5 Centimeters Per Second Single – One More Time, One More Chance – Review

One More Time, One More Chance Album Cover

Album Title: One more time, One more chance – Byousoku 5cm Special Edition
Anime Title: 5 Centimeters Per Second
Artist: Masayoshi Yamazaki; Toshiyuki Mori; Tenmon
Catalog Number: UPCH-80013
Release Type: Insert Song
Release Date: March 03, 2007
Purchase at: CDJapan or Play-Asia

Track Title Artist Time
1. One more time, One more chance Masayoshi Yamazaki 5:34
2. Yuki no Eki ~One more time, One more chance~ Tenmon 2:20
3. One more time, One more chance (Acoustic Version) Masayoshi Yamazaki 5:30

Review: Beautiful artwork and animation aside, one of the defining features of Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second is its music, and within the soundtrack, “One More Time, One More Chance” stands out for being such a fitting song because it brings to light the sorrows, regrets, and frustrations that the main character, Takaki, experiences over the course of the movie.

So within the context of the film, “One More Time, One More Chance” enhances the mood and atmosphere while giving us an insight into Takaki’s character. Its opening acoustic guitar chords followed by a short flute interlude drips with a sense of melancholy before it fades to make way for Masayoshi Yamazaki. Immediately, Yamazaki’s entrance creates an impact which fits in well with the movie’s themes because of the way his voice projects through the acoustic guitar accompaniment and conveys that sense of pain brought about by loneliness and regret. This feeling is made all the more apparent as Yamazaki goes into the chorus section where the appearance of more instrumental parts as well as a slight shift in the tempo of his singing suggests that not only has the singer become more willing to open up to the listener, he’s practically putting his emotions on his sleeve for all to examine as he continues lamenting over his lost love that he cannot completely get over. The realization of the ephemeral nature of him meeting his one true love and being unable to express his feelings to her culminates around 3:09-3:24 where he acknowledges its brief duration with a hint of nostalgia, a bit of frustration, but mostly regret. Once that moment passes, the song begins wrapping up with a few more verses of the chorus part before it ends the same way it began: through a melancholy acoustic guitar section. Where this song really shines is in Yamazaki’s ability to bring out the emotions found in this piece and he does it in such a way that language isn’t a barrier to understanding the gist of what the singer is feeling. The poignancy of the piece cannot be stated enough and when combined with the magnificent visuals in 5 Centimeters, “One More Time, One More Chance” makes for an excellent fit within the context of the segment and the movie itself.

And if you thought that Yamazaki’s performance cannot be matched, think again. The piano melody in “Yuki no Eki ~One more time, One more chance~” is a slightly different take upon the original in that it establishes a feeling of tenderness early on and you can feel the emotions bursting forth radiantly through a crescendo that conveys a sense of hope and optimism rather than frustration and regret, even if it’s just for a short while. Gradually, that section fades as the main theme to 5 Centimeters Per Second makes its entrance and here, you can hear the soul-searching feeling through the poignant piano melody backed up by the harp that blends nostalgia with a dash of wistfulness, both of which are executed to great effect by engaging the listener and holding their attention. While the way the piece ends isn’t conclusive, it’s hard to ignore the rawness of the many aforementioned emotions put into this piece because they are conveyed so beautifully, making this an excellent companion to go alongside “One More Time, One More Chance.” Together, these two tracks (along with an acoustic guitar version of “One More Time, One More Chance”) make for a wonderful listening experience that shouldn’t be missed, even if you have not seen 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Rating: Very Good

Single – One More Time, One More Chance

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Anime Instrumentality's Founder and Editor-in-Chief. As you can probably guess, I'm a big anime music junkie with a special love for composers who've put out some beautiful melodies to accompany some of my favorite anime series. I tend to gravitate towards music in the classical style with Joe Hisaishi and Yoko Kanno being a few of my favorite composers, but I've come to appreciate jazz and rock as anime music has widened my tastes.

14 thoughts on “5 Centimeters Per Second Single – One More Time, One More Chance – Review

  • January 30, 2009 at 1:21 am
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    Masayoshi Yamazaki has a hauntingly forlorn voice, and in my opinion is one of the big pulling factors that makes this song work. The instrumental end of “One More Time, One More Chance” is also ridiculously well crafted, both for the original arrangement, as well as Tenmon’s(you can still hear his signature chord progressions, NOT that it’s a BAD thing). This is one of the many examples of great music, still waiting to be found, and your review is spot on. I agree with every word.

    Reply
  • January 30, 2009 at 2:59 pm
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    Definitely agreed with your thoughts on how his forlorn voice pulls you into the piece by conveying those emotions in a manner that it fits the series like a glove.

    On an interesting note, I wiki’d this piece and found that it was previously used in the movie Tsuki to Kyabetsu (Moon and Cabbage), though I have no idea what the movie is about. :p

    Reply
  • August 25, 2009 at 11:11 am
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    Was that him singing it? Have to be honest I hated the vocal. The instrumental was much more beautiful. There’s nothing more plaintive than a beautiful piano piece.

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  • August 25, 2009 at 10:47 pm
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    @Jill
    I think Yamazaki is the one singing it, but yeah, I found it to be enjoyable though the instrumental version is definitely quite good too.

    Reply
  • October 29, 2009 at 4:56 pm
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    i just watched the movie yesterday, oh my i watched it 4 times because i cant help but to cry especially when the song is playing..i’m not a japanese but i just sooooooooo love the song! incredible,its really amazing

    Reply
  • October 29, 2009 at 4:59 pm
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    the song was a big factor in the movie.its very heartfelt..its beyond words to describe this beautiful song and movie…

    Reply
  • October 30, 2009 at 12:45 am
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    @sg
    It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Rare to find a song that sums up those feelings in the show so nicely.

    Reply
  • December 13, 2009 at 1:34 pm
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    im no bitch but what i am is a big fan of anime of all kinds. i stress animation and soundtrack all the time and this anime had it all. im 23 and why i said im no bitch is because i cried when i heard this song alond with the animation. i felt so bad for the character and combined with this perfect song it hit me with the one two punch. im sure everyome can relate to his situation right?

    Reply
  • December 13, 2009 at 3:27 pm
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    @m bizzle
    Definitely since we’ve all had some sort of regrets over a situation such as that and the animation and music work really well in tandem to bring that sadness out to the forefront. Glad you really enjoyed the show and the song 😀

    Reply
  • August 23, 2012 at 6:34 am
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    every time im hearing this song…..i feel sad…. for takaki and akari that they dont became couple… but i am still hoping for takaki and kanae story!!!!!!! i hope there’s continuation for this movie!!!!!

    Reply
    • August 24, 2012 at 12:12 am
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      @Wilma Olandres
      Yup, that sure is one of the sadder anime songs to have come out in awhile and the mood just kinda lingers on. There’s always hope that things work out, but with that montage towards the end of the series, it sure seems less likely :<

      Reply
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