The Girl Who Leapt Through Time : I first found out about this anime movie when I stumbled across it on the internet. I immediately read its summary in Wikipedia, and was SUPER impressed from the start, as the story begins with the death of the main character. WHAT? You never see that happen in your average films directed to high school audiences, especially if it’s animated. THAT hooked me into the story. Then, I liked the idea of applying time travel to a suburban high school setting. What if a high school student could leap through time? What would she do? It’s a simple yet very fun idea, especially if one has enough imagination to come up with clever, interesting and creative answers. When I finally watched the film, I saw that, at least in my eyes, the time-leaping element was nicely fitted into its setting: she uses her power for trivial, ordinary stuff, like coming early to class, getting perfect grades, repeating her favorite activities, and even avoiding awkward situations. The result is a very good “slice of life” teen comedy/drama, light-hearted, really delightful and enjoyable. However, it doesn’t limit itself to comedy, for she later finds out that her leaps are affecting the outcomes of other people’s lives. I liked this detail very much. For example, there’s a scene where she time-leaps to avoid being hit by an object that was hurled towards her, and the object hits the student behind her instead, injuring her badly. This sequence gives much food for thought. Everything happens for a reason, even if it’s a harsh event or situation. That’s why it’s best not to mess with time (if the opportunity is given), or things might get worse. What has passed took place for us to mature and improve the future, by focusing on the present.
*Note: One might say that the film has some flaws, regarding coherence in the way the whole time-leaping thing works, but it’s actually one of many typical flaws in anime and Japanese films that can be excused for cultural reasons. I would have tweaked that if I had done the film, but it’s not that it’s BAD or a defect. In a nutshell: you must be open minded when watching Eastern stuff, or you’ll never get them.
Samurai Jack : I barely watched this show, but enjoyed the little that I saw. It was not until a few months ago that I realized what it was actually about. In a mythological-like ancient Japan setting, an evil supernatural being called Aku opens a portal in time and thrusts his enemy, the brave Samurai Jack, into a very distant future, where Aku’s power is law. Jack must now try to return to the past to annihilate Aku when he first rose, but meanwhile tries to survive the hostile future. I was blown away by this remote synopsis. Wow. Awesome. It explained the visual strangeness of the world displayed in the show, with alien-like futuristic places and a few ancient Asian elements scattered about, including a Samurai that’s not supposed to be there. Really creative in terms of the plot and the visuals, the art style. The whole concept opens lots of doors to good, interesting options and possibilities; you can go crazy with your imagination and have fun.
And finally,
Back To The Future saga : I saw only the first movie a long time ago, and know vaguely what happens in the sequels. Recently, though, I’ve been told how awesome and clever each of them is plotwise. First film: boy visits his parents’ teen years and gets tangled in their love story; second: he travels to the future, meets his son, must confront his enemy (hehe the year is 2015, wasn’t it? XD); third: boy and scientist friend go farther back to the “cowboy” era. Very humorous AND interesting. Wow! I REALLY have to see them. And they’re from the 80’s. Take that, present-day films who’re obsessed with exaggerated 3D special FX.
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