Summer Ghost

First of all this is not a movie for everyone, The story requires a lot of interpretation with so little time because the movie's pace is really fast so pay attention!

With that being said, in 45 minutes they've done a pretty good job telling a story. If they got like 70+ minutes to tell more about backstory of each character even more, I believe this movie could be much more emotional.

Artstyle is great, although the animation seem rough, the lighting and color tone are make up for it. Which help a lot to understand the character's view of the world.

Soundtrack is also great. It fit ... pretty well with the story, which make the story even more emotional by the end.

Overall, 9/10: for a short movie, It's really great, and I suggest you give it a try. The only thing holding it back is the pacing. It feels like they want to tell more, but they don't have much time.

Summer Ghost is a short but quite complicated movie to watch. Everyone has their own share of problems. A person can look completely fine and satisfied on the outside, but we never know what's hiding behind that smile and laughter. However, no problem is worth more than the life you have been given. That is message I got from watching this movie.

The art of the movie is very pretty. I like the designs of the characters and the way they are drawn. The color is bright but not vibrant; it has that 'dull' tone going on. The animation is choppy most of the time, ... but decent enough and it doesn't ruin the movie.

Characters are, arguably, simple. Because the movie is only 40 minutes long, we don't get to explore what had happened to them prior to the events of the movie. The characters themselves don't know what's going on in their friends' lives. They are a group of people made out of 1 goal in common: to find Summer Ghost. That's as far as how their relationship goes. That's kind of the point of the movie: there's more going on behind the scene.

The stunning visuals and transitions and effects and sounds that accompanied this movie really make this movie very much enjoyable to watch. I hope more people will check this movie out because it really deserves more attention.

Do your best and keep on living.

I really like the art the sound everything here but I just wished that it was longer though the pacing was a lil too fast but it was worth the watch I really like the story because the mc is having the same problem as I do right now and it impacted me by how his action goes and well and animation is decent or I could say pretty good but I hope to see more of your work in the future
Keep up the good work and in the near future I hope to see how better your animation and movies or animation ... would be
I hope to see your new work soon 🙏

So...this kind of came out of nowhere. Well, not necessarily, as this indie short film, Summer Ghost, was actually announced in February last year, though without much fanfare. It only just now dropped, and GKids announced they're putting it out on DVD and Blu-Ray with an English dub. This is actually the directorial debut of one loundraw, who is primarily known for character design and doing illustration work for light novels. They did the cover art for the light novel I Want To Eat Your Pancreas and the character designs for Tsuki ga Kirei. But I had forgotten about it until it just dropped out ... of nowhere and GKids announced it. I was even further thrown off by the fact that Summer Ghost is only under 40 minutes long. But I had some time to kill and decided to watch it. Now that I have, what do I think? It's...pretty nice, and fairly polished for the creator's first real break into producing their own anime.

Summer Ghost centers on three high schoolers: Tomoya Sugisaki, Aoi Harukawa, and Ryou Kobayashi, who are all very different from one another and are going through their own struggles. Tomoya's controlling mother disapproves of his desire to paint and wants him to focus only on his studies. Aoi is being bullied at school, and attempted suicide once, and Ryou found out he doesn't have much longer to live. But all of them have one thing in common: They're interested in meeting the supposed summer ghost, said to be the ghost of a woman who committed suicide. After spending some time lighting fireworks, they manage to meet said summer ghost—a red haired woman named Ayane Satou. Mission fulfilled, Aoi and Ryou go back to their lives, but Tomoya begins seeing her alone, and after learning more about her, he, Aoi, and Ryou find themselves looking into just what happened to Ayane to make her like this, sorting through their own issues in the process.

In case the premise didn't clue you in, the story is pretty heavy on themes such as death, living life to the fullest, and taking control of your future. It almost reminds me of AnoHana, but with the main trio not having known Ayane or each other before this. Since the film is only 40 or so minutes long, it really needs to make use of its time in order to tell the story it needs to, without dragging its feet or focusing on anything that's not its main subject. Thankfully, I think Summer Ghost succeeded with this one. It knows what kind of story it is and what it wants to be, and sees it through to the end, remaining consistent throughout its run. The animation is quite good, especially considering this is done by a new independent studio. The character designs remind me of Makoto Shinkai's Voices of a Distant Star, only more refined and less jagged, but still maintaining an angular look about them. The backgrounds are beautiful as well, and I love how a lot of the short consists of Tomoya seeing bird's eye views of his hometown and other places he travels to with Ayane's help. I don't have as much to say about the soundtrack, but it does its job.

