Kara Dennison
October 15, 2023 
Time travel isn’t exactly rare in anime. There are whole series based on the concept. But while traversing the temporal vortex can be about saving existence, it can also be surprisingly character building. Take these three anime heroines, for example. For them, time travel is as much about finding themselves as it is… whatever else they’re doing. Whether they’re saving the world, battling minor inconveniences, or following a weird tip from their grandma, there’s more to discover.
Makoto Konno, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Leading off our list of time-traveling anime heroines is, of course, the literal girl who leapt through time. The 2006 film by Mamoru Hosoda is actually a kinda-sequel to the 1967 novel of the same name. Makoto is the niece of the novel’s protagonist, and discovers that she has time travel abilities. Like any of would as a teen, she uses these powers for very important things: mainly making high school life easier.
Eventually, though, she discovers that she only has limited “leaps” available to her. Not only that, she’s not the only person currently hopping around through time. As she discovers the consequences of her frivolous actions, she sees her past—and future—in much clearer view.
Hitomi Tsukishiro—Iroduku: The World in Colors
The next of our anime heroines comes from the far-flung future of 2078. Hitomi is descended from a family of mages. She’s also colorblind—like fully so, her world appearing grimly black and white. Without much explanation, her grandmother Kohaku enacts a time-travel plan. Thus Hitomi finds herself 60 years in the past, during her grandmother’s own high school years in 2018.
From here, Iroduku: The World in Colors follows a slightly magical but overall slice-of-life path. Hitomi learns about the joys of black-and-white photography, meets her first love, and addresses the reasons for her inability to see colors the way others do. What exactly Kohaku’s plan is, and how it works out for her granddaughter, you’ll have to see for yourself!
Princess Mia, Tearmoon Empire
One of our unluckiest anime heroines this season, Princess Mia kicks off her first episode being executed. Then she wakes up… eight years younger. As Tearmoon Empire begins, Mia is initially convinced that the kingdom’s downfall and her beheading were all a bad dream. But her bloodstained diary begs to differ. With a new lease on life, the twelve-year-old princess decides to use her diary to navigate her future/past and save her neck.
As far as she’s concerned, she’s acting selfishly. But whether she knows it or not, she’s growing as a person the whole time. This constant course correction leads to greater wisdom and empathy. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll save her kingdom from its cruel fate, too.
We only want to hang out with interesting anime heroines: time travelers, espers, and aliens!
