On Kanae Sumida's 'gaze': What is the significance of her role in Chapter 2? Is she merely an observer to highlight Takaki's preoccupation, or is her story a self-contained tragedy about unspoken love?

5 Centimeters per SecondKanae SumidaUnrequited LoveCharacter AnalysisCosmonaut
Created At: 7/24/2025Updated At: 8/17/2025
Answer (1)

This is an exceptionally insightful question that precisely captures the dual narrative function of "Cosmonaut," the second chapter of 5 Centimeters Per Second. My perspective on this is: It is both, and the latter serves as the perfect vehicle for the former.

Hanae's story is, in itself, a profoundly complete and moving tragedy about "unspoken, unrequited love." Precisely because of the completeness and depth of this tragedy, her role in highlighting Takaki's "belonging to another" becomes so powerful and heartbreaking.

We can analyze her function on two levels:

First Level: As an Independent Tragic Protagonist — A Complete "Hanae Universe"

If we isolate the second chapter, it stands as a textbook-perfect story of unrequited love, with Hanae as its absolute protagonist. Makoto Shinkai endowed her with a complete, rich inner world and character arc.

  1. Clear Goals and Dilemmas:

    • Goals: "I want to attend the same high school as Toono-kun," "I want to successfully stand on a surfboard," "I want to confess to him." Her goals are specific, clear, and filled with a girl's innocence and courage.
    • Dilemmas: She feels lost about the future (unsure which school to apply to), faces obstacles in her hobby (failing at surfing), and hesitates in love. These are the most universal, resonant dilemmas of adolescence.

  2. Rich Internal Monologue and Symbolic System:

    • Inner World: Her monologue dominates the entire chapter, allowing us to clearly perceive her joy, anxiety, struggle, and eventual acceptance. Her emotions are the absolute driving force of the story.
    • Symbolic System: Shinkai crafted a symbolic system specifically for her—"surfing" and "cosmonaut." These images serve solely her personal emotions and growth, transforming her abstract inner turmoil into concrete, poetic visuals.

  3. Complete Character Arc:

    • She evolves from a passive girl waiting and placing hope in "chance" (e.g., waiting for Takaki in the parking lot) into a young woman who understands that "kindness alone isn't enough" and actively tries to seize her destiny.
    • Ultimately, by facing reality (Takaki's true feelings), she completes her transformation from "longing without fulfillment" to "actively letting go." This process, marked by painful tears and prayers of acceptance, forms a complete psychological closure.

From this perspective, Hanae is far from a mere functional "tool." She has her own story, her own tragedy, her own growth.

Second Level: As the Ultimate "Foil" — A Mirror Reflecting Takaki

It is precisely because Hanae's personal tragedy is so authentic and complete that she possesses unparalleled power as Takaki's "foil." She acts like the clearest mirror, reflecting the "emptiness" within Takaki's soul with stark clarity.

  1. Using Her "Presence" to Highlight Takaki's "Absence":

    • Hanae's entire world revolves around Takaki. Her joys and sorrows, her plans for the future—all are intrinsically linked to him. Her emotions are intensely "present" and focused.
    • In contrast, Takaki? While physically sharing the same space, his soul remains perpetually "absent." The harder Hanae tries to reach him, the more it underscores how distant and closed-off Takaki's heart truly is.

  2. Using Her "Action" to Highlight Takaki's "Stagnation":

    • Hanae strives to live: she learns to surf, worries about school, gathers courage to confess. She is actively trying to move forward.
    • Takaki, however, exists in a state of complete "stagnation." His life seems paused, merely passively waiting for time to pass. Hanae's "movement" perfectly contrasts Takaki's "stillness."

  3. Using the Tragedy of "Unrequited Love" to Interpret the Main Tragedy:

    • Hanae's feelings for Takaki are fundamentally the same as Takaki's feelings for Akari—both are futile journeys gazing at distant stars.
    • When Hanae watches the rocket launch into space and realizes she can never reach Takaki's heart, she essentially previews the final outcome for Takaki (and the audience): no matter how hard one tries, some distances are insurmountable.
    • Hanae's story becomes a "mirror" reflecting Takaki and Akari's story. This elevates the theme of "missing out" from being solely Takaki's personal tragedy to a more universal human emotional predicament.

Conclusion: A Tragedy Itself, Thus Becoming the Best Foil

Therefore, returning to the initial question:

Hanae's existence is first and foremost a complete tragedy about "unspoken, unrequited love." Makoto Shinkai afforded her sufficient respect and narrative space, making her an independent, fully realized, and deeply sympathetic character.

Then, precisely because her personal tragedy is so authentic and profound, she becomes the perfect "mirror" to reflect Takaki's inner state. Her story doesn't merely "serve" the main plot; instead, it forms a profound intertextuality and resonance with it.

She is not merely a supporting character in Takaki's story; she is an indispensable, independent voice within 5 Centimeters Per Second's symphony of "missed connections," playing one of its most poignant and moving melodies.

Created At: 07-24 09:14:39Updated At: 08-05 12:27:53