That being said, I'm sort of mixed on the characters. I mean, I like them just fine, and their problems are relatable, but their development is woefully predictable, and you can see the directions in which they grow from a mile away, even without the summer ghost mystery. The characters are pretty down-to-earth though, and I did like Ayane's arc, though I found Tomoya's a little too overly angsty for my liking. I do appreciate that they didn't try to drag out his angst for too long, though. It does help that the pacing is fast, but not so fast that you can't keep up with what's going on. Being a 40-minute movie, it doesn't have the luxury of taking its time to flesh out its story and characters, so it really needs to deliver right from the start. Thankfully, Summer Ghost made great use of its time, delivering on all of its plot points and characters even to the end, even if it left some questions unresolved, like specifically what illness Ryou is afflicted with. Oh, and for anyone wondering, there's no romance or gross fanservice.

For anyone wanting something with a bit more action and less mysticism and slice-of-life, this isn't the movie for you. Summer Ghost isn't necessarily breaking any new ground, but I think it's a nice little movie for anyone who wants to kill 40 minutes of their time. Considering how Makoto Shinkai also got his start in making indie movies before moving on to more official productions, I hope Summer Ghost will give loundraw the opportunity to do more things and make bigger movies, or whatever else they want to do in the anime industry. I'm also going to eagerly await the eventual DVD/BD release from GKids because I like this enough that I want to own it and show it to family and friends.

I will never cease to be amazed at how much art pervades Japanese animation. I've been looking for this movie for a long time, and now I've finally seen it. I was fascinated by the trailer. The music, the voice of the protagonist, the drawings, the colors. Everything seemed to anticipate a small masterpiece. And so it was. The artistic work behind this short film is outstanding. The designs are truly beautiful, the landscapes and colors mixed with an overwhelming soundtrack make the audiovisual experience satisfying. But what really matters is the story. It is certainly not the first time that an anime talks about ... death, a very frequent theme especially in films. I think of "Colorful", "Spirited Away", "Children who chase lost voices", "The shape of the voice". However, in a short time loundraw managed to tell a perfect parable of the anxiety of living of the new generations. is it better to live an uncomfortable life, or to die knowing that you have done your best? maybe sometimes it is enough just to find a purpose. the strength to stand up and respond to problems. to throw the clothes out of the closet to find the lost canvas. to open an umbrella to protect yourself from bullies. to look for a lost suitcase even if you are aware that what you will find something unpleasant, but you do it anyway because this means living. and this means feeling alive. chapeu loundraw , now i'm waiting for a real movie.

Overrated.

The characters are mostly generic archetypes who lack dimensionality. The ways in which the three main characters are close to death are standard cliches, which end pretty much as one would expect them to. This made the second half of the movie very predictable. In its short run time, the movie relies overly on flashbacks in order to communicate the emotional weight of the characters' situations, although thankfully it at least has the sense to put these early on in the movie. Despite these negatives, the tropes this movie chooses to employ are at least rather compelling in their own right, making the story ... a bit more enjoyable.

The art in this movie is generally nice, although it mostly doesn't stand out. There are a few points in the movie where the shot directing stood out for me, such as the use of text messages and a 3 way split screen to show the characters communicating and some of the more funny shots of 2 characters exploring an art gallery and posing in silly positions.

A good movie, makes the audience feel like they've journeyed with the characters. No good movie is too long and, no bad movie is short enough. If it's a good movie, the sound could go off and, the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.

I think I just started rambling there anyways, Summer Ghost is something i like to call "different" and "unique" compared to other anime movies. First of all, many people might of not enjoyed the movie (as much as i did) because, it's only short and, it seemed like they just needed more time to fully ... complete it (aka felt rushed.) Which i don't mind if you think that but, i would say i'm the opposite of all that.

To me, Summer Ghost has been beautifully adapted from Loundraw's manga and did well in every aspect such as, the characters, story and, art.

Story - Was pretty good and i can say i wasn't expecting some of "those" moments to happen.

