With all of the news about the upcoming US theatrical run of The Boy and the Beast (starting March 4, tickets available now), there’s one major question that anime fans have been dying to know:
Are we going to license The Girl Who Leapt Through Time?
We are absolutely ecstatic to announce today that Funimation has acquired the rights to Mamoru Hosoda’s award-winning film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and we are planning a home video release for this summer, just in time for the film’s 10th anniversary!
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is the first original film not tied to a TV anime series, from the director of Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast. If you love the energetic humor of Summer Wars and the tender emotion of Wolf Children, you’re in for a real treat. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was the first film ever to receive the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year (sort of the Japanese equivalent to the Oscars), an honor shared with three films from Hayao Miyazaki. Director Hosoda himself has been called “rank[ed] first among the Japanese animation directors seen as successors to now-retired industry giant Hayao Miyazaki — and for good reason” by The Japan Times, so see this history-making director at his roots with one of his most classic films.
Additional news and pre-orders for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time will be coming soon— be sure to keep an eye on the Funimation blog for updates!
SYNOPSIS
After waking up late, flunking her pop quiz, embarrassing herself on numerous occasions, and starting a fire in her home economics class, high school student Makoto Konno figures she’s just having one of those days. And just when she thinks she’s made it through, the brakes on her bike malfunction putting her on a collision course with a speeding train. The life-ending accident would have been the perfect end to the worst day ever, but the strangest thing happens—she leaps backwards in time.
After unlocking her new ability, Makoto does what any teenager would do. She re-takes tests, corrects embarrassing situations, and sleeps in as late as she wants, never thinking that her carefree time travelling could have a negative effect on the people she cares about. By the time she realizes the damage she’s done, she only has a few leaps left to make things right.
Yay can’t wait to own this on blu ray.
I wonder how the subs will be on this compared to Bandai subs, I’m sure they will get redone for this.
Lol, first they denied it that they will ever get the rights. Then they do. You’re funny Funimation :P.
I’m not ready to get my heart ripped out by Chiaki again! T^T
Finally! I love this movie, What took you guys so long? Now you just need to publish Future Dairy in paperback Tankobon format.
PLEASE include the audio commentaries and bonus features from the DVD release. If you do, you have me there day 1. 🙂
Will they be re-dubbing the movie or will they still use the Ocean dub (like the did with Shakugan no Shana Season 1)?
Wondering the same thing
Why would they redub it? The dub is not bad at all. The dub of Shakugan no Shana S1 wasnt bad either. Not great like Funi dubs but not bad.
I never said that there was anything wrong with the Ocean dub (even so I’ve never watched it yet), I’m just curious since FUNimation already dubbed 3 Hosoda films (Summer Wars, Wolf Children & The Boy and the Beast). P.S. I wonder who they cast if they decide to re-dub the film.
Thank You, Funimation! I have been wanting this movie for a long time.
Finally! Been waiting years for this news. Wanted to own this since I first saw it.
Great news. I have the DVD, but will definitely be upgrading to the blu ray.
AWESOME!!!!
Now give it the Otakon 2014 treatment and make this be the last thing we ever hear about it.
Ever.
I can’t wait for this movie!
Hosoda’s work is by far my favorite in terms of original animation. To hear you guys are releasing is name to fame work for its 10 anniversary has me ecstatic. It’s a movie I very much loved and if I ever have a daughter will have her sit down and watch with me. Really excited to add this great work to my Bluray collection.
SO excited! Because Bandai Entertainment shutdown the prices had jumped up extremely high which made me so sad because I loved the movie and love collecting anime. I had seen the Blu-ray around $150, more than 3 times it’s original value. BUt! I’m so happy Funimation picked it up and will be releasing it in the summer.. (surely at a much lower price then $150.) And Mamoru Hosoda is such a talented creator so I obviously have to own all his masterpieces B) lol