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Review tiểu thuyết 5 Centimet Trên Giây: Vài giây lỡ bước, hẹn ước không thành

Văn học Nhật Bản luôn mang đến những cảm xúc mới lạ. “5 centimet trên giây” cũng vậy, cuốn sách với những câu từ nhẹ nhàng như cánh hoa anh đào rơi, dành cho những trái tim đã và đang trải qua từng cung bậc của tình yêu. Và còn nhiều điều thú vị ở cuốn sách này nữa, hãy cùng BlogAnChoi khám phá nhé!

5 Centimet Trên Giây: Không chỉ là vận tốc của cánh hoa rơi

Đôi nét về tác giả shinkai makoto, nội dung chính của cuốn sách 5 centimet trên giây, cảm nhận từ độc giả về tiểu thuyết 5 centimet trên giây, những điểm tâm đắc sau khi đọc tiểu thuyết 5 centimet trên giây, mua sách 5 centimet trên giây ở đâu giá bao nhiêu.

• Tác giả: Shinkai Makoto
• Ngôn ngữ: Tiếng Việt
• Quốc gia: Nhật Bản
• Thể loại: Lãng mạn
• Nhà xuất bản: Nhà xuất bản Văn học
• Ngày xuất bản: 12/2014
• Công ty phát hành: IPM
• Kích thước: 13 x 18 cmm
• Số trang: 188
• Giá bìa: 50.000 đồng
• Đánh giá bạn đọc:

Shinkai Makoto – “cha đẻ” của hàng loạt tiểu thuyết lãng mạn Nhật Bản. Ông được biết đến là một tiểu thuyết gia, nhà làm phim, đạo diễn, nhà thiết kế đồ họa, họa sĩ.

Ông sinh ngày 9/2 năm 1973 tại thị trấn Komi, quận Minamisaku, Nagano, Nhật Bản. Makoto có cảm hứng nghệ thuật ngay từ những năm cấp 2. Năm 2001, ông chính thức lên vai trò đạo diễn với bộ phim Tiếng Gọi Từ Các Vì Sao. Bộ phim đã đưa tên tuổi của Shinkai Makoto lên một tầm mới trong đại chúng Nhật Bản, khởi đầu cho hàng loạt các bộ Anime thành công vang dội như: 5cm/s, Khu Vườn Ngôn Từ, Your Name, Đứa Con Của Thời Tiết ,… Trong đó, “Your Name” chính là bộ phim Anime có doanh thu toàn cầu cao nhất mọi thời đại.

Bên cạnh làm phim, Shinkai Makoto cũng viết những tác phẩm của mình thành những bộ tiểu thuyết lãng mạn. Và không ngoài dự đoán đó cũng là những siêu phẩm “Best Seller” toàn Châu Á.

Ông có hàng loạt các giải thưởng nổi tiếng, trong đó phải kể đến Đạo diễn xuất sắc nhất, Đạo diễn của năm, Đạo diễn hoạt hình xuất sắc nhất.

5 Centimet Trên Giây là câu chuyện về Tono Takaki và Shinohara Akari. Họ biết nhau từ thuở còn học tiểu học, thân thiết như hình với bóng. Giống những đứa trẻ con vô lo vô nghĩ, họ kể cho nhau nghe mọi chuyện từ chân trời dưới bể. Dường như không có chuyện gì có thể giấu kín, ngoại trừ cảm xúc tình cảm đang dần nảy nở trong cả hai.

Lên trung học, Akari chuyển đi, đến một nơi rất xa cậu bạn thân. Ít gặp mặt, ít thư từ, mối liên hệ dần chìm vào quên lãng. Cho đến ngày Takaki quyết định thực hiện chuyến đi gian nan một mình để đến gặp cô.

Takaki thay đổi chuyến tàu liên tục vì bão tuyết, quãng đường dài khiến cậu đến sân ga cuối cùng vào lúc nửa đêm. Cũng trong đêm vắng vẻ, không còn một hành khách, cô bé Akari vẫn ngồi đợi bạn mình với hộp cơm đã dần nguội lạnh.

Câu chuyện tiếp đó là quá trình các nhân vật lớn lên với dần những thay đổi trưởng thành. Nhưng cảm xúc về tình đầu vẫn còn mãi, chưa bao giờ nguôi ngoai trong sâu thẳm trái tim mỗi người. Giờ đây, khi Takaki biết đáp án mà năm xưa cô bé Akari hỏi: “Cậu có biết 5cm/s là gì không?”, thì điều đó chẳng còn ý nghĩa gì nữa.

Nếu đã từng yêu, trái tim bạn hẳn sẽ rung động vì những giây phút nhẹ nhàng trong truyện. Lời khuyên là nếu đọc truyện xong thì hãy xem phim, vì bộ phim sẽ khiến cảm xúc bạn được trọn vẹn hơn với những thước phim sâu lắng và cả một khung trời anh hoa đào lãng đãng nơi “Xứ sở Mặt Trời mọc”.

5 Centimet Trên Giây là cuốn sách nhận được vô số lời khen từ độc giả khắp nơi trên thế giới. Trên Tiki, hàng loạt những đánh giá 5 sao dành cho tác phẩm cùng những nhận xét tích cực cả về hình thức lẫn nội dung.

Thậm chí, cuốn tiểu thuyết lãng mạn này còn được yêu thích ở các quốc gia khác. Trên trang bán sách Amazon cũng có nhiều ý kiến từ độc giả nước ngoài, BlogAnChoi đã chọn ra ý kiến hay nhất cho bạn đọc tham khảo.

Độc giả có nick name Sneaking Sniper đã rate 5 sao cùng cảm xúc tuyệt vời nhận xét :

“Một số người bình luận ở đây nói rằng họ không cảm thấy bất kỳ điều gì khi xem bộ Anime này. Tôi cho rằng đó không phải do bộ phim mà do trải nghiệm tình yêu của họ. Tôi tin rằng chỉ những ai phải chịu đựng sự mất mát và nỗi đau của việc yêu xa mới có thể hiểu rõ đầy đủ giá trị của bộ Anime tuyệt vời này. Thật hiếm có bộ nào khiến tôi phải xem đi xem lại như thế.”

Đầu tiên, phải kể đến bìa sách đẹp, đầy màu sắc. Sách có hai bìa mang hai ý nghĩa của câu chuyện. Chất lượng sách ổn, cầm vừa tay thích hợp để mang đi bất cứ nơi đâu.

Bên trong, giọng văn kể chuyện nhẹ nhàng đặc trưng của văn học Nhật, không cao trào, không giật gân khiến cho câu chuyện như một lời hồi tưởng lưu luyến song cũng đầy những ích kỷ, đơn độc, rồi vô vọng vào một niềm tin cố hữu.

Điểm đặc biệt của cuốn sách là việc Shinkai Makoto chia nó làm ba phần. Theo một bình luận trên Amazon gọi đó là: đơn giản, phức tạp rồi đến đẹp đẽ. Nhiều người sẽ có cách định nghĩa khác nhau, nhưng mỗi một phần truyện sẽ là một góc nhìn của nhân vật. Chúng ta có thể thấy các khía cạnh của cuộc sống, cảm xúc mà họ không nói ra thành lời.

Bên cạnh đó, cuốn sách không chỉ nói về tình yêu của hai nhân vật chính Takaki và Akari. Đó còn là tất cả những người đã đi qua cuộc đời: Sumida thầm yêu Takaki, bạn gái Takaki chịu sự thờ ơ của cậu,… mỗi người đều bước nhanh như vận tốc hoa anh đào rơi vậy – là 5cm/s.

Gấp cuốn sách lại, hẳn bạn đọc sẽ có những suy nghĩ khác nhau: tiếc nuối có, mãn nguyện có, và rồi nhận ra rằng chính mình đã từng có thời lạc lối và đắm chìm đến thế. Cuốn sách như dội chiếu tâm can của những ai đã và đang ngóng chờ tình yêu rồi 5 Centimet Trên Giây khiến cho họ ngộ ra một điều: trong tình yêu phải có chữ duyên, vì nếu lỡ lạc nhau một giây thôi thì đó là cả một đời mong mỏi, ngóng trông và nuối tiếc.

• Bạn có thể mua cuốn sách 5 Centimet Trên Giây trên Tiki tại đây
• Bạn có thể mua cuốn sách 5 Centimet Trên Giây trên Shopee tại đây

Một số bài viết liên quan bạn có thể tham khảo:

• 5 cuốn sách light novel hay tuyệt tác của “phù thuỷ nỗi buồn” Shinkai Makoto
• Lấp đầy tủ sách của bạn với 5 cuốn tiểu thuyết Nhật Bản hay và nhẹ nhàng

Hãy bình luận và chia sẻ để BlogAnChoi biết bạn suy nghĩ gì nhé! Và đừng quên ghé thăm BlogAnChoi để cập nhật nhiều thông tin thú vị hơn nữa nhé.

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5 Centimeters Per Second: A Stark Portrayal of Romance

Makoto Shinkai’s  5 Centimeters Per Second  is a story of anguish and longing, following the life of Takaki Tohno, his relationship to Akari Shinohara, and the growing distance between them. Divided into three parts, Shinkai presents the bond established between these two characters at childhood, traces Takaki’s growth—or lack thereof—as he enters high school, and later, the adult world.

