THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME

I'm going to come clean and admit before starting that I have watched this movie more times than any other anime movie. I never grew tired of re-watching it. And just now, I realized, "wait…why have I NEVER written a review about this movie?!" So here we are!

What would you have done if you were still in high school and acquired the ability to go back in time? This is something that our main character might be able to answer.

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Despite her ragged school life, Makoto considers herself a "good luck" person. However, one day without warning, the Universe seems to conspire against her, and Makoto experiences a chain of unfortunate events. She had not finished complaining about her bad day when she accidentally discovered (literally and metaphorically speaking) that she acquired the ability to travel to any point in the past by "jumping.”

At first, she is confused about the origin of her sudden ability, but it doesn't take long for her to avert any suspicions when she realizes that she can use it to her benefit. And her first move is to redo the previous day from the beginning with the sole objective in mind of modifying everything in her favor as many times as necessary.

In a world that does not depend on Makoto as humanity's only hope, she plays the role of an ordinary student with no concerns related to her age or position as a member of society. In that sense, Makoto represents a large section of the population that enjoys an ordinary life, someone like me and, perhaps, like you.

With this in mind, if you suddenly acquired the power to go back in time, what would you do? Repeat the exam to get a better grade? Take back the words you said the day before? Avoid an embarrassing situation in front of your peers? It is here where the first part of this work begins.

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The film introduces us to the antics of a teenage girl who recreates that thought that went through our heads at some point "Ugh if I could go back in time, I would change this." And being Makoto, the representation of everyday life, the problems that require a “jump to the past" are hopeless situations that would have had a different ending if she had tried from the beginning; however, the appeal is there, the possibility is right at her fingertips.

You can repeat an exam without studying because you will know the answers, you can waste the money you like because you can always go back. You will not have spent a penny; you can avoid an uncomfortable conversation because you will know what they will say to you and when. She can, and she does, and again, Makoto makes our most common fantasies come true with an addition that almost no one stops to think about: the consequences.

The second part of the story focuses on narrating how Makoto experiments with time, enjoying all the alterations that provide her with some kind of benefit without considering how her reckless actions affect other people's lives. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is not fussy about mishandling travel to the past and did not instruct us on how Makoto's decisions led to a break in reality or the creation of other timelines.

The movie goes back to teaching us how Makoto's decisions affected other people, positively or negatively, and how this influenced her. We will quickly understand that intervention for selfish motives was detrimental in the long run. For Makoto to turn that bad day into one of the best of her life, someone else had to go through the hardships and painful moments that she experienced in the first place.

Makoto began to live without fear of being wrong because she could reset any mistake after it happened. She understood that she could stand out above the rest without making any effort because she would be one step ahead. She savored being in control of any situation that presented itself to her since it was only enough that she or someone else is located in a particular place at a specific time.

Suddenly, Makoto became a puppeteer who manipulated others' lives as she pleased, unaware of the magnitude of her power. Later, she realizes that she had been playing with the feelings of her friends and classmates. That going back in time to prevent them from saying or doing something she did not like could change everything: she started a case of bullying, the rapprochement between people who would never have interacted otherwise, the unusual distancing between a united and energetic group, and even the consummation of an accident. And sometimes, realizing her mistake doesn't mean it can be resolved in time.

At one point, it is evident that, regardless of whether she tries to benefit herself or help others, the results will be disastrous because her intervention, still full of good intentions, should never have been appeased in that way.

Of course, the implication of time travel does not refer only to Makoto and her “why’s” but also oscillates between other characters and other motivations that make one question (without plagues, destruction, and tragedies involved), what could be considered as a valid reason to travel back in time? If the extinction of humanity is not at stake, then what merits jumping into the past?

Personally, I consider the explanation entirely recreational because it offers an unusual situation in this matter (by this, I mean the need to "save something" or "save someone from something") insufficient for some, sentimental for others. It is a matter that will depend on each one and what one considers “'important” in a situation like the one presented to us.

Our cast is small, but that does not mean that every one of them experiences significant character development due, in part, to the fact that the film takes place over three or four days. Still, Makoto's continuous travels, many of them on the same day, give the feeling that the time has been longer. However, it is undeniable that most (especially the protagonists) were built and developed correctly, without falling into familiar tropes or cliches. Probably the only character that reaches any kind of growth is Makoto.

She started as a selfish girl who made use of a power that she did not fully understand, whose only "concern" was to have the most fun taking advantage of all the benefits that jumping gave her, without stopping to think for a minute about how it affected her surroundings. However, bad decisions and their respective consequences gradually forced her out of the bubble that she had created for herself.

She becomes aware of the effects and learns to solve her problems without resorting to jumps in time as the first (and only) option. Makoto is the messenger for what the movie wanted to tell us, and I think she succeeded in conveying the intent.

Unlike Makoto, Kousuke has a calmer personality and is much more applied in his studies because he already has a goal in life that he is determined to achieve. He is good-natured and severe, but also funny and upbeat.

Although he is one of the characters with the most remarkable constancy in history, his role within the "travel in time" theme refers to inadvertently participating in Makoto's regressions during the first part of the film and being immersed in the dramatic moment just steps from the end. He, too, of course, maintains his role as Makoto's faithful and trusted friend.

Ultimately, Chiaki is introduced as a student who shares many of Makoto's flaws, including her playful and teasing attitude for most of the story. It's not until the final sequences that we appreciate the dimensions of the character. Scenes so short, so precise, and so precious. I could dedicate more than three paragraphs to the character. Still, it would be a massive spoiler ruining the experience for all those who have not seen the film yet because, seriously, the discoveries in this film are glorious; You can't imagine it at all, but they develop naturally.

Although the character design is loosely based on the 2003 manga version, Toki Wo Kakeru Shoujo remains in line with the hallmark of its director, Hosoda Mamoru, easily recognizable in many of his other productions, such as Wolf Children. The animation might seem simple at first glance, but the truth is that the viewer will not take too long to realize the magnificent work done. The expressions of his characters reflect both comedy and emotion. Their fluid movements and interactions are done perfectly.

For the color palette, they opted for pastel shades, warmer and softer, keeping in line with the theme of the story; on the other hand, they chose to perfect both the coloring and the setting to illustrate the jumps in time, scenes that I enjoyed despite being rare.

However, perhaps what gave me the greatest satisfaction were the shots that focused for very brief moments on characters and backgrounds that had no real relevance in the story but managed to enhance the atmosphere by being framed with the soundtrack or with the characters' dialogues. They fascinated me completely, and that showed me (again) special care in the visual section.

The film delights us with constant quality animation, without failures, that does not decay in any sequence, correct use of angles, the exposure, and the time allocated to each scene, giving us sequences that left me speechless. In short, everything was exceptional.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a fantastic film that succeeds in conveying its message. We lack a time machine that allows us to go back to a specific moment to change what we would like, but that does not mean that we were powerless to avoid it. Makoto didn't study long enough for her exam, so she failed; This served as a source of motivation to go back the next day and repeat the test, this time knowing the answers. If she had been better prepared, the typical "I wish I could retake the test and get a better grade" would never have appeared in her mind, and the events that followed would not have occurred.

Makoto must learn a lesson that we continue to assimilate: life is singular, and every one of your opinions and your decisions will influence it and, more importantly, the lives of other people. You don't need a time machine to understand that, but a movie like this one is quite illustrative in this regard, about the importance of reflection and the weight of our resolutions as a result of them.