as dramatic as the story needed it to be. Yes, people lose touch, but it's not impossible to stay in contact if you want to as badly as these two did. That personal experience I was talking about involved me moving 5 hours away from my best friend and we kept in constant contact for four years after after that move.
But not all was lost! I became quickly engaged in the story when the character of Kanae was introduced. I connected with her instantly, which made her the most relatable character in the story to me. Different people will connect with different characters. The great thing about this sort of story is that it isn't required of me to connect with each and every one in order to enjoy the book fully. 5 Centimeters per Second is like a collection of short stories that happen to be interwoven together as part of life's grander scheme. It's something that you'll want to read more than once just to see what you can devise from its meaning.
Despite any misgivings I had at the start, this graphic novel is something I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in reading it. I'm seriously looking forward to checking out the film just to experience this story again.
August 5, 2014
Please note: Minor spoilers have not been tagged. Only read this review, if you're completely okay with being spoiled, ever so slightly.
5 Centimeters per Second is a manga about two childhood friends who try to keep in touch but gradually lose contact with each other as time passes.
The story isn't just that though. It's about the feelings that come with first love; the concept of having to 'move on' from first crushes, friends, familiar surroundings. Constant changes.
I'm sure we can all remember a time when we said so-and-so person was our 'best-friend' at one point in our lives and now we've barely seen them or spoken to them. I'm sure we can remember a time we said we'd never forget someone when we were kids, but I'm sure if we ran into them, say tomorrow, we'd barely recognise them let alone remember who they were to us. As badly as I put that, it happens to all of us.
Takaki Tohno and Akari Shinohara became the best of friends in a short space of time. Sharing their interests in books mainly(YES). Never having been able to tell each other their true feelings, they move on to different towns and cities due to family circumstances.
Takaki Tohno says something so interesting in the novel:
It made me wonder if I'd ever felt like that about anything. The need to love something for fear of feeling like a failure.
And this is what ruined all of his relationships. Takaki not being able to overcome his initial love; not being to let go of Akari; not being able to understand that people drift apart and moving on with life does not make you a traitor. He failed to overcome his love for Akari for fear that he will be betraying his past self, and her.
We all want to hold our loved ones close. We all want to be with them for eternity but the harsh reality is, that we won't be able to hold on to them for that beautiful forever.
And that is what this manga is about. It teaches us the reality of our world. The reality of 'true love'. The fact that relationships do end. People drift apart, things get awkward, best friends don't talk every day. The world moves quickly. And if we decide to live our lives in the sweet memories of the past, it will indefinitely leave us behind.
5 Centimeters per Second is a manga about two childhood friends who try to keep in touch but gradually lose contact with each other as time passes.
The story isn't just that though. It's about the feelings that come with first love; the concept of having to 'move on' from first crushes, friends, familiar surroundings. Constant changes.
I'm sure we can all remember a time when we said so-and-so person was our 'best-friend' at one point in our lives and now we've barely seen them or spoken to them. I'm sure we can remember a time we said we'd never forget someone when we were kids, but I'm sure if we ran into them, say tomorrow, we'd barely recognise them let alone remember who they were to us. As badly as I put that, it happens to all of us.
Takaki Tohno and Akari Shinohara became the best of friends in a short space of time. Sharing their interests in books mainly
Takaki Tohno says something so interesting in the novel:
"I've always felt like it was a kind of defeat to come to like anyone else. Those earnest feelings I used to have. That serious...sincere longing. I could never forgive myself for losing hold of that longing."
It made me wonder if I'd ever felt like that about anything. The need to love something for fear of feeling like a failure.
And this is what ruined all of his relationships. Takaki not being able to overcome his initial love; not being to let go of Akari; not being able to understand that people drift apart and moving on with life does not make you a traitor. He failed to overcome his love for Akari for fear that he will be betraying his past self, and her.
We all want to hold our loved ones close. We all want to be with them for eternity but the harsh reality is, that we won't be able to hold on to them for that beautiful forever.