Contrary to the idealized depiction of love and the “happily-ever-after”s one comes to expect from traditional romantic fiction, Shinkai subverts typical romantic norms in favor of a more realistic portrayal of love and relationships. Shinkai comments on the naivety of idealized romance, the notion that a couple will surmount whatever obstacles they encounter, and blends the lines of dream and reality in order to create a painfully conflicted and somber reflection.

Below is an English-subbed trailer of the film for those of you who are interested in checking it out, and as a word of warning, this article does contain multiple spoilers.

Cherry Blossom

During the first part of the film, “Cherry Blossom,” Takaki reflects on how his relationship began and developed with Akari—a girl whom he meets when she arrives at the same elementary school as him. After becoming close friends and graduating, Akari tells Takaki that her family is moving—a thing which occurs often in both Akari and Takaki’s families. Despite their separation, they promise to write letters and visit one another. As time passes, Takaki learns that his family will be moving farther away from where Akari is living, so the two of them decide to see each other one last time before that happens.

Shinkai’s use of retrospective narration allows him to comment on the naivety of childhood romance. The decision to tell the story in such a manner lends a greater sense of sadness and longing to all acts and events; the dread of the inevitable casts a long shadow over the past, yet it is this same understanding that creates urgency. Memories fade and details grow dim, but this is what leads the individual to feel all the more strongly as one laments the loss of something that used to hold great meaning. Thus, when Akari responds to Takaki’s letter, regarding his family’s moving, “It’s pretty far away this time, isn’t it? When the time comes, it will no longer be a distance which would allow us to just get on a train and meet each other. As I thought, it’s going to be a little lonely,” Akari’s alluding to the possibility that their relationship will be torn asunder lends a tone of tragic irony to her words.

It acknowledges the likelihood of losing touch with one another, which thereby comments on the traditional belief that despite the obstacles, a couple can manage to make a long-distance relationship work. However, even though Shinkai presents Takaki as understanding of this, he still has Takaki go forward with believing they can stay together: “That we could not be together forever after this was a fact I clearly grasped … but the anxieties which I had caught sight of soon melted away. And after that, only Akari’s tender lips remained.”

In this instance, Shinkai presents the younger Takaki as actively choosing to set aside the inevitable in favor of the faintest glimmer of hope. In doing so, Shinkai suggests that without the wisdom of age that is necessary for weighing one’s feelings against the circumstances, the individual is more likely to cling to the things that sway him most for the time being; for the 12-year-old Takaki, that “something” is his love for Akari. This is why Shinkai’s decision to have Takaki look back on the events of his childhood love, rather than have him narrate at the time when he was 12 years old, purposefully shapes the presentation of Takaki’s relationship in a significant manner; one may try to blind oneself to the future in order to live in the present, but hindsight makes that impossible.

Takaki’s telling of his childhood love story serves not just to detail the events of his romance, but to reflect on the naivety of his former beliefs. As a result, when Takaki claims, “we would be together from then onwards. For some reason, that’s what I thought,” his use of the phrase “for some reason” acknowledges the blind innocence of his former mentality. To have life turn out exactly the way we want it to would certainly be ideal, but it is not realistic.

M.H. Abrams’ comparison of realistic fiction to romantic fiction reinforces the notion that Shinkai’s portrayal of the younger Takaki’s beliefs is meant to be a commentary on the traditional ideals of romantic fiction: “Realistic fiction is often opposed to romantic fiction: the romance is said to present life as we would have it be, more picturesque, more adventurous, more heroic than the actual; realism, to present an accurate imitation of life as it is” (152). In addition to Shinkai’s use of retrospective narration, he incorporates the role of fate as part of the machinery of realistic romance. As an active force in shaping the outcomes of a person’s life, Shinkai presents fate as indifferent to a person’s struggles, commenting, again, on the notion that a couple can overcome whatever obstacles they encounter.

The thematic weaving of helplessness reinforces the idea of the futility of struggling against fate in favor of an idealized result. When Akari discusses with Takaki the fact that her parents will not allow her to go to the same secondary school as him, Takaki reflects: “I understood perfectly that Akari had been hurt, but … I couldn’t do anything about it.” In this instance, Takaki’s sense of helplessness is emphasized not only by the phrase, “I couldn’t do anything,” but the fact that he pauses before he speaks this line suggests that it is a difficult thing to admit—as though to say it is the same thing as to give in to fate’s dictates. As a result, Shinkai presents the younger Takaki as constantly struggling.

This is most noticeable in the way Shinkai portrays nature as a force of fate, not only through its physical hurdles, but through its foreshadowing of Takaki’s separation from Akari, and the consequences that follow from their separation. The first element of foreshadowing can be observed with how the snow repeatedly forces Takaki’s train to be delayed as he travels to meet with Akari: “Time, clearly as if it had a malicious intent, slowly ebbed away above me. I clenched my teeth, and keeping myself from crying was the only thing I could do.” In this instance, Takaki’s reference to “Time” as having “malicious intent” implies that he feels fate is purposefully working against him—seeking all opportunities to distance himself from Akari. His sense of frustration is suggested by the fact that he “clenches his teeth,” and his helplessness is evoked by the phrase, “keeping myself from crying was the only thing I could do.”

Since Takaki removes his watch, when the snowstorm forces the train to stop for a long period of time, it signifies his refusal to accept “the malicious intent of Time,” or, the decision of fate to keep them apart. Another instance that shows how nature functions as a force of fate can be observed in the way the wind steals the letter that Takaki plans on giving Akari—a letter detailing all of his thoughts and feelings for her. The significance of this moment lies not only in fate’s decision to sabotage Takaki’s efforts, but it can also be metaphorically interpreted as representative of how Takaki’s life turns out; forever in a state of longing, constantly hoping his feelings reach and stay with Akari, and a painful feeling of emptiness and unfulfillment with the state of his life.

When Takaki sets out for his journey in the first place, Shinkai’s presentation of nature as suddenly appearing barren and empty, after being populated with life, reflects how Takaki’s relationship turns out with Akari: “in the blink of an eye, the buildings in the scenery became sparse …. The invisible winter wasteland outside the window, the flowing away of time, the painful hunger, all these things gradually wore down my heart.” Perhaps the most powerful example of nature as a force of fate can be observed when Akari and Takaki look on at a leafless cherry blossom tree, and Akari ironically refers to the falling snow as cherry blossoms: “Doesn’t it somehow resemble snow?”

This image showcases how a person longing for the ideal may skew their perception of the present for a more favorable reality; instead of witnessing bright, vibrant cherry blossom petals falling, all that is there is the cold, indifferent snow, gradually burying a stark, naked, cherry blossom tree that is vulnerable to the forces of the world. Thus, this moment embodies the same idea as Takaki choosing to focus on something more beautiful and meaningful to him—the hope that he will forever be with Akari—than accepting reality for what it is and the inevitable fate of his relationship.

In the second part of the film, “Cosmonaut,” the story is set in another town Takaki and his family have moved to, narrated primarily by Kanae Sumida—Takaki’s classmate and friend. Shinkai’s presentation of Kanae’s relationship to Takaki illustrates the torment of unreciprocated love and reinforces the futility of fighting against fate. As Kanae reflects on her relationship to Takaki, her feelings towards him suggest the sentiment of struggle: “It was scary, and each day was filled with anguish. But feeling happy everytime I met him, was something about myself that I couldn’t do anything about.”

In this instance, Kanae’s struggle is a result of the need to express her feelings while feeling completely helpless in attempting to do so. Shinkai’s negative portrayal of the consequences love has on the individual thereby comments on the belief in traditional romantic fiction that one’s love will eventually be reciprocated. Yet this is clearly not the case for Kanae. Shinkai’s refusal to allow her to express her feelings, let alone have them reciprocated, indicate that “happily-ever-after”s are not to always be expected in real life.

Characters do not necessarily fall in love with one another simply because one person feels a certain way, as every individual has their own emotional troubles to deal with—a fact that Kanae comes to understand when she realizes Takaki is constantly thinking of someone else: “Tohno-kun has always … been looking at something far beyond, far higher than me.” The scene where Kanae finally breaks down into tears in front of Takaki thereby reinforces the notion that one’s love will not always be reciprocated, and that struggling with fate’s finality is futile. This is the reason why Shinkai juxtaposes this moment with the spaceship being launched: “To desperately and blindly stretch out our hands towards the heavens … and to fix our eyes on something in the darkness of the far reaches of space.”

This line conveys the inherent struggle of an individual’s feelings of love, for despite the fact that we do not know what lies in store for the future, we are constantly trying to shape it with our free will. Another feature to consider, despite its few appearances in the second part of the film, is Takaki’s dialogue. As Kanae attempts to understand who Takaki is, Takaki’s struggle with fate is expressed in momentary exchanges. For example, when Kanae tells Takaki, “I’m not even sure about tomorrow,” Takaki responds with, “I think, everyone is like that.” While such a statement may appear to a passerby as “simply making conversation,” the knowledge of the first part of the film alerts the viewer to the idea that Takaki is still dwelling on his relationship with Akari. Uncertain of the future, Takaki tells Kanae, “I am full of hesitation.”

