Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryou are high school students who met online. An urban legend speaks of a "summer
ghost," a spirit girl who appears when fireworks are set off.
Tomoya cannot live the life he envisioned for himself. Aoi cannot find her place in the world. Ryou
has his once shining future suddenly pulled away. Each has their own reason for needing to meet the
summer ghost. On a summer night when life and death cross paths, where will each of their emotions
take them?
What is an Anime for you if you watch a summer episode? A hot day, beach & sands, wearing kimonos in firework festivals, children running around enjoying their vacation. It's that time of the year when everyone has to feel the warm breeze and they say, "ahhh.. atsuida ne". That is my definition when I'm watching a summer episode. But this movie is not based on any of those topics. ⚠Hard Spoilers Ahead⚠ When summer vacation is at last, three high school students met through social media to meet the Summer Ghost. Here, we started with Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo; three high schoolers that never met before have come terms to meet a ghost. You're probably wondering why they want to meet this ghost. Is it because they're bored? Being childish? Bust some ghost? or maybe because they have problems with their lives trying to figure out if they have any reason to live. That could be it! While we progress through the movie, we see that the 3 main characters are having flashbacks. Tamoya wants to apply in art school, but Tomoya's mom is forcing him in his study, Aoi is getting bullied, and Ryo has terminal cancer. To encounter the Summer Ghost, they need to buy fireworks and light up to meet Ayane "Summer Ghost" Satou. She had long hair and wore a black dress and was able to fly from over the clouds to under the ground. To build up her story, Tomoya and the rest were certain that she committed suicide then later on she told Tomoya that she was murdered 3 years ago and figured out what he could do for her now. Knowing the fact that she got brutally murdered, Tomoya cannot think of anything other than help to find her body. He now then ask for Aoi and Ryou's help to find her body. The story is pretty creative. Sure, they didn't have enough sources from a thirty-nine minutes movie. Art is amazing. Even though it lacks facial drawings. The scenery gave its best. Sound is my favorite part. It has the feel of a Jazz, melancholia, mystery, sweet piano & violin duo~~quick cut, upbringing sound. The only way that they could make it more emotional is just to add a great soundtrack to it. And they cleanly portrayed it all in this movie Characters had different problems, but they feel connected as they are all in despair. Which gave a unique characterization. 8.7/10 img220(https://scontent.fybz2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/277313993_3024211774575399_6732602720958452559_n.png?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=atRwGo8uEiYAX_zkKS4&tn=9alrbK17GZWd4dPn&_nc_ht=scontent.fybz2-2.fna&oh=03_AVKNqOa7MgEbHow2cR2dc8J9vUjDbgZ41troFxe03HGpjw&oe=626DC15E) img220(https://scontent.fybz2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/277454445_304163258519428_2424814358096135417_n.png?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=XbMQ3ozhs-oAX_JC3QF&_nc_ht=scontent.fybz2-2.fna&oh=03_AVJ8kgeqGBqsDLBQh-6G8dWq4pQ7DiRCxqxDDlSOXVx0cw&oe=626E308D) img220(https://scontent.fybz2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/275881135_483575593509942_5761700147140219577_n.png?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=A0cQVoDodPIAX-ocGrO&_nc_ht=scontent.fybz2-2.fna&oh=03_AVJ3s81qe17VQTmJmnavihKFBTGdzOBdjf3EUWMsFW10QQ&oe=626F4DEB) ------------------------------------------------------- I have been waiting for this movie to come out to North America ever since I watched the promotional video back in November. I constantly trying to refresh my feed whenever I have time to think about it. And now, I finally watched it. It's great that Manga adaptation has been serializing for 3 months now. And hoping we could see some more in the future.
