"Wait… aren't the leads a little too young?"
"Let me think. If the male lead, Takaki, is in seventh or eighth grade right now… then doesn't that mean they've known each other since elementary school?"
"Elementary school isn't that young, really. Some kids are already 13 or 14 when they graduate. It's just… this hits hard. Honestly, watching the story up to this point, I think I'm starting to get it—it's a long-distance romance, right?"
"But it shouldn't be just a long-distance romance. That's way too common in love stories. Mr. Jing Yu said in an interview that this film would leave a deep impression. If it were only about long-distance love, he wouldn't sound so confident."
"But seriously, this movie has so many internal monologues. Almost the entire story is told through Takaki's voice-over."
"You're just noticing that now? Ever since 'Kimi ni Todoke', I've noticed Mr. Jing Yu loves his internal narrations. But because of that, you really get a sense of the characters' inner world. It makes them feel more real."
"Yeah, that's true…"
"But man, the casting is perfect! Total eye-candy."
"They've got the looks, but their acting isn't bad either. People ignore that part because they're too good-looking."
---
'I'm sorry for asking you to come all the way to my station. I'll be waiting in the lounge at seven, like we promised.'
As Akari's letter narration ended, '5 Centimeters per Second' finally completed the setup of its prologue.
Snow fell in thick flurries. The bitter cold seemed to seep right through the screen.
Thirteen-year-old Takaki, following the meeting promised in their letters, boarded an old-fashioned train from decades past. Before his family moved thousands of kilometers away, he made this final journey—to see Akari one last time.
The clatter of the train echoed: clank, clank, clank...
A flashback played across the screen—
That bright spring day, when Takaki and Akari were still classmates. They'd become friends because they were both sickly, walking home from school together, reading books on prehistoric life in the library, chatting and bonding during every free moment. And somehow, along the way, they fell for each other.
But the train was delayed.
Because of the snow, its speed slowed to a crawl. And since Takaki had to transfer to another train partway through, his anxiety only grew.
They were supposed to meet at seven in the evening, but by six o'clock, he was still waiting at the transfer station for a delayed train.
Gu Qian was slowly drawn in.
At first, she'd been distracted, her thoughts wandering. But now, she felt fully immersed—like she was Takaki.
This was an era without cellphones. They could only rely on letters to set up this meeting.
What if Akari thought he wasn't coming?
This was their first reunion since she moved—and maybe, before he moved away himself—the last time they'd ever see each other.
Most student romances never make it past infatuation. But films are different. Through camera work and direction, this one showed that these two—despite their age—were serious.
The tension steadily climbed.
6:30
6:45
6:50
6:51... 6:51...
The frequency at which Takaki checked the time mirrored his rising panic.
Honestly, the pace was slow—nearly twenty minutes in, and the leads still hadn't met.
But Gu Qian, like many viewers, was watching intently.
Not because the plot was thrilling, but because the visuals and atmosphere were incredible.
Since Jing Yu adapted '5 Centimeters per Second' into a film, of course, the original soundtrack made it in.
Finally, a little after seven...
The transfer train arrived.
But by now, the promised time had long passed.
Not long after departing again, the train stopped mid-track, snowed in.
"The time the train stopped… felt impossibly long."
"That day, facing a girl even more anxious than I was, I couldn't say a single gentle word to her on the phone."
As Takaki's narration played, the onscreen Takaki silently pulled a letter from his pocket—one he'd spent two weeks writing.
If he saw Akari today, he'd give it to her in person.
But during a moment off the train to get fresh air, a gust of wind snatched the letter from his coat pocket—blowing it away into the snow-covered fields.
The letter was gone.
Takaki, who had held himself together all night, finally broke. His calm expression collapsed. His eyes turned red.
"Okay, now I'm getting nervous…"
"Ugh! This weather is awful."
"It's already 8:30… he's so late. They're doomed."
"Is Akari still waiting?"
"You kidding? Below-zero weather? A middle school girl waiting at a train station for hours? No way!"
"So sad…"
"This is gonna get tragic, isn't it?"
"Don't worry—it's probably just the setup before something heartwarming. Classic fakeout."
"You sure?"
"I think so!"
In the silent train, Takaki sat with his head down, eyes fixed on his watch.
"The train sat in the middle of the wilderness for two whole hours. Time slipped past me, merciless and cold. I had to fight not to cry."
"Akari... I hope you've already gone home."
Gu Qian sighed deeply.
Plot-wise, this was just a story about someone being late.
But because of the carefully layered flashbacks—how close the two had once been, how Akari's transfer had created distance, and how they now clung to this one final chance to see each other—the delay hit hard.
The sadness wasn't in the plot. It was in the emotion—the camera work, Takaki's expressions, the perfectly timed background music.
Gu Qian already felt her chest tighten.
Those long narrations… the immersion was real.
In the fan group chat:
"This is why we need cellphones."
"Why didn't he just walk?"
"Bro, it's literally snowing in the wilderness. Below freezing. You want a 13-year-old to hike through that? You human?"
"You really think he can walk the second half of a train ride in a snowstorm? Lmao."
