| Summer Wars | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | サマーウォーズ | ||||
| |||||
| Directed by | Mamoru Hosoda | ||||
| Screenplay by | Satoko Okudera | ||||
| Story by | Mamoru Hosoda | ||||
| Produced by |
| ||||
| Starring | |||||
| Cinematography | Yukihiro Matsumoto | ||||
| Edited by | Shigeru Nishiyama | ||||
| Music by | Akihiko Matsumoto | ||||
Production company | |||||
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures | ||||
Release date |
| ||||
Running time | 114 minutes[1] | ||||
| Country | Japan | ||||
| Language | Japanese | ||||
| Box office | US$18.7 million[2] | ||||
Summer Wars (Japanese:サマーウォーズ,Hepburn:Samā Wōzu) is a 2009Japanese animatedscience fiction film directed byMamoru Hosoda, produced byMadhouse, and distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures. The film's voice cast includesRyunosuke Kamiki,Nanami Sakuraba,Mitsuki Tanimura,Sumiko Fuji, andAyumu Saitō. Set in 2010,Summer Wars tells the story of Kenji Koiso, a timid eleventh-grade math genius who is taken toUeda by twelfth-grade student Natsuki Shinohara to celebrate her great-grandmother's 90th birthday. However, he is falsely implicated in the hacking of avirtual world by a self-aware, sadisticArtificial Intelligence named Love Machine. Kenji must repair the damage done, and find a way to stop the rogue computer program from causing any further chaos.
After producingThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Madhouse was asked to produce something new. Hosoda and writerSatoko Okudera created a story about a social network and a stranger's connection with strange family. The real-life city of Ueda was chosen as the setting forSummer Wars as part of the territory was once governed by theSanada clan and was close to Hosoda's birthplace in Toyama. Hosoda used the clan as the basis for the Jinnouchi family after visiting his then-fiancée's home in Ueda.
Production ofSummer Wars commenced in 2006. Art director Youji Takeshige incorporated Japanese houses into his background designs. Hosoda also insisted that 80 family members were to be included as main characters. The project was first announced at the 2008Tokyo International Anime Fair and the first trailer of the film was released in April 2009. Audience interest was fueled primarily through word of mouth and Internet publicity.[3] Amanga adaptation of the film was written by Iqura Sugimoto and began its serialization in July 2009.
Summer Wars premiered in Japan on August 1, 2009. It grossed over US$1 million in its opening weekend in 127 theaters and ranked No. 7 at the box office. The film was well received by critics and the general audience and was financially successful, earning $18 million worldwide. It won several awards such as the 2010Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year,[4] the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival's Animation Division Grand Prize, the Anaheim International Film Festival's Audience Award for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for the 2009 Golden Leopard award at theLocarno International Film Festival.[5]
In 2010, Kenji Koiso is a young student at Kuonji High School with a gift formathematics and a part-timemoderator in the massive computer-simulatedvirtual reality world OZ along with his friend Takashi Sakuma.
One day, Kenji is invited by fellow Kuonji student Natsuki Shinohara to participate in her great-grandmother Sakae Jinnouchi's 90th birthday. After traveling to Sakae's estate inUeda, Nagano, Natsuki introduces Kenji as herfiancé to Sakae, surprising them both. Kenji meets several of Natsuki's relatives and discovers that the Jinnouchis are descendants of a samurai (vassal of theTakeda clan) who challenged theTokugawa clan in 1615. He also meets Wabisuke Jinnouchi, Natsuki's half-great-uncle and a software engineer who has been living in the United States since stealing the family fortune 10 years ago.
Kenji receives an e-mail with a mathematical code and cracks it. However, a program called Love Machine uses Kenji's solution to hijack hisavatar andhack into OZ's system. Kenji, Sakuma, and Natsuki's cousin Kazuma Ikezawa confront Love Machine, but it defeats Kazuma's avatar King Kazma and continues absorbing the system's accounts, causing catastrophictraffic congestion and disabling electrical devices. Two of Sakae's relatives, Rika and Shota Jinnouchi, deduce Kenji's involvement. Shota arrests Kenji, but the congestion causes Natsuki to return them to the estate.
Sakae calls associates in important positions in Japanese society and relatives who work in emergency services, encouraging them to work their hardest to reduce chaos and damage, comparing the situation to war. Kenji returns control of the system to the moderators and engineers while Sakuma discovers that Kenji actually misspelled one part of the code. Wabisuke reveals that he developed the program and sold it to theUnited States Armed Forces for a test run and expanding it into a powerfulvirtual intelligence. Sakae later encourages Kenji to take care of Natsuki during aKoi-Koi match.