And that is what this manga is about. It teaches us the reality of our world. The reality of 'true love'. The fact that relationships do end. People drift apart, things get awkward, best friends don't talk every day. The world moves quickly. And if we decide to live our lives in the sweet memories of the past, it will indefinitely leave us behind.
April 1, 2016
Cuốn sách chẳng hay, hoặc ít nhất là buồn như người ta bảo và mình đã tưởng.
Thật ra thấy nó chán kinh và mình không thể ngấm nổi nội dung, ý nghĩa sâu xa thực sự của nó là gì.
Tóm lại là thất vọng toàn tập.
(À mình biết tại sao tên truyện là 5cm/s rồi, tốc độ diễn biến đúng chuẩn 5cm/s ._.)
Thật ra thấy nó chán kinh và mình không thể ngấm nổi nội dung, ý nghĩa sâu xa thực sự của nó là gì.
Tóm lại là thất vọng toàn tập.
(À mình biết tại sao tên truyện là 5cm/s rồi, tốc độ diễn biến đúng chuẩn 5cm/s ._.)
January 12, 2023
Beautifully drawn, gentle, sad, thoughtful, slow manga novel of first love and loss. For some of the characters, love and loss is the thing that ends up defining and paralyzing them. There are conversations that never take place, letters that are never sent, people right in front of you that you don’t really see. It’s heartbreaking.
(I loved the moment when Kanae finally caught that wave!)
I did feel that the ending was very abrupt and I wished for a more definite resolution.
(I loved the moment when Kanae finally caught that wave!)
I did feel that the ending was very abrupt and I wished for a more definite resolution.
April 23, 2019
This manga is all about mood and silent feelings. It's beautiful and sad if you're in the right frame of mind, but boring and pointless if you're not. I first started reading it when I wasn't in the right frame of mind, abandoned it when I realized I wouldn't enjoy it, then restarted it today, when it worked for me.
The story as such is pretty simple. Akari Shinohara is a girl who transferred to a new school, where she meets Tono Takaki, a boy who seems to like her. They become close friends - they read the same books, they dream together and everything seems possible to them. It's quite sweet, but then they have to move very far from each other because of their families. Even after they're separated, they manage to meet one last time, though, after a long trip by train, and missed connections, and snow. And the letter Tono wrote to confess his feelings for her is lost in the endless bad luck of that day.
But as it always happens, distance and lack of easy communication means they drift apart. Their letters become rarer and say less and less, until all they have left is the memory of a friendship, and the memory of his promise to become a person she would be proud of.
It creates a ripple in Tono's life, making him always unsettled, always unable to commit fully to a relationship, always inadequate, always telling himself he doesn't do the right thing or what matters most. And no, it doesn't really get resolved.
The story as such is pretty simple. Akari Shinohara is a girl who transferred to a new school, where she meets Tono Takaki, a boy who seems to like her. They become close friends - they read the same books, they dream together and everything seems possible to them. It's quite sweet, but then they have to move very far from each other because of their families. Even after they're separated, they manage to meet one last time, though, after a long trip by train, and missed connections, and snow. And the letter Tono wrote to confess his feelings for her is lost in the endless bad luck of that day.
But as it always happens, distance and lack of easy communication means they drift apart. Their letters become rarer and say less and less, until all they have left is the memory of a friendship, and the memory of his promise to become a person she would be proud of.
It creates a ripple in Tono's life, making him always unsettled, always unable to commit fully to a relationship, always inadequate, always telling himself he doesn't do the right thing or what matters most. And no, it doesn't really get resolved.
February 15, 2020
Šoreiz jānoslēpjas tumšā istabā, lai uzrakstītu šo atsauksmi, jo tā būs nedaudz ļoti personiska, tomēr man vismaz vienreiz gribas izteikties par šo konkrēto stāstu. Nezinu, vai izdosies ietērpt vārdos to, ko tas man lika just, bet man gribas pamēģināt.
