Summer Wars

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Alternative Titles

English: Summer Wars

Japanese: サマーウォーズ

Information

Type: Movie

Episodes: 1

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Aug 1, 2009

Producers: VAP, Yomiuri Telecasting, Kadokawa Shoten, Nippon Television Network

Licensors: Funimation, Warner Bros. Japan, GKIDS

Studios: Madhouse

Source: Original

Genres: Sci-Fi, Comedy

Duration: 1 hr. 54 min.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 8.08¹ (scored by 254,966 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #442²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #338

Members: 443,815

Favorites: 3,421

8.08

Ranked #442Popularity #338Members 443,815

MovieMadhouse

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Episodes: /1

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Synopsis

OZ, a virtual world connected to the internet, has become extremely popular worldwide as a spot for people to engage in a large variety of activities, such as playing sports or shopping, through avatars created and customized by the user. OZ also possesses a near impenetrable security due to its strong encryption, ensuring that any personal data transmitted through the networks will be kept safe in order to protect those who use it. Because of its convenient applications, the majority of society has become highly dependent on the simulated reality, even going as far as entrusting the system with bringing back the unmanned asteroid explorer, Arawashi.

Kenji Koiso is a 17-year-old math genius and part-time OZ moderator who is invited by his crush Natsuki Shinohara on a summer trip. But unbeknownst to him, this adventure requires him to act as her fiancé. Shortly after arriving at Natsuki's family's estate, which is preparing for her great-grandmother's 90th birthday, he receives a strange, coded message on his cell phone from an unknown sender who challenges him to solve it. Kenji is able to crack the code, but little does he know that his math expertise has just put Earth in great danger.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Director Hosoda Mamoru chose Ueda in Nagano Prefecture as the setting for Summer Wars because of its proximity to his birthplace. The film earned over 18 million USD in worldwide box offices and won the Japanese Academy Award for Animation of the Year in 2010. Hosoda became only the second Japanese director (after Miyazaki Hayao) to be nominated for an Annie Award for his work on Summer Wars.

Summer Wars was the first Japanese animated movie to be nominated for the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland in 2009. The movie also won the Anaheim International Film Festival's Audience Award for Best Animated Feature and the Animation Division Grand Prize at the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival.

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Related Anime

Adaptation:

Summer Wars

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Ikezawa, Kazuma

Main

Tanimura, Mitsuki
Japanese

Koiso, Kenji

Main

Kamiki, Ryunosuke
Japanese

Jinnouchi, Sakae

Main

Fuji, Sumiko
Japanese

Shinohara, Natsuki

Main

Sakuraba, Nanami
Japanese

Jinnouchi, Wabisuke

Main

Saitou, Ayumu
Japanese

Love Machine

Supporting

Jinnouchi, Mansuke

Supporting

Nagai, Ichiro
Japanese

Jinnouchi, Shota

Supporting

Jinnouchi, Shingo

Supporting

Jinnouchi, Katsuhiko

Supporting

Itakura, Mitsutaka
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Saitou, Yuuichirou

Producer

Inoue, Shinichiro

Producer

Hosoda, Mamoru

Director, Screenplay, Original Creator

Okudera, Satoko

Script

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Opening Theme

No opening themes have been added to this title. Help improve our database by adding an opening theme here.

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Ending Theme

"Bokura no Natsu no Yume" by Tatsuro Yamashita.

More reviews

Reviews

Nov 30, 2009

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Archaeon (All reviews)

501 people found this review helpful

As far as family entertainment goes anime is rarely high on the agenda, especially given the numerous offerings from Disney, Dreamworks, and other such movie studios. Generally their features appeal to children and adults alike, and in order to compete with them Japanese animation studios have had to shake off their habitual approach and focus on making films that are more accessible to Western markets. The undisputed king of this is Miyazaki Hayao, however there have been several challengers to his throne, the latest being Hosoda Mamoru.

Now those of you who have watched the latest anime incarnation of Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl who read more

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Dec 20, 2010

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

Uriel1988 (All reviews)

371 people found this review helpful

Summer Wars is a perfect example of a story biting off more than it can chew.

The film opens with an introduction to ‘OZ’. An information network that controls and monitors electronic services all over the world: from shopping to competitive gaming to healthcare facilities. Think the current internet age, but even more extreme.

Then we’re introduced to Kenji, a math wiz who works as a moderator for Oz and has a crush on a girl named Natsuki. A few moments later we’re introduced to this crush of his who begs him to come with her to visit her family’s summer home. Thus kicking off the read more

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Feb 27, 2011

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

dietmango (All reviews)

125 people found this review helpful

As one of the directors responsible for making Digimon: The Movie happen, I guess it makes sense for Mamoru Hosoda (also did The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) to infuse elements of his past work into future projects. Such is the case for Summer Wars, his latest and quite possibly his most ambitious film to date. Even if you’re not a fan of anime, you’ll find something to like in this sci-fi/comedy/romance spectacle that is both awfully heartwarming and very pleasing to watch.

