(5 Centimeters per Second)

Interview in Movie Pamphlet

Note: The below article includes small spoilers.

  and have connection to the huge world -

I made a full-length film "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" last time. So my first idea in this time was I wanted to make some short films as the next work. Then, I wrote several short stories like novel as script; and when I picked three stories from those, I thought the three main characters can be integrated into one. So I decided to take a style of chained short films.

Furthermore, as a method I adopt for the visual works in the film, I'd have liked to use the way of moving and speaking of the real person. I hoped to translate real person's "breaths" into the art style of animation. I have been considering that short film is the most suitable style if I would try it. The story of this work was based on the real world without fantasy settings. It fitted nicely for my aim.

The advanced point of animation is that we can show more beautiful landscape than the real world. A creator can pour something beyond language into the beautifulness. In addition, I think landscapes can be the most intimate "cure" when we feel sad or pain. Even if your emotions didn't reach someone, and you could do nothing for it, you can see from panoramic viewpoint that you are surrounded by beautiful landscapes and have connections to the huge world. Although the second episode is a sad story of hopeless love, alternatively, we drew the landscapes more beautifully. If some of audiences were in such a hard situation and have difficult time, I hope my work would be a little help for them.

I don't have such an ardent experience like Takaki. (Laugh) However, actually Utsunomiya Line had been stand-stilled when I was on. It was not reflected directly to this work but the train was stuck by snow, so I had been locked in it all through the night. (Laugh) As you are saying, some of my feelings and thinking in daily life appear directly in the work as words or sense, although they are not my raw experiences.

I'd have liked to make this story as an encouragement; even I myself would have been encouraged when watched it back afterward. For example, what I wanted to make in the first episode was a simple story of single-minded boy with simple motivation. He takes action because simply he wanted to meet a girl. And he fall into hopelessness only by train delays. But I think everyone has such a age living passionately for some simple thing, don't you think so?
And, we also need to cast such earnestness back in some time. I hope it can be a help of them. The stage of this story is daily life, but each three stories have big emotional ups and downs. I hope you feel various things from watching it.

The story could be finished nicely even if by happy-ending, and the story could be developed more after the ending if I want. But, when I thought about why I was making this story, I choose that ending. A movie may be required clear conclusion, but our real life never have such those things. I wanted to make my work as honest as possible to the people living in this real life now. Exceptionally, there is a possibility of miracle, like accidental reunion in daily life. That would be able to happen actually. The world is enough to include such beautiful and happy things. That was one of what I wanted to draw.

This work may be like what you say. I know my carrier and skills are not enough as an animation creator. When I think about that, I think to particular about arts as much as I can is the way to make my works effective and to show up and make appeals the differences from other existing animations. And, as you know, "I novel" style is not so many in other animations. I believe what I can do among many other great animations are such things. I'm very blessed now because I am in the place ready to create works and some people is waiting those. As long as they need my works, I will continue making particulared careful works in the future.

April 14, 2007 by Daike / Tokyo, Japan
Last Modified : April 7, 2007