Why can't they be together?


Akari and Takaki? Like, I don't understand. Why did they stop talking to each other lol? If they loved each other that much, they'd text each other and what not through the phone during high school. And when they grow up, they can marry each other. Sigh... What is actually stopping them? And don't say "life" like you're some all-knowing b*stard. If they really wanted to be together, they could have. And so I just don't understand why they didn't.

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Thats life, lol

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That is life.

No but seriously, she kind of moved on, even though she may have had feelings for him, or possibly still did, she had met someone else who she was happy with. Takaki didn't have that same kind of luck, but perhaps it could have happened in part 2. Just a thought.

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It was 1990s when they first met and kinda grew apart, at that time they could only write letters to each other. When they met for that night they didn't really have their updated contact info as Takaki was moving I believe the next day, so they lost touch and that's why they grew apart. That's how I see it anyways.

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No, they did keep in touch. It's apparent in the montage at the end. They tried to keep a long distance relationship, but in the end, they both stopped writing to each other. The best way to sum it up is basically the movie's theme--time and distance had separated them physically and emotionally.

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"There are many reasons why that happened, but the best way to sum it up is basically the movie's theme--time and distance had separated them physically and emotionally."

That seems to be a recurring theme with Makato Shinkai.

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thanks a lot fireinthewronghole (lol nice name), that helps a lot, but i always have it in the back of my head that she still loves him, maybe i am just used to "those" types of movies lols

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> fireinthewronghole (lol nice name)

lol thanks.

Just to elaborate, as I posted on another topic, they did keep in touch but just eventually stopped. As seen in the third episode, Takaki opened his mailbox and smiled, which implies that they were keeping in touch. And then we see Akari with a disappointed look on her face as she opened an empty mailbox. Then we see Takaki again, opening a mailbox and we see the same disappointed look, implying that Akari had now stopped writing too. Or at least they were writing less and less.

This is consistent with everything else we learn about them in the movie. During that same montage, we see Akari writing to Takaki with great pain. She tried to keep in touch with him and make it work between them. But on the other hand, there was Takaki. Takaki, even in middle school, found it difficult to translate his feelings to words as seen during the first part when Takaki was just staring at a blank piece of paper. He also writes text messages to nobody for that reason--he internalizes a lot of his feelings instead. And so his communication with Akari wound up being mainly one-sided, with more letters from Akari than from him.

Eventually, he didn't write that much anymore. And why would Akari write back as well? Little by little, Akari was left to ponder why Takaki stopped writing and the logical conclusion for her would be that Takaki no longer cares for her the same way. In which case, she would've had enough basis to move on. Basically, she would've formed her own conclusion and that would be enough to give her closure as opposed to Takaki, who would wind up seeing himself responsible for their complete separation and Takaki's regret was what left a part of himself stranded in the past.

So I don't think she still loved him. I think she truly did move on, although a part of her will always remember him. They sort of hint at this too, with subtle hints like Takaki and Akari waiting for the train to pass (which was meant to hint at the movie's theme--the passage of time as you wait for it to pass and the fact that it covers great distance) and how Takaki is left waiting at the end while Akari has gone on. (It's foreshadowed at the beginning too by the way. They're pretty much wearing the same clothes too if I remember correctly.) The point there was that Akari has moved on and Takaki didn't.

But while he hasn't moved on, Takaki didn't exactly love her anymore either. By the last part, it wasn't really Akari that he was longing for, but the idea of her.

But I do believe though that Takaki's smile at the end is meant to show that during that last scene, he had gained that small sense of the closure that he had been looking for and might be able to move on now.

It usually depends on the movie whether or not I want the couple to end up together, and for this one, while I want Takaki to find happiness, I'd rather just leave that to my imagination. (My interpretation of Takaki's smile pretty much does just that.) I think it would ruin the movie if they actually showed him getting with someone. And I wouldn't want that, this being my most favorite movie ever. =P

And by the way, the movie is not so much about wanting what you can't have, but about how spatial, emotional, and temporal distance can cause rifts between two people. In the first episode, it was more spatial distance--he was close to Akari emotionally and that is why the spatial distance hurt him so. In the second episode, while spatially close to Kanae, he was emotionally distant to her, which is why she winds up hurting. And in the last episode, the passage of time has disconnected Takaki entirely, which is why he is the way he is at the last episode. Altogether, like I said, the theme is how distance affects the hearts of people.

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wow @fireinthewronghole. That actually clears up a lot! Great explanation... the movie was moving fast in the 3rd story so it was really hard to keep up and know what's going on. I think they purposely did that though, so people could draw their own conclusions or perhaps just read it from somewhere...

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Thanks. =P

Yeah, I think they did it on purpose like you said. The fact that they chose to do it without the usual accompanying monologue and simply had the music playing not only makes it more poignant, but also allows the scenes to be left open to interpretation, which lets the viewer draw from their own personal experience to fill in the blanks. But at the same time, the actual events are there in the scenes to let us know what really happened. I thought it was very well-executed.

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Thanks a lot for writing that! It's so easy to understand now you've explained it.
^__^

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Fire,
Sorry, I don't know your first name!
Have ever had anyone else beside me tell you this their favorite movie of all time? MY girlfriend will come home and say "Jesus! We've got over 300 of our favorite movies ever made and I come and here you are watching 5 Centimeters again! After I got the soundtrack, which she agreed is beautiful, she now says she worries she'll come home and find me hanging in the garage from a rope! She couldn't be further from the truth of my feelings about this film. I need write to Makoto and tel him what it means to me. Do you think he would be pleased or offended? Does anyone have his email address? He, I think most here would agree, is a genius, pure and simple and has probably been told this a 1000 times.
Thanks, Fire.
Bruce
PS...may I have your name since we've struck up a friendship here? I would like that very much. I prefer your Japanese name to an Americanized one.















The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell. Don't go back to sleep.

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Hey there. Very sorry, I didn't realize you had replied to me in this thread.

lol @ your story about yourself and the movie. I get what you mean. While it is a sad movie, personally, it's the type of movie that gets me kinda meditating on that sadness and actually feeling much better after.

And yes, it is rather ingenious how Makoto Shinkai achieved that. So if you ever figure out his e-mail address, let me know since I would very much like to e-mail too.

So your name is Bruce? Pleasure to meet you. My name is Andy Arcangel (pronounced "archangel") and yes, that is my real last name. I'm actually not Japanese, I'm just very much into Japanese culture. ={

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Great post, I rarely read post this long, but your analysis on this movie was spot on. Thank you.

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fireinthewronghole, man this might be the best review I had come across on this boards for like 10+ years. I actually had a copy of it saved, in order to read after every time I watch this masterpiece :)

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How many people end up with their first love?Especially from elementary. Pretty much nobody does. I grew up a military brat so I always had to move.You try to keep in contact with old friends,girlfriends,etc but eventually you slowly stop writing,emailing,etc.And you find new people. Also Takaki could have contacted her if he wanted. The novel definitely explains more including his regret with Kanae. But basically after the train goes by he makes a decision to move on.






Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

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I think exactly the same. If I remember correctly he smiles at the end.
by the way I recommend the "voice of the distant stars" - great, and in a similar mood.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370754/

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Almost the exact same thing that happened in this Anime happened to me in real life. We went to highschool in Arizona, i moved back to Europe, then moved back to Arizona and then she moved on and left to Alaska. We are both 27 years old now.

But when somebody replies "That is life" it really is true. Life is very, very complicated

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