Hard to really write a review without spoilers though honestly even with spoilers, it's a predictable plot. Now with that being said, is it bad? No, I really enjoyed it even though I can figured out the plot within basically the first 5-10 minutes of it. But anyways, here's my quick review and summary of it, also along with the lesson it taught. Summer Ghost starts with three friends meeting together, now we won't understand this meeting until later on but if you pay attention to anime, you can figure it out. img(https://i.imgur.com/UMYse0L.png) The Summer Ghost is a girl who by them lighting their fireworks, she will appear. Now I didn't really research the significant of this but I'm just assuming it's something to do with how Japan usually ends their festival with fireworks where usually closes out the summer. This is just my personal opinion, don't quote me on this. We are introduced to our three friends (Tomoya, Ryou and Aoi) who are searching for the Summer Ghost (Ayane). img(https://i.imgur.com/Epm3lDa.png) img(https://i.imgur.com/WwExuo5.png) The thing about these three friends, they are all strangers who met online with something in common, wanting to meet Ayane. And before you wonder if this is a horror anime, no lol... Each friend comes with different burdens and are in different parts of their lives. Though all of the same age, each struggle with something different. OKAY from here on out, this will be SPOILER WARNING! img(https://i.imgur.com/NyWYItM.png) All four of them are at different part of their lives... Tomoya - basically our POV character. He is someone who has a future but too scare to face the future. He's someone who doesn't want to look ahead and rather stand behind. Which was illustrated nicely in the beginning. Ryou - someone who has so much ahead that he looks for but have so little time. Someone who wants to move forward but knowing he is limited on time. Aoi - someone who is dealing with the present, being bullied and wanting to commit suicide. She is someone who is trying to overcome her everyday hardship. Ayane - someone who has neither a future or a present, she is someone who is already gone. The basic of the plot is simple really, it's about learning to face what's ahead no matter how tough. That we just have to look up and see that there are those who knows our pain and there to share it with us. That those who are gone, those voices we can no longer hear. As someone who has lost a friend at a young age, this hits pretty close to home. It's really focus mainly on Tomoya learning to face that he needs to not be afraid to step forth to the future. And with Ayane help along with Ryou and Aoi, he learns to take that step. To not hate his life and seek the future. Each of them faces their own problems. The ending is bittersweet... I won't spoil it but it's pretty simple really to pick up on it. It's a nice overall anime and I will say the music was gorgeous. What is it's biggest flaw and lacking? I didn't really like the coloring and character design at times. Since I had a hard time trying to figure out was that Tomoya or Ryou. It's a short movie, if you have time, it's worth an watch. If you enjoy these type of simple theme anime like me, you'll enjoy it. If you don't, then it isn't really for you. It got it's message across nicely and simply. So as they say... "Seize the Day" Because eventually... summer will end... those who once were here will someday be gone. So cherish the time we have with those around us. You never know how long these moments will last. ~~~ __This is just a personal story - don't click here unless you want to read it - also a spoiler for the ending__ ~!Sometimes I think back to my last moment with my friend not knowing that would've been the last time I saw her. Would I have changed the words I said? My last words to her (I was still living out of state for school and we met at a different state for a sports tournament) (She was sick and wanted to watch her brother play in the tournament. I stood by her side she has always been by my side when I needed a friend. She couldn't muster any words as she was so pale and weak. Regardless, she wanted to be there and I can only hopeless stand there trying to talk to her as I've always have. And before I left, I patted her on head and said these words) "I love you, I’ll see you back home next week." Not knowing that next week when I saw her was because of her funeral (she passed away that night when I left). So yeah though a sad story, made me realized how short our time can be on this earth. No time to live in hating our lives, hating others, and wondering why we were ever born. Instead love each other and know you can be the difference in someone's life. Because soon enough as the movie ends... our time with them too will end img(https://i.imgur.com/Xn19MqC.png)!~ ~~~ Just as those who are gone can no longer seek the future or live in the present, they are a thing of the past. Those of us who are still here, the sky is the limit as they say. Learn from your past, live in the moment, and run towards your future. Score - not exactly sure what to give it, but for now, I'll just put 9/10 since I really enjoyed the theme, the music and the simple beauty of the plot. Maybe it's a 8/10 but whatever, if I change my mind... I'll change it in the future. img(https://i.imgur.com/7zz0cWN.png)
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.