The next morning, Kenji and the Jinnouchis find Sakae dead. Her youngest son Mansaku explains that she hadangina, and that Love Machine had deactivated her heart monitor. Kenji, Sakuma, and most of the Jinnouchis form a plan to defeat Love Machine with asupercomputer using ice blocks as a coolant, while Natsuki and the others prepare afuneral for Sakae.
Kenji, along with Sakuma and the others, capture Love Machine, but Shota carries the ice blocks to Sakae's body, overheating the supercomputer. Love Machine absorbs King Kazma and redirects theArawashi Asteroid Probe onto a collision course with anuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Natsuki discovers awill left by Sakae and reunites with Kenji and the rest of the group. Natsuki has Wabisuke return home before the family reads Sakae's will, asking them to reconcile with Wabisuke. Realizing that Love Machine sees everything as a game, Kenji has the Jinnouchis confront Love Machine to playHanafudaKoi-Koi in OZ's casino world, wagering their accounts. Natsuki wins several rounds, but gets distracted and nearly loses her "winnings".
However, OZ users worldwide enter their own accounts into the wager on Natsuki's side, prompting the system's guardian programs—the blue and red whales known as John and Yoko—to upgrade Natsuki's account. Natsuki wagers what the 150 million avatars had given to her in a single hand and critically injures Love Machine, prompting it to redirect theArawashi towards Sakae's estate. Kenji repeatedly tries breaking into the probe's GPS, while Wabisuke disables Love Machine's defenses. After being revived and assisted by several of the Jinnouchis' avatars, King Kazma destroys Love Machine. Kenji infiltrates the GPS to redirect theArawashi away from the estate, destroying the estate's entrance and causing ageyser to erupt. As the Jinnouchis celebrate their victory as well as Sakae's birthday, they have Natsuki kiss Kenji after they confess their love to each other.
| Character | Japanese[6] | English[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenji Koiso (小磯 健二,Koiso Kenji) | Ryunosuke Kamiki | Michael Sinterniklaas | |
| A teenager and a moderator of the interactive computer world OZ along with his close friend Takashi Sakuma. Kenji is less skilled in dealing with people. Kenji is invited by his friend Natsuki Shinohara for Sakae Jinnouchi's 90th birthday. After receiving a cryptic code on his cell phone and cracking it, he becomes a primary suspect for hacking into OZ. | |||
| Natsuki Shinohara (篠原 夏希,Shinohara Natsuki) | Nanami Sakuraba | Brina Palencia | |
| A spirited young woman and a close friend of Kenji Koiso. She hires Kenji to meet her large extended family for her great-grandmother Sakae Jinnouchi's 90th birthday. | |||
| Kazuma Ikezawa (池沢 佳主馬,Ikezawa Kazuma) | Mitsuki Tanimura | Maxey Whitehead | |
| A second cousin of Natsuki Shinohara. His avatar is King Kazma, a renowned program in OZ. Kazuma is also ahikikomori who seldom leaves his room and uses his talents to win every game in OZ. When he is not in his room he trains inShorinji Kempo with his grandfather, Mansuke Jinnouchi. | |||
| Sakae Jinnouchi (陣内 栄,Jinnouchi Sakae) | Sumiko Fuji | Pam Dougherty | |
| The 89-year-old great-grandmother of Natsuki Shinohara and indomitable head of the Jinnouchi family. Despite her advanced age she holds the family together. She also has connections in the highest ranks of political and financial circles. | |||
| Wabisuke Jinnouchi (陣内 侘助,Jinnouchi Wabisuke) | Ayumu Saito | J. Michael Tatum | |
| A handsome and sardonic 41-year-old computer expert, aprofessor atCarnegie Mellon University, and the half-granduncle of Natsuki Shinohara. Naomi Miwa refers to him as Natsuki's "first love." He is the illegitimate son of Natsuki's great-grandfather, Tokue. He was adopted by Sakae Jinnouchi, whom Wabisuke cares for deeply. | |||
| Takashi Sakuma (佐久間 敬,Sakuma Takashi) | Takahiro Yokokawa | Todd Haberkorn | |
| A 17-year-old fellow moderator of OZ and close friend of Kenji Koiso. | |||
| Yukiko Shinohara (篠原 雪子,Shinohara Yukiko) | Kiyomi Tanigawa | Anastasia Muñoz | |
| The 47-year-old mother of Natsuki Shinohara. | |||
| Kazuo Shinohara (篠原 和雄,Shinohara Kazuo) | Mutsumi Sasaki | Bill Jenkins | |
