5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side

5 Centimeters Per Second: One More Side by Makoto Shinkai; adapted by Arata Kanoh. Translated by Kristi Fernandez. Originally published in the United States by Vertical, February 2019. Approx. 240 pages.

Back in 2007, anime wunderkind Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You) released 5 Centimeters Per Second, a short movie (just over an hour long) comprised of 3 segments, which told the story of Akari and Takaki, a pair of outsiders joined by their developing love, and torn apart by distance (their parents keep moving because of their jobs). Coinciding with the theatrical release, a novel was dropped, as well as a manga adaptation. A few years later, a 'side story' novel was released, penned by Japanese novelist Arata Kanoh. These types of side stories are increasing in popularity and frequency, and they basically retell the same story through the eyes of one of the other characters.

Last year, Vertical dropped this fantastic translation (along with a beautiful cover by the incomparable VOFAN). This side story expands a great, great deal on the material in the movie, yielding a much more heartfelt, poignant experience. Let's take a peak at the summary, and then take it bit by bit:

"A contemporary classic, 5 Centimeters per Second won animator Makoto Shinkai international renown as a rare talent. Indeed, he just might be one of the most powerful bards of romantic longing and thwarted love working today in any medium. This official novelization narrates from the other side—for instance, from the point-of-view of the girl rather than the boy in the legendary first segment, “Cherry Blossoms”—to tell a story that is both deeply engaging for first-timers and astonishingly fresh for fans of the film.

The author of fantasy novels based on the Shining videogame series, Arata Kanoh is best known for his imaginative prose adaptations of the masterpieces of Japan’s hottest animator. Most recently, his take on Your Name was the #1 Kindle bestseller at Amazon Japan."

I want to put something out before I compare the three segments in the movie to those in the novel. I know that I am in a distinct minority here, but honestly, I'm not a big fan of Shinkai, based off of the few titles I've seen by him. They boast stunning visuals, smooth directing tricks, and beautiful character design; yet, they seem manufactured...telegraphed. Painfully heavy metaphors. A sense of self-love rather than genuine affection for the medium/story. It's like biting into a Godiva Easter bunny - decadent chocolate, intricate design...yet hollow inside. Now, don't get me wrong. I love sappy romance - missed opportunities, unrequited love; man, I eat that stuff up. However, Shinkai's technique just isn't for me. Again, just my opinion.

Also, it bears noting that I have not read the original novel which, one assumes, follows the POV's shown in the movie. Here's hoping that original novel finds a home in the States as well, one day.

The first segment of 5 CM is "Cherry Blossoms", and this is the story of Akari and Takaki as kids. The movie maps the period between meeting at a Tokyo elementary school, their bonding and burgeoning love for each other, up to their final meeting on that snowy night in Tochigi.

As mentioned, both of them were nomadic children due to their parents transferring often because of their jobs. They are both somewhat quiet, shy, and guarded - a marriage of natural personality and trained response to their ever-changing environments. They share a love of books - especially fantasy titles. They spend every moment together, cultivating a bond that goes deeper than words can describe.

There's something I want to say here which can be applied through every segment of the book - as much as I was not a huge fan of the movie, I absolutely loved this book. Finally, we get an in-depth look into the minds, hearts, and souls of Takaki and Akari - and what a bittersweet trip it is.

The side story aspect of this book allows for this first segment to be told from Akari's point of view - a recollection of sorts, prompted by her rediscovery of the undelivered letter she had written for Takaki, declaring her love for him. We get to see how the quiet, introverted girl is bounced around in her younger days; until a kind heart finally offered her comforting reassurance.

This first segment is hauntingly beautiful; effectively nailing the varied emotions of those tumultuous formative years.

The second segment is "Cosmonaut"; which, in the movie, chronicled the story of Kanae Sumida, an
earnest girl who carried a torch for Takaki from the moment she laid eyes on him after his move to Tanegashima. Therefore, in this novel adaptation, the segment recounts those times from Takaki's POV. This segment was a mixed-bag in the movie; a bit meandering; although the audience comes to sympathize with Kanae's pure emotions.

The novel bolsters this segment immensely as well. While in the movie, we just see Takaki as, well, not aloof, but definitely distant, a trip inside his head is very welcome. The cosmic scenes shown in the movie are explained as a persistent dream; a reminder of a portion of him which has been lost, which he is truly less than whole without. Meticulous care is also given to bringing the picturesque vistas of Tanegashima to vibrant life. Excellently done.

Finally, we come to the climactic segment of the story, "5 Centimeters per Second". This segment was criminally short in the movie adaptation; which makes the novel handling all the more appreciated. Here, we see snippets of Akari's time in college, her ascension working with a franchise bookseller, and, finally, her meeting the man whom she will eventually marry.