Em um dia de verão, três amigos se encontram para acender fogos de artifício juntos mais uma vez. Eles comentam sobre como não se encontram há muito tempo, e então, a história de Summer Ghost começa, ou melhor, acaba. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/zibeO05.png)~~~ Summer Ghost conseguiu chamar minha atenção bem antes de seu primeiro trailer ser lançado, sendo um filme misterioso e que foi originalmente criado, dirigido e animado por apenas uma pessoa. O artista loundraw tem sido um dos meus artistas favoritos desde tempos atrás, então a descoberta de que ele faria um filme completamente original me deixou mais ansiosa do que nunca. Enquanto criticamos esse filme, é importante ter consciência do seu curto tempo de duração de apenas quarenta minutos, que é um fator que influenciou não só no andamento do filme mas também como espectador vê e entende os personagens do mesmo. O filme é um pequeno flashback das vidas de Sugisaki Tomoya, Kobayashi Ryou e Aoi Harukawa, três estranhos que se juntaram para encontrar o fantasma de Satou Ayane, uma garota que foi acidentalmente atropelada e que após ser morta, nunca encontrou seu corpo. Tomoya, Ryou e Aoi resolvem descobrir se era realmente possível se encontrar com o fantasma da garota morta, mas depois de vê-la, descobrem que ela só pode ser vista por pessoas que estão para ser abraçadas pela morte. Com a revelação chocante, o filme começa a mostrar os motivos para cada um de nossos protagonistas estarem perto de morrer. Tomoya é constantemente pressionado por sua mãe, que o faz estudar todos os momentos para poder entrar em uma faculdade. Ryou sofre de uma doença e as chances de ele logo morrer são altíssimas. Aoi sofre bullying de alunos de sua escola. Todos tem seus motivos, e todos estão conectados pelo fantasma de Satou Ayane. Depois dos eventos surreais deste encontro, cada personagem segue seu caminho, mas Tomoya continua a se encontrar com Ayane, agora decidido de ajudá-la a encontrar seu corpo. Então Ayane remove a alma de Tomoya de seu corpo, e os dois voam pela cidade juntos. Mesmo sendo animado por apenas uma pessoa, esse filme possui visuais incríveis que ganham vida graças a trilha sonora tocante produzida por Kojima Hideya, Kosemura Akira, Guiano e Touma Itoko. A animação e a trilha sonora trabalham juntas para criar a sensação surreal de Tomoya estando fora de seu corpo, sendo representada de diversas formas, como as cenas em que ele está embaixo d'água, que representam o que está abaixo do solo, o que está na terra, que mostra a densa realidade que o personagem vive. Enquanto ele parece se divertir estando voando nos céus como um espírito. Com o tempo de duração do filme passando, começamos a aprender mais sobre Ryou e Tomoya, que futuramente vão gerar o conflito principal para o clímax do filme. Eles dois tem algo que gostam de fazer, mas que sua situação atual acabou os forçando a deixa-la de lado. Tomoya passa dias procurando o corpo de Ayane, mas nunca o acha, então resolve pedir ajuda para seus dois amigos, e Ryou furiosamente rejeita ajudá-lo, então ele sai correndo e Aoi vai atrás dele, mas que após escutar sobre o que ele estava passando, os dois se acalmaram e foram atrás de Tomoya mas uma vez, para encontrar o corpo da garota fantasma. Após encontrar o corpo, Ayane retorna para ele, mas Tomoya se recusa a deixá-la para trás, ele se divertiu enquanto voava junto dela como um espírito, então o garoto começa a se perguntar se ele não devia morrer logo e se tornar um fantasma também. Isso gera uma das melhores cenas do filme, com os personagens gritando para Tomoya não se render a morte, enquanto ele vê diversos cenários de sua vida, e decide continuar vivo, e viver para fazer o que ele realmente quer. E então, Tomoya esclareceu tudo para sua mãe e resolveu começar a morar sozinho, Aoi parou de aceitar o bullying que sofria calada, e Ryou... lutou contra sua doença até seus momentos finais. Agora nós presenciamos a última cena do filme, que é uma continuação da primeira cena do mesmo. Os três amigos, reunidos novamente depois de muito tempo sem se encontrarem, e os três estão segurando fogos de artifício, mas apenas dois deles estão realmente lá. O filme termina com o fantasma de Ryou se despedindo, e Tomoya e Aoi se despedem de seu amigo, e vão continuar a viver suas vidas, vão continuar a luta por ela. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/iU0xsrd.gif)~~~ quase chorei
Name: Summer Ghost Type: Movie Duration: 40 mins Studio: [FLAT STUDIO ](https://anilist.co/studio/6687/FLAT-STUDIO) Director: [loundraw ](https://anilist.co/staff/121198/loundraw) Note: Has a manga adaptation, which is considerably more detailed. #Alright, Let's start. ~~~img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/927974296113016893/975710493190782976/Untitled_design_1.png?width=960&height=240)~~~ __Summary:__ Three online friends meet up to go on a hunt for a ghost that appears during summertime in an old abandoned airport runway when you burn firecrackers after evening. The ghost is widely known as the `Summer Ghost` and is rumored to be the ghost of a girl who committed suicide and is seldom seen for it also has a less known requirement. Our heroes all have different circumstances however the thing that brought them together is the same - `death`. Discover the meaning of hope together with three people who have already lost it. Let's break it down. ~~~img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/927974296113016893/975711815159930890/Untitled_design_2.png?width=960&height=240)~~~ __Art:__ Art is the first thing an impression is made from in any movie/anime. The art here is quite unique as in that it is different than most other anime movies. The linework of characters is quite simple at times and not too pronounced, sometimes it is almost invisible. However, most