# The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Where to watch: Max
Type: Movie
Genres: Fantasy, Animation, Drama, Science Fiction
Rating: NR
Year: 2006
Runtime: 1h 38m
Curator Score: ★ 75%
Rating count: 203,014
Tagline: There is a future that we can't wait for.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Main stars: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura
Curator Watchlist
https://www.curatorwatchlist.com › the-girl-who-leapt-through-time
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
A warm, bittersweet time-travel coming-of-age story with real emotional payoff. It starts playful and breezy, then quietly turns into something more moving about regret, timing, and the people you almost lose.
Plot overview:
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
Cast: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido, Utawaka Katsura, Midori Ando, Fumihiko Tachiki, Keiko Yamamoto, Shiori Yokohari, Sonoka Matsuoka, Takayuki Handa, Maho Kurashima, Keiko Aizawa, Kiyomi Tanigawa, Arashi Matsutani, Fumiya Togawa, Yumi Kawaguchi, Tsubasa Ueda
Production: Madhouse, Happinet Pictures, KADOKAWA, KADOKAWA Shoten, Q-TEC, Memory-Tech
Where to watch: Max
Curator Review
Verdict: A warm, bittersweet time-travel coming-of-age story with real emotional payoff. It starts playful and breezy, then quietly turns into something more moving about regret, timing, and the people you almost lose.
Best for: fans of thoughtful anime; viewers who like time-travel stories with heart over hard sci-fi rules; coming-of-age drama fans; people who enjoy bittersweet romance; audiences looking for a short, emotionally satisfying watch
Skip if: you want intricate, logic-heavy time-travel mechanics; you prefer action-driven fantasy; you dislike teen-centered stories; you want a purely comedic tone
Overview: Mamoru Hosoda turns a simple premise into a tender meditation on growing up. The film is playful at first, using time leaps for small pleasures and everyday fixes, but that lightness gradually gives way to something more poignant about consequence and emotional honesty.
Worth noting: What makes it work is its balance of charm and melancholy. Makoto is impulsive, funny, and deeply relatable, and the film understands how adolescence often feels like having one more chance to get everything right. Beneath the fantasy is a very human story about friendship, missed timing, and learning that not every problem can be solved by rewinding.
Bottom line: The animation is clean and expressive, with a strong sense of momentum and atmosphere. It’s an easy recommendation for viewers who like their science fiction soft, character-driven, and quietly devastating.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- russman: And people wonder how I can log so many films in a day
- 👽 Zara 👽: i came here for fun time travel shenanigans and i'm feeling so fucking sad rn what the fuCK
- James (Schaffrillas): Oh no this girl hit her head leaping multiple times and has a concussion, now she thinks she's a time traveller
- •lily•: Going to jump out of my window to see if i can go back in time wish me luck
- Siân: Makoto is the hero I need because the first thing she used time travel for was to eat pudding
Recommended similar titles:
- Groundhog Day (1993 · Romance, Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG)
A foundational time-loop film that shares the same playful setup before revealing deeper emotional growth.
- Your Name. (2016 · Animation, Romance, Drama · 1h 46m · PG · Where to watch: Max)
A modern anime hit that blends teen romance, fate, and time-bending emotion with broad appeal.
- Summer Wars (2009 · Animation, Science Fiction · 1h 54m · PG · Where to watch: Max)
Another Hosoda film with family warmth, youthful energy, and a strong emotional core.
- Wolf Children (2012 · Animation, Family, Drama · 1h 57m · PG · Where to watch: Max)
Shares Hosoda’s sensitivity to family bonds, growing up, and the ache of time passing.
- Mirai (2018 · Animation, Family, Fantasy · 1h 38m · PG)
A gentle, imaginative family fantasy about childhood, perspective, and emotional development.
- Only Yesterday (1991 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 1h 59m · PG · Where to watch: Max)
A reflective coming-of-age drama that treats memory and adulthood with similar tenderness.
- The Wind Rises (2013 · Animation, Drama, History · 2h 6m · PG-13 · Where to watch: Max)
For viewers drawn to wistful, beautifully animated stories about time, longing, and life choices.
- Before Sunrise (1995 · Drama, Romance · 1h 41m · R)
A romantic film built on fleeting connection, timing, and the feeling that a moment matters forever.
- About Time (2013 · Drama, Romance, Fantasy · 2h 3m · R)
A heartfelt time-travel romance that uses its premise to explore family, love, and acceptance.
- The Science of Sleep (2006 · Comedy, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 46m · R)
Dreamlike, youthful, and emotionally off-kilter, with a similar sense of imagination shaping reality.
- The Butterfly Effect (2004 · Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 53m · R)
A darker take on changing the past and living with unintended consequences.
- Donnie Darko (2001 · Fantasy, Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m · R · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
An adolescent mystery with time distortion, melancholy, and a strong sense of unease.