Pirms vairākiem gadiem es izgāju cauri dažām romantiskajām animes filmām. Vienkārši bija tāds garastāvoklis. 5 Centimeters per Second bija viena no tām, turklāt tolaik internets to klasificēja kā vienu no labākajām. Lai gan es jau biju pazīstama ar japāņu jūtami atšķirīgo mentalitāti, kas ļoti pamanāma viņu neierastajā stilā, šī filma mani tiešām pārsteidza. Tas nebija patīkams pārsteigums. Es biju sasodīti vīlusies šajā stāstā! Tā gadās, ja pārmaiņas pēc gaidi kaut ko romantisku un saldu, bet tiec pie... pat grūti paskaidrot kā tieši. Sava veida realitātes devas?
Jāatzīst, ka pirmajā mirklī es absolūti nesapratu šī stāsta jēgu. Man tas likās kluss, bezjēdzīgs un vispār nekāds. "Nu kas tā vispār par romantiku, kas beidzas ar neko??? Kas tās vispār par beigām, stāsti parasti tā nebeidzas, beigās vienmēr kaut kas ir!" Un tomēr tas nepameta manas domas. Jo vairāk es par to domāju, jo vairāk sapratu, ka 5 Centimeters per Second bija kaut kas daudz reālistiskāks par lielāko daļu romantikas, kas parasti ir piedāvājumā. Šobrīd gan spēju atsaukt atmiņā arī dažas amerikāņu drāmas, kas savā ziņā parādīja ko līdzīgu, bet tajās bija daudz vairāk vārdu un notikumu, kas novērsa uzmanību, kamēr šis bija ļoti vērsts uz emocijām un iekšējo pasauli, ka atstāja ļoti daudz brīvas vietas manām pārdomām, kas nav zudušas arī pēc vairākiem gadiem. Nepagāja ilgs laiks līdz es tiešām spēju novērtēt redzēto un atzīt to par tiešām labu un vērtīgu. Nav daudz stāstu, kas būtu tik ļoti palikuši ar mani, bet šī reiz lielā vilšanās joprojām periodiski iepeld manās domās, atgādinot par visām tām spēcīgajām emocijām, ko reiz izjutu saskaroties ar šo stāstu, kas arī bija galvenais iemesls, kāpēc gribēju izlasīt šo filmas adaptāciju mangas formātā.
Pārāk neieslīgstot detaļās, stāsts ir par diviem cilvēkiem, kuru ciešo draudzību un mīlestību bērnībā izšķir attālums, un, lai gan viņi cenšas uzturēt kontanktus, laiks dara savu. Skaistais šajā stāstā ir tieši mazās detaļas, emocijas un domas, kas parāda mūžam paliekošo ietekmi, ko viens cilvēks var atstāt cita cilvēka dzīvē. To ir grūti aprakstīt vārdos. Kas arī ir iemesls 4 zvaigznēm - mangas versija mēģināja pārāk daudz ielikt vārdos. Man liekas, ka animācija vairāk parādīja un mazāk paskaidroja (lai gan pastāv iespēja, ka man vienkārši ir slikta atmiņa). Jebkurā gadījumā ir jauki, ka šajā versijā nedaudz vairāk uzmanības saņem arī citi tēli, kas parādījās stāstā.
Es labi apzinos, ka mani vienmēr visvairāk ietekmē romantisko attiecību atainojums japāņu izpildījumā, līdz ar to varbūt neesmu absolūti objektīva ar savu vērtējumu. Bet man tiešām liekas, ka nekur citur es neesmu redzējusi tik dziļas, sāpīgas un dzīvas emocijas. Tāpēc arī vajag paslēpties tumšā istabā, lai par to varētu izteikties, jo sāp tik ļoti, it kā pati būtu viens no šī stāsta salauztajiem varoņiem.
