Young love, missed connections, and unrequited feelings collide in a romance from Makoto Shinkai, the visionary director of Weathering With You and Your Name. Told in three vignettes, 5 Centimeters Per Second: A Chain Of Short Stories About Their Distance explores the joys and heartache of falling in love set against the backdrop of the breathtaking visuals that define Shinkai’s work. Takaki yearns to spill his heart out for childhood crush Akari, but both of their families move away before any feelings can fully blossom. They stay in touch, but eventually drift apart with school and new friends to distract them. As the seasons pass, Takaki navigates his relationships while haunted by all the things he left unsaid with Akari, his first love.

Also included is Voices of a Distant Star, the debut film from Makoto Shinkai, available for the first time on Blu-ray in North America.

For thoughts on 5 Centimeters Per Second, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.

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Video Quality

5 Centimeters Per Second comes to Blu-Ray from Shout! Factory and GKIDS with a sumptuous 1080p transfer. This was previously released on Blu-Ray from Discotek Media, but I do not have access to that disc to compare. Released just three years after The Place Promised In Our Early Days, there is a keen sense that there have been advances in the animation style in that time. Much like that title, there are no age-related anomalies present in the animation. Black levels are very deep with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort.

The textures of the character designs and the environments, in particular, are a marvel as the film renders with so much depth that you feel as if you could reach out and touch it. Shinkai has a gift for getting the most out of his environments, and it has scarcely been as important as it is in this feature. The level of detail you find when you explore these environments is astounding. The gorgeous colors on display are captured perfectly within this transfer. The character designs capture the naturalism of the story while still providing rich detail. This Blu-Ray presentation is a jaw-dropper.

Voices of a Distant Star is a bit more rough around the edges due to the age and animation style used to bring it to life, but it likewise looks really nice as we finally have a copy available in high definition. From where I stand, this one looks about as stable and pleasant as you could hope for on the format given its source. The transfer is free of digital artifacts and is crisp without looking artificial.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio lossless track in its original Japanese and a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track for the dubbed English version with optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. More than any other film I have seen from Makoto Shinkai, 5 Centimeters Per Second is by far the most gentle and driven strictly by dialogue. This might mean that the track does not offer a bombastic soundscape, but it provides the lovely sounding experience that you desire with this narrative. Dialogue comes through crystal clear at all times without being overshadowed by the score or any other environmental sounds. There are some subtle nature effects in the rear channels that add texture to the story, but it is not forceful in this regard. The stirring score is precise in its placement throughout the room as it envelops the audience. The low end is next to nonexistent in this story. While the story does not necessitate a complex sonic experience, GKIDS have honored the film with this release.

Special Features

5 Centimeters Per Second

Feature Length Storyboard: An option to view the entire film in rough sketch form in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and optional English subtitles.

Interviews with Japanese Voice Cast: A 37-minute assortment of vintage interviews with the four main Japanese voice cast members in which they discuss distinct traits of their characters, how they felt upon learning they were going to be involved with the film, what it was like working with director Makoto Shinkai, their first attempts at dubbing anime, funny moments from the production, favorite moments within the story, how they feel after watching the film, getting to meet the audience and more.

Interview with Director Makoto Shinkai: A nearly 37-minute vintage interview with Shinkai in which he discusses the poetic nature of the title, working in a series of short stories, the process of finding the right vocal performers for his characters, what he experienced during the production of the film, testing out new ideas, what he tries to accomplish with scenery, what he wants the audience to take away from the story and more.

Music Video: A nearly six-minute video for “One More Time, One More Chance” is provided here.

Trailers: A two-and-a-half minute collection of two trailers is provided here.

Voices Of A Distant Star

Voices Of A Distant Star: The 25-minute debut film is presented for first time on Blu-Ray in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 with English subtitles.

She and Her Cat Short: The five-minute short film is presented in HD with Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and optional English subtitles. This is a very pleasant and poignant addition to the disc.

Interview with Director Makoto Shinkai: A nine-minute vintage interview with Shinkai in which he discusses his initial inspiration to make this debut film, the actual creation of the film, the elements he had to pay special attention to, the benefits of making a digital anime alone, his plans for the future and more.

Feature Length Storyboard: An option to view the entire film in rough sketch form in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and no English subtitles.
Trailers: A five-minute collection of three trailers is provided here.

Final Thoughts

5 Centimeters Per Second is the type of narrative that stops you in your tracks and makes you reflect upon your own life. The experience itself is only a bit over an hour long, but its brevity does not rob it of its intense beauty and heartbreaking truths about relationships and coming of age. This package also includes his debut Voices of a Distant Star, which traffics in themes that any fan of Shinkai will recognize in a split second. Even in this early outing, the creative strikes the right balance of the bitter and the sweet when it comes to love that transcends unbelievable boundaries. Shout! Factory has released a Blu-Ray with a grand A/V presentation and a really engaging collection of special features. If you love heartache and humanity in your anime, this one will destroy you in the best way. Recommended

5 Centimeters Per Second is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Factory and GKIDS have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.