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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time's Sequel Story Gets Stage Play
posted on by Karen Ressler
Zoku Toki o Kakeru Shōjo, the sequel to Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1965 novel The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o Kakeru Shōjo), is inspiring a stage play that will premiere in Tokyo for 10 performances between February 7 and 14. Performances in other regions will follow.
17-year-old Moka Kamishiraishi will star in the play and Makoto Ueda is directing and writing the script.
The sequel originates from the 1972 live-action television series adaptation. The show was titled Time Traveler and the sequel, Zoku Time Traveler (Sequel Time Traveler), diverged from Tsutsui's novel. The sequel's script by Toru Ishiyama was later compiled into book format under the title Zoku Toki o Kakeru Shōjo.
The story takes place after [highlight white text to read spoilers for original story] Ken Sogoru returns to the future and erases Kazuko's memories. The years pass and Kazuko is in high school when Ken Sogoru reappears and asks for her help finding three missing scientists from the future. She was supposed to have forgotten him, but as they search for the missing scientists she falls in love again.
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 the 1972 television series, a 1983 live-action film, a 1994 television series, a 1997 live-action film, and a 2010 live-action film. Most recently, a live-action television series premiered in July 2016.
Source: Oricon
