Summer Hourglass: A thorough review of beautiful visuals and a touching story

The appeal and reviews of Summer-colored Hourglass

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

April 23, 2004

■Release and sales

KSS

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

PrincessSoft

■ Director

Takahiro Okao

■ Production

Animation production: Picture Magic, Rikuen Tai Production cooperation: Frontline Production: KSS, Picture Magic

■Works

©2004 PrincessSoft／Softgarage・JCM

■ Story

A slightly mysterious story of "Summer"...
For those of you who can't wait for "summer", we'll bring "summer" a little early...

At the opening ceremony just before summer vacation, Kotaro Makimura decided to confess his feelings to Kaori Serizawa. However, when he wakes up, it is already September 1st. When Kotaro goes to school, he learns that Kaori, who he had become a lover with, has died in a traffic accident. After hearing the story from Regen the Time Patroller, Kotaro repeatedly travels through time (day drops) in an attempt to change Kaori's sad future...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Kaho Serizawa/Nana Mizuki/Ai Seno/Masayo Kurata/Tomomi Yanagihara/Kikuko Inoue/Mao Kawamura/Rikako Aikawa/Regen/Fumiko Orikasa/Kotaro Makimura/Hideki Ogiwara/Takeshi Tokieda/Hiroki Takahashi

■ Main staff

・Original work: PrincessSoft
・Director / Takahiro Okao・Series Composition / Isao Shizuya・Character Design / Yasunari Nitta・Screenplay / Isao Shizuya・Animation Director / Takashi Murai・Art Director / Mitsuharu Miyamae・Color Setting / Haruko Nobori・Director of Photography / Tokoro Toshikatsu・Editor / Terumitsu Okada・Music / Ryo Sakai, Yuichi Ota・Sound Director / Koichi Iizuka・Music Producer / Chiyomaru Shikura, Takashi Saiki・Producer / Akihiko Hashimoto, Takashi Nakanishi, Yutaka Oguchi・Animation Production / Picture Magic, Rikuen Tai・Production Cooperation / Frontline・Production / KSS, Picture Magic

■ Main Characters

Serizawa Kaho is a young lady who lives with her father, a famous painter. She has excellent grades and a gentle personality. She is looked upon with admiration by her seniors, juniors, and even her peers. She is the captain of the drama club and a second-year high school student.
Seno Ai is a childhood friend of Kotaro. She works hard at everything she does and has a personality that does not know how to doubt others. She is prone to anemia and is a regular at the nurse's office. She is a manager of the soccer club and is in her second year of high school.
Tomomi Yanagihara A science teacher who is knowledgeable about paranormal phenomena. She always wears a white coat, glasses, and has a messy head, but she is actually beautiful. She is popular with students. She is a reliable presence who also gives advice to Kotaro.
Mao Kawamura is a junior who is highly regarded by the school as a high diving athlete. He has a boyish personality and is quiet. He gives off an unapproachable vibe. He is a first-year high school student and a member of the swimming club.
・Regen Time Patroller. A mysterious girl who is unknown where she came from. She has a good personality and is a joker. After Kotaro clashes with her, he starts traveling through time.
Kotaro Makimura is an ordinary high school student who lives with his parents. He is average at both studying and sports, but he doesn't have any special skills or anything that makes him stand out. He is a second-year high school student and a member of the boxing club.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Truth Buried in the Sand (2004/04/23)
Episode 2: In That Eternal Second (2004/07/23)

■ Related works

・Summer-colored Hourglass 2

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Drive away dream
Lyrics: Chiyomaru Shikura; Composition: Chiyomaru Shikura; Arrangement: Toshimichi Isoe; Singer: Nana Mizuki

・ED1
・First Summer・Lyrics by Haruko Momoi・Music by Haruko Momoi・Arrangement by Masaya Koike・Singer by UNDER17

The appeal and reviews of Summer-colored Hourglass

"Summer Colored Hourglass" is an OVA based on a game originally created by PrincessSoft and was released in 2004. The story combines the sci-fi element of time travel with a coming-of-age drama, deeply moving viewers. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Summer Colored Hourglass" begins with the opening ceremony just before summer vacation. The protagonist, Kotaro Makimura, decides to confess his feelings to Kaho Serizawa, but when he wakes up, it's September 1st. He finds out that Kaho died in a traffic accident, and with the power of time travel from the time patroller Regen, he struggles to change her fate. This time travel setting adds depth to the story by making the viewer consider "what if" scenarios.

