The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Recently I purchased this anime DVD issued over here by Manga and was really impressed with it not normally being taken to time travel stories as much as I enjoy sci-fi and anime. 

The initial story goes back to the 1970's and has been tackled before but in the opinion of many never in quite the emotional depth of this adaptation and runs like this: Makoto Konno, a high school girl in Tokyo's shitamachi, realizes she has the power to go back in time and re-do things (what is called a "time-leap") when she impossibly avoids a fatal accident at a train crossing one day. Bewildered, she consults with her aunt throughout the film, who then implies that she is the protagonist from the original novel. 

At first, Makoto uses her power extravagantly to avoid being tardy and to get perfect grades on tests, and even relive a single karaoke session for about ten hours. It isn't long however that things begin to turn bad as she discovers how her actions can adversely affect others.

 

 Makoto soon ends up using more of her leaps to recklessly prevent undesirable situations from happening, including an awkward confession of love from her best friend Chiaki Mamiya. Eventually she discovers a numbered tattoo on her arm that counts down with each leap.

From this tattoo she realizes it indicates that she can only leap through time a limited number of times. 

With only a few time leaps left, she attempts to make things right for everyone, but impulsively she uses her final leap to prevent a phone call from Chiaki asking if she knows about time-leaping. 

As a result, she is unable to prevent her friend Kōsuke Tsuda and his girlfriend from being killed in the accident at the train crossing that Makoto was originally involved in. As Makoto watches the accident in horror, time suddenly stops. 

Chiaki reveals that he is a traveller from the future and leapt through time in order to see a painting being restored by Makoto's aunt, as it has been destroyed in the future. 

While walking in the frozen city, Chiaki hints that his original era occurs after a world wide catastrophe decimates mankind. 

He then reveals that he has used his final leap to prevent Kōsuke's accident and has stopped time only to explain to Makoto what the consequences will be. 

Having revealed his origins and the source of the item that allowed Makoto to leap through time, and being unable to return to his time period, Chiaki must disappear. 

Makoto realizes too late that she loves him as well. 

True to his words, Chiaki disappears when time begins again and Makoto is upset. 

As she tries to come to terms with losing him, she discovers that Chiaki's time-leap had inadvertently restored one time-leap to her: Chiaki had leapt back to before Makoto used her last leap. Makoto now leaps to the moment when she gained her powers, at which point Chiaki still has one remaining time-leap. 

She reveals everything that he told her in the future concerning his indentity, the ability to leap through time, and his reasons for extending his stay in her time frame. 

Shortly before returning to his time period, Chiaki says he will wait for her in the future and Makoto replies that she will run toward it. 

What makes the film so enjoyable is the portrayal of each character having many layers which adds to the sense of being able to empathize with them throughout the story which is very much bitter sweet because Makoto learns that this power has to be handled with responsibility- changing the past is not so straightforward - and that actions beget reactions as she uses it to make a new world for her friends.

I found it very moving.

Christmas 2008

 

One ritual that goes right back to childhood is the process of taking what you done and drawing them together from end of terms to concluding one form and moving up into the other.

As we go out of the year, two reminders of why this blog is different from Christmas following that box set review.

Although Dandy Xtreme isn't my thing, preferring the 'classic' Dandy, this years annual is more like was when I was younger.

The Beano is pretty much bar a bit of toning down of the Menacing of Dennis as it was in the 70's and like the regular weekly comic today.

They were up in my Christmas pile because the year for me is as an adult but child so things are more child-like and Christmas is like it was in 1974 even if the tv is bigger and has different programs on.

Those programs would be similar to what I watch and as with Blue Peter, actually like the Beano, a little different but basically the same as it was back when John, Lesley and Peter were on.

Thus we look at books most of which go back to that time, look at things from the past that stick in my mind such as school and scouts and anime.

In with this years Christmas presents is this 4 cd long cd box set.