| The 55-year-old father of Natsuki Shinohara. Kazuo works as a member of Tokyo's water department. | |||
| Mariko Jinnouchi (陣内 万理子,Jinnouchi Mariko) | Mieko Nobusawa | Shelley Calene-Black | |
| The 71-year-old daughter of Sakae Jinnouchi who works as ahousewife. | |||
| Riichi Jinnouchi (陣内 理一,Jinnouchi Riichi) | Takuya Kirimoto | Chuck Huber | |
| The 41-year-old son of Mariko Jinnouchi. Riichi is a member of theJapan Ground Self-Defense Force and is stationed in Camp Ichigaya. | |||
| Rika Jinnouchi (陣内 理香,Jinnouchi Rika) | Sakiko Tamagawa | Cynthia Cranz | |
| The 42-year-old daughter of Mariko Jinnouchi. She works as an agent of the city's government. | |||
| Mansuke Jinnouchi (陣内 万助,Jinnouchi Mansuke) | Ichirō Nagai | John Swasey | |
| The 70-year-old middle son of Sakae Jinnouchi. Mansuke is an owner of a local fish market. Along with his grandson Kazuma Ikezawa, he trains inShorinji Kempo. | |||
| Tasuke Jinnouchi (陣内 太助,Jinnouchi Tasuke) | Takashi Kobayashi | John Burgmeier | |
| The 45-year-old son of Mansuke Jinnouchi. Tasuke works as ashopkeeper of an electronics store. | |||
| Shota Jinnouchi (陣内 翔太,Jinnouchi Shōta) | Yutaka Shimizu | Mike McFarland | |
| The 21-year-old son of Tasuke Jinnouchi. Shota is apolice officer who is extremely protective of Natsuki Shinohara. | |||
| Naomi Miwa (三輪 直美,Miwa Naomi) | Kaori Yamagata | Lydia Mackay | |
| The 42-year-old eldest daughter of Mansuke Jinnouchi who is divorced. | |||
| Kiyomi Ikezawa (池沢 聖美,Ikezawa Kiyomi) | Tagame Tamura | Jennifer Seman | |
| The 39-year-old youngest daughter of Mansuke Jinnouchi and mother of Kazuma Ikezawa. Kiyomi is a care worker based inNagoya. Throughout the film, she is pregnant with Kazuma's sister. | |||
| Mansaku Jinnouchi (陣内 万作,Jinnouchi Mansaku) | Tadashi Nakamura | Barry Yandell | |
| The 68-year-old youngest son of Sakae Jinnouchi. Mansaku monitors Sakae's health problems. | |||
| Yorihiko Jinnouchi (陣内 頼彦,Jinnouchi Yorihiko) | Yoji Tanaka | Robert McCollum | |
| The 45-year-old eldest son of Mansaku Jinnouchi. Yorihiko works as anEMT inMatsumoto's fire department. | |||
| Kunihiko Jinnouchi (陣内 邦彦,Jinnouchi Kunihiko) | Hashiya Nakamura | Patrick Seitz | |
| The 42-year-old middle son of Mansaku Jinnouchi. Kunihiko works as a fire sergeant inSuwa's fire department. | |||
| Katsuhiko Jinnouchi (陣内 克彦,Jinnouchi Katsuhiko) | Mitsutaka Itakura | Christopher Sabat | |
| The 40-year-old youngest son of Mansaku Jinnouchi. Katsuhiko is afirefighter who is a member of Ueda's fire department and assists in the department's rescue squad. | |||
| Noriko Jinnouchi (陣内 典子,Jinnouchi Noriko) | Eiko Kanazawa | Colleen Clinkenbeard | |
| The 37-year-old wife of Yorihiko Jinnouchi. | |||
| Nana Jinnouchi (陣内 奈々,Jinnouchi Nana) | Chigusa Takaku | Caitlin Glass | |
| The 32-year-old wife of Kunihiko Jinnouchi. | |||
| Yumi Jinnouchi (陣内 由美,Jinnouchi Yumi) | Riisa Naka | Monica Rial | |
| The 38-year-old wife of Katsuhiko Jinnouchi. She is a fanatic when it comes to watching her son Ryouhei play baseball. | |||
| Ryohei Jinnouchi (陣内 了平,Jinnouchi Ryōhei) | Naoto Adachi | Jason Liebrecht | |
| The 17-year-old eldest son of Katsuhiko Jinnouchi. Ryohei plays in his local high school's baseball team. | |||
| Yuhei Jinnouchi (陣内 祐平,Jinnouchi Yūhei) | Rikito Ota | Brittney Karbowski | |
| The 7-year-old middle son of Katsuhiko Jinnouchi. | |||
| Shingo Jinnouchi (陣内 真悟,Jinnouchi Shingo) | Yuki Imai | Alison Viktorin | |
| The 6-year-old son of Yorihiko Jinnouchi. | |||
| Mao Jinnouchi (陣内 真緒,Jinnouchi Mao) | Sumire Morohoshi | Cherami Leigh | |
| The 9-year-old daughter of Yorihiko Jinnouchi. | |||
| Kana Jinnouchi (陣内 加奈,Jinnouchi Kana) | Hinano Minagawa | Tia Ballard | |
| The 2-year-old daughter of Kunihiko Jinnouchi. | |||
Following the critical and commercial success ofThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time,Madhouse was offered to produce a second film. Whereas Madhouse based the previous film on a novel, the studio was given the chance to create the next film.[8] Mamoru Hosoda, the director ofThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time, selected a story for both people with family and those without having a family.[3][8] Production ofSummer Wars commenced in 2006.
