The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Recently I purchased this anime DVD issued over here by Manga and was really impressed with it not normally being taken to time travel stories as much as I enjoy sci-fi and anime.

The initial story goes back to the 1970's and has been tackled before but in the opinion of many never in quite the emotional depth of this adaptation and runs like this:

Makoto Konno, a high school girl in Tokyo's shitamachi, realizes she has the power to go back in time and re-do things (what is called a "time-leap") when she impossibly avoids a fatal accident at a train crossing one day.

Bewildered, she consults with her aunt throughout the film, who then implies that she is the protagonist from the original novel. At first, Makoto uses her power extravagantly to avoid being tardy and to get perfect grades on tests, and even relive a single karaoke session for about ten hours. It isn't long however that things begin to turn bad as she discovers how her actions can adversely affect others.

Makoto soon ends up using more of her leaps to recklessly prevent undesirable situations from happening, including an awkward confession of love from her best friend Chiaki Mamiya. Eventually she discovers a numbered tattoo on her arm that counts down with each leap. From this tattoo she realizes it indicates that she can only leap through time a limited number of times. With only a few time leaps left, she attempts to make things right for everyone, but impulsively she uses her final leap to prevent a phone call from Chiaki asking if she knows about time-leaping. As a result, she is unable to prevent her friend Kōsuke Tsuda and his girlfriend from being killed in the accident at the train crossing that Makoto was originally involved in. As Makoto watches the accident in horror, time suddenly stops.

Chiaki reveals that he is a traveller from the future and leapt through time in order to see a painting being restored by Makoto's aunt, as it has been destroyed in the future. While walking in the frozen city, Chiaki hints that his original era occurs after a world wide catastrophe decimates mankind. He then reveals that he has used his final leap to prevent Kōsuke's accident and has stopped time only to explain to Makoto what the consequences will be. Having revealed his origins and the source of the item that allowed Makoto to leap through time, and being unable to return to his time period, Chiaki must disappear. Makoto realizes too late that she loves him as well.

True to his words, Chiaki disappears when time begins again and Makoto is upset. As she tries to come to terms with losing him, she discovers that Chiaki's time-leap had inadvertently restored one time-leap to her: Chiaki had leapt back to before Makoto used her last leap. Makoto now leaps to the moment when she gained her powers, at which point Chiaki still has one remaining time-leap. She reveals everything that he told her in the future concerning his indentity, the ability to leap through time, and his reasons for extending his stay in her time frame. Shortly before returning to his time period, Chiaki says he will wait for her in the future and Makoto replies that she will run toward it.

What makes the film so enjoyable is the portrayal of each character having many layers which adds to the sense of being able to empathize with them throughout the story.

The story is very much bitter sweet because Makoto learns that this power has to be handled with responsibility- changing the past is not so straightforward - and that actions beget reactions as she uses it to make a new world for her friends

I found it very moving.

Order and attire

Uniform plays a part in my life because it is linked in the wider meaning of discipline, the setting and maintenance of standards including that of how you present yourself, the meaning of been seen as representing an institution to which anything you do reflects upon.
Although politically and when it comes to sexuality and gender issues I'm more liberal I am in certain respects very much conservative believing in the adherence to traditional social standards that everyone is expect to know and follow with clear sanctions.

What to call Jo?

Although I do identify more with having a Middle side to the point I would say I was a Middle with a Little side, The bigger dividing point is between being Big - the adult sense of self I lack to a large extent and that of your child-like Little Side which is very present and correct.
So to a large extent I am happy for people to call me "Little Girl" because being who I am is IN the wider umbrella of being a Little and if you seen my earlier posts, you'll know that is the one thing I most definitely am and is very much how I should be treated.

Teen uniform

It's not unknown for older schoolgirls to wear plain tights to school which with the plaid skirt she's wearing does rather work well and I suspect the school jumper is made for them as I don't think it's like the sow on school badges one had for your blazer.

