Have you ever gotten the chance to turn back time? To get a second chance at anything, even death?
Makoto Konno, a normal Tokyo high school girl, who spends her free time with her friends Kousuke and Chiaki playing baseball, has been given the chance to “time leap.” In order to time leap the person has to literally leap in order for the time travel to take place. Makoto was actually killed when the breaks on her bicycle failed to stop her from hitting an on coming train.
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo
4 & 1/2 Stars
Have you ever gotten the chance to turn back time? To get a second chance at anything, even death?
Makoto Konno, a normal Tokyo high school girl, who spends her free time with her friends Kousuke and Chiaki playing baseball, has been given the chance to “time leap.”
In order to time leap the person has to literally leap in order for the time travel to take place.
Makoto was actually killed when the breaks on her bicycle failed to stop her from hitting an on coming train.
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She sort of awakens a ways back on the street after running over an older woman who she had run over instead of dying. The woman only slightly injured and Makoto still alive, she runs off thinking of the miracle that just happened. Makoto’s aunt, Kazuko Yoshiyama, referred to as Aunt Witch helps Makoto understand this power, and gives her advice. Kazuko was once also able to time leap, hinting that she had used it in relationships, where as Makoto uses it to right everyone’s wrongs, she uses it to be on time for school, to get perfect scores on tests and to resolve conflicts.
Makoto begins to hone her time leaping abilities, attempting to fix the outcome of several situations. Her friend Chiaki confesses to liking her, and she had no idea what to say so she time leapt back to try to change the outcome, eventually just skipping the conversation all together. She then realizes that time leaping has a cost, for every time she time leaps the actions still play out but another person could possibly be taking her place. She also learns that she will not be able to time leap forever, a tattoo shows up on her arm as a countdown to how many times she can time leap back.
Her friend Kousuke turns down a girl who liked him, and Makoto thinks he should give her more of a chance. Only wanting to help, Makoto leaps across the border several times to change the story with them, only leading to both of their deaths. Makoto was unable to save Kousuke and his girlfriend on her own since she had impulsively used her final leap to prevent a phone call from Chiaki asking how many times she has leapt through time. Luckily, Chiaki time leapt to bring back Kousuke and his girlfriend. Chiaki then explains to Makoto as time stands still, that he is from the future, and that he must leave, and when he goes back to his era Makoto finally realizes that she loves him too.
Makoto realizes that Chiaki’s time leap to save their friends allowed her to have one of her time leaps back. Makoto uses her final leap to leap across time to the very first day she received her powers and talk to Chiaki before he finally leaves for good. He travels back to his era, leaving Makoto with the words, “I’ll be waiting for you in the future.”
Well, I think this is one to be seen. This slice of life, romance, sci-fi anime movie is definitely unlike other romances. The romance is broken up in so many ways, making it comical. Makoto tries to use her time traveling abilities to solve many conflicts, most of them caused by herself. It is especially funny when she gets the fire extinguisher thrown at her by a boy who took her place in the Home Economics class fire. The love story in it is sweet and untold until the very end, but you can definitely see it earlier than verbally said. Chiaki, Kousuke and Makoto are a great set; definitely remind me of my friends.