[Manga Monday] The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
… Hey, I’m kind of on a roll with the movie/OVA-to-manga adaptations…
Anyway, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo was probably the most hotly anticipated North American release of 2008 (although I personally didn’t care about it,) and Bandai licensing its manga adaptation made a lot of sense. There’s a minor problem with Bandai being the ones to release it, however: they’re idiots who can’t proofread things worth crap. The finest example is “Makoto” being spelled “Makot” at one spot on the back cover.
Kindergarten-level proofreading skills aside, though, I’m glad someone brought the TokiKake manga stateside, because some of us prefer the sensation of holdign a book in your hands to watching a DVD. Don’t get me wrong, I bet the movie’s great and everything, but I’m perfectly content with the manga. Despite the typos and confusing beginning and end, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an enjoyable read, if you’re not in it for character development or major philosophical ponderings of any kind.
In case you’re been living under a rock, the premise is something like this: Makoto is 17 years old, energetic, has two best guy friends, and gets hit by a train. Sort of. It’s during this near-miss with a train that she discovers her ability to leap backwards through time and re-live whatever she wants! She begins using this ability to fix her mistakes and mess with her own love life as well as others’, but there’s an unknown limit to her power – and what will happen when she learns it the hard way? Will one of her handsome BFFs come to the rescue?
Sort of. And that’s all I’m going to say about the ending, which actually almost made me cry. (That’s saying something, since the last manga to almost make me cry was The Voices of a Distant Star.) In this oneshot, the plot’s not so much about a girl who time-travels as much as it’s about a girl who can’t handle relationships. Makoto’s not annoyingly naive, just immature enough to be a flawed, likable character. Her character development is somewhat lacking, but that’s sort of to be expected in a movie adaptation.
Kousuke and Chiaki, on the other hand, are a bit more interesting, especially in regards to their reactions to the changes Makoto’s abilities cause. Take, for example, Makoto’s interference with Kousuke’s love life, which adds another dimension (however small) to his character. Chiaki’s involvement in the plot is a lot more direct – but it’s never properly explained, it seems. (Or maybe I just didn’t get something? Keep the comments spoiler-free, though, please!) They’re both likable enough characters, and I actually shipped Makoto with Kousuke a little, but they fail to really capture my imagination. Makoto’s aunt (who is implied to be the Kazuko chick) is a standard aunt figure with no real memorable characteristics, but she fails to be annoying in any way, so she’s likable enough.
I wish I could compare the manga to the movie, but alas, I have yet to see the film. Hopefully the movie more thoroughly explains some of the weirder parts of the plot – like the aunt, Chiaki’s ending, and the Kazuko chick at the beginning and end. The manga’s more like a glimpse into a larger universe, sort of like some of the Star Wars novels are of their respective universe. There is a A Girl Who Runs Through Time spin-off (?) that apparently explains the Kazuko chick, for example, and I hope to check that out sometime. Until then, I’ll just sit here contemplating how hot Kousuke is with his glasses on. Sigh.
It’s hard to sum up my feelings for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, especially since some of it is seriously muddled. It is, however an interesting look at the concept of time-travelling – and its potential impact on relationships. It’s a cautionary tale as much as it is a character study (albeit a shallow one,) which may turn off some potential readers. The bittersweet ending and the interesting characters, though, made the TokiKake manga worth reading for me. It’s a nice rainy-day oneshot for fans of the movie or curious shoujo or sci-fi fans.
CJ’s Rating: 8 out of 10 California rolls
