I'll rate it here right now, a solid 8.5/10 for the anime because it's good. Simple as that! but contrary to the storyline the anime is kinda complex but easy to understand for viewers of all ages. Actually, I'm a bit optimistic by predicting the ending of the story but going through each minute of the anime it still doesn't make sense what this is all about. I was thinking majority of this would be romance or like this will be another "you can't alter the future" cliche but as each minute passed my predictions where a bit off. And what happened is that I ended up enjoying each of the scenes.
Though classified as sci-fi, you don't need to be a genius in watching the series. There's no freaking formula and overhyped gadgets that would complicate things. In fact the anime is very simple! The characters are also a joy to watch and the supporting characters and their personalities blended well! It's difficult to spot a flaw in the film because there's no major issue that would ruin your emotions in watching the film. Though one thing that I noticed is that compared to "Summer Wars" , another work by Mamoru Hosoda, it didn't fully stirred up my emotions. I was looking for scenes that would hold my breath or something that would widened up my chinky eyes. All I can say is that the anime is a joy to watch. Depending on how you viewed it, you'll extract a different kind of lesson in the anime. On my case, Chiaki's "Time waits for no one" striked hard on me! I think the case would be different from you. ^ ^
After more than an hour of watching the series, I felt motivated, What the Heck! it reminded me the joy of being a highschool student. The animation and the great detail of the work helped a lot. This is how most anime should be done! Great work for the staff and crew who made "The Girl who leapt Through Time" This will be one of the Timeless classic! Definitely one of the best anime movie out there!