The appeal and reviews of "Summer Wars": Family ties and a story in the digital age

"Summer Wars": Family ties and the dangers of the digital age

"Summer Wars" is a theatrical animation film directed by Mamoru Hosoda that was released in 2009. Director Mamoru Hosoda is an animation director who first gained attention with "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," and his subsequent works have always been highly acclaimed. "Summer Wars" is a work that fully demonstrates Director Mamoru Hosoda's talent, skillfully depicting the themes of family ties and the perils of the digital age.

story

The protagonist is 17-year-old Koiso Kenji, a timid and socially awkward scientist. During the summer vacation of his second year of high school, Kenji, who has a genius talent for mathematics but a shy personality, is asked by Shinohara Natsuki, a senior student he admires, to do a part-time job. The two end up in her countryside in Nagano, where they find a large family of 27 people. Natsuki's great-grandmother, Sakae, is the head of the Jinnouchi family, a Sengoku clan that has continued since the Muromachi period, and is the family's main breadwinner.

A group of unique relatives gather to celebrate Sakae's birthday. Suddenly, Natsuki asks Kenji to pretend to be her fiance. Kenji and his large family must fight against a world crisis that has arisen due to an unexpected turn of events. Kenji is persuaded to stay for a few days for Sakae's sake. Kenji struggles to fulfill his important role as her fiance, despite being overwhelmed by the lively family. That night, he receives an email with a string of mysterious numbers on his mobile phone. Kenji, who is good at math, becomes obsessed with deciphering them, but... The next morning, the world has changed dramatically. Someone pretending to be Kenji has plunged the world into chaos. "We'll settle this as a family!" Under Sakae's command, Kenji, Natsuki, and the Jinnouchi family come together to face the world's crisis.

Commentary

"Summer Wars" is the latest animated film from director Mamoru Hosoda of "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time." Released in a single theater in the summer of 2006, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" became a long-running hit through word of mouth, winning numerous film awards both in Japan and abroad. It has become a work beloved by many. Three years later, animation director Mamoru Hosoda, who gained attention for his work on "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," has finally released his latest work, "Summer Wars." This work reunites the staff of "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," including character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and screenwriter Satoko Okudera, and tells the story of a boy who unexpectedly joins a large family in a rural area and takes on the challenge of fighting against a crisis that suddenly strikes the world.

cast

・Kenji Koiso/Ryunosuke Kamiki・Natsuki Shinohara/Nanami Sakuraba・Kazuma Ikezawa/Mizuki Tanimura・Takashi Sakuma/Takahiro Yokokawa・Mariko Jinnai/Mieko Shinzawa・Kazuo Shinohara/Mutsumi Sasaki・Tasuke Jinnai/Takashi Kobayashi・Yorihiko Jinnai/Yoji Tanaka・Yukiko Shinohara/Kiyomi Tanigawa・Kunihiko Jinnai/Hashiya Nakamura・Rika Jinnai/Sakiko Tamagawa・Naomi Miwa/Kaori Yamagata・Riichi Jinnai/Takuya Kirimoto・Katsuhiko Jinnai/Ita Takashi Kuramitsu, Satomi Ikezawa, Tagame Tamura, Noriko Jinnai, Eiko Kanazawa, Nana Jinnai, Chigusa Takakuwa, Shota Jinnai, Yu Shimizu, Ryohei Jinnai, Naoto Adachi, Yumi Jinnai, Riisa Naka, Mao Jinnai, Sumire Morohoshi, Shingo Jinnai, Yuki Imai, Yuhei Jinnai, Chikito Ota, Kana Jinnai, Hinano Minagawa, Wabisuke Jinnai, Ayumu Saito, Mansuke Jinnai, Ichiro Nagai, Mansaku Jinnai, Tadashi Nakamura, Sakae Jinnai, Junko Fuji