On the other hand, Takaki is still spinning his wheels, mired in a life of feeling incomplete. He's a successful programmer, but feels fettered and dissatisfied. He's been in a long-term relationship, but cannot give all of himself, as he still feels incomplete. There is a confluence of emotions as Akari realizes that she has something to return to Takaki; and Takaki, seeing the progress of a shuttle which launched during his time on Tanegashima, has an epiphany. This all leads to that moment.

In the novel, Takaki's emotion tailspin is heartbreaking; as you see how he is not only damaging himself, but also his long-suffering girlfriend. In the movie, you just see a few scenes before it cuts to the poorly-chosen song which frames the end montage.

And, to cap it all off, in the novel, you actually get to read the two infamous letters - the one Takaki wrote which was blown away in the wind at the station, and Akari's, which she discovered in an old sewing kit in her adulthood. You can choose for yourself whether that aspect was better found out, or left unsaid.

So, in summary, 5 Centimeters per Second: One More Side offers a richer, deeper, and, of course, more heart-wrenching of this story than the pretentious movie could ever have aspired to. Even if you have never seen the movie, I recommend this volume purely on its merits as an intriguing, genuine, love story.

Cover:

Renowned Taiwanese artist VOFAN (the Monogatari series light novels) brings his signature style to capture that moment; that precious lost moment in time. That perfect moment in time.

Excellent cover.

Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World! Volume 1

Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World! Volume 1 by Natsume Akatsuki (translation by Kevin Steinbach). Originally published by YenOn, December 2019. Approx. 224 pages.

In my opinion, the best medium for the immensely popular Konosuba's brand of comedy is the animated form. This is not a knock on the light novels or the manga; it's just that the show (at least the first season, that is) juggled that perfect, endearing balance of frenetic lunacy.

However, for a property as significant as Konosuba, side stories are a foregone conclusion. And what better place to start than with the most popular character and top waifu, the Arch Wizard Megumin? This brings us to Megumin's Turn!, Volume 1 of the Explosion on this Wonderful World side story light novel series. Wow, don't they love those long titles?

Let's take a look at the summary, and then talk about how they handled the story itself:

"My name is...
One year before a certain useless goddess and NEET extraordinaire hit the scene, Megumin, the "Greatest Genius of the Crimson Magic Clan," is hard at work. Ever since a life-changing encounter in her youth, the young wizard has dedicated her every waking moment to the pursuit of the ultimate offensive magic, Explosion! (Well...every moment not spent hustling food from her self-proclaimed rival.) And while the big sister's away, the little one will play. On a routine trip into the woods, Megumin's little sister, Komekko, finds a strange black kitten. Little does she know that this cat plays a key role in unsealing a Dark God's tomb..." 

Well, that's pretty much the book in a nutshell. I mean, we knew about that much on Megumin's pre-party life, so this novel just runs with that. It is all harmless fun; chronicling day to day life in the Crimson Magic Village. Day in and day out we're treated to Megumin's one-sided 'rivalry' with Yunyun; as well as mishaps in the magic school. Highlights include witnessing the actual event which sparked Megumin's mission to acquire Explosion magic, as well as seeing her adorable, precocious younger sister (Komekko) follow, in a way, in her footsteps.

All in all, this is no work of art or literature, but it's definitely a lot of fun, bolstered by the fan-favorite lead. Some of the scenarios are generic or mundane; and would be hard pressed to elicit a laugh if it weren't for the beloved players involved.

Characters:

Assuming you're reading this, you know well who Megumin is. If, by some reason you don't, Megumin is a egomaniacal teenaged arch wizard who has dedicated her studies to learning a sole spell - Explosion magic. Explosion is extremely damaging; destroying everything in its path - including the intended target and anything around it. It consumes massive amounts of magic points; usually in excess of the caster's amount, leaving them incapacitated after casting. Megumin is cocky, overdramatic, a consummate chunibyo. Her daily life consists of trying to con her friend/rival Yunyun out of food because her and her little sister live a life of unsupervised, abject poverty courtesy of her ne'er do well parents. Yes, a core aspect of our protagonist is her comedic attempts to stave off childhood starvation.

Yunyun, Megumin's long-standing 'rival', who is actually more of a forced entity in the anime series, actually rises to the occasion in going from background character to lead. She brings her big-busted,
ditzy, heart of gold personality to the fore; making a nice contrast to her scheming, conniving friend.

As you can see in the pic above, we get to meet some of the other students in the magic school. Sadly, for the most part (save for one small arc later on), they are relegated to being little more than window dressing.

As mentioned, the scenes with Megumin's sister, Komekko, are well done. It is easy for kids in these stories to teeter into the realm of absolutely annoying; but, being somewhat of a miniature Megumin, Komekko steals the scenes that she is in.


Within the Komekko interludes, there is also a demon named Host, who adds a good deal of levity to the proceedings.

