Depressive Screenwriter

After entering the cinema, the theater didn't start playing the movie right away, but instead, advertisements started playing.

Local real estate opening information.

Some product commercials.

And some movie trailers.

Among these.

Was the trailer for 'A Bouquet of Love,' which is set to be released next month.

Although it was only a few seconds, this movie, unlike '5 Centimeters Per Second,' has clearly defined lead actors, and the female lead is Su Yan's go-to actress, Shen Liqian. The entire theater was briefly stirred by Su Yan's fans.

Qiao Yueling thought to herself that Su Yan is rich now, doing this kind of promotion a month before the release. Judging from those few seconds of the trailer, this movie called 'A Bouquet of Love' seems... pretty good.

The female lead is beautiful, and the male lead is a good actor.

Hmm...

Looks like I'll have to make arrangements for the release day of 'A Bouquet of Love' next month.

As Qiao Yueling's mind wandered, the lights in the theater dimmed, and a stunningly beautiful scene appeared on the screen.

Pink cherry blossoms scattering in the wind, a clear blue sky, cherry trees reflected in the roadside puddles, sunlight casting dappled shadows on vehicles through the trees...

And a girl holding a small red umbrella, wearing a floral dress, and a bright smile, and a slightly shy boy standing beside her.

[Hey, I heard it's '5 Centimeters Per Second']

[Hmm, what?]

[The speed at which cherry blossoms fall, 5 centimeters per second!]

The opening dialogue between the girl and the boy reveals the meaning of the movie's title, '5 Centimeters Per Second'.

Simple lines, simple dialogue, combined with this vividly colored scenery.

Everyone in the entire theater instantly stopped whispering.

With movies, you can actually see a person's style in just a few shots.

Su Yan is not only the screenwriter in the crew but also the movie's investor.

He can greatly influence the filming and creation of the movie.

Of course, Su Yan will respect the director he hired with a lot of money, but Su Yan will also make his own requests.

The director can use his talent, but the final cut must incorporate the advantages of Shinkai Makoto's animated films from Su Yan's previous life.

And the most crucial thing is the unique visual art style of Shinkai Makoto's movies.

Just like watching 'The Garden of Words,' Qiao Yueling's distracting thoughts disappeared as soon as this scene appeared.

In a long take, the boy and girl run down a long slope. The girl runs faster, crossing the railway in the middle of the road before the barriers on both sides of the railway come down. She playfully twirls with her umbrella on the other side of the railway, looking at the boy in the sunlight.

[I hope we can watch the cherry blossoms together next year too!]

A train passes by, blocking their view.

The story begins here.

A boy named Takaki Tōno and a girl named Akari Shinohara.

Because of their similarly quiet personalities, they don't fit in with their classmates at school. But precisely because they are excluded by their classmates, they come together.

Similar personalities and almost identical hobbies quickly bring them together, and they become close friends who can talk about anything.

The narrative of the story, through Takaki Tōno's memories, diaries, and fragments of letters, constructs a story full of youthful atmosphere for Qiao Yueling.

However, this seemingly beautiful childhood story will eventually have accidents.

Midway through, Akari Shinohara transfers schools.

Due to her parents' work, she goes to a very, very far place.

But the two still exchange letters after the heroine separates due to transferring schools and enters middle school.

Although the movie doesn't explicitly state the time period, Qiao Yueling roughly understands that the story takes place at least thirty years ago, just from the old objects inside, such as mailboxes and phone booths.

The story begins with the hero and heroine agreeing to meet on a certain day after transferring schools.

Qiao Yueling watched very seriously.

Although the beginning of this plot is simple, the music and visuals create a sense of youthfulness all at once.

For romance movies, creating this sense of immersion is extremely crucial. At least Qiao Yueling and the vast majority of people in this theater have now entered the story.

It was a snowy afternoon.

In the afternoon, the boy bought a train ticket and entered the station.

The scenery outside the train window flashed backward, and the boy fell into memories.

It was the night he and Akari talked on the phone.

The girl cried on the phone, explaining to him that she was going to transfer schools.

Their promise to go to the same middle school, to continue studying ancient creatures, and to watch the cherry blossoms together next year, fell apart.

The girl's crying voice on the phone, her pleading for the boy to forgive her and at least give her a word of comfort.

But the boy's response to her in a state of emotional imbalance was.

[I know, okay, no need to say anymore!]

Qiao Yueling clenched her fingers slightly.

In the story, the boy's inner monologue sounded.

[Through that earpiece that hurt my ears, I personally felt the hurt Akari was suffering.]

Qiao Yueling already felt a bit of a stinging pain in her heart.

She is a very empathetic person.

And coincidentally, '5 Centimeters Per Second' is a work that can make the audience very empathetic.

Shinkai Makoto's movie plots are never complicated, but why was it so famous in Su Yan's previous life?

It is because the movie's depiction of the characters' inner emotions is too delicate. A simple teacher-student relationship, a long-distance relationship script can make the audience feel a pain in their hearts.

Unknowingly, during the viewing process, the audience can easily empathize with the characters.

In this plot, Akari crying and saying sorry to Takaki can be said to have made everyone in the entire theater feel a little uncomfortable.

Old Thief, how long has this movie of yours been going on, and you're already starting to be cruel?

Further into the movie, it is Takaki's inner monologue on the train, flashbacks of memories, and changes in scenes.

After the two were separated, they continued to exchange letters, telling each other about their experiences after entering middle school.

Before boarding this train, Takaki also wrote down in a letter what he wanted to say to Akari but couldn't say in person.

