The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1967 novel, - which has been adapted several times over the years, including 1983's The Little Girl Who Conquered Time - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a charming mix of drama and romantic comedy, with a slight infusion of science fiction ideas. Makoto (Riisa Naka) is a high school girl who, through serendipity, gains the ability to leap back in time (but she only manages moments or hours back). She has platonic relationships with two high school boys, Chiaki (Takuya Ishida) and Kousuke (Mitsutaka Itakura), and they spend their time playing baseball.

With her new-found abilities, she does nothing spectacularly profound, and the films intentions aren't to comment on paradoxes or to shift the space-time continuum as is usually the case with time travel narratives. Makoto uses her abilities to repeat events that pleasure her, to ace a school test, and also to avoid certain embarrassing situations with her friends. But as her relationships with, particularly, Chiaki and Kousuke, her leaps become more personally profound, as she attempts to possibly save the people she cares for (within the context of small human moments of danger, and not the usual global/country catastrophes.

I love the fact that in Japan, they do not distinguish between live- action cinema and animated (anime if you like) films, they are all simply movies. Now I'm going to contradict this with a Western perspective: This beautifully animated film is a delight to view, with its traditional two-dimensions, it is evidence to the west that 3D, computer generated animation is not the overbearing format, and 2D is still a genuinely viable medium. The film is filled with charming human moments, both touching and thoughtful. Teenage comedies rarely have this level of tenderness of character, that also explores concepts of fate, the passage of time and the intricacies of small human moments, and the delicate nature of human relationships.

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What an amazing film this was. Its funny, its heartwarming, its emotional during certain points and if you are in touch with your emotional side, there is a chance that you will cry buckets. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a Japanese animated film that dwells in high school life and all that comes with it, the crushes, the puppy love, the platonic friendship and friendship that soon blossoms into romance. To spice things up a bit, the creators incorporated time travel in the mix and gave it to our klutzy heroine Makoto and the end result is absolutely satisfying as it manages to hit all the right spots and tug your heartstrings. The animation is just gorgeous to look at. It reminds you of a Ghibli movie due to its breathtaking use of rich colors and lavish texture, the film itself almost comes alive with its near perfect animation. The voice work done is perfect as well, integrating it seamlessly into the film thus giving life to the colorful and cheerful characters on screen. While the Sci-fi part and the time travel stuff may not be ironed out to the highest level, I suggest you leave your Einstein mindset right at the doorstep and just enjoy the story that the film is telling. All in all, if you look at it, the film is a touching tale bursting with emotions and it just warms your heart in all the right places. Highly recommended.

This film is one of those films that comes once in every generation. The voice actors give the characters a sense of realness that makes you suffer or feel joy. The detail of the work is phenomenal and the story doesn't drag or end in a familiar way. I specially like the detail they put to little things as the sliding doors bouncing back open when Makoto tries to close them. This is one of those films that in the end it leaves you a good feeling and not guilty for spending two hours enjoying yourself. When you see this film you might have to find time to think when was the last time you saw something so good.I just wish there's a sequel for it, because I just couldn't get enough of it. But maybe is one of those stories that you wish it never ended but you know that it has to end.

P.S. Now I have to buy the DVD.

This terrific fantasy focuses on a girl who discovers she can jump back in time, and much of the movie is a light-hearted exploration of what a teenage girl would do with that power, which is essentially relive life better, avoid uncomfortable conversations, and eat pudding. The lead character is likably average.

There are a few oddities in this movie. Some of them are because it turns out, as I learned at wikipedia, that this isn't actually the same story as the novel upon which it is based but a sequel containing a character from the original movie, which explains a lot. Apparently the original story has been made into several movies and TV series in Japan, so the assumption was probably that everyone would understand a lot of references I didn't get.

Also, towards the end, we are given little pieces of information that suggest there is a whole other story to learn, although whether that story is in the original book or whether that would be the subject of yet another narrative I don't know.

Then there's the ending, which is logically unsatisfying and yet which I ultimately found emotionally resonant. It's one of these puzzling endings that has you reading wikipedia and going through the IMDb forum posts (which offer a lot of fascinating theories).

Well worth watching.

Alert: This movie has the most fantastic background graphics, equal in quality to the very best--like cowboy bebop or something from studio ghibli (spirited away). just wonderful color of the sunsets, schools houses etc.

As a teen slice of life/tentative romance/drama the story seems like it could be cliché, but they do interesting things with it, make it more dramatic in the middle, and at the end i was satisfied. the emotional depth sort of sneaks up on you.

Sounds were well-integrated into the film and the voice actors were spot-on in their portrayals.

just a fine experience watching this on here in Asia.

Highly recommended for all, but a must for anyone who's into anime.

wow I'm gonna look out for anything by this studio and director in the future.