The girl who leapt through time is about...

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A GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME

Based on the title alone it is obvious what this film is about and this is a concept that is not particularly original. But in 1965 this is probably a really creative and unique premise which was the year of the original light novel that this film is based on.

The film has a really simplistic plot where Makoto, an ordinary girl stumbles upon a mysterious object that allows her to travel back into the past. She uses this new ability to live life to the fullest, correcting mistakes and avoiding mishaps. To activate her ability all the have to do is think about where she wants to go back to and jump forward with conviction.

There is a simplicity to the plot of this film that I really appreciate. Sometimes stories that uses time travel as a plot device complicates things by trying to explain the logic of how the mechanism works which I believe some writers are compelled to make sense of in order to make the story seem more 'realistic'. How this film introduce the concept of time travel is really simple: Makoto found this mysterious device, it allows her to travel back through time. That is it. Is the concept of time travel really that important? I would say no if you ask me but I am certain there exist some people out there that are really nitpicky about how everything works in this fictional universe and will be frustrated because this time travel mechanic is not properly explained. If you are one of those people, I wish you good day and would not recommend you this film. For those that understands that the whole time travel is just a gimmick to open creative avenues for story telling I shall give my opinions on how well written the main character Makoto is.

Makoto as stated before is just an average girl that likes to live life to the fullest. Her first usage of her time travel ability is to simply get back her pudding that her little sister stole. She is an impulsive character that will immediately revert back time to fix or change events to her liking. Time traveling was very liberally but she gradually comes to learn that there are actually repercussions and outcomes that she either regretted or realize are not actually for the best. In her efforts to escape uncomfortable situations she just created new problems not only for herself but for others. It is a really earnest journey of learning and self reflection that Makoto goes through that really hits me right in the feels until the very end.

The art style is pretty good but nothing spectacular. The animations on the other hand are pretty dynamic and rarely feels flat, They frequently have a 3 dimensional movement to them. (I believe they use rotoscoping, I could be wrong).

The voice actor for the main character Makoto is amazing. She really made her feel like a real individual in through her voice acting. Moments of glee, fatigue, grief and even seriousness sounded really genuine which makes for an immersive character to follow.

In conclusion, I believe this is a really good anime film. A solid story, simple premise, amazing voice acting from the main character and it leaves behind a sentimental feeling about how one should make use of time and face life's challenges. Definitely a recommended watch.