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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Novel Gets New Live-Action Show

A live-action television adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o Kakeru Shōjo) novel has been green-lit. It will premiere in NTV channels in July, and will star Yuina Kuroshima (pictured right), as well as Sexy Zone idol group member Fūma Kikuchi.

The new series' story centers on a third-year high school girl named Mihane Yoshiyama (Kuroshima), who is a member of the photography club. Some time before summer break, after smelling a lavender scent at a room at school, she gains the ability to freely travel through time.

Mihane's classmate, Shōhei Fukamachi (Kikuchi) is soon revealed to be a famous and outstanding scientist from the future year of 2122 named Ken Sogoru. Having lost his drug that allows him to return to the future, he resolves to hypnotize the people around him so he can live a normal high school life until he can make the drug again. However, as the plot progresses, his memories as a high school student, his relationship with friends and family, and his love for Mihane will tie him to closer to the present.

Though both main characters share surnames with the two main characters from Tsutsui's original novel, any relation to that story is as-yet unrevealed.

Hitoshi Iwamoto (Ashita ga Arusa the Movie, MW) is directing the series, with scripts by Ryōhei Watanabe (Shady/Kashikoi Inu wa, Hoezuni Warau).

British publisher Alma Books released the original novel in English. Mamoru Hosoda directed an award-winning 2006 anime film adaptation of the novel, animated by Madhouse. The film is a loose sequel to the original novel, sharing the premise of a girl gaining the ability to time travel, but with different characters and situations. The novel's main character appears in the anime film as the protagonist's aunt.

Bandai Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in North America before closing its North American distribution in 2012. Funimation recently licensed the series in February, and will release the film in a "special home video edition" later this year to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the film's theatrical release in Japan.

The book has also been adapted into multiple live-action works, including a 1972 television series, a 1983 live-action film, a 1994 television series, a 1997 live-action film, and a 2010 live-action film.

Source: Movie Natalie via Hachima Kikō