Art - Normally i don't really enjoy art styles like Kill la Kill or Devilman Crybaby. But, this has opened a new door for me and, the art looks stunning in every scene and, you can really tell that flat studio has really took there time with this.

Sound - Was just overall good and, pleasing to listen too.

Characters - For the little amount of characters there is, each one has an entirely new view of the world and they all have different and interesting personality's

To conclude, i highly recommend you to sit down and take some time to watch this an outstanding, one of a kind, masterpiece of a movie.

What is the purpose of my life? What should I do of my remaining days? Would I be better off dead?

These are the questions the characters of Summer Ghost ask themselves. In this movie, three high schoolers, meet offline for the first time, in order to investigate a rumour about a ghost on an abandoned air strip. Their trip is a success. They meet the ghost of a girl their age and ask her questions about her current “life”. One of the trio gets relatively close to her afterwards and wants to help her move on. The story is mainly about how people should cherish ... life, accept hurdles and find their own path. This is quite cliché, but effective in this context, while facing a real ghost.

Due to the movie's duration, the characters are barely developed. However, each one, ghost included, has their core well defined. They have their own troubles and questionings, about life and death, based on past and current events.

A recommended short story which may have deserved a longer movie or a series. There are a manga and a novel, part of the same projects, so maybe check them out if interested.

"My time to die has come, it's in the past, but yours remains in the future"
Summer Ghost is another movie, and another gem I had the chance to find and witness.
The story is nothing of an irregular note, a group of teenagers fighting with problems in their life from a young age like bullying, reduced self-esteem, and so on.
The story axes on a group of 3 high school teenagers who met on the internet with a common purpose, to meet the "Summer Ghost".
According to the articles written in the newspapers, the ghost will appear only in those people's faces who light a firework.
They buy some ... fireworks from a local shop and procced walking to an abandoned airport that got closed. Sitting on the tarmac, they are continuously trying to light up fireworks in order for the ghost to appear.
In the end, the ghost of a girl named Ayane makes its appearance, and it's only from there from where you'll find out that this anime is not only "a hidden gem".
Adding on top of that, the anime shares visuals, sounds, and a similar art that can be compared to those of Makoto Shinkai's films.
While the characters may be built on a base with not a so rare plot, they all share very interesting traits of personalities, some of which I really like.
I haven't rated an anime a 10 in a long long time, and I truly feel that Summer Ghost really deserves it, mainly because it gave me that "special".

Summer Ghost was one of the shows that have exceeded my expectations.I have watched a few films and I would definitely add this to one of my most enjoyed films. The story was beautifully told and what made me like this film was the music that matched the scenes throughout the film. I would rewatch every scene twice or thrice to enjoy the film further. After watching this film I would listen to the music over and over again because it makes me feel at ease and calm. This film made me remember how beautiful story telling is when paired with the right tone and ... tracks. I would recommend this to any new fans of anime.

That was a good 40 minutes movie. Though I felt like it could've been better if it was longer. Like, a good 1 hour and 30 minutes is probably the best runtime for this in order to flesh out the characters' backstories, motivations, and adding more depth to them.
Cause as it stands for now, characters just happen to be that kind of characters for the story to function. Like, the girl was just getting bullied just because. Or the other guy is [spoiler] just because. There isn't really a "why?" on the things that are happening. And that's a shame because if we had gotten ... a bit more reason as to why things are happening to those characters, we would have gotten more attached to them and felt the weight of their circumstances.

Well, moving on cause I don't wanna spoil anymore. The animation was pretty good. It was as expected for a movie anime. It's smooth, fluid, and pretty to look at.
The music was also pretty nice. The ost had a lot of weight, and most of the time, was carrying the emotional weights of the scenes. It's good.

Overall, I still enjoyed this movie and I'm sure a lot of new anime fans will get their heartstring tugged by this movie, but for us old gramps who have seen hundreds or thousands of anime out there, this movie will feel like it's missing something. But that's okay. Watch it for yourself to see if you'll like it or not. It's just a 40 minutes movie, akin to 2 episodes of anime.
(6.8/10)

I loved the art direction and the music at times. Everything looked and sounded nice.