The significance of this line is that it echoes the same anguish Kanae expresses about the experience of longing for another. Shinkai thereby shows how time serves as an active agent in shaping a person’s perception of life. Especially when the characters are still at such a young age, they cling to what little experience they have in order to survive in the world. Takaki’s decision to stop communicating with Akari through text messages is thus important to consider. It showcases Takaki’s attempt at finally pushing beyond the naïve dream of ending up together with her, in order to survive in a world where life and love are not decided by the individual, but rather by the dictates of fate.

However, Takaki’s thought of, “When did I start typing messages that are never sent?,” invites the idea that Takaki is surprised with himself—surprised that he would give up on something he has cared about since childhood, something which has had so much meaning for him.

Shinkai’s presentation of Takaki’s conflicted emotions thereby presents a realistic portrayal of the individual: that we are contradictory, uncertain, at times confident, at times desperate, and that no matter how hopeless reality may seem, we still cling to the memories of moments that were once most precious to us. Takaki’s comment about the spaceship being launched into space reinforces the notion of clinging to the ideal despite knowledge of the inevitable: “they say it will continue traveling through the solar system and beyond … No matter how long it takes.” Shinkai’s presentation of Kanae and Takaki’s looking up into space thus shows how important a role nature plays for the individual. We are uncertain of the unknown, yet we look towards it with hope; we don’t know what the future has in store for us, but we know that there is a range of possibilities. And the knowledge that there is even the slightest chance that things will turn out just the way we want it to, motivates us to strive forward, to cling to the idealized, and fall when fate hands us a different hand.

5 Centimeters Per Second

The third part of the film, “5 Centimeters Per Second,” is perhaps the most bitter in tone, and the most stark in its depiction of the consequences of clinging to the ideal. As Shinkai presents Takaki as continuing to experience feelings of longing and sadness, perhaps even entering a depressive state, the results are portrayed as devastating. As an adult, Takaki struggles to find a purpose for himself; he has a job—which he quits after a brief period of time—, he has been in relationships since high school—though all of them have been short-lived—, and he still clings to his memories of Akari. This can be observed in the way the sight of a cherry blossom floating into his room from the window causes him to stop what he is doing and go outside: “Thinking back to that day surely, that person must also strongly feel it when she thinks back.”

Takaki’s reference to Akari as “that person” can be interpreted in a few ways: either, he feels his connection to her has grown so distant that she appears more as a faint, pleasant dream than a once living reality—a thing which is reinforced by Akari’s thought of, “I saw a dream from long ago”—or it could be Shinkai’s decision to present Takaki’s relationship to Akari as one of the countless instances that have occurred to other former couples who have grown apart. In this case, the film may be allegorical as presenting Takaki’s journey as a kind of “rite of passage” that perhaps all individuals at some point in their lives experience.

However, it is difficult to say whether this is the case or not as Shinkai presents Akari as an adult and happily engaged to another man, conveying the notion that perhaps Takaki’s inability to reconcile the past with the present is a unique case that does not occur that often. Regardless of whether either of these possibilities are intended, Shinkai’s portrayal of love and the consequences it has on the individual appear rather pessimistic: “When I at last noticed, my heart had already become hard … And on a certain morning, when I at last came to an earnest realization, that I had lost everything that was beautiful.”

The fact that Takaki devotes himself completely to his memories of Akari, while shunning almost all other aspects of life as he lives in an isolated state, reinforces how important such memories can be for the individual, and how hoping for the ideal, instead of accepting reality, restricts oneself from personal growth. The very ending of the film highlights this as well as Takaki passes by Akari without noticing until it is too late. Since Takaki is shown as constantly walking alone with a brooding, somber look on his face, it suggests that Takaki is so immersed in his own world and feelings that he barely notices the world going on around him—even the woman who he had fallen in love with and thinks about obsessively since then. However, the depiction of this “crossing of paths” is ambiguously presented.

Even though Takaki notices Akari passing by, after a few moments where his vision of her is interrupted by two trains crossing, she immediately disappears from his sight, leaving the viewer to wonder whether or not she was actually there, or if she was simply a manifestation of Takaki’s feelings of longing. As the second part of the film features a kind of convergence of dream and reality, as Takaki struggles to accept the present and break free from his dwelling on the past, it is possible that Shinkai continues this theme to the very end of the film.

If this is the case, then Shinkai may be using this moment to directly attack the tradition of romantic fiction. Instead of having the couple end up together, despite all the anguish and strife they have encountered, Shinkai seems to present such a notion as a naïve, hopeful illusion; that life does not cater to each individual’s wants, but rather plays out in the manner it is set for by fate. Therefore, Shinkai’s presentation of love and relationships in the film comment on the idealized depictions of romantic fiction. Shinkai presents life as predetermined by the dictates of fate, so despite how much we may struggle and long after another, there are always circumstances that are out of our control. The use of retrospective narration allows for thoughtful reflection and an understanding of the differences between what is realistic and ideal, and the presentation of the individual’s relationship to nature as a representation of one’s journey into the unknown, as well as a force of fate, allows Shinkai to shape his commentary, and to create a beautiful, moving tale that resonates with countless individuals.

Works Cited

Abrams, M.H.  A Glossary of Literary Terms , 5th Edition. San Francisco: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.m 1988. 152-154.

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64 Comments

I dunno where to even begin, everything about this movie is just PERFECT !! The artwork and cinematography is fantastic and totally out of this world. Those gorgeous images of the dark sky, snow falling on the empty streets, the train passing through the dark – It all will make you longing to be there.

And then the story of distance & lost love, which might evoke memories of your first school love/crush. After the first episode, I was thinking of how cellphones have killed the romance in some ways. That fear, the thrill – if she’s still waiting, that sweet pain..

the second episode was pretty good and then the third one hits you on the face with the hammer called – life, the reality of it.

This movie might make a special place in your heart.

Agreed; there are definitely a lot of things about this film that separate it from the generic romance anime. Thanks for the read!

My husband loves this film so much that I bought him the blue-ray for Xmas ($100!) We also downloaded the theme music but have lost the cd and now the link no longer works. Anyway, if he were writing, (he is in hospital) he would sympathize with this article.

Wow, that’s pretty pricey. And I’m very sorry to heart that 🙁 ; hope he gets better soon. Also, I’m pretty sure you can find the music somewhere on youtube–a film that’s this popular is bound to have it somewhere on the web. Thanks for the read!

I’m not big on anime, but I loved 5 Centimetres Per Second. The animation and fitting music most of all, just perfect.

It’s very good, and I’m not surprised to hear that it would appeal to a non-anime watcher; one review I’ve read about the film describes it as “an anime trying very hard not to be an anime.” Thanks for the read!

Are there any other anime films as visually (and preferably aurally) stunning, while staying kind of naturalistic?

I would say “Garden of Words” is even more visually stunning than this one–it’s also a Makoto Shinkai film–but it is only about 45 minutes long, and while staying “naturalistic,” I personally was not as impressed with it as I was with 5 cm. I’ve heard, however, that some people have enjoyed it even more than this film so it’s definitely worth checking out. Thanks for the read!

Off the top of my head, here are the four I can come up with:

Samurai X: Trust/Betrayal- It’s an OVA of the TV series Rurouni Kenshin, but it consists of 4 half-hour episodes with a self contained story that can be viewed completely independently from the series. I, myself, watched this before actually seeing the TV series. The story follows a young boy through the story of his youth and how he becomes one of the greatest assassins in Japan. This has some of the best sword choreography I have ever seen in an anime, as well as a beautiful love story. I still consider it to be one of the most well animated movies I’ve ever seen and has a really good score if I remember correctly. If you’re going to buy it, you should research a bit before hand because I remember reading that for the widescreen edition they just cropped off the top and bottom.

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade- Set in a alternate Japan, Constable Kazuki Fuse witnesses a young girl, who is working with a terrorist organization, become a suicide bomber as he corners her. He becomes haunted by her image as he soon finds himself a key players in a political struggle between various government agencies and a secret agency called The Wolf Brigade. Great Animation with realistic character designs and a complex plot involving a political power struggle. Also has a neat parallel to the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale.

Grave of the Fireflies- Follows 2 orphaned children during the bombings of Japan during WWII. Probably one of the saddest movies I have ever seen in my life. Definitely a must see.

Millenium Actress- I’m tired and don’t feel like writing anymore. I’m sure you can find a description of it somewhere.

Personally, I would recommend three Studio Ghibli films that are all exceptional films visually and/or aurally and that are naturalistic, i.e. non-fantasy, non-sci-fi, non-samurai: Whisper of the Heart – This is also a teen romance, also very realistic, but much more upbeat than 5 Centimeters. Grave of the Fireflies – Not a romance. The story of two orphans of the WW II firebombing of Kobe. Has been described as the best movie you’ll never want to see again. Only Yesterday (aka Memories of Tear Drops)- Be sure not to skip the credits. They are very important to the story. You may experience tears of joy during them.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, although basically set in modern Japan, do have a bit of fantasy to it–the time-leaping bit. Which is a major hook. But other than that, very well-done.

I am not a fan of most Japanese anime. However, the two closest animes that I’ve watched (both of which I liked a lot) that are similar to this would be ‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’ and ‘Millennium Actress’.

After watching this and “The girl who leaps through time”, I am quite depressed and need to watch happier more uplifting anime than these. And damn that guy is sad and depressing, whereas she’s happy enjoying life. I thought the movie was sweet but extremely sad for me.