'If you've already gone home… that'd be great.' —That line broke me. I thought he was just afraid she'd leave, but no. He's afraid she's still there, waiting, freezing."
"The plot's simple… but why does it hit so hard?"
"That's the sign of good writing and directing. Like, most girls aren't that pretty, but makeup does wonders. Same thing here. Simple story, but the casting, the music, the emotional build-up—everything hits right. That's why it hurts."
"Wait—what if Akari's still waiting?"
At last, 11 PM.
The train arrived.
The station was empty, cold. Only the dim lights gave any warmth.
Gu Qian watched, holding her breath, as Takaki stepped out—his steps slow and heavy, his face filled with exhaustion and sorrow.
And then… he saw her.
In the freezing, empty waiting room, the girl he hadn't seen in a year sat curled up on a bench.
They'd both grown taller since they last met—but Takaki recognized her instantly.
She was hunched over, head lowered, her body curled up to fend off the cold.
Who knows how long she'd been in that position?
Their meeting was at 7 PM. It was now 11. She had waited for four hours.
Maybe her hands and feet had gone numb. Maybe the cold dulled her senses.
Because even when Takaki stood right in front of her, she didn't notice.
"Akari."
His voice was gentle.
She slowly looked up. Her eyes, tired and confused, softened. Tears shimmered as she reached out and clutched his sleeve.
She didn't say a word. But the tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on her wrist.
There were no words—but that silent image said everything.
Takaki had feared she would get sick waiting in the cold.
She, on the other hand, finally felt at ease—because he had come.
Gu Qian's eyes turned red.
This is love.
In the fan group:
"I cried."
"Akari forever!"
"Takaki too!"
"Mr. Jing Yu's amazing. That single scene of waiting at a station wrecked me."
"Reminds me of Itsuki and Sato Mako from 'Initial D'. Sato waited until midnight. But this time, Takaki made it at 11!"
"It's so real. It really got to me."
"They were both afraid the other wouldn't come. But more than that, they were worried something might happen to each other in this weather."
"This is that 'twisted-together fate' kind of love."
"I believe in true love again."
"This girl's a legend. Waiting four hours in that weather?"
"Totally worth the six yuan. These 20 minutes of '5 Centimeters per Second' touched me more than all three episodes of 'Stardust Guardian!' combined."
"Tears… Takaki, what are you doing? Hug her already!"
Under the dim yellow lights of the station, Takaki ate the rice balls Akari had made for him.
Just like back in elementary school, they chatted and laughed.
The story was gentle. The music—quiet and sorrowful. But the emotions kept rising.
Outside, they walked side by side through the snow, leaving two sets of footprints.
Under the cherry tree, covered in snow...
They looked into each other's eyes—
and kissed.
Gu Qian's heart twisted painfully.
It wasn't sweet at all.
"After that moment came unbearable sadness. Where should I store Akari's soul? Where should I carry it?"
"I knew it—after this, we'd never be together again. The vast life ahead, the unreachable time… stood between us."
Thousands of kilometers apart.
No cellphones.
Just two middle schoolers.
They knew.
That kiss was probably their last.
Not that they said it. But they were just kids. They couldn't change the future.
They couldn't promise anything.
All they could do was love each other.
The film never spelled it out, but Gu Qian understood.
At the end of Cherry Blossom, Akari watched Takaki's train depart the next day. She said her final words of farewell with all the blessings she could offer.
Their eyes… were filled with sorrow.
"I never told her I lost the letter. Maybe… because after that kiss, the world had already changed." —Takaki.
Akari, after the train left, pulled out a letter she had written to him.
One she never gave.
And in that moment—
Gu Qian felt something was wrong.
Takaki lost his letter, but never told her.
Akari had a letter—but never sent it.
This was probably their last meeting.
And the words they most needed to say…
Remained unsaid.
'Cherry Blossom'.
End.
In the fan group:
"Wait—what?"
"That's the ending? You're kidding, right?"
"I just spent 40 minutes on that? You're seriously stopping here?"
"What happens next?? How can it end there?!"
"Distance isn't a problem. Just write letters! If it's true love, it won't break!"
"Bro, you're overthinking it. Sure, love isn't defeated by distance—but people change. If 15-year-old me saw what I've become at 25, I'd stab myself. If I can't accept my own growth, how can two people stay in sync over years apart? Most couples break because who they become isn't who they imagined."
"I still believe they won't be broken by distance."
"This chapter made me cry. See you all next week."
"Simple plot, but it hit hard. Ending here sucks, though. Let's see what happens in the next part—hoping they end up together."
"Isn't it obvious? Just keep in touch, then get into the same college. They're in eighth grade now—wait four years. Letters and patience!"
"Sounds easy, huh? I thought the same with my first love. Didn't even last two years. This movie hit me hard. But hey, it's a movie. Doesn't have to be realistic. I believe Mr. Jing Yu will give them a happy ending."
"Ugh. People who keep talking about 'reality' in a movie discussion are the worst. Who comes to movies for realism? It's about ideals, people!"
"Sure, it hurts now—but it'll get sweet later. I've got Jing Yu figured out. This'll be even sweeter than 'Kimi ni Todoke'!"