Skip to content
MovieCove
5 Centimeters per Second

5 Centimeters per Second

At what speed must I live to see you again?

200763 minTV-PGMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Director
Makoto Shinkai
Starring
Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Risa Mizuno

Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.

Where to watch

Where can I watch 5 Centimeters per Second?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists 5 Centimeters per Second streaming on HBO Max.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about 5 Centimeters per Second?

5 Centimeters per Second earns 11 badges, led by Universally Loved and Visual feast.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is 5 Centimeters per Second worth watching?

5 Centimeters per Second's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 252K ratings across 4 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

83rd percentile among Animation88th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)89th

72 /100

86th percentile of all films

80th percentile among Animation86th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.6 — solid but not unanimous.

79% liked it

89th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Animation88th percentile among 2000s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

97th percentile

252K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Animation94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$5M
Worldwide gross$7.2M

Returned 1.4× its budget — 58th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A beautifully animated, melancholic meditation on love slowly fading due to time and distance, with a quiet and realistic tone.

Fans praised

  • Breathtaking, painterly animation and meticulous background detail
  • Emotionally resonant exploration of distance, longing, and the passage of time
  • Subtle, realistic character moments that capture the ache of young love and drifting apart

Detractors panned

  • Underdeveloped, passive characters who fail to take meaningful action
  • Extremely slow pacing with long, drawn-out scenes that feel like padding
  • Unfulfilling, abrupt ending that offers no closure or payoff

What stands out

Cinematography95

Stunning, hyper-detailed backgrounds and exquisite lighting; universally praised as some of the best in anime

AtmosphereDivisive85

Dreamy, wistful, and immersive; captures the feeling of nostalgia and loneliness perfectly

Sound and music80

Haunting piano score and poignant ending song enhance the melancholic atmosphere

Emotional impactDivisive75

Deeply moving for many viewers; detractors feel manipulated or left cold by the lack of catharsis

Plot and storyDivisive50

Simple, realistic story of drifting apart; critics call it uneventful and lacking narrative drive, fans find it deeply resonant

CharactersDivisive45

Relatable but passive leads; fans connect to their humanity, detractors see them as bland and frustratingly inactive

EndingDivisive35

Bittersweet train-crossing scene; fans see it as realistic acceptance, detractors see it as a frustrating non-ending

PacingDivisive30

Deliberately slow and atmospheric; fans find it meditative, detractors call it boring and tedious

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 12 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 10 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is 5 Centimeters per Second like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
MelancholicContemplativeBittersweet
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Tender · 13% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Chaptered · 1% of films: Told in titled chapters or clearly separate parts.
ToneThe film holds its material with complete earnestness, never winking or undercutting its emotions; it treats its characters' feelings with gentle reverence.
The rideThe film sustains a quiet, wistful mood from start to finish, with no sharp emotional swings; the heaviest stretch is evenly distributed.
StructureThe film is divided into three chronological chapters spanning years; it follows a conventional beginning-middle-end progression across them.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves a lingering ache of what was lost, mixed with quiet acceptance—you carry the sadness and the beauty of the memory.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a love that is eroded by time and distance, leading to a poignant, unresolved separation. The protagonist's passive longing and the inevitability of drifting apart align with the doom of a tragic romance.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsMemory · 3% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about a love that persists across years and distance but is never realised, and how memory holds onto what is lost, leaving the characters isolated in their separate lives.
StanceThe film mourns the gradual loss of a first love and the distance that inevitable time and circumstance create between people, with a focus on Takaki's interior experience.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score · Tenmon
SettingTokyo, Tochigi, Tanegashima and other Japanese locales across the late 1990s and 2000s
MusicPiano and string pieces that underscore the melancholic, drifting atmosphere of the story.

Content guide

Is 5 Centimeters per Second okay for kids?

TV-PG

5 Centimeters per Second is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (5/100), sexual content at mild (16/100), language at minimal (3/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100) and frightening material at mild (18/100). Overall it is heavier than 9% of TV-PG films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UKU
  • AustraliaG
  • Germany0
  • IrelandG
  • JapanG
  • South KoreaALL
  • Hong KongI
  • ID13+
  • LTN-7
  • Netherlands12
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland12
  • Russia12+
  • SpainA
  • Switzerland0
  • Taiwan0+
  • THG
Overall
None / Minimal · all five categories
Heavier than 1% of all filmsHeavier than 9% of TV-PG films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG film
heavier than 14%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG film
heavier than 52%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG film
heavier than 2%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a TV-PG film
heavier than 60%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a TV-PG film
heavier than 25%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 25% of TV-PG films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does 5 Centimeters per Second have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in 5 Centimeters per Second?

Cast

Kenji Mizuhashi
as Takaki Tohno
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yoshimi Kondou
as Akari Shinohara (segment: Oukashou)
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Satomi Hanamura
as Kanae Sumida (segment: Cosmonaut)
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Risa Mizuno
as Risa Mizuno
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ayaka Onoue
as Akari Shinohara (segment: Byousoku 5 Centimeter)
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Yuka Terasaki
as Train Station Announcer 4
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yûko Nakamura
as Train Station Announcer 6
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Masami Iwasaki
as Ito
Ryô Naitô
as Team Captain
Hiroshi Shimozaki
as Akari's Father

Crew

More like this

What are movies like 5 Centimeters per Second?

Movies like 5 Centimeters per Second include Weathering with You (2019), Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011) and Your Name. (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films about student life, and most are films about romantic love.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Makoto Shinkai wrote and directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with 5 Centimeters per Second?

2.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: soulmates separated. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.