Toki Wo Kakeru Shoujo

It's 1 am in the morning, i'm tired, grumpy and not really in the mood for anything. For some reason i started to watch this movie. I was laughing my ass off the whole way! She's was so cute, even when she's crying lol!

This movie reminded me of Spirited Away, Tonari no Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, etc. just all those feel good movies. you'll love it.

Why does this movie remind me of Whisper of the Heart? Or perhaps Ocean Waves? Could it be that the Director, Mamoru Hosada, formerly worked with Ghibli? Or that the art director, Nizo Yamamoto, also worked with Ghibli? I read that the (master) character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto comes from the Gainax stable, so that can’t be it. The production company of Madhouse has a mixed record for their animated series, (usually good animation with a so-so plot or storyline.) But their collective efforts on this project, has resulted in an enchanting and charming animated movie that is almost perfect.

At its simplest level, this is a coming of age story of three friends, who find their relationship changing during their high school years. Their lives are filled with goofing off, playing baseball and hanging out in karaokes. But then something strange happens to Makoto Konno - an event that she does not clearly understand, but has given her the ability to leap in time. Makoto first uses it when racing down a hill and into the path of commuter train – when suddenly she jumps back some few seconds in time to avoid the dangerous accident. It takes Makoto a while to figure out this strange gift, but when she better understands it, this ability proves useful in helping her not be tardy to school, permitting her to better prepare for surprise quizzes and to knowingly dodge accidents.

It is only when one of her best friends, Chiaki, makes a confession to her, does her strange gift become more troublesome. Her decision to step-back (and avoid) his confession creates a complex series of events that have her wondering about the apparently simple benefits of her 'gift'. And then we have the remaining 1/3 of the movie, in which everything is explained and becomes incredibly muddled.

But the first 2/3 of the movie so completely entranced me that I can only rate a happy BUY, and the remainder of the story can only drag it back a half-step (so it is a BUY-), but still it is a fun story well worth the time spend watching.

(Not currently licensed outside of Japan. It appears that the most available version is a Russian/English Fansub in a 690meg MKV format.)

(I have posted a few snaps of this movie in the Episode Details section, if you would like to see more!)