In addition, as Kotaro travels back in time multiple times to try to change Kaho's fate, various human relationships and emotions are depicted. In particular, the relationship between Kotaro and Kaho, as well as their interactions with other characters, evoke empathy from the viewer. While skillfully using the unrealistic element of time travel, the work as a whole is enhanced by depicting the sadness of youth, friendship, and realistic emotions of love.

Character Appeal

Each character in "Summer Colored Hourglass" is unique and charming. In particular, Serizawa Kaho is impressive for being an elegant young lady with excellent grades, yet active in the drama club. Her kindness and strength resonate deeply with viewers. Also, Kotaro's childhood friend Seno Ai is charming for her hard work and pure personality in everything she does. Her presence plays an important role in supporting Kotaro's actions.

Furthermore, each character adds color to the story, including Tomomi Yanagihara, a science teacher who is knowledgeable about paranormal phenomena, Mao Kawamura, a high diving athlete, and Regen the Time Patroller. Regen in particular adds humor to the story with her easy-going personality and playful side. The human drama woven by these characters enhances the appeal of the work.

The appeal of video and music

The visuals of "Summer Colored Hourglass" are beautifully animated by Picture Magic and Rikuen-tai. In particular, the time travel scenes and the scenes depicting summer landscapes have a great visual impact thanks to the skillful use of color and light. Furthermore, the attention to detail by art director Mitsuharu Miyamae and color designer Haruko Nobori enhances the beauty of the entire work.

In terms of music, the opening theme "Drive away dream" sung by Mizuki Nana is impressive. The lyrics and composition by Shikura Chiyomaru capture the hearts of viewers with their powerful melody and lyrics that symbolize the theme of the story. Similarly, the ending theme "Hajimete no Natsu" expresses the sadness of summer and the transience of youth with the singing voice of UNDER17 and the lyrics and composition by Momoi Haruko. These musical pieces further enhance the emotions of the story.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Summer Hourglass" is a work that skillfully combines the science fiction element of time travel with a youth drama, and leaves a deep impression on the viewer. The development of the story, the charm of the characters, and the beauty of the visuals and music all work together to raise the quality of the work as a whole. This work is especially recommended for those who like youth anime and science fiction anime. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the theme of time travel and those who want to enjoy a sad love story.

Furthermore, this work was released in the form of an OVA, which has the added benefit of allowing viewers to feel deeply moved in a short amount of time. Although each episode is self-contained, it is thanks to the skill of the script and direction that it is able to evoke so many emotions in the viewer. Please watch this work and feel the sadness of summer and the brilliance of youth.

Related works and their appeal

There is a sequel to "Summer Colored Hourglass", "Summer Colored Hourglass 2". This sequel has a deeper story and character growth. In particular, the effects of time travel and the relationships between characters are explored further, giving viewers new emotions. If you enjoyed "Summer Colored Hourglass", be sure to watch the sequel and enjoy the rest of the story.

Other works by PrincessSoft also have many beautiful stories with themes of youth and love. For example, "Princess Principal" and "WHITE ALBUM" are also recommended as works that depict deep emotions. Please try watching these works when you have time.

summary

"Summer Hourglass" is a work that skillfully combines the science fiction element of time travel with a youth drama, and leaves a deep impression on the viewer. The development of the story, the charm of the characters, and the beauty of the visuals and music all work together to raise the quality of the work as a whole. This work is especially recommended for those who like youth anime and science fiction anime. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the theme of time travel and those who want to enjoy a sad love story. Please watch this work and feel the sadness of summer and the brilliance of youth.