Most of the film is set in the real-life city ofUeda. Ueda was chosen as the primary setting of the film because it is located in a territory formerly governed by the prominentSanada clan, upon which the Jinnouchi family is based. Ueda is also close to Hosoda's birthplace inToyama.[8] Hosoda's inspiration for the name of the social network OZ came from a largesupermarket that he once visited while still working forToei Animation at the time.[8] Although noting similarities between OZ andSecond Life, Hosoda also cited the Japanesesocial networking websitemixi as a primary influence because of his experiences. For the color and design of OZ, he citedNintendo games as inspiration.[9] The design aesthetic was compared by some reviewers to the work ofTakashi Murakami.[10] Hosoda said that he admires the artwork of Murakami, but designed the social network as a "clean, uncluttered look." During production, Hosoda visited his then-fiancée's house in Ueda, and experienced the history of her family's life. Hosoda cited his influence of using a family as the basis of the film from his marriage and from attending severalfilm festivals.[8][9][11]
In addition to Hosoda, the team included writerSatoko Okudera and character designerYoshiyuki Sadamoto, who previously worked with Hosoda onThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time.[12] Hiroyuki Aoyama served as an animation director, while action animation direction was handled by Tatsuzo Nishida.[3][9] During production, Sadamoto based Wabisuke's design on those of actorYūsaku Matsuda.[8] Aoyama was responsible for supervising the animation of the real world scenes, while Nishida supervised the animation for the digital world, using bothtraditional animation andcomputer animation techniques.[8] Digital animation studioDigital Frontier was responsible for creating the visuals of OZ and its avatars.[9] Youji Takeshige oversaw the art direction forSummer Wars.[12] While visiting Ueda, Hosoda thought that Takeshige, who has previously worked withStudio Ghibli, should draw traditional Japanese houses for the film.[9] The film also features the Japanese spacecraftHayabusa, whose control center is located in the nearby city ofSaku. Hosoda included the spacecraft to support Japan's contribution towards space exploration.[3]
The film was announced at the 2008Tokyo International Anime Fair.[13] At the 2009Otakon convention Madhouse presidentMasao Maruyama said that Hosoda insisted on including 80 family members as its main characters. Maruyama then quipped that he asked Hosoda to promise only two main characters and two years of production for his next film.Summer Wars was one film in Madhouse's larger theatrical film release strategy, to release one new film each season for the next year. The release ofSummer Wars was followed byMai Mai Miracle andYona Yona Penguin in 2009 withRedline released during the first half of 2010.[14]
Akihiko Matsumoto composed thescore forSummer Wars, with Randy Miller providing the additional music. The soundtrack of the film, titledSummer Wars Original Soundtrack (「サマーウォーズ」 オリジナル・サウンドトラック,Samā Wōzu Orijinaru Saundotorakku), was released byVAP on July 9, 2009. The release consists of 18 tracks. It remained on the Oricon music charts for four weeks and peaked at No. 112.[15]
The film'stheme song, titled "Bokura no Natsu no Yume" (僕らの夏の夢;lit. 'Our Summer Dream'), was written and performed byTatsuro Yamashita. It was released byWarner Music Japan as amaxi single on August 19, 2009. The single included two other songs by Yamashita that are unrelated to the film. The first two songs have correspondingkaraoke versions, and the third song is recorded from a live performance. The single peaked at eighth place on the Oricon charts.[16]
A high level of anticipation surroundedSummer Wars before its release, due to the critical and popular success ofThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time.[14]Kadokawa Shoten promoted the film online through their officialYouTube channel, aiming at international as well as domestic fans. On April 8, 2009, a one-minutehigh-definition (HD)trailer was released[17] followed by a longer trailer on June 16.[18] On July 29, the Japanese website ofYahoo! Movies streamed the first five minutes of the film[19] and Kadokawa offered the footage on their YouTube channel several days later to allow for international viewing.[20] It also offered two of the film's 15-second television adverts online.[21] Before its release Masao Maruyama believed that "the film should be pretty popular, since the pre-sales for the tickets are very high".[14]