Absolutely–and if it moved you that much then I would say Shinkai achieved what he set out to do. Thanks for the read!

Ocean Waves (AKA Umi ga Kikoeru or I Can Hear the Sea) is pretty much the happy version of this movie. It’s by Studio Ghibli and it’s a terrific anime IMO.

Good movie, not especially my type, but it was good. One thing that sort of bothered me though… this movie gets a lot of high praise for it’s animation. However, the animation itself is nothing impressive (mind you it’s decent), and in fact there’s relatively little animation to speak of throughout the movie. The backgrounds were the only really impressive quality, and although they are really grand, I was really hoping for more energetic yet fluid character aimations. But hey, the movie itself is exactly what it advertises. I was just disappointed due to different definitions of “animation”. Animation is actually strictly the illusion of movement through a series of pictures, while a still yet gorgeous background shot is’nt animation at all. It’s a wonderful painting, but not animation. I don’t know, it just really bothered me somehow, because really good animation is a thousand times harder to do than make really nice paintings, and I feel that the high praise this movie get’s for animation is a little misleading. Fooly Cooly has the best “animation” I’ve ever seen, followed probably by Ergo Proxy. But yeah, this is probably kind of pointless to comment here, but I just wanted to say it for some reason XP

That’s totally fine. One thing to consider is that part of the reason why people praise the animation–especially with regards to the backgrounds as you point out–is that the backgrounds aren’t still images; when you watch the film, you can actually see the background moving, whether it’s a cause of wind, or a shimmer from the ocean’s surface at a distance. I haven’t seen Fooly Cooly but I am familiar enough with Ergo Proxy that I can say while the show does do a good job in showing the characters from multiple angles, they’re not always drawn particularly well–sometimes the features of their faces are noticeably distorted. And don’t worry; you are free to comment whatever is on your mind about the film here–I’m always interested in hearing people’s thoughts 🙂

I thought the backgrounds were like gorgeous paintings, whoever did the artwork was a genius. I think they were made deliberately grand and impressive because it was a counterpoint and contrast to the very intimate feelings of the three children / growing into adults. If the filmmaker had envisioned a smaller more claustrophic world together with this sad story I don’t think the film would have been as deeply felt.

It’s a very cerebral film, lots of narration, and I don’t think there is any requirement that the characters be animated in a more enhanced way. The only thing that bothered me about the appearance of the characters is that the artist used shadows for noses a lot of the time. Faces look odd to me without noses.

Agreed, the artwork and the writing are among my favorite things about the film. I actually never noticed anything odd about the noses, but I guess I’ll look for it the next time I watch the film. Thanks for the read!

The backgrounds are beautifully drawn, a very pleasant, colorful, and saturated style with incredible detail. The movie is literally thousands of perfectly crafted works of art. Parts of the animation was handled well such as the snow, rain and leaves all blowing in the wind, and some of the ocean shots. The thing that I doubt anyone would complain about except me is the excessive use of digital lighting and lens flares.

I was sad for days after watching this film. It is beautiful in a way but sad at the same time. I can relate to many events in this too so it probably hit me harder than others. Great movie though, id watch it again but i would have to wait several months between each viewing.

It’s definitely a film that sticks with you; I saw it about half a year ago and I felt like I couldn’t receive any closure from it unless I wrote about it–hence, my article. Thanks for the read!

I was really hoping to like this movie. I had read all the reviews about how amazing it is and one of my guy friends even said he cried when he watched it and I was so ready to just be blown away by this but it never happened.

God, I cried during the freaking Spongebob movie and I wasn’t affected by this? What is wrong with me?

This movie was beautiful and touching and honest… but for some reason… I was bored. Only the first part had me really interested. Will he make it on time? Will she still be there? Then during the second part I just got so tired of his classmate. The third part was just a let down to me. I know, I know. It’s actually happens in the real world. People enter and leave your life all the time.

But maybe that’s why I didn’t like it. Maybe I watched it at the wrong time in my life. I was looking for something romantic and sad, which this is, but I was looking for more of Nicolas Sparks type romantic and sad. (Even though I really don’t like Nicolas Sparks) Maybe I’ll come back to this movie in a few years with a totally different outlook on life and enjoy it more.

I can only hope.

That’s totally fine; different people react to the same things differently. It doesn’t necessarily have to resonate with you, and you don’t even have to like it really. For some people, this film just means more to them, whether it’s because of their own experiences or because they’re just more easily moved than others. Thanks for the read!

I’m on the same track as you. The animation was unbelievably good, the voice acting and production were also excellent.

Sadly the story didn’t move me, at all really. Both chapters felt quite flat.

Glad Im not the only one. Movie was painfully boring but beautiful. If it wasnt for the top notch animation I would have stopped watching it halfway

This is the story of my life. I wish to meet the writer.

Well, there are definitely several interviews with him on the web. Not the same thing as meeting him obviously, but you do get to learn more about what went into the making of the film and Shinkai’s own thoughts on why he wanted to do it. I remember in one interview he said that creating something like 5 cm per second was something he had always wanted to do when he decided to make films. Thanks for the read!

The background work is indeed breathtaking. The actual movie is pretty good, but it wasn’t excellent. I’d like the director tackle a story that isn’t deliberately slow.

Watching this, I felt it was probably the better works of the director, but it was still too similar to his other movies in terms of tone and style. However the story in this was pleasantly melancholy and the actual narrative was great.

The film definitely isn’t perfect but there’s definitely a lot to be appreciated; the thing that irks me the most is how short the third part is compared to the prior two, but I personally didn’t have any issue with the pacing otherwise. Thanks for the read!

Just wanted to feed the love for this film and say I really wish I had a copy 😀 trying to save up for Toradora dubbed version and Attack on Titan at the moment. Great analysis!

Thanks so much Jordan! 🙂 Absolutely LOVE Toradora and Attack on Titan is just straight-up awesome.

You’re not making my decision any easier 😛 but I think I’ll go with Toradora.

Do it, do it 🙂

The first time I saw this film, I have to say I found it pretty uneventful. And it is. But the tragic thing about it is what doesn’t happen instead of what happens and that’s what makes this film so unique. Nice article~

Thanks for the read 🙂

There was a bittersweet feeling about this movie. I saw it while back, when i was in a kinda same situation like the main character and the movie really hit me. I can’t describe the feeling, but i consider it a part of me from that moment, a part of my memories, my past, i related perfectly, although my situation was totally different.

Imho, this can be one of the best solutions when you feel “blue”, because of it’s incredible sweet sadness that makes you feel happy, but a different kind of happiness.

I think I might know what you’re saying; on the one hand, the memories we cherish do bring us a kind of nostalgiac happiness, but at the same time, it brings a great deal of heartache. Thanks for the read!

Yeah, my situation is a lot more similar to Takaki’s and I definitely felt that same bittersweet feeling from the ending.

The last chapter of the movie is designed so that the viewer would add in his/her own experience of distance and loss and through empathy add poignancy to the movie.

And that good feeling you get from the sadness goes back to the concept of wabi-sabi. Sometimes it’s good to just feed that feeling of loneliness or melancholy and after it’s washed away, you would strangely enough feel at peace.

When I watched this movie the first time, my jaw hit the floor along with my heart. How could a manga writer and film maker so far away reach right into my heart and mind and put on the screen the story of my life? My wife worries that if I keep watching it so often, she’s going come home and find me hanging in the garage!

It’s definitely meant to appeal to a broad audience since, odds are, everyone has experienced something like this at some point in their lives. Thanks for the read!

The first segment of the film was unbelievably touching and really caught my attention. The next two parts were disappointments. I couldn’t help but feel angry at Takaki for being obsessed with the past; he should have tried moving on. Overall, a rather unimpressive film.

I was wondering why Takaki stopped writing to Akari? He says that his world changed after the kiss, but in what way? Then he says he wanted the strength to protect her yet severs all ties with her even though he never got over her. Was he just a pathetic guy? I mean, who lets go of the love of his life right after realizing that the feeling’s mutual.

The movie was pretty good but I just couldn’t relate with the main character. He’s depicted as a romantic, sensitive kind of guy yet lets go of the girl who was probably his soul-mate. I just couldn’t sympathize with this loser.

Before Takaki moves away with his family, Shinkai heavily implies that Akari has already accepted the fact that she cannot end up together with Takaki because of how unstable both of their lives are–so Takaki is the only one who really tries to keep the relationship, futilely, alive. The reason why Takaki stops writing to Akari himself is ambiguous but you can interpret it as his acceptance that they cannot be together, or possibly just the fact that continuing to write to her would only prolong his misery, when he knows they can’t be together, was too unbearable for him so he just gives up. He admits to Kanae that he is full of hesitation and is very uncertain of the future–this may be suggesting that he understands dwelling on his former relationship only stunts him from personal growth, which is another possible reason why he stops writing to her. Again, it’s very ambiguous since Shinkai presents Takaki’s decision in a retrospective manner–implying that he is looking back several years later and is unable to remember exactly what made him stop. But regardless, that’s not the point of the film–it’s meant to show how dwelling on the same subject, and not being able to accept it, can ruin a person’s life–it isolates the individual, it hinders the formation of other emotional, stable ties, and it causes everything else to simply lose value when it once had meaning. Thanks for the read!