He boarded the train in the afternoon, and his appointment with Akari was to meet at seven in the evening.

But...

Heavy snow blocked the road.

The train kept stopping at stations along the way.

In the story, time passed little by little.

The expectation in Takaki's eyes gradually became calm, then numb.

At the stop, the cold wind blew against his clothes. He wanted to take out money from his pocket to buy some hot drinks, but the letter carefully tucked in his pocket was blown away by the heavy snow at this moment.

The boy watched his letter, which had long exceeded the agreed time but had to be trapped at a halfway station, disappear in an instant in the wind and snow.

Imagining whether the expectant, long-unseen girl was still waiting for him, in this era without telephones, whether she would think that he had retreated at the last minute, had not kept the appointment, and had stood her up.

His eyes turned red in an instant.

Qiao Yueling was silent.

She looked at the time on her watch.

Su Yan's works usually only become cruel in the later stages.

But why is this movie already starting to be cruel in the early stages?

The train was still stopped on the road, and the boy returned to the carriage, lowering his head and recalling the letter Akari had once written to him.

[The letter Akari wrote to me, imagining it, for some reason, gave me the feeling that she was always alone!]

[As a result, the train stopped in the empty wilderness for two hours. At this moment, even a minute felt very long. Time passed slowly and ruthlessly by my side!]

Takaki lowered his head, looking at the time displayed on his watch.

He was already almost three hours late.

[Akari, I hope you've already gone home.]

From the beginning of the movie until now, 70% of the scenes are all the inner descriptions of the protagonist, Takaki Tōno.

But Qiao Yueling didn't feel bloated, but felt heartache.

Just two middle school students who liked each other, just a job transfer.

But this kind of thing, like a meteorite landing, caused a devastating blow to their relationship.

After finally saving enough money, gathering courage, and taking a train alone to a distant and unfamiliar city.

But encountering this kind of thing.

Late at night.

The train finally arrived at the station.

There was no one at the train station, and Takaki Tōno's expression was calm.

Qiao Yueling also sighed in her heart.

In this kind of weather, the temperature at the train station is estimated to be below ten or twenty degrees Celsius. In that era without mobile phones, who would wait until now?

Akari must have long thought that she had been stood up by Takaki and went back.

And Takaki only needs to rest here and wait for the next return train.

However, touching moments always happen unintentionally.

Takaki just calmly walked into the waiting hall, and in that huge room, there was a girl with her head lowered, perhaps very cold, her body curled up. At this point in time, perhaps she had no hope for someone's arrival, so her eyes were not focused on the exit, but she lowered her head, bent over, and hugged her arms.

But she didn't leave.

Qiao Yueling's tears welled up instantly.

She understood the girl's intentions.

It is very likely that he will not come. But it's just possible...

But if she doesn't wait and really leaves, she will never see him again.

Takaki Tōno's expression became very sad, and his eyes were also filled with tears. He walked step by step to the girl's side and said.

[Akari!]

The BGM sounded, and the girl slowly raised her head. In the previous scenes, Akari was always smiling.

But at this moment, her eyes were full of tears, but she smiled and cried.

Qiao Yueling didn't know how the audience in other cinemas and theaters in Xia Guo viewed this movie at this moment.

But at this moment, she fell in love with this movie.

She fell in love with Takaki Tōno and Akari Shinohara.

Old Thief, give them happiness!

The boy and girl walked in the snowy night.

They were just chatting about some unimportant trivial matters, one sentence from you and one sentence from me.

But just being together like this, their faces were full of smiles.

Arriving under a huge cherry tree, Akari sprayed the falling snowflakes with her hand, looking at Takaki and saying.

[Hey, don't you think it looks like it's snowing?]

The background is blurred, and the bare cherry tree is full of petals.

Qiao Yueling remembered the agreement between the two at the beginning of the movie.

Next year, watch the cherry blossoms again!

Now is next year!

But the two can't see the cherry blossoms, but the falling snow has become cherry blossoms like snow.

Takaki and Akari looked at each other, and then their heads slowly approached and kissed.

Qiao Yueling clenched her fists, and a group of couples in the theater breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone stopped the breath-holding contest.

The girl next to Qiao Yueling whispered to her boyfriend.

I almost thought it was a tragedy movie, thankfully!

Su Yan is like this, he likes to scare people. I've seen many of his works, don't worry! He will definitely not disappoint!

Qiao Yueling's expression was strange.

So you've seen many of Su Yan's works and still brought your girlfriend to see Su Yan's new movie?

You have guts!

Next, there is a long inner monologue about Takaki's psychology.

He has the courage to kiss, but then what...

How long can courage last?

The two are far apart, and they are just middle school students. How long can they keep this relationship in their hearts?

Takaki has no confidence and dare not speak of the future.

The next day, Akari sent Takaki back at the station.

The two said goodbye to each other, their eyes full of reluctance.

Qiao Yueling couldn't quite understand this plot.

So how will the plot develop next?

Long-distance relationship?

Takaki left, and Akari looked at the departing train with reluctance, and then took out a letter from her bag.

A letter written to Takaki Tōno but ultimately not handed out.

Qiao Yueling felt a little uneasy in her heart.

She remembered the letter Takaki lost at the train station. If that letter hadn't been lost, then the two would definitely exchange letters, and then...

Then what would happen?

Would the two's future, their fate, change?

Or would it not change?

Qiao Yueling didn't dare to think about it.

She felt like Old Thief was hinting at something, but she didn't want to think that way.