秒速５センチメートル - 第１話 桜花抄

やっと来ました～！
新海誠の秒速５センチメートル - 第１話：桜花抄


The Japanese animation movie most anticipated this Spring - Shinkai Makoto's Byousoku 5 Senchimetoru. The first part of three, entitled Chapter 1 : Oukashou, delivered what the trailer had promised - top notch animation, excellent voice acting, gorgeous graphics, and beautiful music.

For some (maybe obvious) reason, animation movies are of higher quality than animation series. It probably has to do with the budget and direction, but animation movies have such fluid scene transition and fine-tuned animation it blows your mind. My first exposure to such superb quality animation was when I watched Miyazaki's Spirited Away. The animation of the characters and the scenes were very real. And I loved the graphics and colors. Although the plot was more supernatural, the voice acting was pretty good and dramatic.

Take Miyazaki's Spirited Away and multiply the quality by 5 times - you get Shinkai Makoto's Byousoku 5 Senchimetoru. While I do love Spirited Away, the first chapter of Byousoku 5 Senchimetoru really blew my mind. I love love love the way Shinkai-san animated the falling sakura petals and snowflakes... the sceneries throughout the Oukashou chapter were simply surreal. The animation is simply very REAL, especially in character-less scenes, i.e. the moving JR train, the falling snow at the train station, the gust of spring breeze carrying falling sakura petals, the reflection of lights against the classroom chairs,.... I could go on and on. I have never experienced such gorgeous graphics and animation. And this is only the first part of three.

I must also mention the plot and the direction of Oukashou.
In one word : brilliant.
The direction is very good because you can feel the frustration welling inside Takaki-kun when his train is delayed at every station as the snow falls mercilessly. You can feel his dismay as the snowstorm stood in his way and time passes by him in his journey to meet Akari-chan. You can feel the pain crushing Akari-chan when she relayed to Takaki-kun that she had to transfer to Tochigi. Most of all, the excellent direction makes the audience wonder if the deep bond and love Takaki and Akari had for each other could stand against the growing physical distance between them. Will they see each other again? Will time erase all special feelings they now held dear? Will time and distance drift apart two individuals with such strong affection for each other?

第３話　秒速５センチメートル holds the answer.




Please visit 秒速５センチメートル for more gorgeous images and trailers.

～みはる～