Toki o Kakeru Shojo (2006) aka "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time"
January 20th 2009 10:13
Director:- Mamoru Hosoda.
Starring:- Makoto, Chiaki, Kousuke (characters).
Being unfamiliar with Mamoru Hosoda's previous works, I walked into his latest creation with the horse blinkers firmly in place. The words anime, Japanese and science fiction sounded exciting enough, so what did I have to lose? Admittedly I also liked the imagery I was getting of a girl leaping through time. Maybe some kind of galactic warrior princess? Well, I would just have to see.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (entitled in its original language Toki o kakeru shojo), which I will call Toki for short, focuses on Makoto, a tomboy teenage girl with an affinity for lateness, who can most often be found hanging out with her best friends (Chiaki and Kousuke) playing catch in the park. Makoto is a fairly typical teenager, except that bad luck seems to follow her, which results in a number of disastrous occurrences. However, all this is about to change when she encounters a small seed in a lab that turns out to be a transporting device, allowing her to travel back in time. Confronted with a new power, Makoto must make certain choices, be mindful of their consequences, and deal with new challenges along the way.
Several times throughout the film appear the words “time waits for no one”, which, through Makoto's actions and her love for Chiaki, manage to convey the importance of time well spent. Overall, Toki succeeds in imparting this idea very effectively. Also to the film's credit, the protagonist is portrayed as a relatively normal teenage girl who makes selfish and rash decisions before their consequences eventually lead her to change course. Whilst obliterating any idea of my galactic warrior princess, this angle gave added depth to the tale.
In other ways, Toki made an immediate impression upon my senses, as the music here is nothing short of splendid. Hosoda's use of classical music and piano stirred my emotions, appearing in just the right context. Also, the animation (especially the first time leap and the sunset river scenes) is clever, managing to project some mesmerising imagery.
Gripes with the film, if any, would have to be the ending, which I found a little dissatisfying, as the film appears to end several times before finally concluding ambiguously. As the film is purportedly a sequel to a novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka, it is possibly best viewed after reading the book. Or maybe I just wanted it to end a little differently.
.
All in all though, Toki is a thoughtful, dazzling, romantic sci-fi romp through the urban Japanese surrounds, which really reinforces an appreciation of time to be well spent.
Four solid bananas out of five.
Starring:- Makoto, Chiaki, Kousuke (characters).
Being unfamiliar with Mamoru Hosoda's previous works, I walked into his latest creation with the horse blinkers firmly in place. The words anime, Japanese and science fiction sounded exciting enough, so what did I have to lose? Admittedly I also liked the imagery I was getting of a girl leaping through time. Maybe some kind of galactic warrior princess? Well, I would just have to see.
Several times throughout the film appear the words “time waits for no one”, which, through Makoto's actions and her love for Chiaki, manage to convey the importance of time well spent. Overall, Toki succeeds in imparting this idea very effectively. Also to the film's credit, the protagonist is portrayed as a relatively normal teenage girl who makes selfish and rash decisions before their consequences eventually lead her to change course. Whilst obliterating any idea of my galactic warrior princess, this angle gave added depth to the tale.
In other ways, Toki made an immediate impression upon my senses, as the music here is nothing short of splendid. Hosoda's use of classical music and piano stirred my emotions, appearing in just the right context. Also, the animation (especially the first time leap and the sunset river scenes) is clever, managing to project some mesmerising imagery.
Gripes with the film, if any, would have to be the ending, which I found a little dissatisfying, as the film appears to end several times before finally concluding ambiguously. As the film is purportedly a sequel to a novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka, it is possibly best viewed after reading the book. Or maybe I just wanted it to end a little differently.
.
All in all though, Toki is a thoughtful, dazzling, romantic sci-fi romp through the urban Japanese surrounds, which really reinforces an appreciation of time to be well spent.
Four solid bananas out of five.
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Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
...great reviews on this site, Quin, looking forward to read your upcoming posts!
Comment by Quin Goot
Bagman's Gazette
Cinema Banana
And thank you Cibbuano!