"Toki O Kakeru Shojo" (or Tokikake) is probably the most adapted modern short story in Japanese Literature. As of date, there have been seven different versions of the Tsutsui Yasutaka story in both TV and movies -- the NHK drama "Time Traveler ('72) with Shimada Junko; the '83 movie with Harada Tomoyo; the Fuji TV Drama special ('84) with Minamino Yoko; the Fuji TV Drama special ('94) with Uchida Yuki; the '97 movie with Nakamoto Nana; the TBS TV special ('02) with Abe Natsumi and most recently the Madhouse anime project ('06) with the voice talent of Hara Sachie. The Harada Tomoyo movie was the first big screen adaptation of the story and was a smash hit for the Kadokawa Publishing Company in 1983. This most likely had more to do with the popularity of teen idol star Harada Tomoyo than the story itself, which revolved around a chemical accident which gives a high school girl the ability to "conquer time" and time travel back and forth within her past and future. Tomoyo's heroine, Yoshiyama Kazuko, typifies the "Kadokawa Heroine" - cute as a button, courageous, genteel, yet strong and smart. Director Obayashi Nobuhiko (House, Nerawareta Gakuen) brings his unique visual flair to the film but the story's loopy premise is a bit hard to swallow as is the snail's pacing of the film. The film's theme song (sung by Tomoyo) while a hit for her at the time has often been lambasted by critics who thought Tomoyo's off-key singing was torture. Thankfully her acting abilities were far superior and made the film bearable. A cute film for idol fanatics but definitely not for everyone.
Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