But really, if you seen enough anime, you could probably tell that it must have been amateur hour for character writing, because the characters are BLAND. The delivery of what they were saying wasn't the problem (most of the time), I liked the natural neutral delivery (most of the time). It was the dialogue pace. When you would expect a dramatic/introspective pause, the characters would keep talking and what they would say was supposed to make you feel something. This disconnected me from feeling what the characters were feeling, and it ... was the main thing that basically ruined the film for me. Also because of the dialogue pace, the rather deadpan neutral vocal delivery that I previously mentioned I like would then make the characters bland overall once you notice it and continue to make me not care much for the film. It was also jarring for me because Shimazaki Nobunaga was there and I expected him to add the Shimazaki Nobunaga flare I remember from Fruits Basket....but if you didn't look at the cast you wouldn't have known he was there.

The art direction, music at times is what kept this movie from being genuinely bad. But really, this movie will help you know what poor character dialogue pace is like

The movie has only 45 minutes to show you the story and the background of each character, so you thrown into the action right away. In just a few scenes authors are able to show the characters stories and make them feel relatable. The artwork and music are full of summer and brings a pleasant nostalgic feeling.
On the other hand story is really swift and straight forward, it felt like there was strict time limit there. Despite the fact that you as a viewer are able to undestand the protagonists, they and their stories still feel superficial which ruins that melancholic vibe expected from ... the anime.
Regardless of the downsides mentioned above, it leaves that bittersweet aftertaste you probably came for, so in the end you would not be dissapointed.

This movie is essentially a piece of advice. a roughly 40 minute advice that tells you to keep living. That tells you that no matter how shitty life is and no matter how much you try to convince yourself that you've done enough you've gotta keep doing your best, You've gotta keep breaking your limits. At least live until you've lived a life you will never forget and never regret. No matter how nice and free the world of the dead may seem or sound to you. Maybe it isn't so worth it after all? A fast paced movie with no particular story structure, no ... normal pacing, and no awfully detailed animation like modern Anime today. Just a masterpiece in the disguise of an advice needed by many humans in this day and age.

Story: 6/10
One summer, the cast meet up and talk to a ghost. Biggest flaw of the show to me is that this was much too short of a movie. It did just enough in the amount of time it had but it could have been more emotional or fulfilling had it been longer like an hour and half. This story contains typical experiences that many may relate to and can hit for many. Each person is struggling with their own issues and they find the resolve to confront their own issues while helping a ghost along the way. My issue with the story is we ... do not know what made our cast meet each other. They just happened to arrive at a diner and introduce themselves. I was left wondering how they managed to connect with each other and that never really got answered.
The story was three teens confronting someone who has passed and confronting their own issues and moving past them. However, their conclusions mixed from unsatisfactory to decent. More development should have been given to Aoi to make her ending great. Instead, it felt like they reached the desired end without much buildup so it fell flat.
To sum it up, there were pacing issues and lack of buildup for certain events.

Characters: 6/10
We are given 4 characters. 3 of the 4 characters are facing their own issues. These issues are rather generic which means we have seen them throughout many mediums but many can relate to these experiences and empathize. One character has attempted suicide because of bullying, one is feeling dead inside and wonders what death may be like, and the last one only has months to live due to illness. Given how close to death they supposedly are, they are able to see the 4th character, Ayane Satou. However, despite these established rules, it didnt seem justified that someone feeling dead inside would be able to see a ghost.

Ayane is the guide for one of the characters, Tomoya. She helps guide him through his struggles and along the way, reveals her backstory. Similar to the other characters, its a rather generic trope but still manages to hit emotionally. As she has fun with Tomoya, he decides he wants to help her resolve her own issue.
Ryou and Aoi on the other hand seem to reach their conclusions rather quickly and it doesnt feel as satisfying. Ryou releases his pent up rage and reveals how he feels truly. However, I dont recall much from Aoi side of things.
These characters are able to confront their own issues and move forward. There isnt really an antagonistic individual in the movie but near the end they try to create one for Tomoya which just feels rushed with the pacing.
Personally, there were no memorable characters in the film. I thought I would be able to resonate with Tomoya however near the end I just felt disconnected with him. They all are given simple stories with them reaching their own conclusions but it never feels satisfying for some.
Art/Animation: 7/10
It had some nice shots of the cast members as well as some nice coloring of the fireworks and the surroundings. During the trip to the moms house, the memory sequence tied with the trip through the house was cool.
Sound: 5/10
It was present is all I can say. Nothing really enhanced my viewing experience. It was not bad but there wasnt any music that stood out to me and I thought the voicing was ok.
Enjoyment: 6/10
I thought this was a good film although short. Clearly it was trying to hit your feels given the characters situations which it accomplished but it was not something unique. Maybe cut a character or two or give double runtime for the movie and this could have been a great movie.