As middlish teen school uniform one balance its a very good choice although it doesn't have the appeal of a traditional pinafore tunic aka Gymslip.

Chalet School

Reading is something that is very much linked to my actual childhood  and as an adult little girl remains a preoccupation of mine, loving to read story about schooldays and one series I am currently reading is the Chalet School series number sixty in total by Elinor Brent-Dyer from 1925 through 1960.

Here's a three in one omnibus edition from 1987from my meagre collection of this series.

Carefree

Really it is that carefree girl that needs to come out, the one that just runs and skips contentedly in her own little world overseen as needed feeling safe, secure and loved.
The way I see things is that's all a part of my recovering from the events of the last two years or so and understanding how it all went wrong so it can be put right.

Howl's Moving Castle

Today I'm going to talk about an anime I've always liked from 2004 and recently bought

Howl's Moving Castle is based upon the book by britisher Diana Wynne and is set in a magical world of wizardry and spells we follow the adventures of Sophie and her incredibly Odyssey to lift  a witch's curse all while being swept off her feet Howl a handsome and mysterious wizard who kindly offers her refuge in his most magical moving castle.
Howl as a character while being quite enchanting can at times by very childish, self-centred and tormented even while Sophie, is a beautiful but very reserved young woman who is rather mousey and soft-spoken.
She has a sister called Lettie but in the story she only has a small part to play as worker in the bakery and so only shows up in just one scene.
What I love about this is goes beyond the story but to director Hayao Miyzazki brilliant animation and inspirational story telling in  this art form.

Pix edit August 2017 for blu ray edition

The twilight zone

In a lot of ways because what had happened, the failure to really engage with me emotionally to fulfill my needs including installing a sense of right and wrong or even any tangable sense of independence, I always long to go back to my past.
My past is where a good number of problems lie not least this twilight zone  when I'm not really adult but people find it hard to cope with my impulsive childishness, feeling in many ways abandoned to fate rather than being enabled to resume that journey that stopped in my early teens. I actually want somebody to spank me.

Study period

At high school and also at college, I like many of my peers, sat outside studying as we found the fresh air, natural light and space more helpful. Sometimes it might be that we went over our lesson notes perhaps correcting or adding detail to them while on other occasions we might read a text. I was kinda studious like that.
I love this girls dress too.

The School At The Turrets

As the nights start to draw in, it's a enjoyable idea to read a book about an hour before bed time several chapters per night and this is one I read recently.

 I've had this actual childhood being published in nineteen seventy-one by Armada in Great Britain and my copy is a little worn around the spine although the pages haven't started to fall out.
It's a ghost story with a twist being set at a girls boarding school where Ida sees something that almost causes her heart to stop beating for her eyes are transfixed upon a tall figure in white with an outstretched hnad and a stoney stare in her eyes.
This, Ida thinks must be the the 'White Lady' who legend has it haunts the old part of the school turrets.
It's a gripping story.

Tidyness and the Middle

I am a Junior albeit at the top of the age range and in my original Junior days the view from the ground up of us was like this: Grey or White Socks either three-quarter or short with sensible lace up shoes although today slip ons are accepted more.
When we looked slovenly lacking pride in our appearance, we were told to 'Pull your socks up' quite sternly as our teachers an most parents had high standards for how we presented and conducted ourselves.

Walk with me

I was looking at some pictures I took recently and thought I'd share it with you.
Where we live there's this a inland waterway and while there's not much traffic on it now, there often is in the spring and summer.
Be that as it may, one thing I've always enjoyed doing is walking ever since being a child and I find walking in this area quite stimulating as you see a lot of wildlife both mammals and birds plus at this time of your you sure can appreciate the fall as you see it in the trees and vegetation near the locks such as this one.

It makes walking so much enjoyable.

