The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

  • Review Date: October 20, 2011
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • 2008
Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun coming of age time-traveling anime with some romance.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this coming of age anime addresses budding teenage romance, friendship, and the pressures of school and growing up. There is mild violence and non-violent injuries, some name calling that ranges from playful to not-so-playful, and some instances of bullying.

  • Positive messages3
    Characters learn to work through their feelings for one another and regarding their future plans. Friendship is upheld through thick and thin.
  • Positive role models3
    Three main friends stand by each other even as they come to grips with blossoming feelings for one another that move beyond friendship. Makoto learns to try and take responsibility for her actions. Chiaki defends a bullied character getting sprayed to the ground with a hose. Also, Makoto's aunt puts considerable time and effort into restoring a painting. 
  • Violence3
    Makoto's leaps through time often end by crashing into walls or people, with objects falling on top of her. During a game of catch, she gets hit in the face with a baseball. A harrowing near-fatal bicycle accident at the beginning and end of the film. Also, a bullied character exacts revenge on his tormentors with a fire extinguisher before trying to throw it at Makoto's head.
  • Sex2
    Teasing references to masturbation between the characters. Flirtation and crushes abound.
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What's the story?

Makoto Konno, a seemingly typical teenager, discovers she can leap through time and alter the course of events in her life and the lives of those around her in ways both large and small. As she begins to understand the effects this "time leaping" has on her friends, Makoto must learn to be honest with her feelings as she struggles to make to make things right.

Is it any good?

 

THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME is a dazzling and engaging take on both the coming of age story and the time travel story. Rather than using time travel to change the course of big historical events, Makoto uses her ability to try and alter the little moments between her and her best friends, boys Chiaki and Kosuke.

She learns that these travels can cause even bigger problems than she originally anticipated, and the film takes some unexpected plot twists that will keep kids guessing.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about taking responsibility for your actions. How do the decisions we make effect ourselves and those around us? How does this play out in the movie?

  • What similarities and differences do you see between Japanese schools and American schools, and how students relate to one another? How accurate do you think this movie portrays life in Japan?

  • Sometimes friends call each other names in a playful way, and other times, name calling crossing the line into hurtful behavior. How do you determine those boundaries between your friends or your classmates?

This review was written by Brian Costello
Parent of 12 year old
January 8, 2012
AGE
11
 
One crude gag but suitable for the subtitled crowd.
My son watched this movie several times over the last few days, and he says it gets better and better every time. One crude gag but rest of film is G-rated.
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This review was written by Brian Costello
Studio:Bandai Entertainment
Director:Mamoru Hosoda
Cast:Emily Hirst, Shannon Chan-Kent
Genre:Fantasy
Run time:98 minutes
DVD release date:November 18, 2008
MPAA rating:PG-13
This review was written by Brian Costello
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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