animes tend to have a "visible" linework when it comes to their characters. The color palette is a tad dull and gives off an old-ish vibe, making it seem "starched". This factor makes the characters really stick out from the background. The background contains normal 3D graphics with a palette that is cleverly blended to make shadows and lighting. It really seems like a normal piece of art. What especially makes the characters stand out is the lighting. It is sharp and very pronounced at times although it gives a lot of depth to the art. But this also clashes with the soft style used in the background. It gives off a feeling that the characters were drawn onto a picture. Mind you, this only occurs during some scenes and not all. It is done as a solo by the director-artist who also owns the studio. Considering that, It really does seem to be amazing. ~~~img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/927974296113016893/975714669312479262/Untitled_design_3.png?width=960&height=240)~~~ __Animation:__ The animation isn't special and can't be compared to that of other movies. It is smooth when there isn't much variables to move. However when a lot of movement is required, it appears to "break". Considering it came from a solo artist, this can already be considered good. Another especially amazing thing is the fact that the scenes with serious animation without characters are really amazing. The background art is already really good and somehow the animation for these scenes are also very smooth. It makes for a truly incredible scene. ~~~img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/962669559469465601/975716168096706560/Untitled_design_4.png?width=960&height=240)~~~ __Story:__ Plot - it is very unique. Although the genre matchup is common, the premise is very distinctive. We have seen many stories about people who are pushed to suicide or death, and rarely, may also include a ghost. However, adding a plot twist to it and not making it a mystery is of SSSR level. Not to mention moving the plot well with it as an element but not as something which is meant to change the genre or make it more interesting. Storytelling - Good. It gives equal importance to the backgrounds of all the characters as well as their circumstances. Although at one point it starts to focus on the relationship between Ayane (the ghost) and Tomoya, it is part of the plot development. The climax ~!where Ayane's body was found!~ and the next scene was a tad anticlimactic even though it is the most important scene in the movie. ~~~img1000(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/927974296113016893/975729162872565810/Untitled_design_5.png?width=960&height=240)~~~ #~~~__End.__~~~
~~~__Preface__~~~ I must begin by stating that, while I believe this movie offers an adequate cinematic experience, I regret to admit that it fails to leave any lasting impression on me. It's a perfectly fine movie if the viewer is looking for a story similar to "_I Want to Eat Your Pancreas_." It is similar in the sense that, while "_I Want to Eat Your Pancreas_" fails to provide me with the advertised experience—a tragic romance— "_Summer Ghost_" also falls short in giving its theme any sorts of closure. It's the failure of the writers that made this mess of a movie. However, I must applaud the artist who made the background. It's not groundbreaking by any standard, but when something is competently made, I must, at the very least, acknowledge that. ~~~__Summary of the Begining__~~~ The story is about a group of high school students that took the task of finding the _Summer Ghost_, a ghost that appeared in an abandoned airport which can only be seen by lighting a firecracker. This ghost is rumored to be a tall woman with black hair who is believed to have committed suicide. Our trio of high school student, which the viewer now know as; __Tomoya__, __Aoi__, and __Ryou__. Must venture to the convenience store to buy firecrackers, as you may have somewhat guess by the way I word things, the mystery of the ghost is not exactly the main plot. ~!Or rather it was revealed to us by the ghost, because showing it would be too hard, that anyone who is capable of seeing her, must also be close to death, whether it was metaphorical or literal however is explored quite thoroughly. !~ ~~~__Summary of the End__~~~ ~!After the first outing with the group, dissatisfied with the ghost, now named Ayane's answers in regards to his question, Tomoya begin to meet her alone, without the group knowledge. This eventually leads to reveal that Ayane did not commit suicide but instead is murdered. Due to a wish, that has been retracted, Tomoya is now dedicated day and night to find the body of Ayane. This eventually comes into conflict when his mother found him to be skipping cram school. Instead of offering an apology, Tomoya doubles down on his commitment, dedicating even more time to Ayane. While a strong bond forms between them, one that Ayane can live without (due to the fact that she is dead), Tomoya finds invariably can't. This is primarily because he links his sense of fulfillment, particularly through the act of viewing paintings, directly to Ayane. As Tomoya's entrance exam draws near, his desperation for assistance leads him to seek help from his friends, Aoi and Ryou. Unfortunately, this effort backfires as Ryou, grappling with his own struggles, lacks sympathy for someone who has committed suicide. And it practically ends from a conflict standpoint, the rest of the movie is providing closure for the characters.!~ ~~~__Characters__~~~ # __Tomoya __ __The protagonist of our trio, he is a straight-A student with aspirations of becoming an artist.__ He has a mom that wants him to pursue. . . _What exactly?