I just want to quietly draw manga

The trailer continued.

Scenes flickered by snapshots of the male and female protagonists through different stages of life: junior high, high school, and even college. The transitions were subtle but unmistakable, like time quietly slipping past.

The soft piano melody in the background gave everything a gentle, melancholic tone. Each image felt like a carefully composed photograph, the kind of shot you'd want to set as your phone or desktop wallpaper. Beautiful. Poetic. And unmistakably Mizushiro.

It was just a one-minute trailer. But even within that short time, the story's scale was clear it spanned years of youth, romance, and eventual adulthood.

From what viewers could gather, the protagonists had been separated by a school transfer. Later, as working adults, they seemed to end up in the same city again.

The final scene froze: the grown-up versions of the two protagonists stood on opposite sides of a railway crossing, about to step forward.

Then the screen cut to black.

A single line appeared:

"The speed at which the sakura petals fall… five centimeters per second. I wonder how long it would take to walk to you. I wonder how far I've already come."

Streaming worldwide, January 2nd

That was when Miyu finally understood why the fan group had exploded today.

Even though the trailer didn't reveal much about the plot, its visuals and music alone had left a lasting impression.

These days, most anime were flooded with gimmicks, over-the-top fantasy, or harem tropes. It was rare to find something that made her feel the way she used to.

But 5 Centimeters per Second had that feeling. The production, the soundtrack, the direction there was nothing to complain about. She could only sigh in admiration.

This was why Mizushiro was respected in the industry. Whether it was Anohana or now 5 Centimeters per Second, he wasn't someone who relied on cheap tricks no idol baiting, no soulless merchandise push, no hollow drama. His works always told a sincere story.

Her respect for Mizushiro grew even deeper.

Of course, if Haruki had known what she was thinking, he might've felt awkward though not enough to stop him. He wanted to do merchandise-heavy shows to make money. If the system had handed him big IPs like Gundam or Evangelion, he'd have turned them into a commercial empire, complete with yearly theatrical releases.

But that wasn't the hand he'd been dealt.

Still, after watching the trailer, Miyu had high hopes for 5 Centimeters per Second. She reopened the fan chat, where the mood had completely shifted in just ten minutes.

No one was talking about the visuals anymore. Everyone was trying to decode the plot from the one-minute teaser.

"It definitely feels like another classic Mizushiro bittersweet story. The music gave me chills. Anyone know the title?"

"Someone asked on the official blog. Kazuya replied it's called 'one more time,one more chance.' It'll be on all music platforms when the anime goes live!"

"I don't know, though. I don't think this will be all sadness. From the trailer, the two leads had a close bond when they were young, and it looks like they reunite as adults. That could mean a happy ending, right? Maybe it's about drifting apart and finding each other again like classmates who reconnect years later."

"That actually makes a lot of sense!"

"Yeah, +1 to that."

"Besides, it's only a 60-minute film. You can't really build a long, layered tragedy like Anohana in such a short runtime. That series had ten full episodes of buildup before the final emotional hit. 5 Centimeters might be aiming for something lighter."

"Hmm… though if it is just a reconnection story, isn't that kind of cliché?"

"Cliché? Come on. You want unpredictable? Should the protagonist betray the heroine? Or maybe the villain wins? Tropes are fine it's all in the execution. Most anime don't end in total tragedy anyway."

"Exactly. In fact, Mizushiro's only works with happy endings are Initial D and Natsume's. Everything else? Someone dies or disappears or they drift apart."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Still, there are always exceptions. He's shifted before from romance to action with Initial D. Maybe this is another change of pace."

"Could be. Besides, how dark can a 60-minute movie really get? After all the tragic stuff we've seen—Tomoe's death, Miko's disappearance—at this point I'm emotionally bulletproof. I'll be fine even if this ends in heartbreak."

"Anyway, it airs on January 2nd. We'll find out soon enough."

Though 5 Centimeters per Second quickly gained traction among Mizushiro fans, it remained relatively obscure in the wider anime scene.

Among mainstream audiences, most people had never even heard of it or Voices of a Distant Star, for that matter.

On major video platforms, the two titles were only briefly mentioned in the upcoming winter season previews.