Takaki is a person who has trouble expressing his emotions. You see this in the first chapter when he struggled to write his letter to Akari. It’s also shown in the second chapter in the way he writes messages to nobody. It’s shown in the third chapter with how disconnected he is from everyone and everything. Takaki is simply someone who internalizes his feelings a lot, and for someone who has difficulty expressing emotions even to the people around him, how is he going to express something so deep to someone so far away?

Not only that, but think back to the first chapter, when Takaki wished for Akari to give up and go home instead of waiting for him at the train station. Takaki was considering what was best for Akari and not what Akari wanted. This is exactly what happens in the second chapter.

The blizzard in the first chapter and the distance from the stations are all symbolic of the struggles they would have in their long-distance relationship. And although Akari was willing to weather the hardships, Takaki ultimately thought it was just best for Akari to let go.

I absolutely loved this article. I recently made an Artifice account because of the amazing work I’ve seen here and pretty much seeing a well-made analysis on one of my most favorite anime movies of all time won me over. I’ve recommended this movie to many of my friends who are in long-distance relationships because the transformation that Takaki goes through is painfully normal. Your analysis is articulate, refreshing, and I’m glad this exists. Thank you.

You are too kind good sir 🙂 I’ll be looking forward to seeing your work here!

I HATE THE ENDING

I watched this movie a while ago, and I agree with you on these points, CriticalOtaku. The scenery of the movie really does let the themes be carried out. While I watched the movie, I kept hoping for a happier outcome, but I kind of knew from watching the scenery of the movie and the passing of the time that the happy ending would never happen.

I do feel that you analyzed this movie well. I am appreciative of your work on this article. I will probably read more of your work in the future. Thank you for the engaging read that dredged up such bittersweet memories.

This was a good article. I’m definitely going to put this on my list to watch. You have very good insights into the romance.

I absolutely love this movie, and I just wanted to congratulate you on this analysis. I watch this movie every couple months, and have read this article about 5 or 6 times, you did a great job, congrats.

This movie and the first 10 minutes of up says everything anyone ever needs to know about the consequences of love. I watched the movie and was a bit confused and wanted to hear showings opinion on it.

This is a far deeper analysis than I imagined our could producers because after this movie I was filled with complete sadness. It was 12 years a slave depresing though dealing with socially less disturbing ideas.

Honestly, you’re interpretation has moved me. It’s amazing in its clarification and amplification of the resonation of what I had just watched. Great work.

I have yet to watch another film of this type that so beautifully encapsulates deep feelings of love and emotion, and makes them so palpable for the viewer despite how sad the whole film is in the end. I’ve never been so moved or touched by a teenage love story in my life. And I’ve never seen a more elegantly realized film visually that surrounds such a strong romantic story.

I was particularly impressed with the opening piece, which not only breaks the rule of “show, don’t tell,” but actually makes the story stronger by constantly including Takaki’s internal monologue. The sincere performance by the English dub actor, and I’m sure just as equally with the Japanese actor, allows us to really feel the troubling conflict and emotional struggles going on inside of him, which we would otherwise not have nearly the same insight on.

I’m proud to say that this is my favorite Makoto Shinkai film, with “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” being my second.

Damn, this movie was the first one I had to think about several weeks to get over it but still I’m kinda unsatisfied with the point whether Takaki gets over Akari or not. This really bothers me. :/ What’s your interpretation of this ending? But really nice analysis that you wrote. I agree with pretty much all of your pionts. This movie is definately one of my all time favourite anime movies. Especially the movies by Shinkai are masterpieces. 🙂 Greetings from Germany. ^^

I love this film, and this article was amazing well-written. Astonishing eye-for-detail. Perhaps you could do a similar one for the film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” ? (✿◕ ‿◕ฺ)ノ))｡₀: *ﾟ

This is ine of most greatest anime movie ever made…iv been watching this a lot..the sweetness of their relationship on their young age and how those time and distance make it painful as they grow older for the memories of tohno takaki while akari is happy with her upcoming wedding..what makes me very sad is his last chance to see again akari for the last time at the train track..and still…they never see each other..they were not destined…but no matter what.it is still a very good movie..love the animation specially the theme song ONE MORE TIME,ONE MORE CHANCE

Most realistic romance anime & one of the most beautiful anime I’ve watched so far. Can’t get enough of the theme song! I’m listening it daily basis. haha. I believe most of people in the earth does have similar experience at certain level at least. I’ve personally have such experience, first love from elementary school which I could hardly remember (only a gaze of her unclear face in my mind) not even a name. But that’s a part of life that really cling into our heart and become a special memory. And I cherished that.

Great work on explaining this movie btw!

So they just gave up…tcch if they had real feelings for each other,they wouldnt gave up that easily,using distance as an excuse smh

Discussions of fate neglect Akari’s agency. In my view the film is not about the inevitable but about betrayal.

I just wish Takaki to simply move on if he doesn’t have the guts to fight for his love. His character makes me fall in love and frustrated at the same time. Akari is living her life and he should too. I just wish the best for him 🙁

PS: I have to leave a comment after reading this article so I could move on and sleep tonight after having my heart broken.

Honestly, the film itself didn’t do as much as this article has made the film resonate within me. I’m grateful to you dear Critical Otaku. For you took out on an extremely well task of expression, which most of us are unable to do. How uncanny of us feeling something but often not be able to express the same. Maybe because we lack words, time or even the interest or ability. I don’t think you’d be replying to my comment (as far as reality is concerned). For it’s been more than half a decade since you had stopped replying to any of the comments (for certain reasons, of course). But I do hope that I might get a reply (it’s quite uneasy holding the balance between ideas and reality). But as the film portrays, that’s the thing with life: it goes on (until it stops, of course 😅) .

After finishing this movie I believed it was a disappointment, as the typical happily-ever-after didn’t occur. Though, the more I ponder about the film the more I begin to appreciate this piece of art. How realistic this film is, is what makes me feel such strong emotions towards it. You would think after years of being apart and longing for Akari, Takaki would still try to pursue the relationship, though his dreams of being with Akari begin to fizzle out, as depicted by the scene where he stops sending her messages, leaving him in the dark. Why would Takaki stop messaging Akari, even though he loved her? This is the question I can’t stop asking myself. This is the reality of love. Once someone touches your heart, you’ll never be able to forget them. Takaki wants to believe that it will never work out and should move on, but he can never let go of Akari. The 3rd episode is the most reflective episode in my opinion. Akari is grown up, has a fiance, and is even shown with her parents. Akari’s character isn’t as developed and reflective as Takaki, but it’s safe to say she has moved on and managed to let go. Takaki on the other hand has and never will let go. He is seen sitting in his room, trashed, depressed, and empty bottles around. This scene can reflect his emotions, how messy and lonesome they are. As mentioned in the analysis, a cherry blossom petal lands on his desk, reminding him and the audience of Akari, the happiness in his life. The most heartbreaking scene is when Takaki passes Akari, only turning around before it’s too late and she’s gone. Even if this is just a fragment of his imagine nation, it reflects how Takaki will never be able to have a relationship with Akari because it is too late in life for him and cannot forget his emotion. 5cm per second is said to be the speed at which the cherry blossom petals fall. This can also be interpreted as how Takaki’s relationship with Akari distanced over time. Each year, more miles were put between them, the farther their feelings lost for each other. Only for that distance to be so great from Takaki’s one source of happiness and light, Akari. I will never be able to forget this work of art, this film has more meaning than words can express, but the more I research and read, the more I understand. Love will always be there, yet fate is the deciding factor on whether love will become a reality, or turn into a fragment of your imagination.

This is a dramatic turn of love tropes, perhaps too much in the other direction on the protagonist’s part.

English Light Novels

Light novels translated and published in english.

5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side

English Title : 5 Centimeters per Second: one more side Japanese Title : 秒速5センチメートル one more side — Byousoku 5 Centimeter: one more side Author : Arata Kanoh — 加納新太, Makoto Shinkai — 新海誠 Illustrator : VOFAN (English cover artwork) Translator : Kristi Fernandez Genre : Drama, Romance Original Run : May 2011 English Run : February 2019 Japanese Publisher: Enterbrain English Publisher : Vertical Volumes in Japanese : 1 (Completed) Volumes in English : 1 (Completed) Average Price Per Volume : Paperback $12

• English Website — Japanese Website
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info

Synopsis : A contemporary classic, 5 Centimeters per Second won animator Makoto Shinkai international renown as a rare talent. Indeed, he just might be one of the most powerful bards of romantic longing and thwarted love working today in any medium. This official novelization narrates from the other side--for instance, from the point-of-view of the girl rather than the boy in the legendary first segment, “Cherry Blossoms”--to tell a story that is both deeply engaging for first-timers and astonishingly fresh for fans of the film.

5 Centimeters per Second: one more side Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf Released February 26, 2019 — ISBN-13: 978-1947194090

Reviews of 5 Centimeters per Second: one more side

• Anime UK News: Vol 1
• Manga Bookshelf: Vol 1
• Justus R. Stone: Vol 1

Related Anime MAL Entry — film — Aired March 2007 Amazon — RightStuf Note: The “One More Side” novel acts as a companion piece to the anime film, rather than an adaptation.