Pinafore dresses

There are some aspects to being a 'Little Girl' you cannot leave behind in my experience.I can't get enough of pinafore style dresses and this one is favourite of mine. I used to wear a lot of them when I was younger and found them to really practical being able to easily mix and match to various tops I had - long or short sleeves - dependent on the time of year.
Also and crucially I find it helps in bringing my mind image of that pinafored little girl in all her boundless optimism   into a physical breathing reality even if the design as with this one is obviously more 'adult' lacking say the charcoal grey and box pleats of the standard little girl pinafore.

This is a bit more like it, mid teen look with deep pleats but with suitable black  tights on very much me but I'd have brogues or loafers rather than those shoes.
Strangely enough I was 'put into tight's' around that age by Mommy (she had so many contridictions!) so if I was being a mid teen in role play I might well opt for tights.

Jennings Follows a Clue

The second story in this series came out in 1951 where Jennings feels inspired to take up the career as a detective with Darbishire as his assistant, trouble needless to say is just around the corner.

The twosome first of all detect the lights being on in the sanitarium when nobody is supposed to be in there which is the catalyst for them investigating it and the laundry room before noticing the school sports cups, to which competitions are due have disappeared!
They see a main of whom they believe to be a piano tuner leave the building with them and follow him, breaking school rules into the village going into a silvermith and jewellers oblivious to this being his occupation and that he was to engrave them for the school by permission!
In the meantime all this detective stuff is becoming something of a distraction  not just to Jennings and Darbishire but within their form leading to a number of mishaps not least being caught having defaced a textbook and not paying proper attention in class which results as did for many of our generation in a lecture and a caning from the Head.
While exploring the sanitarium they get caught by a mysterious person who locks them in a room and after escaping, investigate laundry as they lose a clue to only end up being driven  away as the school sports is taking place. In the end they found out who really stole the cups in time for presenting them.
It's a hilarious account of schoolboy life that could only exist pre internet and cellphone.
My edition my edition is the 1967 Collins hardback which keeps this dust jacket.

What Jo needs - a caning

In the last two posts I spoke about my experience of school PE and that the teachers we had for that were not excused from spanking us changing, during and and changing back into our uniforms.
I also spoke about the knickers you wore for gym and how knickers play a part in school rituals including those connected with spanking but while this isn't a blog about it, I shall talk about what I am needing to happen.

 Not to put too fine a point on it I do feel there are times when caning me is more than justified not so much just not doing things but more when I persist in talking all over your fairly mild rebuke for some behaviour or attitude I'm displaying or when you've told me numerous times to do it and I just refuse to.
In that situation those gym knickers figure but to make the caning more memorable you go a bit further than you normally would and you pull them down which feels like you've been deflated from your ego as you have me get and hold that cane.

 It need not be done to excess but if you scarcely feel it, not getting the rush through your system as it lands and sears you've failed and her reaction to it would be mine -and why it works.

 People sometimes argue around "Cornertime", to me it's a moment to reflect upon your behaviour and to made to endure a little more embarrassment with you knickers still down as your well caned bottom is displayed and you focus on it and why you got it.
It needs to last with for a while so you do learn from it.

Tag and Kiss Chase

This was a game I sure remember playing as a kid and no doubt if were socially possible to today I would gladly. The game involves one or more of you chasing other players with the aim of touching them generally with your hands.
Two or more players decide who is going to be 'it' using a counting out game such as Enny Meany, miny, moe and the one designated 'it' then chases the others attempting to get close enough to tag them - a touch of their hand - that makes that person 'it' and so it continues usually to the end of recess at schools.
In some forms it's deemed if you are on or touching a safe are then you can't be tagged cos it's off limits.

There was a form of it I well remember well from primary school 'cos we played it all the time called Kiss Chase.
The main difference is the tag is done by kissing rather than a touch of the hand and typically all of us of one gender are 'it' at the same time and chase the others of the opposite gender until everyone is caught at which point the team that was caught becomes it.
I really loved playing kiss chase between 8 and 11 years of age.

