Matt Schley
July 13, 2025 
As if director Mamoru Hosoda weren’t busy enough prepping his latest film, Scarlet, he’s somehow found time to write his first novel. The book is called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: A Novel based on the Animated Film, and it’s, believe it or not, based on his 2006 film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Wait, you say, wasn’t The Girl Who Leapt Through Time itself based on a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui? Yes, but it’s actually a kinda-sorta sequel to that book, so we’ll give Hosoda a pass.
The novel comes out in Japan on August 29 through Kadokawa, and the cover features a new illustration by Mr. Hosoda, as well as eight pages of color stills from the film. Early purchasers of the book will also get a limited edition postcard.
An unexpected new work from Mamoru Hosoda before Scarlet hits theaters later this year!
Here’s how GKIDS describes the 2006 film:
Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience– from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can’t be reversed.
Source: Natalie