Related Manga MAL Entry — 2 volumes (1 omnibus in English) — Published May 2010 – March 2011 (English release by Vertical) Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

If you liked 5 Centimeters per Second: one more side , you might also want to try…

• Your Name – Another Side: Earthbound — also tied to a Makoto Shinkai film
• I Want to Eat Your Pancreas — drama, romance, no fantasy elements

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

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8 thoughts on “ 5 centimeters per second: one more side ”.

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side — also by Makoto Shinkai, romance, drama […]

[…] to get a novel (we now have both Voices of a Distant Star: Words of Love/ Across the Stars and 5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side, as well as the short story collection Your Name Another Side: Earthbound available ), this was the […]

[…] for the original film, and has also previously written the novelizations of Shinkai’s films (5 Centemeters Per Second: One More Side and Voices of a Distant Star). Unlike the first, which was a straight adaptation of the movie script […]

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side — school life, boy and girl outsiders become friends […]

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second — also adapted from a Makoto Shinkai film […]

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second — based on the anime by Makoto Shinkai […]

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second — romance, drama […]

[…] 5 Centimeters Per Second — adapted from a film by Makoto Shinkai […]

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REVIEW: ‘5 Centimeters Per Second + Children Who Chase Lost Voices’ (Light Novel)

Makoto Shinkai has become an absolute legend in the anime industry, known best for the worldwide blockbusters Your Name and Weathering with You . Before he made box office record-breakers, however, he worked on a few smaller titles such as 5 Centimeters Per Second and Children Who Chase Lost Voices. The films’ novelizations (the former written by Shinkai and the latter by Asahi Akisaka) have finally been released in English in one package by Yen Press , with translation by Taylor Engel and cover art by Shinkai.

5 Centimeters Per Second follows the life and relationships of Takaki, a young Japanese boy. The novel showcases three distinct parts of his life and how the relationships he has affects him and those around him.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices follows elementary schooler Asuna, a loner that struggles to find her place in life. After a chance encounter with a young boy seemingly from another world, she is thrown into an adventure that will teach her about herself and the world around her.

Though the two novels don’t necessarily flow well together, you can tell they are both originally written by Shinkai. Plus, they’re both relatively short ( 5 Centimeters Per Second is under 100 pages and Children Who Chase Lost Voices being under 150), so it’s nice to have them together in one package.

5 Centimeters Per Second is undoubtedly the standout title of the two. Though both stories are great, Shinkai really shines when he focuses on more realistic romances with the occasional fantasy twist.

By focusing on the life of just one person, Shinkai is able to tell a truly moving and heartbreaking story in 5 Centimeters Per Second. Takaki’s life is nothing really extraordinary or special, and this is what makes his story so great. The struggles he goes through throughout his life feel incredibly relatable and realistic and are enough to bring a tear to any reader’s eye.

Though 5 Centimeters Per Second definitely steals the combo’s spotlight, that doesn’t mean that Children Who Chase Lost Voices isn’t good. I found myself unable to put Children Who Chase Lost Voices down once I started it, finishing the entire light novel in one sitting.

Shinkai might not be the best at creating deep, fleshed-out fantasy worlds, but he doesn’t really need to be. While I can’t say, I ended up being a huge fan of the fantastical creatures and world featured in Children Who Chase Lost Voices, the human characters were enough to grab my attention and keep me interested. Shinkai knows how to write a good character, and luckily, Akisaka does a great job translating his story from screen to page.

While you might get a little more out of these novels if you have already seen the films they are based on, you can go into the light novels completely blind and still have a great experience. If anything, reading 5 Centimeters Per Second + Children Who Chase Lost Voices will make you want to watch the films (or give them a much-needed re-watch).

Fans of Shinkai’s films or those that love a good romantic tear-jerker will love 5 Centimeters Per Second + Children Who Chase Lost Voices. Both stories included in the combo are fantastic and grab readers’ attention from beginning to end.

5 Centimeters Per Second + Children Who Chase Lost Voices is available now wherever books are sold .

5 Centimeters Per Second + Children Who Chase Lost Voices

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5 Reasons Why 5cm Per Second Is Makoto Shinkai's Best Movie (& 5 Why It's Not)

Compared to more recent films like Weathering With You, how does 5 Centimeters Per Second hold up?

It can often be hard to decide which of the work of a film-maker is considered their best. There's constant debate over whether  Inception   or  The Dark  Knight is the better Christoper Nolan film, or which  Star Wars trilogy is the worst, and the same debate is often had about animated films as well.

Related:  15 Heartbreaking Anime That Will Make You Cry

With the recent release of  Weathering With You  as another reminder of the genius of Makoto Shinkai, it presents an opportunity to look back on his previous work to see whether one of his first full-length films,  5 cm Per Second , is still considered to be his greatest work to date. Here are 5 reasons why  5 cm Per Second is his best work to date, and 5 why it no longer holds the top spot.

10 Best: The Story Is Realistic

One thing Shinkai loves to put into his romance stories is some element of fantasy or science fiction, usually used as the backdrop to push his characters towards one another.  Your Name does this in spades, where there's not only body-swapping and time travel, but also elements of fate and destiny surrounding parts of the story aside from its central romance. While this makes the story far more interesting, it also makes it harder to relate to the characters and the events in their lives that lead them to one another. One the other hand, felling unrequited love for someone and life pulling friendships apart is something most people can relate to on a personal level.

9 Not Best: The Story Is Realistic

On the flip side of this, the realism of the story also makes it more heavy-hitting when Tataki and Akami don't get together at the end of the film. It's more realistic for two people who have been forced apart by their life choices and the choices of their parents to stay apart, and not find some way to make it work in spite of everything going on around them. While the realism is refreshing, it is also disappointing to see two characters who have very clear and strong feelings for one another to never make it work, despite how hard they tried.

8 Best: Presents The Struggle Of Long Distance Relationships Well

As time has moved on and technology has evolved to the point where we're basically all carrying a computer around in our pockets, the idea of only being able to communicate by mail is a thing of the past.

Related:  10 Anime To Watch If You Like Your Name

For Tataki and Akari, that is the reality of their world, as the film begins before the rise in popularity of cell phones and internet message boards and it adds a layer of difficulty to the relationship that is relatable for anyone who has lived through a time where that was the reality of communications.

7 Not Best: It's Too Short

The fact  5 cm Per Second is presented as three short stories rather than as one continuous timeline helps to push the story through many years of the lives of Tataki and Akari, but the overall length of the film doesn't give us enough time to see how it really impacted them. We see a few scenes where Tataki writes texts to himself, with the intention of sending them to Akari, but never gathering up the nerve to follow through with it. It would have been nice to see just a little more of their lives as they tried to come to terms with the breakdown of their friendship and relationship.

6 Best: Doesn't Just Focus On The Central Romance

One part of the romance genre that can be tiresome to see is that the plot only focuses on the main characters' relationship and nothing else.  5 cm Per Second takes a unique approach and not only shows Tataki's struggle with how far away he lives from Akari, but also shows us Kanae, one of Tataki's classmates, as she is coming to terms with her unrequited love for Tataki as he spends his days pining for his best friend.

5 Not Best: Your Name Was Way More Successful

Even though  5 cm Per Second is one of the most loved and successful anime films of the current era, it doesn't even hold a candle Shinkai's other work, especially  Your Name . Aside from having a whopping 98% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, it did the impossible and knocked  Spirited Away off of its pedestal as the highest-grossing anime film of all time, a position it had held for fifteen years.

Related:  10 Best Anime Movies Ranked (According To IMDb)

When you look at the sheer popularity of the two films, it's hard to see  5 cm Per Second as anything other than second best.

4 Best: You Want The Characters To Get Together

There are some romance stories out there that present the two characters in such a way that you don't care one way or the other if they get together in the end or not. Thankfully,  5 cm Per Second doesn't do this, and you spend the majority of the film waiting to their luck to turn around and for life to let them be together like they so desperately want. Not only that, but even in the short amount of time Tataki and Akari are seen together, their relationship is believable enough that romance would be the next step for them.

3 Not Best: Not Enough Time With Akari

While the central plot of the film follows Tataki struggling to come to terms with Akari moving away, we spend so much time with his side of the story that we never see how Akari dealt with the move herself. Despite being a major character in the film, she only shows up when they meet at the train station and share their first and only kiss before Tataki has to return home, and in the ending when it is shown she is engaged and passes Tataki on the street.

Related:  Studio Ghibli: 5 Reasons Why My Neighbor Totoro Is The Studios Best Movie (& 5 Better Alternatives)

It would have been nice to see exactly how she got from A to B, and not just be shown snippets at either end of her life.

2 Best: The Ending

The ending of  5 cm Per Second  is a strange one for modern romance, as most stories end with the characters either getting together or realizing that they really wanted to be with someone else this whole time. Shinkai's film takes a left-field approach and shows us that, despite how much time has passed and how hard he has tried to move on, Tataki hasn't been able to get over his feelings for Akari, and his life has deteriorated as a result. In the last minutes of the film, he has quit his job, lost all motivation in life and his girlfriend of three years has broken up with him. It's a refreshing take on the genre that hasn't been done nearly enough.

1 Not Best: The Ending

The ending may be unique and realistic, but you can only appreciate that for so long before you realize that what you really wanted was for someone to get a happy ending. Even Akari, who was on the verge of getting married, had all those emotions come back to her after finding the letter she wrote to Tataki as a teenager, but never had the courage to give him. Compared to  Your Name , whose closing scene is eerily similar to  5 cm Per Second , it was nice to see at least the beginnings of closure there, with Mitsuha and Taki actually acknowledging one another rather than turning back and accepting fate as it is.