Knicker lore

Even your everyday lingerie isn't about you in school or at least wasn't in the schools I attended

They set out in the uniform policy the colour and brand you were wearing five days a week nothing remotely appealing to boys with very modest cuts and they too were subject to inspection so if you thought you were above the teachers, you'd be spanked for that too.

School PE

PE or Physical Exercise as distinct from   Games was a big part being a Junior where I did climb ropes, bars and do Gymnastics when I remembered to bring my PE kit to school and did continue to around 14 at my Senior School although by then study time was creeping in and the only real exercise was weekly swimming.
Being transgendered I longed to do this in the girls PE kit which included Gym Knickers and a short plain Games Skirt rather than shorts although today it's common t o see Junior girls wearing them and I do own a pleated traditional games skirt which if I could to to an age-play school I'd happily wear for doing PE in as in all honestly I could use the exercise!

Wombling Free!

Well none of us of a certain age can forget the Wombles, ecological warriors and cute cuddly creatures from the 1970's and as a child i look forward to watching every episode.

Here's a link to the online Museum:

Tidy Bag - The Online Wombles Museum

This also has links to various currently available merchandise.
There is a lovely two DVD box set in recycled cardboard featuring all 60 original episodes in order which I recently purchased.

Wheat from chaff

Facing up to your responsibility as a parent  may be difficult but having to discipline us may mean you see where you're insufficiently grown up yourself because you can't see why you need to raise a child and have that Adult sense of responsibility to it and not be it's best friend.

 This was a conversation I never had with either of my parents and I hate to say it, you can tell by how I relate to people apart from my attitudes and behaviour as I tend to think you're totally onside with me no matter what or you really hate me cos you're not letting me do what I feel like.
Childish I know, getting me into trouble I can't seem to stop this immaturity by myself. (sighs)

School Uniformed Life

This kind of uniform with blazer over blouse tie and skirt was very much a part of my own experience as a child because this was what girls generally wore to school. You cannot help but notice it just doesn't compliment their appearances but it looks very smart as well as defining you a school girl.
If you were in the 5th form (14 1/2  thru 15) or above you could wear tights usually a plain colour such as tan, blue, black or grey instead of knee socks

Of course any part of being a school child included shared interests of which a big one is comics and for me it was the British Comic, the Beano with it's adventures that we shared especially in my boarding school.
Recently it has been celebrating its 70th anniversary with a special soft back magazine edition that I bought back in July and this exhibition.

Teddy bears picnic

While it's still warm despite being the onset of Autumn term, one thing I'd love is to do a teddy bears picnic but one that at least allows for adult but child people like me to attend and just play or one especially just for us.
It would be oh so relaxing I feel.

Sports and middle me

Actually while I'm hardly the most co-ordinated person on the planet, I did love playing sports, mainly traditional girls sports like Netball, Hockey and Rounders and in an age play context would love to play them with similar minded 'girls' even in improvised forms just for the fun of playing together.
I'm less about intellectualizing stuff like what this whole age-play thing in me is so much as just going out there and doing it anyway. The exercise may do me good too!

Nancy at Saint Brides

This month I am going to write a bit about a book which taps into part of me but was even when I was growing up was seen as part of a series that were more in the past more what we'd be handed down or bought second hand.

This copy is the 2002 Girls Gone By paperback reprint.

 Nancy at St. Brides was written eight years on and after the second in this series (That boarding school girl) but in a lot of ways the first proper book in that this is where the main character Nancy makes here appearance as a relatively unschooled 14 year old dispatched to St.Brides  with instructions to be kept an eye on being very ahem spirited which soon shows in the dares she was only too willing to perform and caught out by the Sixth form prefects.
You could say she was impressionable which I was too at this age and this is the the story of her first unhappy term as she gets to grips with school structures, rules and consequences.
Nancy's problems were less the stuff of theft, insubordination, refusal to apply ones self or bullying  but more about what can be seen as maturity or rather the  lack of age appropriate maturity at least in part because she was never really 'schooled' so failed to see how her impulsive reckless side so resulted in one child almost drowning and another catching a serious cold.
For Nancy this lead to the matter of her being 'asked' not because  to return not formally expelled by Head Mistress Miss Cawdwell because she feels Nancy lacks the maturity a girl at boarding school needs. It also leaves the door open for her to return with a clean slate made easier for Nancy making a attempt in her last three weeks to do some good such as doing well in the swimming competition.
It's an enjoyable read not just for her spirit but also how working at channelling her interests starts to pay off.

