The first one is better since it still has the "moveing on" theme. The second one would not work with the story. _________________ You know your old when, you reapeat things... you repeat things... you repeat things.
I like that reflection in the window being Kanae ... that would be a cool way to bring those two together in a familiar setting (drink section of a convenience store).
Good call!
Laz _________________ You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley
In short, I wish Takaki could have been with Akari.
Kanae is fine --- she was fortunate in being able to get over him.
I would have been happy if he ended up with her, too.
But as it is, Akari moved on...
...when Takaki could not.
Or will not.
I don't know --- I'm starting to confuse myself. _________________ ~ Even the smallest candle can banish a little darkness ~
I was thinking about this, and truthfully, I don't want to actually changed what happens, but really how it's presented. Though the music video is clever, how the 3rd episode jumps back and forth up to that point tends to confuse viewers and Shinkai's message gets muddled because of that. From everything he's done before, Shinkai had ended every one of his films up to this point with a clear message that is voiced out by the main characters. He has been very good at leaving a central message that is very easy to grasp, but getting the details required more intense scrutiny. 5 Centimeters Per Second is the exception, where getting the central message required some analysis of the details to figure out things.
To me, Shinkai's message in 5 Centimeters Per Second was, in my own words, "You cannot change the past, but you don't have to be held to it". In the end, Takaki was moving on after spending all of his life from that last meeting with Akari trying to go back to that. Kanae misinterprets his "looking through her" to a future, when, to setup an analogy, Kanae is actually walking behind him, and he is looking over his shoulder over Kanae to his past.
And yes, I believe Takaki did finally move on, and this is something I would have like to see Shinkai make much more clear.
How Shinkai could do this is another matter. I just watched the third episode right up to the MV section and have some ideas. One example would be Takaki having a friendly conversation with some girl (It could be the ex girlfriend from college, or it could be some other girl. It really doesn't matter as long as (for various reasons) it's not Kanae or Akari) in some cafe or restaurant and him leaving with a smile. Maybe some voice-over by him revealing his current work and situation, then he enters the store.
Alternatively (one that I think would be more effective), after the end of the MV (could be at the end of the credits instead), he turns sees something, with a big smile waves. Maybe he jogs off screen, and we see him go off screen. Next shot, we see him maybe chatting animatedly and walking with some other female. Again, it could be the college ex, or some other girl, but it can't be Kanae or (obviously) Akari. This establishes that he has truly moved on, instead of having people trying to read the half-smile at the end. Something that puts forth a clear statement, though it might not be in words like in his previous movies.
UPDATE: Of course, there is the very possibility that Shinkai muddled his message on purpose in this matter, which I don't have a problem with (many other anime do exactly that), but it does seem very out of place when compared to his previous work.
I agree --- the ending should have been made a bit more clear A scene after the credits would have been most helpful _________________ ~ Even the smallest candle can banish a little darkness ~
I guess, realistically, I'd hope Takaki calls up Risa and gets together with her. She seems to really care for Takaki, but he could't open up to her. Maybe he can open up to her now.
Laz
_________________ You're a woman, I'm a calf ... you're a window, I'm a knife ... we come together making chance into starlight ... - Jeff Buckley
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A scene after the credits would have been most helpful