Next:  15 Avatar: The Last Airbender Characters That Deserve Spinoff Series

5 Centimeters per Second

• View history

5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル, Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru ) is a 2007 Japanese animated romantic drama film produced, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai . It is his second feature film.

It premiered at Cinema Rise in Shibuya , Tokyo on March 3, 2007.

• 1.1 Cherry Blossom
• 1.2 Cosmonaut
• 1.3 5 Centimeters per Second
• 2 Characters

Cherry Blossom [ ]

Takaki and Akari walking under the cherry blossoms together.

Two kids are walking together as the cherry blossom petals fall . After the girl reveals that the falling speed of a cherry blossom petal is 5 centimeters per second, she runs toward a train crossing and quickly crosses it. On the other side of the lowered crossing, she makes a promise to the boy that they will see the cherry blossoms together next year.

Takaki Tōno meets Akari Shinohara in the fourth grade of elementary school . Since both of them had to move often due to their parents' work, they are always awkward around others; however, because of their similar circumstances, they become close friends. Takaki confesses to Akari his dream of becoming a cosmonaut, and she encourages him in pursuing such a dream. Due to how close they were, rumours about them being in a romantic relationship begins to sprout out. However, towards the end of elementary school, Akari discovers that her family had to move away to Iwafune. Despite her intent to go to the same junior high school as Takaki in Tokyo, she could do nothing but accept it. During the graduation day, Takaki couldn't properly say goodbye to Akari.

Takaki's train departing.

In middle school , Takaki and Akari keep in contact through letters. However, with time the letters become less frequent. When Takaki's parents tells him that they are to move to Tanegashima, he decides to meet Akari when he still has the chance. The day of the meeting, he brings a letter which he hopes to convey to her his feelings with. Unfortunately, a severe snowstorm delays the train, and he arrives in Iwafune many hours after the appointed time, losing the letter in the process , but Akari is still there. After he eats a bento she made for him, they wanders around in the snow, sharing a kiss in front of a cherry tree before finding a shed to sleep into. The next morning, Takaki boards the train to Tokyo, with Akari telling him that he would be fine no matter what.

Cosmonaut [ ]

Kanae and Takaki looking up at the blasting-off rocket.

In 1999, Takaki is now in the third year of senior high in Tanegashima, where the Tanegashima Space Center is located. Kanae Sumida , a classmate of Takaki, has been in love with him ever since meeting him in junior high school but has never had the courage to confess her feelings. She tries to spend time with him, waiting long after school for the chance to travel home together. However, Takaki appears ignorant to Kanae's feelings and only treats her as a good friend. Kanae observes that Takaki is always writing emails to someone or staring off into the distance as if searching for something far away. It is later shown that Takaki's emails are not being sent to anyone, and that he has had recurring dreams which feature Akari. After a failed attempt to tell Takaki she loves him, Kanae eventually realizes that he is looking for something far beyond what she can offer and decides not to, though she believes she will always love him.

5 Centimeters per Second [ ]

Takaki deep in depression.

It is 2008. Takaki is now a programmer in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Akari is preparing to get married to another man . Takaki still longs for Akari to the detriment of his lifestyle. He receives a call from his current girlfriend but does not answer, signifying the relationship's end. Depressed, Takaki quits his job, unable to cope with his feelings for Akari. Akari goes through a box of her old possessions and finds the letter she had written to Takaki many years ago. Takaki finds himself in a convenience store reading a magazine about the rocket he saw launched in years ago . With a hit song played in the background, Takaki and Akari begin a dual narration, both recalling a recent dream. In this dream, they relive their last meeting in the snow-filled Iwafune , and remember the wish to someday watch the cherry blossoms together again.

Takaki and Akari passing each other.

One day while walking down the same road they had while they were children, Takaki and Akari appear to pass and recognize each other at a train crossing . On opposite sides of the tracks, they stop and begin to look back, but passing trains cut off their view. Takaki waits for the trains to pass and finds that Akari is gone. After a moment, he smiles to himself and continues walking as the cherry blossoms stir in the train's wake.

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5 Centimeters per Second Paperback – Illustrated, June 26, 2012

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• Reading age 10 years and up
• Part of Series 5 Centimeters per Second
• Print length 468 pages
• Language English
• Dimensions 5.5 x 1.43 x 7.48 inches
• Publisher Vertical Comics
• Publication date June 26, 2012
• ISBN-10 1932234969
• ISBN-13 978-1932234961
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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vertical Comics; Media tie-in edition (June 26, 2012)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 468 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1932234969
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1932234961
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 years and up
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.43 x 7.48 inches
• #1,663 in Romance Manga (Books)
• #2,483 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction
• #68,020 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

About the author

Makoto shinkai.

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Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran review – a damning indictment of Australia’s refugee policy

The Miles Franklin winner has somehow created a novel that feels warm and generous even when provoking feelings of discomfort and shame

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I n the opening pages of Shankari Chandran’s third novel, Sister Fina, a Carmelite nun, slips in the blood of a 14-year-old child who has succeeded in his most recent suicide attempt. Even after his death, she thinks of him as a survivor.

“Kannan Puveendran, aged fourteen, had survived the bombing of his village, Kokavil, in the Vanni region of northern Sri Lanka in the final months of the way, years before,” Chandran writes. “He had survived the march through the jungle from the smouldering remains of his village to a small stretch of beach on the other side of the island. He survived dehydration, heat, hunger, and dysentery. On that beach, his mother prayed that the Red Cross ships, moored just five kilometres off the coast, would send lifeboats for them. Instead, the Red Cross waited, paralysed by international diplomacy and geopolitical agendas.”

Is there a more damning indictment to government and social apathy than this – a child who lost hope not in the midst of war, but in the bleak, unending despair of government sanctioned detention centres? It is in one of these institutions that Sister Fina volunteers, still on the temporary visa granted to her after she arrived by leaky, collapsing boat into Australia.

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Kannan’s death, and the adjacent suicide of one of the prison guards, triggers the events of the novel: Sister Fina, retraumatised by the smell of the boy’s blood, breaks the confidentiality of her visa to report the story to a fictional version of the Guardian. This in turn triggers the arrival of Sri Lankan Tamil OSI officer Lakshmi Dharman, or Lucky, who travels to the detention centre to investigate both deaths. For her efforts, Sister Fina is arrested by Border Force and detained for deportation back to Sri Lanka. The small community of Hastings, where Fina has found friends and a home, campaigns for her release – a community-driven act of compassion inspired by the real events of the Biloela family.

From its opening pages, Safe Haven delivers a sharp shock of pain, an immediate emotional response with the goal of further provoking action. It is punctuated by devastating flashbacks to Fina’s traumatic escape from Sri Lanka, and the Orwellian bureaucracy she (and all others like her) encounter as barriers to freedom and safety. Later, it shifts focus to Lucky’s investigation, which is blocked at every turn by guards at the detention centre. The effects of Kannan’s death continue to be felt, but more as an undercurrent as there’s no satisfying resolution available for his family.

Like her Miles Franklin-winning novel Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens , Safe Haven is a warm and generous read despite its hefty subject matter. At times, as the focus of the book shifts more towards Lucky’s investigation and the revelation of Fina’s own secret past, the novel reads more like a crime procedural – no less compelling, but perhaps without the driving fury of the opening pages. But Chandran brings the story to life through the warmth and vibrancy of its characters. We immediately feel welcomed; no mean feat, given the concurrent feeling of discomfort and shame. Stories like this have the power to create and hold space where shame and hope can coexist.

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Chandran credits her characters – and her readers – with the ability to meet such complexity. In one scene, Fina recalls learning to swim in the community pool, slowly overcoming her fear of being back in water. She is the only adult in her class; the families of the children learning alongside her watch on, never laughing, in part because they too have “seen trauma before, in forms that were distinct because all trauma is distinct, but also universal”. This is a work that invites a nuanced reflection on the myriad ways trauma is experienced and felt – from the violent immediacy, to the ongoing ache, to the monotonous, hope-depriving bureaucracy that enables such apathy.

Is Safe Haven, or any book, enough to inspire action? Perhaps not. After the novel’s initial hurt, it does ease into a gentler, more recognisable narrative that, while highlighting the various mechanisms that strip individuals of their humanity and rights, doesn’t deliver too many outright shocks. But it is quietly discomfiting, fury wrapped in the familiar in a way that means it lingers long after the final page.

Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran is published by Ultimo ($34.99)

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Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure

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‘Every Dollar Counts’: Prosecutors Use Quotes From Trump’s Books Against Him

Donald J. Trump’s books provided prosecutors with passages they believe can help their case, as they argue that he knew that his company falsified business records to cover up a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels.

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By Kate Christobek ,  Ben Protess and Jonah E. Bromwich

• May 7, 2024

Prosecutors cannot force Donald J. Trump to testify at his criminal trial in Manhattan, but that does not mean they can’t use his words against him.

On Tuesday, the prosecutors unearthed a series of damaging excerpts from books that the former president wrote, plucking out passages to help make their case against Mr. Trump. In essence, they called a past version of Mr. Trump to testify against his future self.