Down at the excercise yard

Continuing in an oblique way at where discipline came in, the one other option outside of your home was school and for many of us a frequent flash point was PT which had its own part of the uniform and rules were enforced b the PT or Games Mistress

One common rule was we wore gym knickers for exercise in, taking off our regular ones because it was healthier and no shorts.

For a very long time the rule for boys was similar except they were to wear their cotton shorts without any underpants which given the muddy games they played made sense. Anyone who didn't got slippered and that jolly well stung!.
You also HAD to shower afterwards and reapply your regular uniform, often subject to inspection and yet more opportunity to administer swats to your behind.

Jennings Goes To School

It's getting toward the end of August and almost by magic my mind starts slipping back to what this time in the past meant for me.

Part of it meant getting ones equipment and uniform ready to return to school with a  mad dash to the stores and this leads really on to this which I do so miss all of that and one of things I did was read books.
Anthony Buckerridge's creation Jennings and his side kick, Darbishire was the only boys series I read as to a very large extent I read stories about and for girls but what I liked about the series was they did feature memorable characters in situations I could relate to.
This was the first published story although Jennings was inflicted on the Britishers in nineteen forty-eight  on the BBC Children's Hour program, garnering a following.

In the first story we are introduced to the two new boys of Linbury Court School for boys, Jennings and Darbishire, their initial meeting with Mr. Carter just seeing a very average boy in his suit and short pants but it is not long before her realizes his well meant but impetuous nature coupled with an overdeveloped sense of initiative soon leads trouble dispite his more erudite mild mannered companion  attempts at moderating him as they both start to learn the ropes  in their first term.
My copy is a nineteen sixty-two Collins hardback where I'm sure the one I had at school would of been  from the mid seventies edition.

Missed opportunities

One thing I had always wanted to do as a child was to be in scouting because in my muddled up way I had long felt I 'needed' to belong to something and to be be subject to the rules of some group to help me as inarticulate as I was and being in a Brownies or Guilds pack would I feel of helped in my life not least for dealing with my isolation never mind discipline.
Strangely my siblings did join cubs and scouts but my folks never got me into something that was potentially very good for me.
If there was a Guides for Adult but Child like people like me I'd would love to join even now.

Vacationing middle

This time of year is one where my sense of middleness is at it's strongest as I recall the long summer vacations and great anticipation of the family seaside vacation where I'd play most days for hours on the beach only interrupted  by going into cafes and seaside shops for toys and summer comic special editions.
For me even now, my vacations are similar lacking the 'adult' sophistication in many ways a recreation of those from my childhood being a self created 'age-play' situation I feel most comfortable in.

Alice Rose

Here's Alice Rose in red and yellow livery. Notice the floral decor.

Caught just after the passengers had disembarked to stock up on food and other provisions.

Learning Jo

The Dorm as a blog does look at various aspects of being me and from that my life that do not necessarily fit into other blogs no least that because of a changing world and some past issues around studying I am having to learn things anew.

One area is around the use of computers as all I had connected with with some rudimentary typing instruction in my teens and later on studying for my R.S.A 1 in typing skills and Word Processing as I worked in a clerical capacity and needed to type quickly and accurately and typing technology was evolving from electric and electronic typewriters with limited in-line correction to Word Processors that allowed for easier correction and functions like personalizing standard letters, advanced tabulation integrating this with preparing envelope labels and so on.
I later had to learn about emailing, using office suites as we'd moved away from Word-Processors to using personal computers with software like office suites for correspondence and using websites to look up information.
Of course it wasn't long before I discovered the dangers of emails sent in hast, completely misreading messages and earning the odd threat of a spanking!

