Masao MARUYAMA, 6 anime to highlight a 50 years’ career: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Japanese animation, Masao MARUYAMA, a major character of the industry and ambassador for Animé 100, is coming back over his career, more than 50 years during which he produced a huge number of anime. For us, he has accepted to recall six anime that punctuated his career and today, he’s telling us about Mamoru HOSODA’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time!
"It was the first time I worked on a movie with director Mamoru HOSODA.
When we were asked to produce The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I had to look for a director. I thought that Mamoru HOSODA would be perfect; at the time, he was directing the anime Magical DoReMi. When we first met, I asked him if he could realize a grown-up version of Magical DoReMi for the animation film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Later, we also produced Summer Wars and Wolf Children. It will always be a wonderful memory, having worked with him on The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Mamoru HOSODA and I had a few disagreements, because The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was originally a feature film and we had to stand back a little. The movie was very faithful to the short story but you don’t enjoy a feature film the same way as an anime, which has to be more entertaining. So, we did a lot of thinking about where and how the film would develop. In the end, I think we made the right choices and I’m kind of proud of it. And it’s also due to Mamoru HOSODA’s talent.
Like in Wolf Children or Summer Wars, I think Mamoru HOSODA’s joie de vivre and powerful expression pervades through the anime.
The message of the story is quite clear, like it was on the book cover or on the poster, with the main character running as though she was about to fly away, with a wide blue sky background opening up. The illustrator’s work is amazing. The girl’s running is dynamic and she’s so full of life, which shows through the animation film, at least I hope so. I think it’s part of the reasons why the audience liked it."
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in short
- Japanese title: Toki o kakeru shôjo
- English title: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Release date: 2006 in Japan and in Europe
- Directed by Mamoru HOSODA
- Studio Madhouse
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