I don't usually write reviews for things that I watch but for some reason I felt compelled to write one for this. For the running time of this movie I believe it is good for what it is and is able to accomplish what it sets out to do.

The premise of the story is that those close to death are able to see the ghost of Ayane and therefore communicate with her. Here we are then presented with the juxtaposition of various deaths which interestingly includes the "death" of Tomoya's heart or personal identity. From living on borrowed time due to illness or taking ... your own life, to dying in a car accident, the movie really showcases that death can be at your doorstep whether or not you wished for it.

Visually, I found the contrast between the simply drawn characters and the more detailed backgrounds to be quite appealing and striking.

The soundtrack while not particularly special or groundbreaking, complimented quite nicely to the story and overall atmosphere of the movie.

Overall, it felt cathartic in the way the movie ended as fast as it had started and whilst I do wish some parts were more polished or given more time, I feel that is also part of the charm with this movie in that it is able to tell a convincing story within the time it's given.

Summer Ghost is a film that hit me like an unexpected slap to the face. It is graceful, beautifully told, beautifully edited, with a great score.
The story begins with three young people with their own problems meeting to go and check out if the so-called Summer Ghost is real and if they can see her. From then onwards, the 37 1/2 minutes long film (45 if you include the credits) grabs you and never lets you go. The main character Tomoya, and the others Ryu and Aoi are explored as unfortunate characters and how their relationship with the ghost and each other develops becomes ... the main topic.
What is so exceptional about this film is that it is doing a great job in terms of time management: you check if the film is nearing the end and you see that all the things that shocked, mesmerized you and that made you cry just took 3 minutes.
This is a gem of a film and even though it is not everyone's cup of tea (depressing, makes you cry, makes you think about life, asks difficult questions without in fact making it obvious it asks these questions), it is surely a masterpiece.

Animation is rough and choppy sometimes, but the art is good.

Story is decent. Three people struggling with life, but it just felt like one of those movies that just for the sake of emotion, they purposely make the story sad.

Movie's direction is not really that good but as it is loundraw's debut directorial movie so I think it is barely fair.

You can watch the movie in your free time as the movie is not anything special, it even felt bland in some parts but overall its a decent movie to watch.

Soundtrack is good, It perfectly matches the atmosphere of the movie. ...

Overall it's good movie 7/10.

[ TL/DR : good short movie about depressed teens finding the will to go on after meeting a ghost.]

Life is beautiful and yet sometimes it feels like a curse. Sometimes one fails to cope with the unfairness of this world and ends up giving up thinking perhaps death might be a better option than their accursed life. But sometimes maybe all it takes is to view life from a different angle and realise how it should be.

" Summer Ghost " is a story about 3 high school students who happened to meet through the Internet being curious about a summer ghost who is ... rumored to appear when fireworks are lit.

Our characters here are highschool school students and has the usual problems bullying, illness and career choice. Everyone has their fair share of struggles and are brought together by a common goal of finding the summer ghost in order to seek reason, necessity of existing. The Summer Ghost herself is an interesting character having a story to tell and having an influence in the life of our characters.

I liked how the characters interacted despite this being a 39 min movie. This movie was pretty simple and with a single goal and clear cut message which for a short movie is enough. The environment of this movie is amazing its sad yet calming which within a short period of time can immerse you within.

It reminded me of "Hotarubi no Mori e" which was another good short movie. Though they are totally different both of these movies gave me a soothing yet a bit depressing feel.

Worth my 40 mins.

The anime is decent at pretty much everything.

It is good, not to the point that it is remarkable, but it is good.

It is sad and satisfactory at the same time and brings the very same vibe as Shinkai Makoto's works. Sad but not depressing, very subtle. I like the fact that I won't get obsessed over the story, but the message of how beautiful life is that the anime carries will definitely linger in my mind for a while.

If anything I think this is a safe debut for Ioundraw as a director as the concept of the story ... isn't new at all so I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Highly recommend if you want a short ride of emotion.