Time waits for no one.
Posted under: I have a news flash for those of you who might not be familiar enough with me to know.
Are you ready? Here it is: I’m kind of a geek.
I say that to you now because today I am going to present a review of sorts for an anime movie, but I would like to stress the importance of not immediately judging the film’s value based on that detail. There’s something of a stigma in popular culture, I feel, that anything Japanese is geared toward geeks and nerds. What many fail to realize, however, is that just like American films and TV shows, Japanese media are just as capable of producing real gems (as well as plenty of crap).
And so it is with that principle in mind that I wish to share the 2006 Japanese animated film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (released in the U.S. in 2008), which is based somewhat on a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. I will do my best to point out its qualities as best I can, and I ask that you leave any preconceptions until after you have given it a chance, as you might any other film.
Image courtesy of www.kadokawa.co.jp.
Title: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy, Romance?
Time travel.
It’s a common element in many science fiction stories. Unfortunately, as anyone who has sat through a weekend marathon of Sci Fi Channel original movies can tell you, the key elements of science fiction (time travel, giant monsters, aliens and so on) are often over-used in an attempt to cover up lack of other important features, such as plot, character development and theme.
Not so with “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”. This animated film, which tells the story of a girl who unintentionally acquires the power to, um, leap through time, really plays out more like a dramedy that just happens to involve time travel.
The film stars Makoto, a rather clumsy tomboy who is living out her days in high school with her two best friends. In her free time, she plays baseball with the rambunctious Chiaki and the cool-headed Kousuke. One day while performing classroom duties, Makoto hears noises coming from a seemingly empty science room lab. While searching for the source, she becomes startled and falls, landing on a small device the size of a walnut. Suddenly, she finds herself flying through CG-rendered scenes of early humanity before returning to the classroom with a crash on the floor.
This bizarre occurrence triggers her new-found ability: By leaping a considerable distance, Makoto is able to “jump” back in time, usually by as much as a day or two. Of course, she is initially unaware of this power, though it comes in handy when she finds herself barreling toward an oncoming train with no way to stop her out-of-control bike. Just as the train crunches against the metal of her bicycle, Makoto suddenly finds herself lying in the street many feet away from the railroad crossing, safe from the trains and thoroughly confused.
It doesn’t take her long to realize the potential of this power. Makoto proceeds to leap back in time to correct trivial matters in her otherwise unlucky day. She aces her test, avoids starting a fire in home ec. class, sings karaoke until her voice gives out, and eats her pudding before her sister can get to it.
As the movie progresses, however, the complications surrounding Makoto’s time leaps become more and more serious. At first, she leaps for petty reasons. Her reasons for leaping then escalate, as in the multiple times that she attempts to avoid getting asked out by Chiaki, only to run into the same question each time. Eventually, the repercussions of her time altering become a matter of life and death.
The movie has two major climaxes, neither of which I can explain in detail for fear of ruining the film. What I can disclose, however, is that they are intense, gripping scenes. Secondly, I can say that the revelations can be a bit hard to swallow at first, but on reflection, they tie in well with the rest of the film, down to minor details that one might not catch until the second viewing. Thirdly, the first major climax occurs with a full 30 minutes left in the movie, and those last 30 minutes are quite emotional.
The pacing of this movie is very well done. It’s comparable to that of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” – there are moments of intense action and emotion, but there are also calm, drawn-out scenes that are just as impactful. Certain parts toward the end gave me the same sort of impression as the scene toward the end of “Spirited Away” where Chihiro is visiting Zeniba in her cottage in the woods. Also, like that hallmark of wonderful anime, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” excels in the department of character development. Makoto noticeably transforms from the start of the movie to the end, coming to terms with life’s issues rather than running away from them by whatever means available.
Unlike “Spirited Away”, however, this film has a more contemporary art style common to Mamoru Hosoda, the producer. Backgrounds are still and detailed, but characters and objects are more fluid, with minor, unimportant details left out or downplayed. The style may be a bit jarring to fans of the traditional artistry of Studio Ghibli films, but it lends to the quirky, sometimes manic actions of the characters. Also noticeable is the scene that plays whenever Makoto leaps through time, showing her floating in an open, bright, white space with digital imagery floating around her. Perhaps this aesthetic is a trademark of Hosoda, as it also appears in at least two other works he produced, “Digimon: The Movie” and this Louis Vuitton ad.
The characters are realistic, distinct and lovable. The action is intense, but it does not draw away from the more solemn, reflective moments of the film. Also, the science fiction element is there, and it does not befuddle the film – there are few or no glaring continuity issues, at least not to my knowledge, for instance. If you’re a fan of anime, or you would just like a heartfelt and quirky film, this one would be worth checking out.
Below is a trailer for “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”. It’s the English trailer, as the Japanese one isn’t as interesting, but I can’t say anything about the English voice acting because I only watched the subtitled version.
With any luck, I will have some time to update more this weekend. Maybe if I didn’t make each post so long, I could update more often. What do you think? Should I try shorter, more frequent updating, or is the longer exposition more desirable?
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