Main Staff

・Planning/Masao Maruyama・Executive Producer/Seiji Okuda・Producers/Nozomi Takahashi, Takuya Ito, Takashi Watanabe, Yuichiro Saito・Original Story/Mamoru Hosoda, Madhouse, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Kadokawa Shoten・Director/Mamoru Hosoda・Screenplay/Sadoko Okudera・Key Animation/Takayuki Hamada, Kazutaka Ozaki, Nobutaka Ito, Chie Uratani, Kenji Yazaki, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Tomohisa Shimoyama, Hideki Takahashi, Hiroko Minowa, Ryotaro Makihara, Jun Sekiguchi, Koichi Arai, Yasunori Miyazawa, Yumi Hayashi, Tadashi Matsuzaki, Yoshiyuki Ito, Keisuke Masunaga, Takeshi Otsuka, Akitoshi Yokoyama, Ayako Hata, Kumiko Kawana , Sasaki Miwa, Yamaguchi Mami, Suzuki Michiyo, Tate Naoki, Fukuda Michio, Baba Mitsuko, Matsuda Soichiro, Kitano Yoshihiko, Hori Takeshi, Takano Aya, Shinkawa Nobumasa, Muratani Takashi, Nagura Yasuhiro, Hirayama Takaaki, Abiru Koji, Baba Ken, Miyamoto Sawako, Sato Masako, Yoshio Hideaki, Furuya Katsugo, Tanaka Atsuko, Hashimoto Keishi, Sakazaki Tadashi, Nakatsuru Katsuyoshi, Mukoda Takashi, Nishida Tatsuzo, Aoyama Hiroyuki, Oshima Akiko, Oguchi Akane, Yukimura Ai, Tonegawa Kei, Nagame Yukika, Watanabe Sakiko, Sakazume Kayo, Tsuji Hitoshi, Ichinose Misuzu, Miyata Tomoko, O Production, Video/Video Inspection/DR ... MOVIE, Shotaro Shimoda, Yasue Sonogi, Rie Tamaki, Ryota Azuma, Yu Watanabe, Takuya Imamon, Koji Odate, Sayaka Kawai, Ai Yokoyama, Hee Dong Yang, Miho Kato, Naoko Minai, Yumiko Nakamura, Mami Takino, Oh Production, Asami Takano, Minako Sekihara, Mai Ogawa, Yusaku Kumagai, Jo Jong-Duck, Yoko Tanaka, Satoshi Hiraiwa, Tomomi Fukasawa, Ryosuke Mizuno, Assistant Color Designer/Ken Hashimoto, Yoshinori Horikawa, Finishing/Harue Ohno, Miyako Morita, Yukie Noguchi, Yuriko Kakumoto, Nemu Nakajima, Yasuyoshi Ushijima, Ami Kutsuna, DR MOVIE, Studio L, Yoshida Aki, Hayashi Daiki, Ono Jun, Mimura Risa, Tamba Mika, Suzuki Yoko, Taira Makiko, Tanaka Fumiko, Sakai Shizumi, Kinoshita Mika, Saijo Haruka, Kuroki Mai, Kondo Naoto, Moriwaki Hiroshi, Ota Kaoru, Okubo Yusuke, Takei Noriyuki, Tanaka Teruyoshi, Aida Koichi, Wish, Ito Atsuko, Okui Emiko, Ito Yoshiki, Ishikawa Naoki, Sato Miyuki, Sunahara Naoko, Terashima Shinya, Ten Yosuke Moto, Daiki Egusuka, Yoko Chiba, Hiromi Mitsutome, Yu Takahashi, Hitomi Yamase, Mitsuhiro Tarusaki, Manami Sasa, Sayako Kushima, Mie Hasegawa, Sayaka Yamashita, Miyuki Tanimoto, Maki Ohmoto・Special Effects/Team Taniguchi, Kumiko Taniguchi, Ayumi Arahata, Kaori Kobayashi, Keiko Itokawa, Eimi Irisa・Set Layout/Takaaki Yamashita・Music/Akihiko Matsumoto・Theme Song/Tatsuro Yamashita・Editing/Shigeru Nishiyama・Director of Photography/Yuki Masumoto Large, Sound Recordist/Yoshio Obara, Sound Effects/Yasuyuki Konno, Music Producer/Kozue Okada, Art Director/Yoji Takeshige, CG Director/Ryo Horibe, Color Design/Chikako Kamata, Character Design/Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, OZ Character Design/Noriyuki Okazaki, Mina Okazaki, Masaru Hamada, OZ Art Design/Asato Kamijo, Animation Director/Hiroyuki Aoyama, Shigeru Fujita, Kunihiko Hamada, Kazutaka Ozaki, Action Animation Director/Tatsuzo Nishida, Producers/Toru Horikoshi, Jungo Maruta, Shinichiro Inoue, Hiroyasu Asami, Noriaki Kamiki, Shinichiro Nishigaki, Fumihiro Hirai, Animation Production/Madhouse, Produced by Summer Wars Production Committee (Nippon Television Network Corporation, Madhouse, Kadokawa Shoten, DN Dream Partners, Warner Bros. Pictures, Yomiuri Telecasting, VAP)

