Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

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As one season ends, another precedes similar to how people change-mentally and holistically-and progress with their lives. This is only possible with time, which is one of the most fundamental and crucial resources. Because only with time will seasons change and people mature. Yet it is very limited, and what we choose to do with our time determines the results: our future.

"The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes" is a 2018 award winning light novel. Comprising of a single volume, it is expected to be a packed and short read but manages to tell its tale seamlessly.

The set-up is quite generic: out in ... the countryside lives students attending Kozaki High School but…there lies a mystery of its own-the Urashima Tunnel, a place rumoured to grant one's any wish at the expense of their time/irreclaimable years of life.

The story revolves around our two main characters: Kaoru Touno-a regular highschool student whose family suffered a fallout, and the transfer student Anzu Hanashiro-a strong-willed individual only interested in the peculiar, or the extraordinary-both having their fateful encounter at the aforementioned tunnel. While differing in character, they both share a similarity. Kaoru who clings onto his lost sister in hopes of her miraculous return, and Anzu who seeks establishment in the world, to leave a mark in society. One who looks into the past and one who looks into the future, nonetheless they both carry a longing wish to be fulfilled.

The general outline follows the everyday lives of the two individuals, more specifically in school and their endeavours to uncover the Urashima Tunnel's mystery. As the days progress, the protagonists not only get closer to the truth, but also discover humanity in the other along with those around them and ultimately new value and comfort to their lives. This respite from the past is made possible with 'Time' but the same can be said for the contrary as displayed in the story. Whilst these may seem mundane and unnecessary in the beginning, it all proves to be essential building blocks that adds narrative pressure to the climatic decision: once again, to take a step forward into the future or backwards into the past-to progress on what one has built or forgo the connections one has made.

Overall, the main characters of the story are generally well built-we learn of their past, tendencies and nature, and their development. While the interactions and dialogue do not accumulate to an overflow of poignant emotions, they are realistic. The art, while few and lacking intricacy, captured and portrayed the emotions purposefully. Most crucially, the story remains coherent and while the consequences remain untold, the objective was reached.

The title "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes" holds the key to this symbolic tale of regret. Will time heal all wounds or be the emissary of dreadful curses? That depends entirely on how one intends to use it.

Does the overwhelming feeling of grief rob one’s capacity to love, leaving behind a hollow and vacuous existence?

Natsu e no tunnel, sayonara no deguchi tells a melancholic, heartfelt, and bittersweet tale filled with angst, anxiety, and romance. The protagonist, Kaoru Touno, lives in a hopeless family situation after losing his little sister Karen at a young age. Plagued by guilt and bitterness that stems from the circumstances surrounding his sister's death, Kaoru simply exists without much regard for his own life and dignity. However, his chance encounter with a girl, Anzu Hanashiro, who seems unfazed by adversity leads to a blossoming romance and their individual ... journeys towards achieving their goals.

In the town of Kozaki, where the story takes place, there is a mythical "Urashima Tunnel" that is said to grant wishes to those who enter, at the cost of their lifespan. However, the reality is that time moves differently inside the tunnel, slowing down and allowing the world to pass by. Spending two days in the tunnel equates to eight years in the real world, but the person inside only feels the passage of two days. Furthermore, instead of granting wishes, the tunnel returns what has been lost.

The narrative touches on multiple profound themes that warrants a comprehensive analysis - grief, guilt, resentment, hollowness, trauma, insecurity, longing, anxiety, perseverance, and love.

Grief: Kaoru's family was plunged into a completely pervasive downward spiral after the death of his sister. His mother abandoned them, leaving his father to become an abusive alcoholic, a mere shadow of his once benevolent and nurturing self. Our protagonist, Kaoru, who was particularly close to Karen, shouldered the weight of her death and internalized the belief that he was personally responsible for her demise due to his presence at the time of her fall. Each character in his family coped with grief in their own deleterious manner, with some electing to abandon them (mother), some succumbing to its engulfing power (father), and some merely losing the ability to derive enjoyment from life, seemingly anhedonic (Kaoru).