_ I'm not really sure. Consequently, the viewer are left in the dark about the specific goals his mom wants him to achieve, and the reasons behind her desires are somewhat shallow. This is mostly nitpicking, with a missed opportunity for characterization. The mom seems to serve primarily as an antagonist to Tomoya's perspective without much exploration of her own motivations or aspirations(eg: Why does she want Tomoya to succesful? What are her internal motivation to do so? This sort of question are presently ignored). And while it's perfectly acceptable (if not optimal,) for her to play the role of an obstacle to the protagonist. As it stands, the portrayal of the mom is a brick wall in Tomoya's railway, but aside from disliking this wall, the viewer don't really have much to connect with. ~!His reason to assemble the trio to find the ghost is to ask a question, the question nicely tied in the personal motivation, And the reason why he's able to see ghost? It's because he is 'dead' inside, this information is something that is quite obvious, but the writer seem to miss the memo and have the ghost say it anyway. His personal interest in art is so great that he feels that following the path, of what I assumed to be, a profitable but passionless career, is not something he wanted, we even get him to say:!~ >"Maybe it will be easier if I do what I was told," (paraphrased) ~!__This is not at all subtle, the first showing of the character was him rummaging through his wardrobe though his clothe to find__ . . . _and change scene_, this is a mystery that should have left the viewer wondering what is in his wardrobe, what reason is there to hid it beneath tons of clothing? It should have been that, but aside from tying loose ends, the reveal is something I find unsatisfactory. __It was later revealed in a subsequent scene that it was, in fact, a canvas. __ His character is someone that is terrified of the future, he's someone that would spend days with a stranger to solve a mystery that he is not emotionally involve with. This sudden attachment to a rather disconnected goal could be interpreted as writer interference to get the character to engage with the plot. However, I will slightly overanalyze it by implying that he was searching for a reason to break free, a reason to skip cram school. Perhaps, just maybe, by doing so, it would hold more meaning for him than plain rebellion.!~ # Aoi __A high school student who is currently grappling with bullying. The reason she join the quest to find the ghost is to seek answers about potential bullying in the afterlife.__ Her character progression follows a relatively straightforward trajectory, primarily focusing on her journey toward becoming more assertive in dealing with bullies. One notable character moment occurs with Ryou, where both characters display some vulnerability, and that's it. That is without an exaggeration the extent of her significance as character. ~!Thematically, however she is someone that is on a railway with constant spike every now and then, that is to say presently she experience feeling of torment that is seemingly never ending, _which is why she ask the ghost if she will be bullied in the afterlife, because she fundamentally sees no real escape from her torment aside from death_(Eg: Her attempt to commit suicide), instead of the seemingly obvious choice of changing to another school? But I give the writer lax on this point, _maybe she has a poor family, maybe her grades are too low, so no other school accepts her._ __Whatever the reason is, due to the fact we never see them, it's significant enough that changing to another school is impossible.__ !~ #Ryou __A high school student diagnosed with terminal cancer receives a prognosis from the doctor, predicting a maximum of nine months left to live.__ _Of course, he succumbs to his illness. However, the revelation of his death is handled in a clever manner—a neat twist that recontextualizes the beginning, which initially shows the aftermath._ He used to be part of the basketball club but decided to quit, I assume this decision was either a personal choice, in the sense it is in his personality (internal), or a necessity to avoid overexerting his body at the recommendation of his doctor (external). Though if it is an internal choice, then I will find him slightly more interesting. ~!If I were to continue with the railway metaphor, then his version would be a railroad that he sees to be leading him off a cliff, an inevitable doom so to speak. Ryou's character bears some similarities to Tomoya; however the differences are the distinctly different approach to their talent. Ryou stands out with his notable proficiency in basketball, actively pursuing that path. This is in sharp contrast to Tomoya, who, despite excelling academically, gravitates towards more artistic interests, providing a marked contrast in their character profiles. The thing that stop them are entirely different, for Ryou he is unable to reach his dreams due to an illness, an unavoidable death that will eventually come sooner than most. On the other hand, Tomoya's impediment is a person—an authority figure, seen through another lens, grappling with a son who stubbornly refuses to accept reality, or a son that failed to conform. What they both had in common however is their reaction to this roadblock, which is despair, a distinct feeling powerlessness, and an attempt to avoid it no matter how meaningless it is.!