Pirms vairākiem gadiem es izgāju cauri dažām romantiskajām animes filmām. Vienkārši bija tāds garastāvoklis. 5 Centimeters per Second bija viena no tām, turklāt tolaik internets to klasificēja kā vienu no labākajām. Lai gan es jau biju pazīstama ar japāņu jūtami atšķirīgo mentalitāti, kas ļoti pamanāma viņu neierastajā stilā, šī filma mani tiešām pārsteidza. Tas nebija patīkams pārsteigums. Es biju sasodīti vīlusies šajā stāstā! Tā gadās, ja pārmaiņas pēc gaidi kaut ko romantisku un saldu, bet tiec pie... pat grūti paskaidrot kā tieši. Sava veida realitātes devas?
Jāatzīst, ka pirmajā mirklī es absolūti nesapratu šī stāsta jēgu. Man tas likās kluss, bezjēdzīgs un vispār nekāds. "Nu kas tā vispār par romantiku, kas beidzas ar neko??? Kas tās vispār par beigām, stāsti parasti tā nebeidzas, beigās vienmēr kaut kas ir!" Un tomēr tas nepameta manas domas. Jo vairāk es par to domāju, jo vairāk sapratu, ka 5 Centimeters per Second bija kaut kas daudz reālistiskāks par lielāko daļu romantikas, kas parasti ir piedāvājumā. Šobrīd gan spēju atsaukt atmiņā arī dažas amerikāņu drāmas, kas savā ziņā parādīja ko līdzīgu, bet tajās bija daudz vairāk vārdu un notikumu, kas novērsa uzmanību, kamēr šis bija ļoti vērsts uz emocijām un iekšējo pasauli, ka atstāja ļoti daudz brīvas vietas manām pārdomām, kas nav zudušas arī pēc vairākiem gadiem. Nepagāja ilgs laiks līdz es tiešām spēju novērtēt redzēto un atzīt to par tiešām labu un vērtīgu. Nav daudz stāstu, kas būtu tik ļoti palikuši ar mani, bet šī reiz lielā vilšanās joprojām periodiski iepeld manās domās, atgādinot par visām tām spēcīgajām emocijām, ko reiz izjutu saskaroties ar šo stāstu, kas arī bija galvenais iemesls, kāpēc gribēju izlasīt šo filmas adaptāciju mangas formātā.
Pārāk neieslīgstot detaļās, stāsts ir par diviem cilvēkiem, kuru ciešo draudzību un mīlestību bērnībā izšķir attālums, un, lai gan viņi cenšas uzturēt kontanktus, laiks dara savu. Skaistais šajā stāstā ir tieši mazās detaļas, emocijas un domas, kas parāda mūžam paliekošo ietekmi, ko viens cilvēks var atstāt cita cilvēka dzīvē. To ir grūti aprakstīt vārdos. Kas arī ir iemesls 4 zvaigznēm - mangas versija mēģināja pārāk daudz ielikt vārdos. Man liekas, ka animācija vairāk parādīja un mazāk paskaidroja (lai gan pastāv iespēja, ka man vienkārši ir slikta atmiņa). Jebkurā gadījumā ir jauki, ka šajā versijā nedaudz vairāk uzmanības saņem arī citi tēli, kas parādījās stāstā.
Es labi apzinos, ka mani vienmēr visvairāk ietekmē romantisko attiecību atainojums japāņu izpildījumā, līdz ar to varbūt neesmu absolūti objektīva ar savu vērtējumu. Bet man tiešām liekas, ka nekur citur es neesmu redzējusi tik dziļas, sāpīgas un dzīvas emocijas. Tāpēc arī vajag paslēpties tumšā istabā, lai par to varētu izteikties, jo sāp tik ļoti, it kā pati būtu viens no šī stāsta salauztajiem varoņiem.
March 26, 2013
Human interaction, this whole member of society thing, is hard. There's no rulebook, no trailguide. And everything that attempts to mark out the boundaries and admonish a sort of Best Practice approach to the world of humanity is just some arrogant SOB's shot in the dark based off what worked for her or him. Nobody really knows. And when you add to that the volatile mix of emotions and hormones, it becomes flatly miraculous that any of us can lay claim to even a modicum of success when it comes to Being Around People. Which is, of course, funny when one considers just how naturally social we are, as a people.
