Highly Overrated But Still Good

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Kazuko Yoshiyama (Tomoyo Harada) is just an average, though cute and perky, high school student in the picturesque old town of Onomichi. But one day while cleaning the science room she hears a noise. She investigates and becomes overcome by fumes that smell like lavender. After waking up in the nurse's room, she feels well enough to go home, walking with neighbor (Toshinori Omi) and passing by his grandparents (Ken Uehara and Takako Irie). The next day is Saturday, but being 1983 she still has to go to school. The day after that is Saturday, too, and she goes through the same routine. Then after that is Saturday, and she tries to find some way to break out of that. Unlike Bill Murray, she succeeds, but goes off into several other periods at a rapid pace. Somehow things get resolved between her and her neighbor and also the tall guy she likes (Takayanagi). This is a Junya Kadogawa production, showcasing new idol Harada (who grew up nicely to play the wife in Shiawase no Pan). He chose the popular fantasy novel written by Yasutaka Tsutsui, which had been filmed before and since. And he assembled some good talent, including old-time film stars Uehara and Irie, along with director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House). It's a quality production, but still the acting is a little off, as would be expected from a first-timer like Harada. She does have good screen presence, though. And with an intriguing story and director Obayashi's favorite backdrop of Onomichi, it's a better example of the Japanese idol teen flick.

Starring at the stars one night while on a school ski trip, 16-year old Kazuko Yoshiyawa (played by former teen idol Tomoyo Harada) bumps into a mysterious stranger also starring up at the evening sky. It's only Fukamachi of course, one of the boys she's known her whole life - or has she? As romantic feelings blossom, strange things are happening to Kazuko - she's living moments she's already experienced, and waking up from dreams inside of dreams. Is her mind playing on tricks on her, or is she moving backwards through time? Is there something more sinister at play?Obayashi Nobuhiko's adaptation of Tsutsui Yasutaka's "The Girl Who Leapt through Time" is dated, but for fans of Obayashi's campy but fun "House", this film is a great Sunday afternoon flick that displays a lot of Obayashi's strengths with movement. Obayashi keeps things interesting with a lot of neat strobe and colorization tricks, as well as some incredibly outdated and laughably-bad 80's computer effects. Where Obayashi really shines though is in the shots that immerse you in Kazuko's world - wonderfully subtle pans inside school hallways, classrooms, climbing the steps in Kazuko's beautifully serene town.Most of the acting is a bit stiff and juvenile, with the exception of a young Ittoku Kishibe as Kazuko's language teacher, but the film and story are enjoyable nonetheless. "The Girl Who Leapt through Time" was a widely successful pop blend of teenage melodrama with the supernatural in Japan, and Japanese movies and anime have never looked back.

This movie moves often at a languid pace, but I recommend it because it does tell a decent story about Kazuko (Tomoyo Harada), a 16 year old schoolgirl who finds herself in a strange time warp after fainting in a chemical lab at school. She has two friends, but it seems to be Fukamachi (Ryoichi Takayanagi) whom she likes. Pay attention from the beginning and you'll get the gist of the film, which has a sweetness that is genuine. I'm sure if you're a teen you'll like this more, as it is about the awakening of love. Tomoyo Harada, who has gone on to a fairly interesting career as an actress, is very good in this role. In a small role is legend Takako Irie, in what had to be her last appearance in film. The reason it is not rated higher is the slow pace, but I like its sentiment and its simple message of first love. I'm sure there were tears shed by many watching the film due to its sentimentality, but its not a sad film. Very good cinematography. If you like drama, you'll like this.

Tomoyo Harada is an average student in high school. She has an old friend Toshinori Omi who goes to the same school, and Ryoichi Takayanagi who is also her classmate, but is not quite the old friend she thinks he is. One day after a routine cleaning of the school's chem lab, she starts to experience a time warp in her life where she experiences the same event multiple times. Quite by accident, she is getting drawn into the plan that came from the future. She soon discovers why she is experiencing the time warp. The story is set in the beautiful town of Onomichi which is also the birth place of the film's director Nobuhiko Obayashi. Obayashi made several movies in this town where the town becomes an integral part of the movie. The beautiful classic Japanese town scape of Onomichi makes this movie worth seeing along with the interesting twist in the story's plot.