Other characters are simple on deck for plot advancement. But it's ok, since it's Megumin's story anyway.

Writing:
The writing is actually pretty good here. It's not easy to write for situations where the onus is on quick physical responses; shocked faces, exaggerated gestures, etc. However, Akatsuki does a good enough job conveying those scenes as pen on ink.

Again, this is just the long version of historical events we already know about Megumin, combined with some basic situational comedy. It works because it involves Megumin, and becasue of Akatsuki's skilled writing.

Recommended if you're a fan of everyone's favorite Archwizard, and who isn't?

Cover:
Artwork here is provided by Kurone Mishima. The interior is peppered with a fair amount of black and white illustrations, and there are some nice fold-out color pieces at the beginning. What can I say except that the artwork is exceptional? And that cover - simply beautiful. The composition, detail, and color work - all perfect.

See you all next time - in the interim, why not enjoy some explosions?

Magical Girl Raising Project Volume 1

Magical Girl Raising Project Volume 1 by Asari Endou (translated by Alexander Keller-Nelson. Originally published by YenOn, June 2017. Approx 190 pages.

I'll just admit it outright: I unabashedly love Magical Girl animes. About 20 years ago, my main VCD/DVD-R supplier started offering some of the classic Pierrot Magical Girl shows - a bunch of episodes of Creamy Mami, Magical Emi, Pastel Yumi, and Magical Fairy Persia. I just couldn't get enough of them. I've seen a bunch of the shows over the years, and I'd say my top favorites are still Creamy Mami (luckily now streaming on Amazon), Minky Momo, Majokko Megu-chan, and Fancy Lala.

Over the past five decades, magical girl shows have been present. Naturally, every now and then, some titles appear which attempt to subvert the standard tropes. That's fine; the formula is good, and experimentation is good. Especially when it yields admirable results. A few years back, we were treated to the magnificent Madoka Magica (a spin-off is currently airing; haven't had a chance to check it out). Madoka Magica was an amazing show - it retained the purity and hope of classic magical girl shows, yet upped the ante on real danger, drama, and heart-breaking trauma.

However, cruising under the radar was another hard-edged spin on the classical magical girl formula. This one was more of a magical girl plus Battle Royale hybrid. A darker than expected - especially given the character designs - title, this one is known as Magical Girl Raising Project. I loved the 13 episode series - and so I decided to check out the light novels. Turns out, the first one is pretty damn good.

MGRP revolves around a titular mobile phone game - billed as absolutely free- which allows gamers to play as magical girls. Soon, a select few players find themselves receiving an irresistible offer - to become actual magical girls. As magical girls, they'll be expected to do good deeds, and earn the in-game version of currency, candies.

Of course, there's a bump in the road...at a certain point, it turns out the Magic Kingdom has spent too much mana recruiting these magical girls, and so a bit of pruning must be done. An elimination game is set in motion to weed out the least productive magical girls - of course, an in-game elimination results in a real-life one. And so, the game becomes a very real game of survival.

Like every game of survival worth its salt; tenuous alliances are formed, backs are stabbed, etc. And this is where MGRP excels. The character backstories are well done enough; but seem more curated to elicit an optimal emotional response when a magical girl is eliminated. The fight scenes and eliminations, in both the novel and the anime, are excellently done - bloody and brutal.

The characters are brought to vivid life via the ambitious designs of Marui-no. The artist has gone the extra step of creating kawaii 'avatar' style designs, as well as normal ones, used for the interior illustrations.The designs are evocative of the magical girls; effectively capturing the looks and special skills which are granted based upon the player's personality.

Speaking of characters, MGRP also features a devious in-game
mascot akin to that scumbag Kyubei from Madoka Magica (sorry, no better term for that piece of...work). This one's name is Fav; and while he's not as odious as Kyubei, he's still a devious, duplicitous villain.

Comparing the first volume to the anime; I'd have to give the edge to the anime. Unlike other shows, where each novel might correlate to 2-3 episodes, the entirety of the show's run covers the events of the first novel. This allows for a considerably larger margin of character growth; especially for our protagonist, Snow White. It also allows for more dedicated backstory for the other girls, granting a more poignant, visceral gut-punch when they are 'eliminated'.

But don't get me wrong, the writing here is very good. It's a bit simple at times, but the background world is painted effectively enough, and the fight scenes are where the author excels.

And, best of all, even though there was only one season of the anime, there are at least seven more light novels (so far). Keep an eye out for future write-ups on them.

Cover:
Not a bad cover, but not great. It's a beautiful pic of Snow White, and the black background is understandable for the dark tone of the work. However, the color palette used for Snow White is too muted, and ends up getting swallowed by the darkness she finds herself surrounded by. Oh wait, maybe this cover is actually genius....