While I personally have at last settled into a comfortable kind of success on the interpersonal front, it took a while. Decades. And in those decades when I was trying to figure it out—trying to make friends and find love—I screwed things up often, badly, and often badly. I hurt people and was hurt by other people. My emotions overcame my reason—which only would have mattered if I knew what I was doing.
[I did this to someone once. I am shamed.]
For this reason, me being part of the broken human race and being smart and being stupid and being filled with love and distrust and kindness and anger—for this reason, watching Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second was a resonating experience. It felt true and honest. For all its awkwardness, for its sliver of a resolution, for its refusal to offer satisfaction—for all of that, I appreciated Shinkai for telling a story I could believe in. His film charts a love's gradual evolution into void through three segments. It's good and powerful and most viewers I hear from don't actually like the movie. My wife thought it was a good film that she never really wants to see again. Kind of like me and Grave of the Fireflies.
When I saw that Vertical had released an adaptation of the film, I was initially skeptical. Beyond the fact that adaptations from other mediums into comics rarely fair that well, any adaptation of Shinkai's film would have to navigate his reliance upon scene-to-scene and aspect-to-aspect cut. Part of the power of Shinkai's film comes from its staccato barrage of imagery, something impossible to adequately simulate in comics. And then, lastly, I wasn't sure I was in the mood to watch people engage in romantic suffering.
[I fell you, Kanae. I really do.]
I needn't have been concerned. Yukiko Seike's adaptation acquits itself on all points. More than acquits itself, actually. Because as good as Shinkai's 5 Centimeters is (and it is good), Seike's 5 Centimeters is better.
In truth, while sharing a foundation, the two are very different literary artifacts. Kind of like comparing James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans with Michael Mann's. Seike takes Shinkai's rather terse script and expands on it... expansively. Her sense for a story that either was only hinted at in the source or even didn't exist at all is robust. Characters get backstories. Relationships develop. Takaki's girlfriend has enough dialogue to make the dissolution of their relationship mean something—and we actually bear witness to that dissolution. And where Shinkai's original ends in three chapters, Seike's creates an entire additional fourth chapter, moving Shinkai's world well beyond it's original purpose.
With all of her additions, Seike's adaptation strikes an entirely different vibe and its tonal difference is dramatic. While my wife might not ever want to see the film again, I'm certain she wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that she might return to the book. While Seike doesn't obliterate Shinkai's original conclusion, she does offer something more satisfying (at least to Western readers who delight in loose ends being tied and clipped). I am one of those who appreciated what I imagined Shinkai to be saying with his mostly downbeat1 1 conclusion. I thought his ending was natural to the story he was telling. (Caveat: I was also fine with the conclusion of John Sayles 1999 film Limbo, whose ending was booed in my audience.) That said, Seike's version is the more mature work and its length and heavy use of dialogue allow it to explore the implications of Shinkai's world a bit more insightfully.
Probably because of Shinkai's interests combined with his film's barely-over-an-hour runtime, the original's focus was acute. It was solely concerned with Takaki and how his inability to hold onto love dominated and destroyed his life (at least for a time). Seike's version treats that but also explores the ramifications of Takaki's brokenness. We are all every one of us participants in our societies and even our most internal struggles leave marks on the outside world. Our joys, fears, activities, ideologies—everything—affect those around us, even those we fail to notice. Seike's 5 Centimeters explores that in a way that Shinkai's was either unable or unwilling to do. And Seike's epilogue takes Takaki's story beyond where we previously saw it end and does so in a way that's both true to Shinkai's 5 Centimeters and true to the new vision, which Seike has developed.
Roundly satisfying, I liked this. It was good. I felt like I was reading something worth my time—which is a remarkable thing for an adaptation. Mature loves stories in comics aren't the most common find, so any solid literary romance is worth pursuing and supporting.
_____________________
Note
1) There's a bare trickle of hope in the final frames of the film, though not enough to overwhelm the far greater sense of loss.
_____________________
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad.]
