Adapting sci-fi author Yasutaka Tsutsui’s famous 1967 novel, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time cast Tomoyo Harada in her feature film debut, launching the Kadokawa pop idol into superstardom. After suffering a fainting spell in her school’s laboratory, 16-year-old Kazuko Yoshiyama (Harada) begins to experience a strange phenomenon throughout her daily life–temporal leaps backward and forward in time–disorienting her as she relives moments time and time again, as days past return to present. Lost in a sea of time, Kazuko’s desperate plead to exist in the present are answered, amidst the swell of FX wizardry, musical overtures and, most of all, the anchor of young love. Lyrical, romantic and longing, Obayashi’s film is a genuine expression of the filmmaker’s reflections on the poetic transcendence of love–cast across the stars for a young girl who lives in tomorrow.

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Video Quality

Cult Epics presents The Girl Who Leapt Through Time with a fetching 2160p HDR10 transfer in its original mix of aspect ratios sourced from a 4K restoration that honors the original look of the film while allowing it to look the best it ever has. The bookends of the film are a step down in visual quality due to the stylistic leanings of the source, but the other 90% of the movie is remarkably consistent. The film grain appears natural and unobtrusive without any signs of unsightly manipulation, as everything resolves commendably. Even daytime excursions avoid spiking or other stray issues. The movie is appropriately filmic with an abundance of fine detail on display for the first time. We didn’t observe any signs of print damage or stray specks throughout this meticulous restoration. The texture present in the clothing and within the production design is marvelous.

The utilization of HDR10 for refined color output is purposefully implemented to harness the nuances of each space. The film is not abundant with bright colors, but the complexity of each shade adds to the tactile nature of the locale. The hues render with a level of accuracy not to be underestimated. The contrast is another essential element for this film. Black levels are deep with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are effortless with no blooming. When it comes to encoding, we did not spot any digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. This presentation from Cult Epics is a winner in every regard.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the native Japanese, along with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by the sound effects or any music. The setting is brought to life with a lively din of sound, both on campus at school and at home, that emanates to provide some impeccable ambient details. The array of sounds in the mix seems favorably rendered so that nothing ever registers as artificial.

Music is a key part of this film’s tone, and the score carries the mood for this outing that never stumbles in its fidelity. There are a few exaggerated moments, but nothing is stretched to the extreme from a sonic perspective. Everything is presented with a noble fidelity that rarely shows signs of strain. This presentation is largely clear of any hiss or other age-related wear and tear. Cult Epics has attempted to make this sound as good as possible. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Obayashi Scholar Alex Pratt provides an engaging commentary track in which he discusses the career of Nobuhiko Obayashi, how this film fits into his legacy, recurring themes in his work, techniques that are associated with him, the background of the performers, the characterization of the characters, and more.

A Movie – Obayashi’s Cinematic Life: A 24-minute visual essay from Max Robinson that looks at the life of Nobuhiko Obayashi, the impact of his early experiences on his work, the development of his style, the range of genres he has worked in, the personal elements in his films, and more.

Now and Then, Here and There – Onimichi Pt. 2: A nearly 17-minute visual essay from Obayashi Scholar Alex Pratt that further explores the life of the filmmaker, how his relationship with the natural world has seeped into his work, and more.

A Conversation with Nobuhiko Obayashi (2015): A 22-minute conversation with the filmmaker in New York at Japan Society that uses clips to spur conversations about his career and experimental techniques.

Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview: A 25-minute interview in which the filmmaker discusses where he was at the point in his career when he made The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, his commitment to Onomichi, and more.

The Tomoyo Harada Story: An 11-minute promotional video that takes a look at the discovery of the talented young actress.

Toki O Kakeru Shojo Music Video (3:02)

Nobuhiko Obayashi Trailers: There are trailers provided for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, His Motorbike Her Island, School in the Crosshairs, and The Island Closest to Heaven.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included that reproduces the original Japanese theatrical pamphlet.

Final Thoughts

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a moving adaptation of a story that has made it to the screen on multiple occasions. While a medium like animation affords more flexibility with storytelling, there is an ingenuity to the filmmaking that creates something special here. There are some dated special effects in a few instances, but it once again adds a special charm to the endeavor. The performers get you invested in the journey, and you are left with a stirring range of emotions by the time the credits finish rolling. Cult Epics has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. Recommended

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cult Epics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.