Right now, most hype was centered around big-ticket productions: Frozen Witch, Underworld Businessman, My Kneeling Life in Another World, and City of Shadows. All high-investment, high-profile titles ranging from dark fantasy to harem comedies and isekai antics.

With large studios behind them, these series naturally stole the spotlight.

In contrast, Haruki and Kazuya's two short-form works just four episodes were largely written off. The industry didn't see them as serious contenders for the upcoming season.

---

Within industry circles, Haruki Yuuki better known as Mizushiro was still viewed with caution. Not doubt, exactly, but curiosity. Anohana had made waves, but most attributed its execution to Kazanami's veteran team.

But inside the new Kazanami studio, the atmosphere was different. Everyone there had seen firsthand how much of 5 Centimeters per Second bore Haruki's signature. The colors, the framing, the pacing he didn't just contribute. He shaped the tone.

And audiences had responded. Since the trailer's debut, comment sections had been filled with praise viewers drawn in not just by the visuals, but by something quieter: the feeling. The weight of memory, of time, of distance.

The team hadn't built this to go viral. They'd built it because it meant something. Being dismissed or overlooked was familiar it came with the territory. But that didn't make it sting less.

Even conservative estimates projected over a million viewers. Kazuya, ever the realist, expected at least 2.5 million across 5 Centimeters' three-episode run. Each would cost 150 yen to stream. Voices of a Distant Star, releasing immediately after, would go for 200 yen. Add in Blu-ray sales, international licensing, and a modest run of merchandise, and the numbers lined up.

Haruki, though, still felt their projections were playing it safe.

In another world, Voices had launched a director's career. 5 Centimeters had left lasting impressions on animation fans around the globe. Here, he believed the same potential existed.

The core team might not have the name recognition Shinkai did when he began, but they had better tools, better backing and more experience. Even if they hit just half the success of the original timeline, it would be enough.

Haruki said none of this aloud. He didn't need the team thinking he was too optimistic.

The release plan was straightforward. 5 Centimeters per Second would air in three parts:

Episode 1 (Cherry Blossoms) – January 2

Episode 2 (Cosmonaut) – January 9

Episode 3 (Five Centimeters per Second) – January 16

Then, on January 17, Voices of a Distant Star would premiere.

The close scheduling wasn't just for pacing it was symbolic. Two quiet, intimate stories released back-to-back, offering fans an emotional double feature.

Because of production delays largely due to Haruki reworking character designs and backgrounds for Voices its trailer came later than planned. But when it finally dropped in mid-December, it made waves.

The brief footage didn't reveal much, but the expansive starfields, haunting music, and delicate performances from the leads drew strong reactions.

Still, among all of Mizushiro's works, it wasn't the short films that caused the most chatter online.

It was Initial D.

Now, Initial D had reached a new peak of intensity.

Nakazato had lost to Takumi. In response, the NightKids' hot-headed second-in-command, Shingo Shoji, challenged Takumi to a dangerous rematch what he called a "death tape match," where both drivers had their hands taped to the steering wheel.

Shingo didn't care about honor. He'd already caused a crash that landed Iketani and Itsuki in the hospital. This race wasn't about pride—it was personal.

And Takumi? Enraged, he accepted.

The rules were simple: in the taped-hand format, you could barely rotate the steering wheel, making sharp turns nearly impossible. On a treacherous downhill like Mount Akina, it was a death sentence.

Shingo's car, the EG6, had advantages. He could manipulate oversteer with the throttle and use the handbrake to correct. But Takumi? He had to rely on instinct, on vehicle balance, on something deeper.

And he found it.

After a few shaky turns, Takumi adapted. He learned to drift—not with his arms, but with the car's center of gravity. It was a pure display of driver's intuition.

Mid-chapter, fans held their breath.

Shingo rammed Takumi's 86 in the middle of a turn.

The impact should've sent him flying but instead, in a feat that defied all expectations, the 86 spun a full 360 and came out clean on the same line, accelerating forward.

The final panel?

Takumi, face shadowed, eyes sharp—focused not on surviving, but winning.

Readers went wild. Forums lit up with reactions. Fans didn't just admire Takumi's driving they felt it.

And then...

Chapter ended.

(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)