While I personally have at last settled into a comfortable kind of success on the interpersonal front, it took a while. Decades. And in those decades when I was trying to figure it out—trying to make friends and find love—I screwed things up often, badly, and often badly. I hurt people and was hurt by other people. My emotions overcame my reason—which only would have mattered if I knew what I was doing.
[I did this to someone once. I am shamed.]
For this reason, me being part of the broken human race and being smart and being stupid and being filled with love and distrust and kindness and anger—for this reason, watching Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second was a resonating experience. It felt true and honest. For all its awkwardness, for its sliver of a resolution, for its refusal to offer satisfaction—for all of that, I appreciated Shinkai for telling a story I could believe in. His film charts a love's gradual evolution into void through three segments. It's good and powerful and most viewers I hear from don't actually like the movie. My wife thought it was a good film that she never really wants to see again. Kind of like me and Grave of the Fireflies.
When I saw that Vertical had released an adaptation of the film, I was initially skeptical. Beyond the fact that adaptations from other mediums into comics rarely fair that well, any adaptation of Shinkai's film would have to navigate his reliance upon scene-to-scene and aspect-to-aspect cut. Part of the power of Shinkai's film comes from its staccato barrage of imagery, something impossible to adequately simulate in comics. And then, lastly, I wasn't sure I was in the mood to watch people engage in romantic suffering.
[I fell you, Kanae. I really do.]
I needn't have been concerned. Yukiko Seike's adaptation acquits itself on all points. More than acquits itself, actually. Because as good as Shinkai's 5 Centimeters is (and it is good), Seike's 5 Centimeters is better.
In truth, while sharing a foundation, the two are very different literary artifacts. Kind of like comparing James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans with Michael Mann's. Seike takes Shinkai's rather terse script and expands on it... expansively. Her sense for a story that either was only hinted at in the source or even didn't exist at all is robust. Characters get backstories. Relationships develop. Takaki's girlfriend has enough dialogue to make the dissolution of their relationship mean something—and we actually bear witness to that dissolution. And where Shinkai's original ends in three chapters, Seike's creates an entire additional fourth chapter, moving Shinkai's world well beyond it's original purpose.
With all of her additions, Seike's adaptation strikes an entirely different vibe and its tonal difference is dramatic. While my wife might not ever want to see the film again, I'm certain she wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that she might return to the book. While Seike doesn't obliterate Shinkai's original conclusion, she does offer something more satisfying (at least to Western readers who delight in loose ends being tied and clipped). I am one of those who appreciated what I imagined Shinkai to be saying with his mostly downbeat1 1 conclusion. I thought his ending was natural to the story he was telling. (Caveat: I was also fine with the conclusion of John Sayles 1999 film Limbo, whose ending was booed in my audience.) That said, Seike's version is the more mature work and its length and heavy use of dialogue allow it to explore the implications of Shinkai's world a bit more insightfully.
Probably because of Shinkai's interests combined with his film's barely-over-an-hour runtime, the original's focus was acute. It was solely concerned with Takaki and how his inability to hold onto love dominated and destroyed his life (at least for a time). Seike's version treats that but also explores the ramifications of Takaki's brokenness. We are all every one of us participants in our societies and even our most internal struggles leave marks on the outside world. Our joys, fears, activities, ideologies—everything—affect those around us, even those we fail to notice. Seike's 5 Centimeters explores that in a way that Shinkai's was either unable or unwilling to do. And Seike's epilogue takes Takaki's story beyond where we previously saw it end and does so in a way that's both true to Shinkai's 5 Centimeters and true to the new vision, which Seike has developed.
Roundly satisfying, I liked this. It was good. I felt like I was reading something worth my time—which is a remarkable thing for an adaptation. Mature loves stories in comics aren't the most common find, so any solid literary romance is worth pursuing and supporting.
_____________________
Note
1) There's a bare trickle of hope in the final frames of the film, though not enough to overwhelm the far greater sense of loss.
_____________________
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad.]
