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NEWS: ADV Acquires Makoto Shinkai's 5cm Per Second

ADV Films has confirmed to ICv2 the acquisition of the rights to Makoto Shinkai's 5cm Per Second: A Chain of Short Stories About Their Distance, which debuted in Japan on March 3, 2007. ADV's Chris Oarr told ICv2 that ADV does plan to release 5cm Per Second theatrically before the DVD is released in December. Certainly 5cm Per Second did well with hardcore anime fans in Japan lined up hours before the first showing of the film at a theater in Shibuya. Director Shinkai, who leapt to prominence with his home-made (on his Apple computer) OVA, Voices of a Distant Star in 2002, has developed a devoted following in both Japan and the U.S. thanks to a lyrical and poetic visual style that perfectly complements his overriding themes of isolation and loneliness -- themes that clearly resonate with otaku.

ADV has released both Voices of a Distant Star and Shinkai's feature length follow-up, The Place Promised In Our Early Days, both of which can be classified as poetic science fiction. In spite of its scientific sounding title, 5cm Per Second is a contemporary relationship story, or rather three of them -- separate vignettes from the life of Takaki Tohno. In the first story, "A Tale of Cherry Blossoms," which takes place during Takaki's grade school years, he forms a close relationship with Akari Shinohara, only to have her move away with her family when he enters junior high. The second story "Cosmonaut" is set at Tanegashima, the seat of Japan's Space Agency during Takaki's high school years, when a shy classmate has a crush on him, but refuses to act on it. The third story "5cm Per Second" takes place in the present during Takaki's adult years and ends with a fleeting encounter with a woman from his past.

Although in 5cm Per Second (as in The Place Promised In Our Early Days), Shinkai worked with a full team of animators rather than by himself, the look of the film remains intensely personal thanks to his striking compositions and painterly use of light. Although he may not have reached the stratospheric level of Hayao Miyazaki yet, Shinkai, like Satoshi Kon, is a true anime auteur with an easily recognized visual style and recurrent themes that make his films truly distinctive.

Can I get a hell yes?

This is cool news. I haven't seen 5cm Per Second yet, though I did love The Place Promised in Our Early Days. I'm just wondering why ADV couldn't have sat on it for a week an announced at AX. I mean, I'm not going to AX, but why make a significance announcement about a new license a week before a big convention?

Calculusman wrote:

This is cool news. I haven't seen 5cm Per Second yet, though I did love The Place Promised in Our Early Days. I'm just wondering why ADV couldn't have sat on it for a week an announced at AX. I mean, I'm not going to AX, but why make a significance announcement about a new license a week before a big convention?

Maybe they've got something even bigger planned for AX?

This news is great, no questioning that. I loved The Place Promised in Our Early Days and Voices of a Distant Star made me cry, which isn't too easy. Both were fantastic and personally I though ADV did a great job with them. I wish the'd done something more than a paper cover sleeve for that dual release but, hey, at least they actually released them English dubbed and packed with extras!

I was especially thankful for the casting in The Place Promised in Our Early Days. Jessica Boone was amazing in it IMHO.

I'm eagerly anticipating getting Shinkai's latests since I've heard good things about it and so far, I've liked everything I've seen of his.

I'm also with you on the Pale Cocoon. That was an amazing OVA as well imo. It did suffer a little at the end... but overall I was truly impressed. Maybe I'll go watch that again right now

Unfortunately it [Pale Cocoon] doesn't have near the word-of-mouth reputation that VODS does, and a company may be leery of licensing it without some significant add-on to put with it. (VODS did have the short She and Her Cat and the alternate Japanese language track featuring the director and his wife-to-be, for instance.)

As for 5 cm, I've liked Shinkai's previous two works so I would certainly see this one, too. And there are art house theaters in my area. . .

Something bigger at AX hm? It wouldn't be spoiler[Kanon] would it? Though since I'm going to Otakon, if they announce that, I hope they do it there.

Amazingly, I've never gotten around to seeing Voices of a Distant Star, I think partly because using up one my netflix rental spots for such a short thing seems such a waste, but then again, if it's anything as good as TPPIOED, it probably won't be.

This is cool news. I haven't seen 5cm Per Second yet, though I did love The Place Promised in Our Early Days. I'm just wondering why ADV couldn't have sat on it for a week an announced at AX. I mean, I'm not going to AX, but why make a significance announcement about a new license a week before a big convention?

Calculusman wrote:

This is cool news. I haven't seen 5cm Per Second yet, though I did love The Place Promised in Our Early Days. I'm just wondering why ADV couldn't have sat on it for a week an announced at AX. I mean, I'm not going to AX, but why make a significance announcement about a new license a week before a big convention?

I think a lot of companies are trying to get away from absolutely HAVING to announce their titles at conventions. I know it hamstrings any effort by the PR divisions of these companies to do anything creative or interesting with the announcement.

Everyone gets the news via the internet anyway; I don't know why it matters whether or not they do it at a show.

Edit: I just re-read your post and you even say you're not attending the show. Why do you care at all whether or not an announcement is made at a convention you're not going to?