~ #Summer Ghost Summer Ghost, or rather Ayane's interactions with our trio are to kindly put it, is somewhat unbalanced. Her engagement with Ryou is virtually nonexistent, and her dynamic with Aoi is only marginally more developed. Tomoya's interaction with Ayane is relatively more fleshed out among the three, though it doesn't set a particularly high standard. ~!There is a twist due to the fact that Ayane did not commit suicide but rather is killed, this mystery (the one that made Tomoya obsessed in solving it) did not go anywhere, and her perpetrator remains at large. The timeline of events that lead to hear death is as followed: Ayane who after a nondescript fight with her mother ran out into the rain. Due to the heavy rain, her vision is consequently impaired leading her to be struck by a car. The driver, who disregards red lights, presumably due to lack of traffic or even urgency, is the perpetrator. After attempting to conceal the conspicuous dead body in the middle of the road by puting her in a suitcase, he proceed to buries her alive in a nondescript location, ultimately leading to her demise (Asphyxiation). The storyline does not delve into unraveling this mystery, and the discovery of Ayane's body occurs through sheer brute force. The only semblance of closure is provided to Ayane's mother, who finds solace in a necklace belonging to her daughter. Until recently, she believed Ayane was still alive, unaware that her daughter has become a ghost.!~ ~~~__Conclusion__~~~ The movie approaches its theme by predominantly focusing on one character, causing a notable disparity in character relevance. After the introduction of Aoi and Ryou, their significance gradually diminishes, leading to a steady decline in their importance throughout the narrative. The film concludes with a brief and somewhat compensatory peak in their relevance, attempting to offset the earlier loss of screen time. This has resulted in the character moment with Aoi and Ryou lacking any weight behind it. As for Tomoya, while I wouldn't go so far as to label him a wasted protagonist, the acknowledgment of his flaw occurs towards the end of the movie. The flaw in question, is his perceived interest only of his own, is not portrayed as an omnipresent obstacle hindering his goals. The film falls short in thoroughly examining and addressing the selfish nature of his ambition to become an artist. Tomoya's acknowledgment of this flaw is delayed and lacks the depth necessary to critically scrutinize the implications of his aspirations. The flaw in question doesn't reveal the depths of the protagonist but rather feels like an afterthought. It seems as though the writer only realized towards the end of creating the movie that the protagonist is somewhat self-centered. Instead of something that coloured the protagonist action throughout the plot.
___spoilers ahead!!___ Initially, I put this anime on my list without any thoughts. The poster looked pretty, so I just placed it on my planned list and left my brain to wonder how long it's going to marinate there. Different from my expectations, it didn't stay there for too long. After a month or two, I caught myself watching it. With my busy schedule lately, I looked for a short series, preferably movie and saw this movie up on my list. I decided to give it a go. The beautiful poster played a big part of intriguing it, and I started off hoping the anime is as pretty as the poster is. The story starts off with the meeting of three high school students; Aoi, Ryou and Tomoya. The three have never met each other, united by the internet and a single common purpose, which is to find the Summer Ghost. And so, the three started their journey to an abandoned plane runway. It wasn't necessarily hard for them to be able to meet the Summer Ghost. They must light up fireworks, and waited around for the ghost to appear, in which she did gladly. They began asking questions to the Summer Ghost about death and ghosts. It was all going fairly normal, but something nagged my conciousness just a little. How is it so easy for them to just summon a ghost? It was later answered that only people who are near with the realm of the dead. The three protagonists are close with death in different ways. Both Aoi and Tomoya and emotionally "dead" with Aoi's depression that stemmed from bullying and Tomoya lacking interest or purpose in life, meanwhile Ryou is physically close to death with his terminal illness. From there on then, the movie uncovers each and every one of their motives of visiting the Summer Ghost, how they process life and death and the true secret the said Summer Ghost. Aoi tries to find her voice, to stand up for herself. Tomoya tries find a purpose in life. Ryou tries to live his life before death claims his soul. Everyone is _trying_ to live their life to the fullest, despite how miserable it is, how long it may take them before their life is doomed. Truthfully, the plot centers around Tomoya and the Summer Ghost a lot, since it seems that he is the one who seemed to be touched the most by the presence of the Summer Ghost, going as far as helping to look for her body almost, if not, everyday. One thing that I've noticed is the general color palette. In most of the scenes, or the highlighted and important scenes tend to have a monotonous color palette, mainly white or pale colors. All of the character's skin are depicted as pasty white, whether if they are a living being or not. Something about it just _makes sense_ considering the movie's topic and how death is very well acquainted with the main characters. How they all look dead with pasty white skin. img220(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52234897966_6380c9d722_z.jpg) _(Ryou and Aoi in the beginning of the movie)_ It is a very touching movie, though it lacks in plot development, which is understandable since it's a short movie with the duration of roughly 45 minutes. The animation is a little rough and bricky but it adds to the charm and is a unique touch, aside from that, the bricky animation is covered by the beautiful lighting and coloring that really sets you in the mood. Even if you don't like the plot, you gotta admit the coloring and lighting is amazing. Really recommend this if you're looking for some feels and heartfelt things.