September 14, 2024
4.0 Stars
This was such an emotional story. I went into it blind and got to experience the slow building story without any preconceived ideas. It is a long manga but I flew through it because the story was so engrossing.
This was such an emotional story. I went into it blind and got to experience the slow building story without any preconceived ideas. It is a long manga but I flew through it because the story was so engrossing.
April 6, 2021
Maybe I’d get it better if I saw the movie but.... what’s this about? I read it and I still can’t really say. I did like seeing Takaki grow up; it’s not often we follow manga characters into adulthood. It seemed like a story about growing up and moving on but it seemed convoluted and switched between characters and places abruptly.
I think this kind of story is suited for animation. I want to see the movie at some point.
I think this kind of story is suited for animation. I want to see the movie at some point.
May 19, 2021
The art in this book was so beautiful especially with the cherry blossom trees. Also the snow fall, it was so beautiful. One of my favorite things about this was the characters for how realistic they were and it was easy to connect with them. The plot was a point of let down for me. It started off strong but in the end it kind of went nowhere, and I think a part of it is that in the second half there were POV’s of side characters to the point we got less information on the main characters. The ending also leaves you wanting more in that you want to know whether some of these characters were able to overcome the obstacles that have held them back from moving forward. Which shows that not all of the characters fully grow in the story which spans from middle school to years after college. Overall, there was some really interesting aspects but I wasn’t in love with the story.
March 1, 2025
This book was very frustrating. Characters kept saying they had to move on from their past but we never actually see that happen. Also what kind of ending was that?? I did tear up at certain moments but I felt like this had so much wasted potential. :( I also flew through this so three stars it is.
October 26, 2015
This is a beautifully written and heartbreaking story. The author does a amazing job of showing the fault of building a person up your mind, until they become more than a person, at least to you. This is shown through Takaki, the main character in the story who fell in love with a a girl in elementary school. After promising and failing to keep in touch as the years went by due to both having moved away from each other, he lets this idea of her and the feelings he once had build up to the point were he is constantly stuck in the past, unable to move on in life. This becomes a problem as his inability to move begins to affect his relationships with other people. He is so focused on the past and the future that he misses all the good that's right in front of him. A realization he comes to later on in his adult life, but not after hurting a few people along the way. I know most people will probably disagree with me on this but I enjoyed the ending. It kinda gave me some hope that Takaki has finally put the past behind him, and maybe make up for past mistakes. Cause seriously, poor Kanae,and Risa.
September 25, 2016
¿Sabéis eso de que hay obras que causan menos impresión al releerlas? Bueno, pues "5 centímetros" no es de ésas. No sé qué fue más chungo, si descubrir la historia por primera vez, o releerla sabiendo a cada escena lo que va a pasar.
La película original era una obra maestra y esta adaptación al manga está a la altura, tanto por la calidad del dibujo como por los añadidos que hace para completar la historia (aunque el final pueda gustar más el de una versión o el de otra).
No diría que es una obra romántica o de amor. Hay amor, pero es más la causa inicial que lo que hace avanzar la trama. También me encanta que sea un dramón sin necesidad de recurrir a enfermedades terminales, asesinatos y demás exageraciones.
En definitiva, visualmente preciosa (tanto la película como el manga), con una historia diferente y unos personajes de los que te encariñas y que consiguen implicarte en su historia.
La película original era una obra maestra y esta adaptación al manga está a la altura, tanto por la calidad del dibujo como por los añadidos que hace para completar la historia (aunque el final pueda gustar más el de una versión o el de otra).
No diría que es una obra romántica o de amor. Hay amor, pero es más la causa inicial que lo que hace avanzar la trama. También me encanta que sea un dramón sin necesidad de recurrir a enfermedades terminales, asesinatos y demás exageraciones.
En definitiva, visualmente preciosa (tanto la película como el manga), con una historia diferente y unos personajes de los que te encariñas y que consiguen implicarte en su historia.
July 30, 2019
Like the characters in this book, the reader is left with several questions, none of which are answered.
