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After watching this movie and the liveaction movie sequel, I actually think the same. Firstly because we never got to know:
- Why Chiaki wanted to see Makoto´s aunt painting so badly?
- Why Kazuo, in the aunt´s picture looks so similar to Chiaki?

I didnt read the prequel but I watched the sequel, so here´s my thoughts. In the sequel (which there is a manga too), the protagonist is the daughter of Kazuko, which means she is Makoto´s cousin, and she travels to meet her mother´s beloved, Kazuo. He is a time traveller, and by the time he was erasing Kazuko´s memories, he promised to her he would return to see her again BUT NOT as the same person she knew. (Aka, hinting that he would come with another name or age). She told him that even if her mind forgot, her heart would remember that promise. So it really makes me think that if Kazuo is not Chiaki, then at least must surely be someone blood related to him.

How have you been, Orulyon?

It's been a long time since we chatted on the forums, since the Penguindrum days XD

In regards to the Makoto=Majou theory, here's another problem:

-Majou didn't paint the painting, she just restored it, so I doubt in whatever reference Chiaki checked it will be mentioned by whom it was restored.

-When Chiaki talked about the painting, he only showed interest in the time period/theme/circumstances in which the painting was drawn and what it depicted. Not in whom it was painted or restored by.

-If Majou was indeed someone dear from Chiaki's past, wouldn't he have shown any desire in meeting her? On the contrary, there was no scene of them talking to each other or about each other to Makoto. There was not even a scene of them saying goodbye to each other towards the end.

The theory about Chiaki being related to the time traveller from the prequel is interesting, though.

Hey Raven!Glad to see you again;D
Well now that you mention it i guess you´re right (ive watched this movie years ago, but came to this thread because i recently watched the live action sequel, lol).

All you said makes perfect sense.
Still, Im almost sure Chiaki is really related to Kazuo since their physical resemblence is very similar and plus, even though might seem random but the manga of this movie made stay even more confuse:
It starts with Makoto having a dream about going to the lab and she accidentally sees her "aunt" and Kazuo, and thinks "I have to go...to the future" (and this was before she time leaped for the first time, this to me suggests several time paradoxes), also in the same scene, she hears their promise that Kazuo will come back.
She sees Kazuo disappearing/she doesnt see his face though) and her own young aunt fainting (we know that is the scene that Kazuo erased her memories and went back to the somewhere else) and she wonders while looking at the girl "Is this girl...me?". After that when Makoto next day goes to the lab, then she finds Chiaki´s device and all starts. I dont think Majo is Makoto, but it is incredible how Majo has a more active role in the manga and her quotes always seem to hint something. She told to Makoto "your feelings will change" regarding to Makoto´s feelings of friendship for Chiaki which would soon turn in to love. She seemed sure about it.
Also in the manga while restoring the painting, Makoto´s aunt says "It wont be long now...soon ill be able to see you". Then at the end she says to Makoto that the reason why she became a painting restorer was to " her feelings to convey a message to the future" since she had to part from someone very important to her" and quoting her words "If i took up this job, even if we never see each other again, I´d be able to tell him...dont worry im fine, dont worry about me"
at the very end she appears looking at her restored painting and she has a number in her arm which is revealed to be a timeleap she kept since young.

Now we know that Chiaki desperately wanted to see the painting because according to his words" we would be able to live on", could it be that Chiaki came from a time where there was a war or something? anyway *goes in to super huge rant mode filled with crazy theories*: Makoto says to Chiaki in the manga "If i throw myself in to doing something for you, will your future take a bettern turn? Then ill work really hard, i dunno what i have to do yet but ill put in every last bit of my effort in it so that i can deliver this world in your hands". -----wait...isnt this what her aunt was doing with the painting (aka "this world")? XD

I cant help but understanding why so many people think Majo is Makoto and Chiaki, is Kazuo. Its reallyyyy confusing. And then Chiaki´s epic words "Ill wait for you in the future". AKA "ill wait for your future self". Also i heard in the book is mentioned that Kazuo had the power not justo to time travel, or erase memories but to create fake memories as well. All time travellers have that, it seems. Chiaki unlike Kazuo who erased Kazuko´s memories, chooses to say instead before he disappears "dont forget me". Which somehow can be taken as a hint, if we consider that Chiaki already knew a similar situation (aka, he might knew about Kazuko x Kazuo).

I have so many questions...I mean... Majo obviously had the power to timeleap, but she choose to stay in her time...right?
Also weird that she touched Makoto´s arm and pufff, a timeleap appeared in her arm right before the ending.
Also this, Chiaki´s speech is clearly confusing. What reaction is that? what did he mean by that?

Which always makes me assume that if Chiaki is not Kazuo, then he is strongly related to him.

Darn what a huge speech. sorry. Anyway, my conclusion: I dont have any idea if Kazuko is Makoto or if Kazuo is Chiaki, or if just simply the last, OR the most probable one: Chiaki is related to Kazuo.

Wow, the manga looks interesting. I usually avoid manga based on anime, but this one has an interesting plot that adds to the movie. I also want to read the prequel novel, but my Japanese isn't that great without furigana to guide me along the pages :(

I think that the movie might be making parallels with Majou and Makoto's situation, seeing as Majou had also met someone from the future, and was advising Makoto not to do this and that based on her own experience. Chiaki's line at the end might be only paying homage to something that Kazuo said in the novel, but who know's?