In his own words, Mr. Trump described how he kept a focus on minute details and watched every penny that left his accounts, corroborating a core component of the prosecution’s case as they argue that he knew that his company falsified business records to cover up a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star.

On cross-examination, Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, suggested that a ghost writer had been responsible for these words.

Mr. Trump’s written words also described how he sees sexual potential in women that he encounters, a salient point in a trial tethered to encounters with women that he is accused of covering up. “All the women on ‘The Apprentice’ flirted with me,” he wrote.

Prosecutors introduced the damning excerpts by questioning Sally Franklin, a witness who is an executive and editor, to read excerpts from “Trump: How to Get Rich” and “Trump: Think Like a Billionaire,” both of which were published by Ballantine, a Penguin Random House imprint.

The jury heard Trump’s written words: “Every dollar counts in business, and for that matter, every dime.” The text continued, “Even in high end shops, I bargain,” adding, “I hate paying retail.”

This was not the first time jurors heard Trump in his own words. Last week, prosecutors played video clips of him talking, and they have questioned witnesses about Mr. Trump’s infamous statement on the set of “Access Hollywood” that he would grab women by the genitals.

But the judge would not allow prosecutors to play the tape for jurors, a decision that elevated the importance of the book passages, or any other opportunity to use Mr. Trump as a witness against himself.

It might not be the only opportunity for jurors to hear from the former president. Although the prosecution cannot legally call him to testify, Mr. Trump could take the witness stand in his own defense, though it is unclear whether he will do so.

For now, jurors heard his words via Ms. Franklin, who read ominous passages in which Mr. Trump spoke of how he treated his perceived enemies.

“For many years I’ve said that if someone screws you, screw them back,” she read from a book by Mr. Trump. It continued: “When somebody hurts you, just go after them as viciously and as violently as you can. Like it says in the Bible, an eye for an eye.”

As jurors listened, Mr. Trump’s smiling image on a book cover was plastered on screens across the courtroom, a sharp contrast from the scowl he sported throughout the testimony.

Kate Christobek is a reporter covering the civil and criminal cases against former president Donald J. Trump for The Times. More about Kate Christobek

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

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A Black conservative reflects on his past, shocking behavior and all

In “Late Admissions,” the economist, social critic and podcast host Glenn Loury recounts his eminent career and his ideological journeys.

About a month ago, before the publication of his disarmingly candid new memoir, “ Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative ,” Glenn Loury — the eminent economist and social critic — announced he was undergoing a major surgery. “I have got spinal stenosis with a vengeance,” he told followers of “The Glenn Show,” his popular weekly video podcast. Thankfully, Loury’s ailment is not life-threatening, but at 75 and on the cusp of retirement, he is in the twilight of a distinguished and often contentious career, and “Late Admissions” is certain to impact his legacy.

“I am going to tell you things about myself that no one would want anybody to think was true of them,” Loury warns early in the book. Fans of “The Glenn Show” admire Loury’s probing intelligence and forceful charisma. But he has many detractors, too. He was arrested twice in 1987, first for assaulting his girlfriend, then for drugs. Though the assault charge was dropped, it was a terrible look for someone who was up for a job in the Reagan administration at the time. More recently, Loury has drawn criticism for inveighing strongly, and occasionally profanely, against America’s post-George Floyd “racial reckoning.”

In “Late Admissions,” he intertwines his intellectual journey with unexpectedly juicy personal disclosures. By confessing to some reprehensible behavior, Loury says, he hopes to earn his readers’ trust and, paradoxically, their respect and admiration. If this seems like a risky gambit for such a polarizing thinker, you are onto something.

Loury was born and raised in Park Manor, a Black neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Socioeconomically, most of its law-abiding residents cruised at medium altitude, but some descended into the underground economy. Loury warmly portrays his vexing and often amusing extended family. His Aunt Eloise became his primary caregiver. Generous, decorous and churchgoing, Eloise enjoyed standing in her community. She had two beguiling brothers, however. Loury’s Uncle Adlert was brilliant but erratic; he became a successful lawyer back when that was uncommon among Black men, only to be disbarred over some unspecified “shady family business.” Meanwhile, Uncle Alfred fathered an astonishing 22 children by four women. “Alfred’s appetites may have outstripped the confines of respectability,” Loury acknowledges. “But he was quite the patriarch. His sense of duty as a father, stretched thin though it may have been, gave his life meaning.”

Loury finished high school “both a valedictorian and a virgin,” though he had two kids by the time he was 19. It was the beginning of a lifetime of assiduously wooing women. While attending junior college, Loury worked as a clerk in a printing plant. It was a solid entry-level job for a young man, and he seemed destined to work a 9 to 5, until an instructor recognized his potential.

Loury transferred on a scholarship to Northwestern University, where he was swiftly discovered to be a math prodigy. In 1972, at 23, he started working on his PhD in economics at MIT. “I am coming in hot,” Loury reminiscences about his arrival on campus. “I’m about to begin a steep professional and intellectual ascent. I know this, and I’m excited by the thought.” As a young man, he published blockbuster works in technical economic theory, and in 1982 he became the first Black economist to earn tenure at Harvard. That is where his path to academic stardom stalled.

Loury faced a conundrum. Was he building a career as an economist, or as a Black economist? It did not help that liberal intellectuals tended not to appreciate his social critiques. Loury surmised that, given American history, it was probably unwise for disadvantaged African Americans to rely upon Whites to help them. Instead, he thought that Black people should follow his Uncle Moonie’s common-sense formula for poverty relief: “Get up and get busy.” Loury recalls a senior colleague warning him to be “very, very careful” about saying this publicly, for fear he could be labeled “conservative” and therefore on the “wrong side” of the early-1980s inequality debate.

Meanwhile, Loury’s ideas in his primary field started drying up. “I began to doubt I had what it takes to be a Player in the big league economics game,” he writes. Many academics suffer from “impostor syndrome,” but Loury actually became one: In the evenings, he would drive his late-model Saab into Boston’s Black neighborhoods, turn his baseball cap sideways (it was the ’80s, remember) and engage in tawdry high jinks. When he trawled nightclubs, hired prostitutes and smoked crack — to which he became powerfully addicted — nobody in those circles knew that he was an Ivy League professor by day. Likewise, his Harvard colleagues had no idea that Loury was paying the rent on a “love nest” for his barely-out-of-college mistress, after having been delinquent on payments for student loans and child support.

Even after his double life was discovered and made national news, Loury could not stop smoking crack. Several of his book’s passages recounting his self-sabotaging escapades induced queasiness in this reader.

Loury’s addiction eventually landed him at the Appleton clinic, an inpatient program at the storied McLean Psychiatric Hospital. After spending several weeks there, he moved into a halfway house and attended daily AA meetings, which may be where he grew comfortable sharing the types of unflattering self-disclosures that appear throughout his memoir. In 1989, Loury and his wife became born-again Christians and found solace and community in a Black church, though only temporarily. Regarding the divinity of Christ, Loury says, “I now have my doubts.”

Upon resuming his career in the early 1990s, Loury continued to surprise, criticizing some erstwhile intellectual allies: He mocked Charles Murray, co-author of “The Bell Curve,” for dodging his critics and for his perceived lack of technical facility. He found Dinesh D’Souza’s “The End of Racism” pathetic, dishonest and contemptuous of Black people. Loury had been friends with Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom, vocal opponents of affirmative action, but in 1996, at a backyard barbecue, an argument he had with the couple about the urban crisis grew very heated. The following year, Loury eviscerated their tremendously hyped co-written opus, “America in Black and White,” at length in the Atlantic.

Some were correct to wonder: Was Loury becoming progressive? His next research topic was mass incarceration, and back then “there was no blacker project than criticizing America’s prisons,” Loury writes. He found a role that suited his talents, delivering fiery sermons on the United States’ “moral decrepitude.” Though he enjoyed the rush that came from speaking before validating crowds, he eventually concluded that the New Jim Crow narrative — the idea that prisons could be likened to a racial caste system — was “wildly overstated.” He likewise could not get behind the Black Lives Matter movement, which started garnering headlines in 2014. “I had to acknowledge that my social critique and my disposition were better suited to the right,” he writes. “I was a conservative, and in truth I suspected that’s what I always had been.”

A poignant moment arrives toward the end of “Late Admissions.” Glenn’s second wife, Linda, had just died from cancer, at 59. Going through her possessions, he found a self-help book. “It was about learning how to forgive those who have wronged you,” he writes. Many of its passages were underlined, and Loury did not have to wonder why.

So, does Loury’s delicate gambit — his attempt to garner sympathy while revealing some of his worst behavior — work? For this reader, the answer is unequivocally yes. “Late Admissions” is a zestfully written book, packed with humor, pathos and hard-earned wisdom. Even its distasteful revelations are, for the most part, in keeping with Loury’s rigorous ethic of self-scrutiny. He has long insisted that when social science professors play to the crowds or are too timid to speak the truth as they see it, they dishonor their vocation. Now he’s applied that spirt to his autobiography. Loury’s body may be showing the signs of age, but his famously independent thinking is as strong as ever.

John McMillian is an associate professor of history at Georgia State University, in Atlanta. He is writing a book about crime and policing in New York City since the 1960s .

Late Admissions

Confessions of a Black Conservative

By Glenn C. Loury

W.W. Norton. 428 pp. $32.50

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