At nearly two years after 5 Centimeters Per Second’s theatrical release in Japan, it would be fair to say that this is a pretty late review. Usually I would shift the blame for that on to how the whole localisation and distribution process leaves us Europeans often years behind Asia – and I wouldn’t be being utterly dishonest – but I have to admit that there has been other factors at play causing this delay. First I had to find the right time to watch it, which meant a time when both myself and my partner could sit down together – while much of my anime watching is done on my own, watching a Makoto Shinkai film for the first time without her would be unthinkable. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, ever since the end credits rolled, I’ve been dreading writing this review. Never before has an anime film left me feeling so conflicted.