Themes: time travel, coming of age, regret, friendship, first love, consequences, adolescence, memory
Topics: anime, time travel, coming-of-age, bittersweet, romance, drama, fantasy, youth, emotional
https://www.curatorwatchlist.com/movie/the-girl-who-leapt-through-time/14069
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Where to watch: Max
Movie · Fantasy · Animation · NR
2006 · 1h 38m · ★ 75% (203K)
There is a future that we can't wait for.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura
Overview When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
Production Madhouse, Happinet Pictures, KADOKAWA, KADOKAWA Shoten, Q-TEC, Memory-Tech
Cast Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido, Utawaka Katsura, Midori Ando, Fumihiko Tachiki, Keiko Yamamoto, Shiori Yokohari, Sonoka Matsuoka, Takayuki Handa, Maho Kurashima, Keiko Aizawa, Kiyomi Tanigawa, Arashi Matsutani, Fumiya Togawa, Yumi Kawaguchi, Tsubasa Ueda
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, bittersweet time-travel coming-of-age story with real emotional payoff. It starts playful and breezy, then quietly turns into something more moving about regret, timing, and the people you almost lose.
Best for
fans of thoughtful anime
viewers who like time-travel stories with heart over hard sci-fi rules
coming-of-age drama fans
people who enjoy bittersweet romance
audiences looking for a short, emotionally satisfying watch
Skip if
you want intricate, logic-heavy time-travel mechanics
you prefer action-driven fantasy
you dislike teen-centered stories
you want a purely comedic tone
Overview
Mamoru Hosoda turns a simple premise into a tender meditation on growing up. The film is playful at first, using time leaps for small pleasures and everyday fixes, but that lightness gradually gives way to something more poignant about consequence and emotional honesty.
Worth noting
What makes it work is its balance of charm and melancholy. Makoto is impulsive, funny, and deeply relatable, and the film understands how adolescence often feels like having one more chance to get everything right. Beneath the fantasy is a very human story about friendship, missed timing, and learning that not every problem can be solved by rewinding.
Bottom line
The animation is clean and expressive, with a strong sense of momentum and atmosphere. It’s an easy recommendation for viewers who like their science fiction soft, character-driven, and quietly devastating.
Top Letterboxd reviews
russman (3.5★) · 2148 likes
And people wonder how I can log so many films in a day
👽 Zara 👽 (4.5★) · 1490 likes
i came here for fun time travel shenanigans and i'm feeling so fucking sad rn what the fuCK
James (Schaffrillas) (3★) · 1418 likes
Oh no this girl hit her head leaping multiple times and has a concussion, now she thinks she's a time traveller
•lily• (5★) · 1057 likes
Going to jump out of my window to see if i can go back in time wish me luck
Siân (4★) · 876 likes
Makoto is the hero I need because the first thing she used time travel for was to eat pudding
Recommended similar titles
1993 · Romance, Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG
A foundational time-loop film that shares the same playful setup before revealing deeper emotional growth.
2016 · Animation, Romance, Drama · 1h 46m · PG · Where to watch: Max
A modern anime hit that blends teen romance, fate, and time-bending emotion with broad appeal.
2009 · Animation, Science Fiction · 1h 54m · PG · Where to watch: Max
Another Hosoda film with family warmth, youthful energy, and a strong emotional core.
2012 · Animation, Family, Drama · 1h 57m · PG · Where to watch: Max
Shares Hosoda’s sensitivity to family bonds, growing up, and the ache of time passing.
2018 · Animation, Family, Fantasy · 1h 38m · PG
A gentle, imaginative family fantasy about childhood, perspective, and emotional development.
1991 · Animation, Drama, Romance · 1h 59m · PG · Where to watch: Max
A reflective coming-of-age drama that treats memory and adulthood with similar tenderness.
2013 · Animation, Drama, History · 2h 6m · PG-13 · Where to watch: Max
For viewers drawn to wistful, beautifully animated stories about time, longing, and life choices.
1995 · Drama, Romance · 1h 41m · R
A romantic film built on fleeting connection, timing, and the feeling that a moment matters forever.
2013 · Drama, Romance, Fantasy · 2h 3m · R
A heartfelt time-travel romance that uses its premise to explore family, love, and acceptance.
2006 · Comedy, Drama, Fantasy · 1h 46m · R
Dreamlike, youthful, and emotionally off-kilter, with a similar sense of imagination shaping reality.
2004 · Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 53m · R
A darker take on changing the past and living with unintended consequences.
2001 · Fantasy, Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m · R · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
An adolescent mystery with time distortion, melancholy, and a strong sense of unease.
Themes
time travel, coming of age, regret, friendship, first love, consequences, adolescence, memory
Topics
anime, time travel, coming-of-age, bittersweet, romance, drama, fantasy, youth, emotional
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