The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

2008

1h 38m

Comedy

Drama

Sci-Fi

Anime

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience--from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can't be reversed.

Critics Consensus

An imaginative and thoughtfully engaging anime film with a highly effective visual design. This coming-of-age comedy drama has mad inventiveness to spare.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Metro Newspaper (UK)

09/19/2008

4/5

Warm and engaging, this has its cutesy moments and crazy Van Gogh-inspired time-travel fantasy visuals but remains appealingly grounded in relatable, sublimated adolescent fears of growing up.

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Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

09/19/2008

Beautifully-drawn Japanimation about a time-hopping schoolgirl, by turns wondrous and a little too hyper.

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Phelim O'Neill

Guardian

09/19/2008

3/5

The characters are entirely credible and likable, the simply drawn figures highly effective against the lush background artwork. Time travel has rarely seemed so joyous.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 15

3/4

A coming-of-age tale that’s elevated by its flights of fantasy.

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Gregory Nussen

Screen Rant

Sep 26

8/10

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time still mesmerizes with animated and philosophical splendor.

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Dave Golder

Radio Times

07/11/2025

5/5

Directed with a gentle sense of magic by Mamoru Hosoda, this beautifully designed film makes suburban Tokyo look almost ethereal: a world you can understand Makoto wanting to live in forever.

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Paul

Oct 1

I liked Makoto’s character and the scenes with her friends. And the effects with the time traveling scenes were really cool and still hold up. And the ending when time is frozen and Makoto has to travel back to confront Chiaki was surprisingly epic! And the comedy is really funny and charming.

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Syd

Oct 1

Funny and a wholesome ending. all around a solid/cute movie

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ed p

Oct 1

inventive use of time travel.

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Gary

Oct 1

Ahead of it time! Amazing movie!!!

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Grant Schleicher

Oct 1

This movie was a great film, filled to the brim with first-class suspense, heartfelt scenes, and a bold dash of humor. The characters were well developed, and even though some aspects of the plot and progression were chunky, the overall message of the movie more than made up for its downfall.

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Anthony P

Sep 30

I absolutely fucking ADORE this film. Never there has been a movie that made me fall in love so much than this. American Graffiti, Fantasia 2000, Rocketman, those three are my true favorite films, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time stands as all those three combined into the most beautiful array of anime i've ever seen. It's a masterpiece. 😭💖

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Mamoru Hosoda

Director

Riisa Naka

Makoto Konno

Takuya Ishida

Chiaki Mamiya

Mitsutaka Itakura

Kousuke Tsuda

Ayami Kakiuchi

Yuri Hayakawa

Mitsuki Tanimura

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Synopsis

Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience--from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can't be reversed.

Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Screenwriter: Satoko Okudera
Distributor: FUNimation Films
Production Co: Madhouse
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 2008, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 7, 2016
Runtime: 1h 38m

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