Guilt: Displayof Kaoru's guilt manifests itself throughout the story, but becomes apparent when he is confronted with the sister that the mythical tunnel bestowed upon him. He articulates his feelings as though he does not deserve the right to love another person (alluding to Anzu, the female MC). To which Karen writes him a "Love Permit", a symbolic representation of the very person who inadvertently deprived his ability to love, returning it back to him. By directly confronting his late sister, he was able to deal with his grief and physically (as well as metaphorically) move on from the shadow cast by her passing.

Resentment: Flashbacks reveal that Karen was an emotionally intelligent child who would cry and ask to go to the aquarium when her parents were arguing, in an attempt to get them to reconcile. As if she were the glue holding them down, Kaoru's dysfunctional family completely collapsed when the sister passed away. As the father, not only was he not there to emotionally support his vulnerable son, he practically abused Kaoru. This dynamic caused Kaoru to journey into the tunnel with absolutely no regard for his father, demonstrating his deep-seated resentment. When Kaoru unexpectedly ran into his mother during the festival, he was overcome with panic, anxiety, and was on the verge of collapsing and throwing up. Fortunately, Anzu was there for Kaoru to lean on, acting as a much needed beacon of light in his life. Despite the happy ending for Kaoru and Anzu, neither parents have made the effort to repair the relationships they have with their son and chose to pursue their own happiness, leaving the resentment unresolved.

Hollowness: the concept of a tunnel that leaves everything one loves and cares about behind is a frightening thing for anyone. For Kaoru to take that journey without a second of lingering thought is proof of his hollowness in his heart that can only be fulfilled by seeking the sister he lost. As someone who has experienced difficult periods in life but was able to hold on due to the support of loved ones, I can empathize with Kaoru's desire to abandon everything in search of what he desires most. However, the key difference is that Kaoru believed he had nothing left to lose until he came to terms with his love for Anzu, who had been waiting for him on the other side of the tunnel for a grueling five years.

Trauma: Let's shift gears and talk about the female MC, Anzu Hanashiro, who was essentially abandoned by her parents, the very same people who extinguished her childhood dream of becoming a manga author during her formative years. Nevertheless, in stark contrast to Kaoru, she harnessed her traumatic experiences to bolster her determination instead of succumbing to despondency (although it should be noted that their circumstances are worlds apart). The divergent responses to trauma between these two characters led to a poignant and emotive narrative within this novel.

Insecurity: The third character, Kawasaki, is a girl who, in her attempts to mask her own insecurities, bullies and intimidates others. Her sense of self-worth is fundamentally linked to her relationships with others. When she was humiliated in front of everyone, she lost all her friends. Initially I despised her character, but after the conversation she had with Anzu, Kawasaki expressed her admiration for Anzu and voiced her desire to be more like her. Although the focus on Kawasaki was brief, I felt her character arc to be believable. Her inclination to feel superior over her peers as a coping mechanism for her personal insecurities is indicative that toxicity may arise from factors beyond family issues (her mother is shown to be a very understanding person) or trauma (unexplored), and rather, social hierarchies and a small, insular community may mold an individual's character.

Longing & Anxiety: I have put these two intimately connected themes together in the same paragraph. Both Kaoru and Anzu exemplified their respective themes of longing and anxiety during the final act of the story. Kaoru's decision to abandon his previous life and undertake a perilous journey to locate his sister, despite the absence of any guarantees of success, embodies his longing for the life he once knew, in which his sister was still alive, as well as his profound anxiety that he may fail to achieve his objective, leaving him with no purpose. His journey in the tunnel hit me especially hard because for many people like myself, it is evocative of the motivating power of having a singular goal. Kaoru had no idea where the tunnel would lead, but that did not stop him from reaching his goal. Although he did not succeed in finding his sister, he discovered something that he was unaware he longed for - the capacity for love. Meanwhile, almost parallel to Kaoru's journey, Anzu waited for his return outside the tunnel. In the 5 long years, she forged a successful career as a manga author. Despite her achievements, her mind remained fixated on Kaoru, and her emotions were consumed by longing and anxiety. Even after five years had passed, she remained steadfast in her hope that Kaoru would one day return, her anxiousness and apprehension holding her back from departing Kozaki town. She did not know where he was, when he would return, or if he returned but left without a word.

