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“Around my house, there is a sakura tree. Is it the same back in Tokyo, where the sakura leaves fall at 5 centimetres per second?”

“… Do you still remember me, Takaki?”

It is yet another work of Makoto Shinkai, a tale about waiting, distance and time.

Episode summary

Around a sakura tree, a girl suddenly tells a guy that the sakura leaves fall at 5 centimetres per second before running off as the guy gave chase. His name was Takaki, while her name was Akari, two people who were closely knitted in the hearts. However, that was the last time they met as the girl had to move due to her parent’s job. As her first letter came three months later, she told Takaki that the weather was warming up, with the buildings in heat and the cool air con of the train stations. She then asked if he remembered her. The next letter came in autumn where she received her first letter, as we realized that Takaki would be moving out of Tokyo as well.

The next letter told him about the snow and wondered whether snow had fallen in Tokyo, as Takaki was in soccer practice. It seemed that the next letter from Akari acknowledged that Takaki was coming over, and she hoped that even though there would be a time when they would no longer be near enough to meet each other, there would still be a chance to meet. She was delighted to meet him on March 4th, as she said that it had been 1 year since they met. Akari was glad that they could meet and would wait for him at 7pm in the station.

A flashback 1 year ago showed them playing with a cat and discussing about some books. Takaki mentioned that since the two transfered to the same class and hanged out together, they were often teased by classmates but he would ignore all their attempts of pairing them up. He added that they would study college together but fate did not compel. Back to real time, Takaki was on his way as he found the new trip to be a puzzling experience.

There was yet another flashback of Akari calling to Takaki using a public phone, telling him that she had to move even though it was not of her wishes. She actually intended to stay under her grandmother but her young age meant that it was impossible for her parents to agree as she apologized to Takaki. Back in the train station, Takaki was waiting for the train as it was delayed, with the impending wait starting to worry him badly. The train was delayed for more than one hour, as the distance between the train stations seemed to be further and further. Every stop in a train station seemed exceedingly long, as the time for the meeting had reached without being close at all.

Takaki was angry at the fact that he did not have any kind words for her when she called to say she was leaving one year ago, even though she was clearly hurt. The first letter that she sent made him feel great but there was this loneliness in her letter. He wanted to tell her so much. Finally, he reached one of the interchange stations at 8 pm. With the snow building up and causing a train delay, he wanted to buy a drink as he grabbed his wallet from his pocket. However, the letter he wrote to Akari fell from his pocket and flew through the sky.

He recited how time was making fun of him as he was late for two whole hours. It was already 11.05 pm on his watch as he was able to arrive to the station, already four hours late. Getting stuck in the snow, he was biting his lips to force himself not to cry. In his mind, he wished that Akari would stop waiting for him.

As he finally reached the station, he walked out only to see a sleeping Akari waiting for him in the seats. He then moved toward her as she awoke, as she cried in happiness that he finally came. She had prepared some hot tea and bento for him and he was very hungry. He felt that it was good as they ate together, only for the train master to inform them that they were closing.

They then left the station, as she told him about the sakura tree, asking him if the snow fall was like the sakura leaves falling back at home. As an image of the old sakura tree appeared, as the emotions of waiting for each other finally emerged as they embraced for a kiss. After the kiss, Takaki said that he felt the warmth and spirit of Akari, as he felt that the kiss was a symbolization of everything he was in his 13 years. However, after the kiss, the sense of helplessness was around, as he wondered how these emotions could be handled but he was sure that they had a lot of time as the unease in his heart disappeared slowly.

That night, they stayed in a small shed as they wrapped each other in blankets and talked to each other for a long time. The next morning, Takaki said goodbye to Akari as Akari said that they would definitely have a chance to meet up after this meeting. Takaki asked her to call him or write letters to him, as he never told her that he had lost the letter for her in the travels to this station. He felt that the kiss had changed his reality as he looked up to the weather from the window…

Thoughts

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