The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Story

High-school student Makoto discovers she can travel back in time, reliving the same day again and again. But rather than changing the world, Makoto just wants to use her new ability to retake exams, win baseball games, and reverse any moments of romance with her two best friends. Unfortunately, Makoto’s actions have a price – she is changing other people’s lives, not just her own.

Why we chose it

A beautifully drawn animation about teenage time travel.

Where it came from

Mamoru Hosoda (1967 – present) is a Japanese film director and animator. He has worked on many animated films as director and key animator, and first became popular after directing Digimon: The Movie (2000). He has worked on several films with screenwriter Satoko Okudera (1966 – present), including The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. The inspiration for the film came from a 1967 novel of the same name, by Yasutaka Tsutsui. While the film shares the same premise as the book, it has a different story and new characters.

Where it went next

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time received good reviews on its release and did well at the box office. In Japan, the film won numerous awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year (2007), and Animation of the Year at the Tokyo Anime Awards (2007). The film was also adapted into a serialised manga alongside its release, to help publicise it.

Associated stories

Mamoru Hosoda’s other films as director include Digimon: The Movie (2000), and the award-winning Mirai (2018), which he also wrote. Other collaborations with writer Satoko Okudera include Summer Wars (2009) and Wolf Children (2012). He was also initially attached to direct Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), a major Studio Ghibli film, but left production after disagreements.