Saturday, 18 September 2021 18:47
Girl Who Leapt Through Time, The
THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME
Japan, 2006, 98 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an anime film, from a popular story of the 1960s.
The film is designed for a children’s audience but may please adults as well. The animation style is that popular in the films of the 1990s and the first part of the 21st century, emanating from Japan. Some of these films are very striking including Howl’s Moving Castle, Steam Boy, Pogno.
The film shows an adolescent girl who is clumsy at home. She also enjoys playing baseball and other tomboy activities. When she finds a mysterious acorn in the science laboratory, she is able to time travel – and rather likes going back to alter history just for herself. Her aunt, who has a talent for time travel, urges her to be more thoughtful about others. This involves her friendship with a young boy at school who offers to date her. She reacts badly. However, she discovers that he is also a time traveller and has used up all his opportunities in order to save his friend and a young girl from an accident with bicycle and train. However, the young girl discovers that his kindness has enabled her to time travel once again and she brings everything back to where it was in the beginning.
The film is entertaining, the heroine is very vigorous. There are some messages for younger audiences about time travel enabling people to change – but also enabling them to accept life as it is.
1.The popularity of the film? In Japan? Worldwide? For adults? For children’s audiences?
2.The animation style, the bright colours, the vivid characters, action? The Japanese anime style? The musical score? The voices? (The American dubbed version/the American subtitled version?)
3.The focus on Makoto, awkwardness at home, with her parents, with her sister and their fights (especially about the pudding)? Makoto at school, awkwardness in the classroom, setting fire to the science laboratory? Playing baseball? Her friends? Kousuke, the girl who was attracted to him? Trying to organise his meeting her? Chiaki and his friendship?
4.Her getting up in the morning, at home, people commenting about her being late? At the level crossing? Her flying over the train on the bike, the visuals of her travelling through time? Her visit to her aunt, the explanations? Her continually leaping, into the water, across the train? Her changing things to suit herself, her exam results, her future study, overseas …? Her self-centredness?
5.The aunt, her own experience, her advice to Makoto?
6.The boys, baseball, school, classes, science experiments? Their friendships? Makoto trying to intervene?
7.Makoto and the two boys, the splitting of the path, taking the bike? The variety of possibilities shown? Makoto and Chiaki, her rejection of him?
8.Chiaki, his attraction towards Makoto, offering of dating? His explanations of his own time travel, wanting to see the art, Makoto going with him? His loss of opportunity to return home? His saving the boy and the girl on the bicycle?
9.Makoto, her realisation of her selfishness, Chiaki and his not being able to return? Her discovering one more opportunity? Taking it? Bringing everything back to where it was – and her leading a normal life again?
10.The comedy, audiences identifying with Makoto and her activities? Her friends? The message about changing life or accepting it as it is?