Main Characters

・Kenji Koiso
A 17-year-old second-year student at Kuonji High School in Tokyo. A shy and withdrawn science student who is a member of the physics club. He was planning to work part-time as an internet maintenance technician with his friends during summer vacation, but he was invited by his admired senior, Shinohara Natsuki, to visit Ueda City in Nagano Prefecture. Mathematics is his forte, but he regrets not being able to represent Japan in the Mathematics Olympiad after losing. However, his forte will soon become the trump card that will allow him to face the crisis facing the world.
・Natsuki Shinohara
18 years old, the eldest daughter of the Shinohara family. She is the great-granddaughter of Jinnai Sakae. She is an idol girl in the school Kendo club and a senior of Kenji. During summer vacation, she goes to Ueda City in Nagano Prefecture to celebrate her great-grandmother Sakae's birthday. However, in order to fulfill her promise to Sakae that she would bring her husband next time, she asks Koiso Kenji to work part-time as his fiance. She is a beautiful girl with a refreshing white dress, but she also has a bit of an airheaded side.
・Jinnouchi Sakae
She is the 16th head of the Jinnouchi family, which has been around for over several hundred years since the Sengoku period. She is the head of a large family spanning four generations, including her great-grandchildren. On her 90th birthday, many relatives gather from all over the country to celebrate. She is an elderly woman with a background in ancient martial arts and a vitality that belies her age. She inherited the spirit of her ancestors who devoted themselves to their hometown during the Sengoku period, and has extensive connections in the political and financial worlds. She accepts her "fiancé" Kenji, who suddenly appears, and leads her family in facing the crisis that is the world.
・Kazuma Ikezawa
13 years old, one of Sakae's great-grandchildren. He tends to stay in his room and looks like a gloomy otaku boy, but he is actually the world champion of online fighting games, and in the cyber world he is an expert who controls "King Kazma, the Fighting King." He is a super player sponsored by a global company. He is confident in his abilities, and in the past, his attitude led to him being bullied. He continues to train under the guidance of his "master" in order to master fighting games.
・Wabisuke Jinnouchi
41 years old, he is the illegitimate child of the great-grandfather who was the head of the Jinnouchi family. He ran off with the family's assets and was missing for ten years, but suddenly returned on the day of Grandma Sakae's 90th birthday. It seems that during that time he had been engrossed in researching artificial intelligence in America. In fact, this was the root cause of the big incident, and it seems to be related to the "Love Machine"... He is a vagabond, but has a brilliant mind. He is also Natsuki's first love.
・Takashi Sakuma
17 years old, Kenji's classmate, they both belong to the Physics Club at Kuonji High School. The Physics Club is commonly known as the "PC Club", and their part-time job is maintaining the OZ in the club room.
・Mariko Jinnai
71 years old, the eldest daughter of Sakae Jinnai. As the so-called "main family," she is a caring housewife who takes care of the women of the Jinnai family during the Obon festival in summer and the New Year in winter.
・Yukiko Shinohara
47 years old, she married into the Shinohara family from the Jinnouchi family, and is the mother of Shinohara Natsuki.
・Riichi Jinnouchi
41 years old, Mariko Jinnai's eldest son. He is a member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and is stationed at Camp Ichigaya in Tokyo, but his work is shrouded in mystery and he doesn't talk much about it.
・Kazuo Shinohara
55 years old, father of Natsuki Shinohara. He works for the Tokyo Waterworks Bureau.
・Rika Jinnai
42 years old, Mariko Jinnai's eldest daughter. She works at Ueda City Hall. Although she is the eldest daughter of the main family, she has remained single by her own choice.
・Mansuke Jinnouchi
70 years old, the second son of Sakae Jinnai. He runs a fishing business in Niigata fishing port. He is an active fisherman who also goes out fishing on his own boat, and is physically strong with the skills of a Shorinji Kempo master. He is the "master" who taught Shorinji Kempo to his grandson, Yoshima Ikezawa, through OZ.
・Naomi Miwa
42 years old. Mansuke Jinnai's eldest daughter. A divorced, flashy beauty with a tough personality.
・Tasuke Jinnai
45 years old, the eldest son of Mansuke Jinnai. He is the owner of the Jinnai Electrical Appliances Store and does everything from local retail to deliveries to public facilities.
・Kiyomi Ikezawa
39 years old, second daughter of Mansuke Jinnai. Working as a care worker in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Mother of Yoshima Ikezawa, she is 8 months pregnant and the birth of Yoshima's little sister is just around the corner.
・Shota Jinnouchi
21 years old, the eldest son of Taisuke Jinnai and a police officer. He is Natsuki's second cousin and has cared for her since they were children. Therefore, he is not happy about Kenji's sudden appearance and ends up yelling at him in anger.
・Mansaku Jinnai
68 years old, the third son of Sakae Jinnai and a physician. Whenever he gets drunk, he talks about sex, and his relatives have given him the nickname "Ero Oyaji" (perverted old man). He is always concerned about Sakae's health, and examines him and prescribes medicine for him.
・Yorihiko Jinnouchi
45 years old, the eldest son of Mansaku Jinnai, and a good father to Shingo and Mao. He works at the Matsumoto City Fire Department and drives an ambulance as a paramedic.
・Noriko Jinnai
37 years old, wife of Yorihiko Jinnai. She has a hard time dealing with the mischievous Shingo and his friends.
・Kunihiko Jinnai
He is 42 years old, the second son of Mansaku Jinnai, and is newly married. He works at the Suwa City Fire Department and is the chief firefighter on board a fire engine.
・Nana Jinnouchi
Wife of Kunihiko Jinnai. She is newly married and has not yet gotten used to life as the bride of a branch of an old family.
・Katsuhiko Jinnai
40 years old, third son of Mansaku Jinnai. Rescue team member working at the Ueda City Fire Department. First to get married among the three brothers.
・Yumi Jinnouchi
38 years old, wife of Katsuhiko Jinnai. She is upset by the results of her eldest son Ryohei's high school baseball games.
・Ryohei Jinnai
17 years old, Katsuhiko Jinnai's eldest son.
・Mao Jinnai
4 years old, Yorihiko Jinnai's eldest daughter.
・Shingo Jinnai
6 years old, Jinnai Yorihiko's eldest son.
・Yuhei Jinnai
7 years old, Katsuhiko Jinnai's second son.
・Kana Jinnai
2 years old, Kunihiko Jinnai's eldest daughter.
・Kyohei Jinnai
0 years old, Katsuhiko Jinnai's third son.