**This review contains very light spoilers for *Summer Ghost***.
Five years after his professional debut as an illustrator at the age of 18, *loundraw* found himself at a crossroads. >
[*At the time, I was very busy working as an illustrator . . . people started asking me to do the same things, the same sorts of things I’d done before, because that’s what I was becoming known for. And that was difficult for me.*](https://www.fandom.com/articles/summer-ghost-anime-loundraw) > #####
loundraw, from a June 2022 interview with Fandom
It was in the midst of this creative crisis that he would post a drawing titled *Summer Ghost* to his Pixiv account. It was a return to the art he had sought to make all along. ~~~img500(https://i.redd.it/wt5m5oee7gx41.jpg)~~~ ####~~~*Summer Ghost by loundraw, 2018*~~~
Having completed his graduation project in 2017—[a trailer for a hypothetical movie titled *Yume ga Sameru made*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79x7HzB9SQ)—*loundraw* had already begun the transition toward animation and had been nurturing directorial ambitions. Then in 2019, at the age of 24, he founded FLAT STUDIO with *Tetsuya Yano*, releasing his directorial debut *Summer Ghost* two years later.
One might be forgiven for glancing at *loundraw’s* work and seeing him as a spiritual successor to *Makoto Shinkai*—there are undeniable parallels between the two. Both exhibit a strong affinity for photorealism, generous use of lens flare, meticulous attention to depth of field, and, at times, striking similarities in their visual imagery. However, it could just as easily be argued that these stylistic features stem from *loundraw’s* framing his works through the lens of a camera, and that it is also informed by broader cinematic inspirations beyond *Shinkai*.
For instance, [*loundraw* has cited *Iñárritu’s Birdman* as a key influence on *Summer Ghost*](https://www.fandom.com/articles/summer-ghost-anime-loundraw), and the connection can clearly be seen in sequences like the ones below, where tracking shots replicate camera movements with painstaking precision. webm(https://i.imgur.com/5M9OXnx.mp4)
This aesthetic is not merely a referential gesture; it fundamentally shapes the shot compositions. The manipulation of depth of field creates a sense of distance by shifting focus between different elements within a scene, effectively integrating the characters with the backgrounds. Similarly, *loundraw* frequently employs lens flare throughout the film [to guide the viewer’s gaze](https://i.imgur.com/qIQdnHD.png). More interestingly, he sometimes incorporates [lens flare into the colour scheme of his shots, making for unexpectedly memorable images.](https://i.imgur.com/5nbOmsW.png)
It is in this latter regard that *loundraw’s* talent is most evident. He possesses a remarkable eye for colour combinations; effortlesly using monochromatic and analogous palettes to evoke the suffocating banality of ordinary life, while resorting to triadic schemes to capture the warmth of a summer sunset. His unique vision leads him to unconventional choices that, remarkably, work perfectly more often than not. This applies equally well to the lightning, with *loundraw* amplifying the range of hues used to depict light to grant an ethereal appearance to the characters in many scenes. Herein lies another feature that separates him from *Shinkai*: the willingness to sacrifice strict realism in favour of expressiveness, “cheating” with use of shadows when it better serves the colour scheme. ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/roWqp1i.jpeg)~~~
As well-crafted as the compositions are, an unfortunate by-product of the camera-centric aesthetic is the gradual sense of detachment it fosters—a constant, immersion-breaking reminder of the artificiality of the events unfolding on screen. One way this manifests is through the manipulation of focus. While the decision to blur many of the backgrounds, keeping them out of focus, may be a practical production choice to streamline workflow for a small studio, it also leaves the viewer feeling as though the story takes place nowhere in particular. In the director’s defense, perhaps that’s the very point of it. A core tenet of *loundraw's* artwork is the concept of *blank space*. >
[For me, blank space is very important, a lack of detail. I’ve been told previously by background artists that it’s actually harder not to draw something . . .](https://www.animationforadults.com/2022/05/an-interview-with-summer-ghost-director.html) > #####
*loundraw*, from a May 2022 interview with AFA
In his view, it leaves room for the audience to construct their own stories around deliberately restricted imagery. >
[I like to draw things with as much blank space as possible. I generally try not to draw people with obvious emotions so that the reader can fill in the gaps by asking, "Why is this person making that expression?"](https://www.cinra.net/article/interview-201807-loundraw) > #####
*loundraw*, from a July 2018 interview with CINRA
Yet, when it comes to a film rather than isolated drawings, this approach does not quite achieve that same effect. Instead, it creates a feeling of emotional distance, which is only heightened by the delivery of coldly calculated self-analytical dialogue from the characters.