Entitled "Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia" it is a comprehensive set of hits and notable cuts of PhillySoul that for once isn't tied to a specific record label so does a better than average job of surveying the scene so we get acts like the (Detroit) Spinners and the Stylistics in with the mainstays of Philadelphia Records whose selection doesn't cut off 1976 unlike the 1997 3 cd set but goes to it's last glory days in 1983 with Patti LaBelle's If Only You Knew.
it includes a comprehensive booklet with interviews connected with the music one of which does tackle the UK's fascination of the music of Black America.

My presents this compact disc of Cello Music by the French composer Camille Saint-Saens who wrote rather more music than is given credit for.

Most people know his Organ Symphony which I bought in the mid 80's a cd of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim recording from 1976 which I loved on record and of his Samson et Delila.

He wrote a number of pieces for the Cello such as a concerto for cello and this disc adds some marvellous performances recorded ten years ago by the master Cellist Mischa Maisky with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra extremely well recorded to my collection of French music. 

Sometimes I go into what really made me the sissy gurl I am and why this LSG thing is the present rooted in the past.

Going forward, I see more of the same that might take a new like in as it did back then but the one thing that can't be ignored is I remain a a little sissy gurl, forever.

Blue Peter

One television show I always loved was the BBC's Blue Peter which I started viewing around 1969/70 where this group of presenters, John Noakes (R.I.P 2018), Peter Purves and at the back Valerie Singleton with Shep, Petra and Jason, the Siamese cat respectively.

It just had the right balance of interesting features, adventures and challenges not just to entertain you but to inspire you to make more of a life for yourself as you grew up 

Shep with John Noakes was a legend and in truth the magic of the presenter line up I grew up with Lesley Judd replacing Valerie from 1972/3 was such that out of what can be rose tinted nostalgia many presenters have struggled to match.

This is Blue Peter book seven, one of a good number I own  published in nineteen seventy for the next year which ended up in many a christmas stocking with features about things on the show, facts and figures plus stories.

It is telling that in 2008 that I watch the show still having viewed this years Christmas special on CBBC.

Comics in the classroom

Timed for Christmas but under wraps is this compilation in the 70th Years  "Classic" series of classic cartoon strips from the Beano and Dandy based around the school adventures of such strips as Dennis The Menace, Bash Street Kids and of course Winker Watson who I loved in the dandy growing up.

Comics were a staple of my life back then as a schoolboy, something we shared and talked about and as a LSG remain apart of this life I am living.

Chalet school

Reading is something that is very much linked to my actual childhood  and as an adult little girl remains a preoccupation of mine, loving to read story about schooldays and one series I am currently reading is the Chalet School series number sixty in total by Elinor Brent-Dyer from 1925 through 1960.

Here's a three in one omnibus edition from 1987 from my meagre collection of this series.

While it is a series aimed more at girls it was one I borrowed of girls and liked the stories of even if Jenning's was more what you read in boys company.

The onset of Winter

Today's has been like the last week over here cold and somewhat icy.

This would be fine except for the fact I'm not to good on my feet so it doesn't take much for me to lose my balance and fall over.

I had three attempts at falling over yesterday as even at 14:00 hours the ice had not melted in places.

I hurt my arm which had been damaged over twenty years ago from a playground accident so had to rest it for several hours.

It's okay now .

Going down a peg and xmas preparations

When we talk about LSG life, we need to remember it is based upon actual girls life as much as may like and have some boys elements from your past in it and your social position within it not least the hierarchy and so like him we are below the Grown Ups who are in control nurturing, guiding and protecting us.

It's no more for us to manipulate or get one over our caregivers or others as it is for him because we've decided to hand in any adult privileges and responsibilities  within our relationships as LSG's.

Is that all you found in the mailbox then, My Melody?

Around this time of the year I'm busy writing out Christmas Cards for family and friends some of which do have to be mailed out and really this is last week one can rely upon them getting through with second class stamps as first is just way too expensive otherwise.

I'm also busy with wrapping up presents as the way that works with us is each house is a mini distribution depot for one or more others so that person takes all the presents for one with them rather than lots of individual journeys.