The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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I wasn't expecting much from this movie due to its weird title and what I felt was an awkward animation style. Plus I was an avid Hayao Miyazaki fan, and I did not believe any anime movie could overcome the feel-goodness of his movies in general. I was very wrong.

"The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (or "Toki wa Kakeru Shoujo") is about a girl named Makoto Konno who, after a strange encounter in a lab after school discovers she has the power to "jump" through time. Literally.

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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Although it started off slow, the pace made the hackneyed concept of time jumping much more original. Not to mention the main characters were all extremely likable and realistic. I couldn't help but root for Makoto in whatever crazy things she wound up doing in the past. The things she went back to change were trivial things, like a test she failed, or when her friend Chiaki confessed to her. They are all things that ordinary, idiotic people like ourselves would do if we had that power. This story is only something the Japanese could come up with, and I commemorate director Mamoru Hosoda for blending mundane Japanese life with such a fantastical concept like time travel. It's warm, funny, and touching. That is, for the first half.

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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The second half of the film takes a hugely dramatic turn. It's almost mind-blowing in the way things played out. For spoiler fans, it has something to do with Chiaki (You know, the friend who confessed to her?). Anyways, I loved this shift in the plot, even though it lost some of its precious feel-good elements along the way. Makoto still managed to keep some humor in her crazy ventures, and her personality is not lost in the plot twist. Chiaki's transformation though, I'm still a bit iffy about.

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I think this movie is way up there with Miyazaki's films. The perfect blend of fantasy and feel-goodness, along with some dry humor as well makes for an excellent film. I also felt myself warming up to the animation style as well, which was very contemporary, so I wasn't used to it, but I'm now completely in love with it. "Time waits for no one" so go watch this movie!

Customer Review, amazon.com

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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It was supposed to be a good summer day for Konno Makoto. However, her day was slowly turning into a comedy of errors. A pop quiz, a cooking disaster, and falling to the floor in a chemistry lab have taken the smile from her face. But the worst indignity of her day is flying head first into the path of a train. However, she opens her eyes and finds herself safe but five minutes in the path. Her "Aunt Witch"informs Makoto she has time leaped, a not so uncommon thing if you think about it.

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Though she believes the concept initially implausible, Makoto decides to make a literal leap of faith and finds herself in the past, just in time to save her pudding from being eaten by her younger sister. Time travel stories often take a predictable turn – "What would happen if you could alter the past in a significant way?" The Girl Who Leapt through Time provides a refreshing change by asking "What happens when you alter the past in a seemingly insignificant way?". Konno Makoto is a typical teenage girl; she would do what any teenager would do with such power. Use it for frivolous, selfish purposes.

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That pop quiz is no longer another embarrassing failure. That cooking incident? Pawned off onto a classmate. Favorite meals can be eaten again; karaoke can be sung for hours at a time for the price of one session. What consequences could come from such trivial changes? Makoto soon learns that even the smallest interaction affects people in ways few of us realize.

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That is the message the film conveys in a smart, charming, and often humorous story. Life is built upon the simple moments, and we should treasure each moment we have with our friends and family. This becomes more evident near the end, as the film brings out the more paradoxical elements of time travel to provide a few final twists to the story. This is just a gorgeous film, visually and thematically.

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The Girl Who Leapt through Time provides a refreshing story focused on the people and their relationships rather than on temporal mechanics. Its beauty lies in exploring how the smallest things can affect us on large, personal levels. It is rare to find a simple but thoroughly charming film in any medium. This is a great slice of life title with just the right splash of sci-fi. Very highly recommended.

MANIA

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) [Limited Edition] [Repost]

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Special Features:
Disc 1:
- Audio Commentary with Mamoru Hosoda (Director), Riisa Naka (Makoto), Takuya Ishida (Chiaki) and Mitsutaka Itakura (Kousuke)
- Premiere Event in Tokyo
- Hanako Oku "Garnet" Music Video
- Theatrical Trailer
- Promo Clip

Disc 2:
- Main Feature with Storyboards
- Audio Commentary with Mamoru Hosoda (Director), Toshihiko Ito (Assistant Director) and Hiroyuki Aoyama (Animation Director)
- Direction File (A Talk with the Director, Mamoru Hosoda)
- Behind the Scenes at Premiere Event

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