There’s a notable absence of [what Miyazaki once described to Roger Ebert as *ma*](https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/hayao-miyazaki-interview)—the pause that allows the plot to halt and gives the viewer time to take in the scenery. While it might be tempting to attribute this pacing issue to the script, the situation is more complex.
Otsuichi, the screenwriter, makes use of his extensive experience as a light novel and short story writer, to successfully build upon *loundraw’s* basic premise. He unifies the central motifs—fireworks, summer, and the ghost—from the original drawing, while introducing his own. In particular, choosing an airport as the backdrop for the ghostly summonings, a liminal space between destinations, is a brilliant touch that perfectly complements the themes of life, death and ephemerality that the other motifs such as the fireworks represent. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/iw2GhJz.png)~~~
However, Otsuichi faces two significant constraints: a short runtime and a unique workflow that prioritizes visuals over narrative. The script was developed in parallel with the storyboards, and the director frequently requested changes to the former based on his visual ideas, completely shifting the balance of the storytelling process. >
[For the script I did something a little bit different from the standards of making an anime. I was doing the script and the storyboard, and then took ideas from the storyboard back to the script.](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2022-10-31/summer-ghost-director-loundraw/.191212) > #####
loundraw, from an October 2022 interview with ANN
Moreover, [a quarter of the total shots ended up on the cutting room floor](https://animeuknews.net/2022/06/interview-summer-ghost-loundraw/). While it’s impossible to say for certain whether an extra twelve minutes would have significantly altered the film's impact, it’s hard to imagine that it would have been a detriment.
As the film dashes from one montage to the next, there are almost no moments of silence, and this is no accident; the Summer Ghost soundtrack is only four minutes shorter than the film itself, with every single piece making its way into the final cut. Four different composers contributed to the score, following *loundraw’s* explicit instruction to avoid creating a cohesive, unified sound. Instead, each track is tailored for a specific story beat, often serving to narrow the emotional distance between the viewer and characters that is created by the previously discussed elements. >
[Rather than unifying the tone of the entire soundtrack, I wanted to play appropriate music for each scene, so I told [the composers] to bring out their own colour rather than balancing with the others.](https://avexnet.jp/column/1000499) > #####
loundraw, from a November 2021 interview with Avex
A standout example in this regard is [*Hideya Kojima’s Frozen in Time*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjLvzIbDQqg), which plays during the cast’s first conversation with the titular ghost. Its ambient style, marked by haunting, sporadic piano notes and distorted strings, creates the unsettling sense that the melody could veer in any direction at any moment, though it never does—submerged instead within the broader, atmospheric soundscape. It imbues the scene with an unspoken tension, an eerie stillness, that perfectly embodies an encounter with the paranormal. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/0rPomFD.jpeg)~~~
Similarly, the musical compositions from Akira Kosemura, Itoko Toma, and Guiano complement their respective scenes just as effectively. However, much like the film’s pacing, the transitions between these pieces can feel jarring due to the lack of deliberate, well-timed pauses.
As such, the lasting impression once the credits roll is that Summer Ghost functions more as a portfolio—a showcase where each scene and shot feels like an exhibition piece, meticulously animated and scored for display, rather than a cohesive work of art. It seems more about proving that *loundraw* can helm a larger project, serving as a stepping stone for his studio to enter the anime industry, leverage existing connections, and nurture new ones, all while honing his craft as a director.
No honest criticism can be levelled against such an ambitious endeavour; founding a studio at 24 and releasing a project like this by 26 is an impressive achievement in its own right. All the elements are now in place for *loundraw* to achieve widespread mainstream success in the near future.
Yet it is not the promise of what’s to come, but rather the ghostly apparition of bewitching beauty that haunts the screen; those fleeting glimpses of warmth that sparkle and fizzle out intermittently like fireworks, leading one to revisit the film, hoping that with each subsequent viewing, one might just awaken to the magic of a summer sunset.