This animated triptych - named for the speed at which cherry blossoms fall to the ground - is made up of three stories surrounding Takaki, a Japanese boy, at three different stages of his life. In 'Cherry Blossom Story' we meet Takaki as a young boy, confused and unable to express his feelings for his best friend as she moves away to another city. In 'Cosmonaut', Takaki is in his final year of high school, and blissfully ignorant of the crush a girl in his class has on him. And in the final segement, '5 Centimetres Per Second', Takaki is in his mid-twenties, unsure of his path and succumbing to cynicism. A beautifully animated and heart-felt drama from director Makoto Shinkai who has drawn comparison with the legendary Hayao Miyazaki.