Japanese Title: Byousoku 5-senchimeetoru
Author: Makoto Shinkai (story), Yukiko Seike (art)
Publisher: Vertical
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rated: Teen (brief sensuality, thematic elements throughout)
Summary: Love can move at the speed of terminal velocity, but as award-winning director Makoto Shinkai reveals in his latest comic, it can only be shared and embraced by those who refuse to see it stop.
Takaki Tohno quickly befriends Akari Shinohara when she transfers to his school. They grow closer to each other due to similar interests and attitudes; for instance, they both prefer to stay inside during recess due to their constitutions. As a result, they form a strong bond.
Upon ending their school year, Akari moves to Tochigi, due to her parents' jobs. The two keep in contact by writing letters, but eventually begin to drift apart.
Art: Evocative, detailed in all the right places but not cluttered.
Story: Sweet and sad and at times heartwrenching, but it never crossed the downer line. It had its wordy times but also its wordless times, so it balanced out well enough. The overall premise is simple and quiet but the subject matter is heavy and evocative.
Characters: Normal but real. You could understand what they were going through, and really root for each of them, even as their happiness in love went against another's.
End: The ending is not something an American would expect, but it's definitively Japanese. Be prepared for disappointment yet contentment - it's what they do best.
Recommend?: If you like a heavy-hearted romance.
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