Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi

Kaoru Touno's family is falling apart. After the death of a sibling and his parents' divorce, he no longer feels any peace at home. Following a heated confrontation with his father, Kaoru runs out of his house and finds himself before a mysterious tunnel, which pulls him in. Bewildered by what he sees inside, he rushes to the exit, picking up a bird that looks identical to his deceased pet on his way out.

Upon emerging outside, Kaoru realizes that, despite him spending just a few minutes inside the tunnel, an entire week has passed. The bizarre experience leads him to remember the rumors of "Urashima Tunnel"—a passage that grants wishes in exchange for one's lifespan. Given the resurrection of his pet bird, Kaoru cannot help but wonder if another visit can help fix his messed up life.

However, when he returns to the entrance of the mysterious tunnel, Kaoru realizes that he has been followed by Anzu Hanashiro, a new transfer student in his class. She also knows about the rumors and asks him to help her with an experiment—it turns out that she, too, has a wish that only the tunnel can grant.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hanashiro, Anzu Main

Iitoyo, Marie Japanese

Touno, Kaoru Main

Suzuka, Ouji Japanese

Touno, Karen Supporting

Kobayashi, Seiran Japanese

Kawasaki, Koharu Supporting

Komiya, Arisa Japanese

Kaoru's Stepmother Supporting

Kaoru's Father Supporting

Koyama, Rikiya Japanese

Kaga, Shouhei Supporting

Hatanaka, Tasuku Japanese

Professor Hamamoto Supporting

Terui, Haruka Japanese

Sasaki, Reiko Producer

Matsuo, Ryouichirou Producer

Shikama, Taisuke Producer

Kudou, Masayo Producer

Reviews

Dec 23, 2025

Trippersnipper7

Recommended

Good watch. Looking back at it, the cast was very small and the concept was very simple however it was executed fairly well. The visuals and animation were great, as they are in most anime movies.

The movie felt a little bit lackluster at times towards the end because I felt the characters weren't reacting as emotional as they should when something would happen that would warrant a fairly strong reaction. This was not the case for most scenes though as I did end up tearing up a few times.

The biggest gripe i would have is that the ending felt fairly quick and wasn't as ... emotional of a reunion they could've had.

Although in a world full of trash anime this anime without a doubt stands on its feet. Definitely worth a watch.

Favourite scene: Female lead sitting at the bus stop at the end.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jan 2, 2025

FernLeafTree

Mixed Feelings

Its just alright really. The Tunnel to Summer has such a melancholic and angsty vibe its almost hard to take seriously in parts. Most of the characters are void of personality and any kind of interesting traits. It seems as though Taguchi aimed to create almost an entirely bleak atmosphere throughout the duration. This does contrast well with the scenes in the Tunnel which are stunningly beautiful. My main problem with this movie is how cliche and generic the main characters plot line is leaving him a very uncompelling and boring presence. It's abundantly clear that this was written to tell Anzu's story and it ... doesn't even try to hide that. Anzu's story was clearly the highlight, reminding me somewhat of John Keats in his actual life. Conversations over artistic insecurity and legacy are easily the standout philosophical elements of the movie, most of the rest is just B-grade teenage angst. Overall nothing special at all, little to remember this by save a few scenes. I will say that the scene of the two mains in the bedroom is very good and the highlight of the show in every way possible, a series of truly beautiful sequences that leaves me wanting so much more that the final third is totally unable to capture. Overall just an okay movie, nothing overly offensive and little unique worth a watch simply for its short runtime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Feb 15, 2025

TheAlchemist_117

Not Recommended

Amazing and very creative plot, but in my opinion read the light novel instead

The movie feels really rushed and somewhat incomplete, and there were very annoying potholes in the end and the ending wasn't well written, as a standalone it is worth watching, but it is better in my opinion to read the light novel instead if you don't despise reading. You will be missing out on the great soundtrack and animation, but the lacking plot in the movie makes the choice clear in my opinion, read the light novel.

However the movie is still good, but again, I couldn't ... tell you to favor watching the movie over reading the light novel if you enjoy reading.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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	Poll: Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Jutin123 - Sep 9, 2022	192 replies	by meqertt »» Feb 4, 8:17 AM
	Damn, it's BAD Ryn_On - Nov 16, 2023	29 replies	by Romax24245 »» Nov 29, 2025 12:12 PM
	How can you make an adaptation as bad as this? eleven_exists - Sep 23, 2024	25 replies	by eleven_exists »» Aug 30, 2025 1:01 PM
	Small Mistake About Their First Name & Surname MichLoverz - Nov 21, 2023	14 replies	by MH93 »» Aug 26, 2025 3:05 PM
	(SPOILER) Why didn't Anzu... hainq - Jul 27, 2023	24 replies	by OP_Rider »» Jun 2, 2025 7:58 AM