I wasn't sure what to expect from this animated film when it was given to me I can't even remember the discussion/messages that led another user to post this to me (sorry) as it took me a while to get around to watching it. The film starts out with a bit of a comic air to Makoto's jumping through time; mostly she is addressing minor issues or mistakes that she makes rather than anything more significant than that. After a while though the film starts to move towards more of the emotional core of the story and becomes somewhat of a coming-of-age tale, albeit with low-distance time travel involved. This in turn develops into quite a touching (if not totally clear) set of events that end the film and provided quite a warming conclusion. Contrary to some reviewers here, I do not think the film is perfect or that the writing is brilliant but I will admit that it was cleverly written. The thing that appealed to me about it was that, even as it was about time-travel, it kept the heart and reality of the characters close to hand it didn't become Jumper with global action sequences, rather it maintained the focus on Makoto and her relationships. Her newfound ability didn't change who she was or what she felt just gave her new perspectives and opportunities, which the film uses within this context to good effect.
The animation is typical in feel for the country of origin but is still impressive. It is more "normal" than some may expect but the style is cool and the back and foregrounds are all convincing. Although fans of the genre may be used to more in the way of excess, this is still a good-looking film and the effects and imaginative touches it has are mostly used to enhance the story telling rather than just being for the sake of it. The characters are well-drawn in animation terms but in terms of development the main job is done on Makoto. Visually she is cute and appealing, with emotions clear on her but also in the script and performance (by Naka) she is made a real character and is a real part of keeping the heart in the film. The rest of the characters are very much supporting but they are also good from the other actors.
I enjoyed this film. Personally I didn't think that it did enough of any one thing well enough to justify the flawless reviews and votes from some of my peers here, but this is not to say that it is still not very good. The sci-fi element never overshadows the heart of the characters and it remains a coming-of-age story even as the leaps and jumps get more convoluted and it is this core that makes it as engaging as it is.
The animation is typical in feel for the country of origin but is still impressive. It is more "normal" than some may expect but the style is cool and the back and foregrounds are all convincing. Although fans of the genre may be used to more in the way of excess, this is still a good-looking film and the effects and imaginative touches it has are mostly used to enhance the story telling rather than just being for the sake of it. The characters are well-drawn in animation terms but in terms of development the main job is done on Makoto. Visually she is cute and appealing, with emotions clear on her but also in the script and performance (by Naka) she is made a real character and is a real part of keeping the heart in the film. The rest of the characters are very much supporting but they are also good from the other actors.
I enjoyed this film. Personally I didn't think that it did enough of any one thing well enough to justify the flawless reviews and votes from some of my peers here, but this is not to say that it is still not very good. The sci-fi element never overshadows the heart of the characters and it remains a coming-of-age story even as the leaps and jumps get more convoluted and it is this core that makes it as engaging as it is.