General · EdgepediaOctober 3, 20264 min read

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女) (2010 film)

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女, English title Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) is a 2010 Japanese live-action science-fiction romance film directed by Masaaki Taniguchi, the fourth theatrical adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1967 short story of the same name.¹^•² It was released in Japan on March 13, 2010, runs 122 minutes, and was distributed by Stylejam.² Unlike earlier versions, it is a sequel rather than a retelling: its heroine is Akari Yoshiyama, the daughter of Kazuko Yoshiyama, the protagonist of the original novel.³

Key fact	Detail
Release	March 13, 2010, Japan; 122 minutes; distributed by Stylejam; rated G²
Director / writer	Masaaki Taniguchi's feature-film debut; screenplay by Tomoe Kanno²^•⁴
Source	Fourth film adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1967 short story¹
Lead	Riisa Naka as Akari Yoshiyama; she had voiced the protagonist in Mamoru Hosoda's 2006 animated version¹
Premise	Akari time-leaps to the 1970s to find her comatose mother's first love, Fukamichi Kazuo, but lands in 1974, two years later than intended¹
Award	Newcomer of the Year, 34th Japan Academy Prizes (2011), for Riisa Naka²
Theme song	"Nostalgia" by Ikimono-gakari; score by Tatsuya Murayama⁵

Spoilers

Story

In 2010, Akari Yoshiyama (Riisa Naka) is a third-year high school student who has just been admitted to the university where her mother Kazuko (Narumi Yasuda) works as a pharmacologist. Kazuko is then injured in a traffic accident and falls into a coma. At the hospital she briefly regains consciousness, repeating only that she must return to 1972 to keep a promise with her first love, Fukamichi Kazuo (Kanji Ishimaru).⁴

Akari acquires the ability to time-leap through an unexpected incident and, carrying out her mother's wish, attempts to jump to 1972. She instead arrives in 1974, two years later than her target. There she meets Ryota Murokoshi (Akiyoshi Nakao), a university student who aspires to be a film director, and with his help begins searching for Fukamichi.⁴^•⁶ The film follows the youth and bittersweet romance that develop during the search.⁶

Place in the adaptation history

Tsutsui's short story has been adapted repeatedly. A 1972 NHK drama series titled Time Traveller was the first screen version, followed by the 1983 film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi starring Tomoyo Harada, a 1997 remake directed by Haruki Kadokawa starring Nana Nakamoto, and Mamoru Hosoda's 2006 animated film, the first anime version, whose quality led Tsutsui to call it "the true second generation" and which became a word-of-mouth long-run hit.³^•⁷ The 2010 film is the fourth theatrical adaptation.¹

The 2010 version departs from the pattern of its predecessors by continuing the story instead of restarting it. Its heroine is the daughter of the original novel's protagonist, and the screenplay treats the film as a follow-up to the source material.³ Casting reinforced the connection: Riisa Naka, who had voiced the protagonist Makoto in Hosoda's 2006 anime, returned to star in live action, this time as Kazuko's daughter.¹^•⁸

Production

The film was produced by the "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" Film Partners (Aniplex, Epic Records Japan, Voice & Heart, Stylejam, Quoras, NHN Japan, and Culture Convenience Club).⁴^•⁹ It was shot in color at the American Vista aspect ratio of 1:1.85 on 35 mm film with Dolby SR sound.⁵^•⁹ The supporting cast includes Akiyoshi Nakao, Narumi Yasuda, Munetaka Aoki, Anna Ishibashi, and Kanji Ishimaru.²

Reception

At the 34th Japan Academy Prizes in 2011, Riisa Naka received the Newcomer of the Year award for her performance.² Audience ratings have been moderate: the Japanese database Kinenote records an average score of 71.4 out of 100 from 250 users,⁴ the review site Eiga.com averages 3.8 out of 5 from 46 reviews,¹⁰ and IMDb lists 6.5 out of 10.¹¹ Viewer commentary on Filmarks has praised Naka's natural acting and treats the film as a distinct work rather than a comparison piece with the 2006 anime.¹²

Availability

In Japan the film has been available for digital rental on Amazon Video, with no free streaming option as of the most recent checks.¹¹ It is also offered as DVD rental through TSUTAYA DISCAS.¹³ The Japan Foundation's JFF Theater platform has scheduled the film for streaming with English, French, Spanish, and other subtitles.¹

References

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026