Main Robot Items

・What is OZ?
OZ is a virtual world on the Internet where people from all over the world can gather and have fun. People can set their own avatars and live their lives online just like they do in the real world.
・What is an Avatar?
An avatar is your alter ego on OZ. You can dress up your avatar however you like, with clothes, hairstyle, tail, etc. People with professions can have their avatars with the same authority as they have in the real world. For example... Firefighter Kunihiko's avatar → Real-world emergency orders can be issued from OZ Waterworks employee Kazuo's avatar → Real-world waterworks management can be performed from OZ Because OZ and the real world are so closely connected, if an avatar is stolen, lifelines will also become uncontrollable. For example, if the avatar of the US President is stolen, the authority to launch nuclear missiles will also be stolen.
・The world's highest security system
Your personal information is protected by OZ's world-class security to prevent your avatar from being stolen. Relax and enjoy the world.
・Number of OZ users ― How many people? ―
Over one billion people around the world, from babies to the elderly, have accounts, which is the same number as the penetration rate of mobile phones.
・How to access?
You can easily access it from your internet, mobile phone, TV, etc.
・What can we do at OZ?
Shopping Experience all kinds of music, movies, furniture, food, cars, real estate, travel plans, and more from around the world as if you were actually looking at them. Luxury brand stores from around the world are also available! The specialty shopping area has a variety of luxury stores from around the world. You can even dress your avatar in the clothes you purchase there.
You can freely play sports using the sports spectator avatar. You can also enjoy watching sports at the stadium. Kasuma's avatar, King Kazma, is the world champion of martial arts in OZ.
A perfect business environment!
OZ also offers a fully supportive business environment, allowing companies from all over the world to open branches and set up new offices.
All procedures can be handled at OZ!
Many government agencies and local governments have set up offices in OZ, where people can pay taxes and handle various formalities. OZ also functions effectively in areas where there are regional disparities in information, such as managing medical data, and the Jinnouchi family, who live far from the city, use OZ on a daily basis.
・How to communicate?
OZ instantly translates all languages ​​in the world, so people from all over the world can enjoy conversation. There are 4 million communities, so you can communicate easily.

Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Our Summer Dream・Lyrics/Tatsuro Yamashita・Music/Tatsuro Yamashita・Singer/Tatsuro Yamashita

Evaluation and Impressions

"Summer Wars" is a work that skillfully depicts two themes: family ties and the dangers of the digital age. Director Mamoru Hosoda's world is a mix of reality and virtuality, and the human drama is depicted realistically. In particular, the human drama woven by the unique characters of a large family is never boring to watch. The setting of the virtual world of OZ is also very interesting, symbolizing modern society's addiction to the Internet and security issues.

The story unfolds in a thrilling way, and the scenes where Kenji uses his knowledge of mathematics to save the world from crisis have the power to draw the viewer in. In addition, there are many episodes in which the family ties are reaffirmed, and there are many touching scenes scattered throughout the film. In particular, Grandma Sakae's leadership and love for her family are important elements that support the entire film.

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's unique touch in the character design shines through, and each character's personality is clearly expressed. The theme song "Bokura no Natsu no Yume" by Tatsuro Yamashita also adds to the atmosphere of the work, making you feel the freshness and sadness of summer.

Recommended points

"Summer Wars" is a work that can be recommended to a wide range of generations as it depicts family love, friendship, and the problems of the digital age. Watching it with the family will have a particularly deep impact. The setting of the virtual world of OZ also serves as a good opportunity to think about internet addiction and security issues in modern society. As an animated work, it is of very high quality, and you can fully experience the talent of director Mamoru Hosoda. I highly recommend that you give it a watch.