Kenji Koiso is a high school student/math genius who works part-time with his best friend, Takashi Sakuma as moderators for the massive, widely popular virtual world called OZ, where the norm consists of virtual shopping, business, and much more (Second Life, anyone?). One summer Natsuki Shinohara, Kenji’s senpai (who he also has a crush on) invites him to her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration in the Jinnouchi clan estate. But Kenji is immediately caught up in Natsuki’s desperate request to act as Natsuki’s husband-to-be, much to his chagrin.

Kenji spends the initial parts of the movie getting acquainted with the rest of Natsuki’s relatives, and receives a mysterious email soon after. The message contains a huge numerical code, and, being a math whiz, Kenji opted to crack the code right away; he does so overnight. But as soon as he sends the solution, a virus - named Love Machine - successfully hacks within the OZ mainframe and causes turmoil in many parts of the world. As Kenji is deemed the culprit, it is up to him and his newfound family to solve the problem before more lives are put in danger. So, this is basically Digimon: The Movie adapted to a newer version, minus all the ‘mons making up that particular movie. While that thought might pull you away for whatever reason you might bear, Summer Wars’ narrative is more than just games and cyberspace. This movie touches on important themes, with family being one of its central points.

Okay, I lied. This movie IS all about games and cyberspace. For as much of a silly thing it is to base your movie on the inner workings of the Internet and social networking, it actually makes you feel weirdly sympathetic for those things. Perhaps Summer Wars teaches and/or reminds us that family can stretch beyond bloodlines, and we all can potentially build unbreakable bonds with total strangers even across the entire world, both real and virtual. Also, when it may seem that all the chips are down, there’s always hope, and it’s a hope we could always hold on to.

While the story’s great and all, Summer Wars would probably be nothing without its outstanding cast of characters. Stretching from the shy, introverted Kenji to the rest of Natsuki’s spunky, quirky, and empathetic family members, it truly feels like watching an ensemble cast bring their A-game to the table. Though it’s a lot of characters to take in immediately, seeing them once or twice is enough to make you remember them. Hell, I only remember a few names out of all the characters introduced, to be honest. There is a good mix of funny and sincere banter in-between, which really makes each character’s presence seem imperative and convince you to care about them. The main characters as well as the supporting ones play integral roles in bringing Love Machine down, and the movie does a good job making their strengths shine through.

But I think the best character out of all--and I think everyone is in unison on this--is Sakae Jinnouchi, Natsuki’s grandmother. Despite having minimal knowledge of the virtual world, she’s pretty much the one inspiring everyone to fight the infection and teach them the value of what family is. I also think it’s her courage and pretty much her overall personality that drives the story forward, as well as motivate the characters to do what they must.

Summer Wars is perhaps one of the best examples of an ambitious visual splendor, animated or not. The production values are all top-notch, with the near-perfect blend of CGI and cel-shaded effects bringing a lot of vibrancy to the movie’s cyberspace environment, the real world, and astounding attention to detail. Just thinking about the unimaginable number of sprites and avatars interacting in the entire virtual space is just insanity, and shows how much incredible amount of work was done to make this visual masterpiece happen. The animation style is no pushover either, as it is both breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Action scenes are all incredibly exciting, intense, and amazingly crafted that kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the movie. Character designs are also sharp and well-designed that all the more makes this one of the most magnificent-looking animated movies I’ve seen in a long while.

I don’t usually pay attention to movie soundtracks that much, mainly because most of them are so forgettable and barely intriguing; Summer Wars’s musical score is an exception. Top that with an excellent Japanese voice cast that brings much needed emotion and invokes life through the characters they play. I haven’t heard the English dub of the movie yet, but after seeing this movie, I’d be glad to that version when I finally get the chance to, all while reliving this grand adventure again a second time. Hell, I wouldn’t mind seeing it for a third go. Or a fourth. Who can blame me, really?

Summer Wars is definitely one of the best anime movies I’ve seen in years. It’s as enjoyable of a watch as it occasionally tugs on the heartstrings. It's a good reminder that there actually IS something to feel positive about being in the Internet. For all its eye-popping, superb visual presentation, it’s also got a well-written, thematic, feel-good storyline and a fantastic cast of characters that will surely please the audiences both inside and outside of the anime realm. In short, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you’re missing out on something special.

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Jan 21, 2014

1 of 1 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Zelot (All reviews)

109 people found this review helpful

There is only one word that can sum up this entire movie. Family. The whole concept of this entire movie revolves around being a cooperative and strong family. What does the word family mean to you? A group of people who are of same blood? This movie will show you the true meaning of family, a group of people who may or may not be of blood relation, but truly support each other till the death. That is what a true family is.
One spoiler in this review.

Story: 9
In a world where everything is connected to OZ (Imagine the internet, read more

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