Rag Dolls

I enjoyed playing with other girls dolls a lot and there was a series that I particularly liked during the 80's.

 This is Heather Hollie

 And here's Hollie Hobbie
I like their simple rustic style and the pretty dresses they wore.

Junior vs Senior

I do have what is usually described as being an Inner Child although in my case it has more to do with an enduring being a child because my disabilities mean that from an developmental angle I cannot be an adult.
When it comes to presentation for me it could easily swing one of two ways because my natural limits are on the cusp of junior and senior school age and parts are most definitely in junior even if some interests are that bit more senior.

 

That's really more a UK Senior state school type uniform  which is blouse and skirt, blazer over the top and may just as well be worn with plain grey tights as traditional black, grey or white knee length socks on a 13ish girl.

 

This is a more Junior  or junior part of a 5-11+ Primary school uniform with pinafored Tunic (UK speak: Gymslip), cardigan and more modern polo shirt both with the school logo where others might have a actual blouse short or long sleeved.

It would be worn with grey woollen tights or traditional long socks.

I come down to more junior simply because I feel that is more where my head for good or ill has been left and feels happiest in given I need as much oversight as nine and ten year olds.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

I recently brought this anime for my collection

The high-flying journey begins when Pazu, an engineer's apprentice, finds a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, wearing a glowing pendant. Together, they discover both of them  are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, vowing to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around her neck. Their quest it has to be said will not be easy, however for there are sky pirates, secret agents and monumental obstacles stopping them from discovering the truth - and each other. However, Laputa is more than it appears, and some seek to use it for evil.
Director Hayao Miyazaki's love of air travel shows thropugh this anime that I greatly enjoyed.

Edited 2017 from dvd to blu ray edition by Miss J Chan.

What is age

How many people realize there is a difference in the mental ages of differing aspects of themselves and their full chronological age?
For instance some parts of a individual may remain at a Teen or 'tweenie' level and yet they many in other fields function very much as mature adults holding down responsible jobs.
As a Teen I could talk about many grown up matters like Politics and still love to collect plush toys following the Care Bears!
I believe there is a spectrum along this from people who are much older than their years to those who go more toward the so-called Adult Baby field. Without criticizing how they live their lives, it seems to me that those at each extreme risk difficulties in sustaining relationships with their peers

Vacation!

Having returned from my vacation, I thought I'd share some pictures of Conway harbour, North Wales, with you all taken on Olympus OM10 film SLR.

The weather forecast was grim - strong winds and heavy showers - but actually it was really sunny and only on the Wednesday was there a one hour shower mid afternoon.It was as well I had my waterproof jacket with me I guess.
This first picture was taken using the Zuiko 50mm lens with polarizer. 

Conway Harbour Aquarium. Taken with Zuiko 35mm lens

Taken with Tamron 90mm

You can take a cruise along the River Conway. Taken with Zuiko 135mm lens

Here are a few more pictures I took of Llandudno where I stayed

Some more vacation pictures - Llandudno sea front showing the War Memorial - done using a cheap digital camera.

Llandudno beach looking toward the Pier and Grand Hotel.
Whenever I go away I always  pack my swimsuit as I love either sitting around or playing on the beach making sand castles and the like armed with a bucket and spade. Being the child I am my school girl attire is always packed when I go away as well as such essentials as camera, sun cream and nivea cream in case I get burnt or cut myself.

I went on the Great Orme so here are a few pictures I took on film

 A restful scene with the hardy Sheep grazing

The original of this was over exposed but I corrected the exposure in Roxio Photosuite

Pictures taken with Olympus Zuiko 35, 50 and 135mm lenses on Olympus OM10 camera using Fuji Superia 200 colour print film.