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“Toki o Kakeru Shojo” is a story that has apparently had a very long and varied history which includes multiple adaptations, both live action and animated. I have never seen these prior adaptations, and I watched this film from a completely fresh perspective. In some ways, that can be a problem, as there are a few things that are questionable to a new viewer, but overall, the film can be viewed standalone and enjoyed without many problems.

The film can be categorized a few different ways, but it has the slice-of-life atmosphere first and foremost, so that is probably what I would characterize it as. The main character is a slightly tomboyish girl who has two male friends. Before you ask – no, there is no dramatic soap-opera love triangle where she is forced to choose one. However, romance is involved in the film. As I watched the first half of this film, I couldn’t help but think that this was on track to being one of my favourite anime. The writing was superb – the dialogue between the characters felt very natural and realistic. The animation and artwork were a delight, and the sound and music were fitting to the film, though they weren’t given the significance of, say, some of Hisashi Joe’s scores. And I loved where the story seemed to be headed.

Very simple, realistic character designs, similar to those of Ghibli Studios. You won’t find any purple hair or starry red eyes here.

Unfortunately, the film falters in the final act. There is a very poignant scene at the climax where Makoto, after having used and abused her newfound time-traveling powers many times, is finally confronted with a horrible situation that is about to occur due to the unforeseen consequences of her actions. Up until this point, I thought I had pinpointed exactly what kind of film this was going to be.  However, there is a slight change of gears at this point because the time-traveling aspect of the show is extended to another character. The film becomes slightly less about a personal journey and even has something of a sci-fi bent to it.  Essentially, the resolution to the nail-biting climax is a deus ex machina of sorts, and thus the entire film felt unsatisfying as a result.

It’s a very well made film, and I have no problems with recommending it to anyone who wants a well-told and well-directed anime film. I probably would have preferred if the general tone of the first half had lasted throughout and the time-travel aspect had remained a personal journey of sorts for Makoto, but that is not an opinion that seems to be widely held, so take it with a grain of salt.

1/2