Nearly a decade before Director Makoto Shinkai made Japanese box-office history with Your Name, he deeply moved audiences with a humble romantic drama titled 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007). Unfortunately, viewers in North America will lose access to this touching anime classic in less than a month.
5 Centimeters Per Second was added to Netflix’s anime catalog back in September 2024. However, the international streaming titan recently confirmed that Shinkai’s early masterpiece will only be available to subscribers until March 1, 2026. While HBO Max is the official streaming home for most of Shinkai’s works, Netflix is currently the only service offering 5 Centimeters per Second in the US.
The movie was previously available on Crunchyroll, but it has since left the platform, and at the time of this writing, there is no indication that it will be renewed after March 1.
Makoto Shinkai’s Heartbreaking Masterpiece Is Leaving Netflix Next Month
A Netflix site screenshot showcasing the March 1 departure date of the anime film, 5 Centimeters Per Second.Image via Netflix
5 Centimeters Per Second is Shinkai’s second feature-length film as Director. Broken into three acts, or “episodes,” the film revolves around Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara — two youths who become close friends in elementary school and gradually fall in love with one another as they grow up. After Tono’s family announces that they are moving across the country, he shares one passionate night with Akari before accepting that their lives are leading them down separate paths.
The remaining episodes chronicle Takaki and Akari’s college and adult years, during which Takaki struggles to emotionally recover from the loss of his one true love.
A bittersweet, yet realistic take on modern-day romance, 5 Centimeters Per Second was one of Shinkai’s first films to gain mainstream critical attention. While the film did not achieve blockbuster status at the box office, it was recognized at several prominent film festivals. Most notably, it took home the Best Animated Feature award at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Its popularity also led to the production of an official manga adaptation by Yukiko Seike in 2010.
5 Centimeters Per Second was recently adapted as a live-action film by Japanese director Yoshiyuki Okayama. TV writer Fumiko Suzuki penned the new script. The film, which debuted in Japan on Oct. 10, 2025, stars Hokuto Matsumura and Mitsuki Takahata as the adult versions of Takaki and Akari, respectively. Incidentally, Matsumura also provides the voice of Souta Munakuta, the male lead from Shinkai’s 2022 anime feature, Suzume.
Prior to the film’s debut, Shinkai published an official comment praising the production. “I began to become absorbed in the visuals, and by the end, to my own surprise, I found myself crying…for the first time in almost a lifetime, I felt truly glad that I made 5 Centimeters Per Second.”
5 Centimeters Per Second will be available on Netflix until March 1, 2026. At the time of this writing, the anime’s live-action adaptation is not yet licensed by any streaming platforms outside Japan. Several of Shinkai’s other films, including Your Name, Weathering With You, Children Who Chase Lost Voices and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, are streaming on Max. Suzume is available on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Release Date
March 3, 2007
Runtime
63 Minutes
Director
Makoto Shinkai
Writers
Makoto Shinkai