Unlike the characters in this book, I will not spend years pining after a resolution to the story.
Unlike the characters in this book, I will not spend years pining after a resolution to the story.
January 31, 2022
4.5
Where is the 2nd part?!!! WHERE IS IT?!! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!
Where is the 2nd part?!!! WHERE IS IT?!! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!
January 24, 2023
The first quarter was good but the rest was so boring and uninteresting.
October 1, 2023
I would have given it a 5 star, if we had an another chapter with a closure, a proper ending. It is seriously haunting me like, what happened, she met him? She moved on?
Gosh!!!
I need another chapter.
Gosh!!!
I need another chapter.
October 18, 2013
My bestfriend used to recommend the movie version of this to me, I didn't watch it because... I don't know, I didn't feel like watching it. Then the other day I saw it has a graphic novel, I bought it and started reading it and boy, was it good! At first I thought it was just a boring and dramatic story, I was about to stop reading it but I'm glad I didn't. This story is beautiful! It's a story about two friends who, growing up, realised that they have a certain special feeling for one another. Unfortunately the boy had to move to a far place so they had to be separated, but they kept in touch through letters which eventually stopped until the distance between their souls grew apart. This is a very realistic story, filled with emotions (lots of painful emotions!). A lot of people criticizes this story for its "bad" ending, they didn't like it because you know they want a happy ending. For me, it wasn't a "bad" ending, it was actually one of the best endings I've ever read! I have to admit that I've got frustrated at the ending, I was so depressed, I couldn't take what happened to them! I was, in the middle of reading, expecting that somehow they'll see each other again and be together in their "happily every after" world but that didn't happen. Even if I was totally depressed at the ending of this story, I still liked it a lot because finally it was not your usual "happy ever after" ending in every shoujo mangas out there, I'm a fan of different-unexpected endings (you know, not the they get married or someone dies ending)I gave it a 5 star because this book punched my heart so hard I couldn't sleep the night I've finished reading this (I sounded like a masochist LOL) As what everyone has said, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MOST DEPRESSING NOVEL THERE IS. Depressing and beautiful. It thought me that there are things or people that can't stay forever with us, there will be a time that we have to be apart from something we care so much and there's nothing we can do but to accept the pain of losing that special thing or person and move on with life because the world will not stop on rotating nor revolving for you to get over with it. *inhales deeply* I think I'm going to cry again. *sobs*
Read
February 28, 2023normal people by sally rooney but make it manga
May 7, 2021
this book ohmygod.
my heart feels so so so sad and broken.
it was terribly realistic and that’s crazy scary.
all i hope is that i don’t turn out this way, ever.
akari and takaki —> much love <3
(4 stars cause bittersweet ending)
5/5 - whole book
6/5 - page 400-410
7/5 - page 403-404
i tend to find myself in the same situation and i pray so much that i don’t end up like this. PLEASE.
this book was crazy sad, and that ending. WOW. ugh.
also the quotes, WOAH OKAY. I’ve tabbed all of them and my favourite scenes so YES.
(giving this to my friend now so he can read it and cry lol
also watching the movie now :( )
my fav ->
“I don’t quite understand yet what it really means to grow up. But what I want is to be a person who won’t disappoint you if we happen to meet somewhere, someday a long time from now.”
my heart feels so so so sad and broken.
it was terribly realistic and that’s crazy scary.
all i hope is that i don’t turn out this way, ever.
akari and takaki —> much love <3
(4 stars cause bittersweet ending)
5/5 - whole book
6/5 - page 400-410
7/5 - page 403-404
i tend to find myself in the same situation and i pray so much that i don’t end up like this. PLEASE.
this book was crazy sad, and that ending. WOW. ugh.
also the quotes, WOAH OKAY. I’ve tabbed all of them and my favourite scenes so YES.
(giving this to my friend now so he can read it and cry lol
also watching the movie now :( )
my fav ->
“I don’t quite understand yet what it really means to grow up. But what I want is to be a person who won’t disappoint you if we happen to meet somewhere, someday a long time from now.”
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