Summer Ghost

Films nearing the half-hour mark seem like sort of a trend lately. Perhaps due to the declining attention span of viewers, gradually, the general standards for consumption cease to exist. They've always been around, yet recent advertising promises a more glamorous comprehensive experience. Whatever the case, the runtime doesn't have to be an issue, nor does it even need to be considered a facet of thought when handled in the right direction. Summer Ghost is bewildered, bound by a specific restraint on its cast and to what extent they're written if they're written at all. It's hard to imagine there was genuine effort behind the ... composition of their relative roles in the story, more precisely, the terribly dull dialogue and character beats in a scene. The trio represents various disillusioned selves, youth attached to a glorified future. Individually, each of them is a flimsy topic of emotional introspection, and together, every moment becomes a trivial reflection of hidden secrets. The script fails to incorporate necessary pauses, nor does it indicate hesitation in what's presented as a sensitive area of discussion. Loundraw manages the allotted time quite well, fitting his concept without the tension of haste, but maximizing the element of realization is admittedly a tougher task.

The designs are sharp, similar to his previous work, often exhibiting dreary eyes. Unfortunately, the animation isn't exactly up to par, most obviously frame skipping, especially noticeable when characters turn their head for a change in expression. Character acting is also excessively dull, hardly emphasizing the mood of a situation. Speaking of atmosphere, the cinematography is uniformly impressive, likely the only part of the trailer that remains consistent with the final product. It excels in lighting, background texture, shot selection, and aspects of dreamy visual direction transitioning between reality and the supernatural. Loundraw's first attempt at helming a feature is barely acceptable, unable to balance the rationality of decisions against the wide-angle gentle backdrops of scenery. Utilizing too much circumstantial reasoning to avoid the meaningless expiration of life. Summer Ghost is akin to an actual ghost, a bit transparent, evidently hollow.