Review of 'The Girl who Leapt Through Time (Toki o kakeru shôjo)'
A bit of a lighter Japanese animation. A young girl in the middle of trying to figure out which of two boy-friends she wants to “get serious” with accidentally develops the ability to time-travel. She uses her power to, rather unsuccessfully, change things in the past. It is a coming of age story as she strives to come to terms with what she actually wants…
The traditional cell animation here is very good bringing to mind many films by Ghibli Studios (Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday immediately spring to mind). The images of normal street life in Tokyo are quite convincing and really serve to bring the characters to life – We have an emotional stake in what we see on the screen. Not a terribly involved plot (though there is a bit of a surprise towards the end that certainly caught me off guard) but enjoyable nonetheless.
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2008-05-06
Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda
Studio: Mad House
Year: 2006
Length: 98 minutes
Genre: Japanese Animation
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808506/
Other reviewed films by Mamoru Hosoda:
- Summer Wars (Samâ uôzu) (2009)
- Mirai (2018)