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Romance has a place in Fantasia. Sure, we had to add a couple of extra genres including animation and time travel to make it a better fit, but honestly it only enhances the experience. That being said, besides a great comedy timing and fluid animation, this movie’s also a tearjerker so you need to give it a chance. At this point you know most of what you need to know.

The Girl Who Stole Time (2025) is directed by Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan whom wrote it with Shu Yicheng. Young and lively island girl Qian Xiao dreams of life in the big city, encouraged by the films projected by the old man who rescued her from the sea. In one fateful night, she accidentally stows away in a boat that ends up drowning in a terrible accident. By coincidence, she ends up in possession of the Time Dial, a magic item that can manipulate time. As she ends up in the big city, she runs into the criminal mob including the original retriever of the Dial, an assassin called Seventeen. As both Qian Xiao and Seventeen become targeted by both police and mob assassins, they form an uneasy alliance to survive.

This one is really a crowd pleaser. There’s no way that you are not immediately charmed by Qian Xiao’s happy-go-lucky attitude not to mention the amazing tricks she manages to pull as she learns how to use her powers. But the real seller is her friendship with the cool and collected Seventeen, who rarely seems to crack a smile until their relationship blossoms into something deeper. Now you might think where this is going, but the final act might pull a fast one on you.

Highly recommended for all audiences. Only the most jaded will be unable to crack a smile or shed a tear as the film carefully sets you up for a few surprises. Worth a watch.

That will do for now.