

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

This film garnered the Best Animation Film in Japanese Academy Awards in 2006.

The official website (in Japanese)
click
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/tokikake/index.php

Synopsis
From the title, it is apparent that the anime revolves around the life of a girl (Makoto Konno) who can leap back into the past to undo events that have occurred ... Expectedly, whenever the past is reshaped, the future is inevitably affected as well ...

My thoughts

-- The charm of this anime lies in its simple but well told story ... The director successfully brings a smile or a tear to vignettes/events we are so familiar with, be it at home or in school, especially during our adolescence ... those were the days indeed ... ... On the surface, many of us must have experienced that feeling -- if only we could turn back the clock ... and why not? especially when it is to undo our silly mistakes or to stop some mishaps ... 

And as we gleefully marvel and muse at this thought, reality soon sets in ... The anime soon sounds its message -- that when we manage to make our life better, do we unknowingly make others lives worse ...

Another message is resounded, but more blatantly (and less tactfully) -- that time waits for no one ... so, we are reminded to value the present moment, and make the best use of it ...

-- Well, two advice ...

(i) Like most time reversal stories, there may or may not be loopholes in plot/thoughts etc ... I for one do not actively seek it out, will you?! but why spoil the fun ... After all, that is not the main point of the film ...

(ii) Also, I am not sure if the ending will please all, but some may like it while others may not ... as usual, i may have preferred a slightly different ending ...

Conclusion
Highly recommended. Even though the theme may be over-featured, the director does a great job in his story telling, and the film does get better as it goes along, peppering humor with heart wrenching moments. And by the time it approaches the end, most audience would care about the characters, wondering how the film will eventually end ... And unlike many renowned Japanese anime, its basic story is simple to understand, and its philosophical take is comprehensible to all, neither cryptic nor contrived ...

PS: Do not compare this with other anime like Ghost in the Shell, Paprika, etc ... they are vastly different ... Just watch it like a typical anime and you will enjoy it better ...

For those who like the soundtrack, here is the ending credit ... of course it will mean more if you have watched the film; otherwise, you may be upset by the 2-D and non 3-D graphics ... hee hee ... 
click
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fNYgg2MHdQ&mode=related&search=