Perseverance: The main characters in the novel showcased a profound sense of perseverance, each pursuing their individual goals with unwavering tenacity. However, almost as if wielded by fate, their desire for each other acted as an unyielding force that compelled them to find one another, ultimately leading them to a long-awaited reunion deep within the tunnel, a massively rewarding payoff. As a reader, seeing them act individually was heartwarming to see, but seeing two characters that I've grown to love as a pair be separate from each other was excruciating. The moment when they finally saw each other overwhelmed me with emotions, reminiscent of the climatic scene in the film “Kimi no Na Wa”.

Love: The center theme of the story. This novel explored different avenues regarding love. The familial love between Kaoru and his sister, the love lost between Kaoru and his parents, the platonic love between Anzu and Kawasaki, and of course, the romantic love between Kaoru and Anzu. Throughout the novel, while Kaoru was aware of Anzu's feelings and reciprocated them, he believed that he did not deserve the right to love another person, having lost his family to tragedy. It was only after confronting his grief and trauma, and reuniting with his sister within the tunnel, that he was able to move past the shadow of her death and wholeheartedly dedicate himself to the one he loved - Anzu.

Personal thoughts:The exploration of romantic love has been a recurring theme in various media formats, yet Natsu e no Tunnel stands out as one of the few works that weaves it in with the themes of grief, creating a beautiful harmony between two contrasting emotions. The depth and complexity of the narrative in this light novel left a lasting impact on me, as it portrayed the exploration of various themes with finesse and grace. Readers seeking a story that is both emotionally charged and uplifting will find Natsu e no Tunnel a compelling read.

Tunnel e no Natsu, Sayonara no Deguchi, a six-chapter short story spanning 300 pages, defies the "light" novel label, delving into the heavy topics that can profoundly resonate with readers. This story moved me deeply, as the compelling characters' likability and the engaging plot heightened the tension and anxiety, particularly in the sci-fi setting that imbued me with both hope and dread. The characters' growth, personal struggles, hardships, and compelling love story are all fascinating tales in their own right, culminating in an emotionally satisfying resolution that made me root for them despite their brief appearance.

“So please, Hanashiro, don’t let this opportunity go to waste. Live your life while you can, because tomorrow’s never a given. Especially when you have a chance to be someone right here, today.

Go out there and live like you mean it. And no matter what you do, don’t ever end up like me.” - Kaoru Touno, after he entered the Urashima Tunnel alone.

This is the longest review I've ever written for a novel, so if you have read the entire thing, Thank you.

This LN is not recommended! But if u r still going ahead to try it anyway then I hope u hadn't read the synopsis coz if u did.. Then u have almost known the first 30-40% of the story (if not more as I read only 46% of story ig). This might be the case for many LNs, the synopsis might give away the first half of vol 1 but the difference is that this story is only one volume rather than 10+ volumes (for better or worse).

PACING:
The pacing is completely ruined by big descriptions of nothing important. I wouldn't read another novel by ... this author coz of how he writes, really. He goes into way too much detail (in a bad way) and that makes us feels like the story is not moving forward at all, then again, few authors do write into detail to make us more connected to story but here... It just makes us want to skip the para.

WRITING: Bad!! Too many descriptions (in a bad way) and big paras for no reason!

CHARACTERS:
We follow the story from 1st perspective i.e., from our MC perspective, he is an average mc, tbh, nothing special (even our MC admits that) though that's not a very big issue in itself but side characters r plain too. And the author tried to develop one of the side characters, which kind of completely failed for me. MC's friend is boring, nothing much to notice. Heroine... She seems okayish... Tbh, not that great (atleast till now).
But sometimes MC does think something outrageous and that kind of stands out for me.

Story:
Can't tell much as only 46% of story I read, till here... Boring (especially so if u read the synopsis).

ART is good.

NOTE: This review might change for better or worse if/when I read the complete story! I heard there was something good at the end... But the author's writing is totally not for me. I might try the movie. Heard that the movie skipped few details and I just can't shake the feeling that it might actually be for the better after reading till here...