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It is quite an old movie. Still...

SPOILER ALERT

I finished watching the movie and manga a few years ago. I've just finished the novel by Shinkai-sensei.

After watching and reading through these, I completely can't figure out why Takaki's relationships couldn't last.

He had 3 relationships, 2 during his university life and 1 with Mizuno. Let's just put the first two aside, I think he's going well with Mizuno. But, at last, when he took Mizuno to the station where he and Akari met each other again, he just couldn't and cried. Why?

Because judging from the novel, it seems like he was not trapped in the memories with Akari when he was going out of Mizuno, not to say that he'd forgotten the memories.

In my opinion, the last scene, where Akari and Takaki passed by each other, only Takaki was relieved and really started to move on.

But what really was Tataki's struggle?

icefire112233
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  • Could the reason perhaps be obscure and untold on purpose? Maybe it's just supposed to be *that* kind of story where you have to trust that this is how it is, and it's out of the characters' control. And then comes the sadness because nothing can be done. This is what it seems like to me. – Hakase Sep 12 '16 at 01:27
  • @hakase I'm more inclined to think that it's what Shinkai-sensei wants us to figure it out. – icefire112233 Sep 12 '16 at 03:41
  • Judging by the animation quality I think the plot here is very much secondary to the visual portion of the movie. It's just not their goal here, they're showing off how well they can draw, but they also need *some* plot, so that's what they thought of. As a bonus, it might get us confused and have a reason to rewatch it, which is good for them in terms of additional movie theater ticket and bluray sales. – Hakase Sep 12 '16 at 08:48
  • @Hakase I think instead of watching the movie again, read the novel and manga would be thousand times better. There are lots of things they didn't show in the movie. The point you made is so similar to what my friend said to me. – icefire112233 Sep 12 '16 at 11:04
  • I would have to agree. I got the new crunchyroll dub.......which needs to be REDONE by someone like Sentai or Funimation.........and for the life of me I did not like it as much as the manga. The movie seemed to lack all the depth and character that the manga had. Now I just need to get the novel. – NZKshatriya Oct 24 '16 at 06:48

2 Answers2

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I do not think this has a definite answer. 5cm was about love, growing up, and all that entails. So in truth only Shinkai knows exactly what was meant.

What I can offer is what I felt was Takaki's issue.

He never quite got over the fact that he failed to send that letter.

In my view, it could have been a self-imposed sense of not worth being in a relationship, or other such things that we do to ourselves when things do not work out.

in other instances he seems to be getting into a relationship trying to fill the emptiness left after losing his first love. And that is a mistake that a lot of people end up making. The end lesson in life, is that you cannot fill a void left by one person with a different person. That void will always be there. One just has to learn how to live with the pain that happens in love and life. Takaki does not seem to do that very well.

My answer might not be the kind one can be backed up with research, and you may not agree with it, but it is the only answer that I believe can be given for this specific movie/book.

NZKshatriya
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I read the manga and watched the movie several times, it has a slice-of-life genre, so I came to a conclusion. He just can't move on. The feelings, memories, and Akari. But... In the last scene, he decided to move on. Remember the passing train? It symbolizes that life moves on and so, he did.

wwwMarvsdotcom
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    move on how? and from what? please make your answer self-sufficient coz right now you have to know things that some readers don't know or remember to understand your answer – Hakase Sep 13 '16 at 04:06
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    It's not clear to me how this answers OP's question. The question is about an aspect of the novelization of _5 Centimeters per Second_, which you don't appear to have read. – senshin Sep 13 '16 at 04:13
  • From the way you wrote your first line, you come across as saying that this being a slice of life anime led you to the conclusion that he could not move on. – NZKshatriya Oct 19 '16 at 06:02