Iqura Sugimoto'smanga adaptation of the film was featured in the July 2009 debut issue of Kadokawa'smanga magazineYoung Ace.[22] The firstcompilation volume of Sugimoto's work was released in Japan on August 10 and debuted in 23rd place on theOricon comic ranking, selling 51,645 copies.[23][24] The second volume was released on February 4, 2010, and debuted in 12th place, selling 53,333 copies.[25][26] Sugimoto's manga was licensed into English byVertical in January 2013,[27] and the two volumes were released on October 22, 2013, and December 17, 2013.[28][29] An additional manga side story was featured in the July 2009 issue ofComp Ace magazine.[30]
Summer Wars premiered in Japan on August 1, 2009.[20] The film was distributed in South Korea byCJ Entertainment where it premiered on August 12.[31]Cathay Organisation releasedSummer Wars in Singapore on February 25, 2010. Mighty Media released the film in Taiwan on June 4, 2010.[32] The film was released by Eurozoom in France on June 9, 2010.[33]
Summer Wars had its North American premiere on February 26, 2010, as the opening night event of the annualNew York International Children's Film Festival with directorMamoru Hosoda in attendance. Hosoda answered audience questions following the film's screening through an interpreter.[34] Hosoda and a producer subsequently appeared at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Comparative Media Studies Program on March 1, 2010, where they offered a public screening free of charge and answered questions.[35] The film was also screened at the IndieLisboa Film Festival. The debut screening in Australia was on June 14, 2010, as part of theSydney Film Festival. It also screened atMelbourne International Film Festival on August 8, 2010. TheLeeds International Film Festival showed the film on November 20, 2009, and the English dubbed version of the film premiered at the New York International Children's Film Festival on November 20, 2010.[36] AtOtakon 2010Funimation Entertainment announced that alimited release of the film would begin in theaters on December 3, 2010, at theGene Siskel Film Center.[37][38]
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release ofSummer Wars,Studio Chizu announced in November 2019 that a4DX version of the film would be shown in select theaters in Japan beginning on January 17, 2020.[39]
Summer Wars aired onAdult Swim'sToonami block on December 14, 2013, with a rating of TV-14-LV. The film was watched by 1.36 million viewers.[40]The movie aired again on Toonami on December 6, 2014, after the premiere of the ninth episode ofHellsing Ultimate.[41]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 78% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Family drama mixes with virtual online action in the breezy and entertainingSummer Wars."[42]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[43]
Mark Schilling ofThe Japan Times rated the film 5 out of 5 stars and observed thatSummer Wars "may contain familiar elements, beginning with its bashful, moonstruck young hero, but it combines them in ways fresh, contemporary and dazzlingly imaginative". He also said that the film provides a social commentary on the differences between an "analog world" and a "realm of digital devices". Schilling titled his article "The future king of Japanese animation may be with us; Hosoda steps out ofMiyazaki's shadow with dazzling new film". He praised Sadamoto, Aoyama and Nishida for producing "scenes of animated spectacle that, in their dazzling fluency of motion and untethered brilliance of invention, makes the usual SF/fantasy anime look childish and dull".[44] Twitch Film published a review by Guillem Rosset who also referenced Miyazaki noting that followingThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time "cries went out immediately hailing him [Hosoda] as the heir apparent". He claimed that withSummer Wars, "Hosoda is the new king, the best story teller working within the animated medium in Japan and – quite possibly – the world." Rosset praised the film itself as "richly detailed and beautifully written...gorgeous to look at." and "blessed with an extensive cast of stunningly detailed and authentic characters." He concluded by saying "Hosoda has perfectly balanced the need to entertain via the visuals with the rich and satisfying character work that separates him from the massive pack of quality technicians to establish himself as truly a master story teller."[45] He also noted that "The wonderful cast of characters is one of the film's greatest strengths" while also highlighting that, of the virtual world of OZ, "Here the creative minds of Madhouse can let their imagination run wild." With regards to the technical aspects, Rosset called the film "a top class audiovisual show." He concluded by writing "Mamoru Hosada deserves a place as one of the top contemporary Japanese animators. And it's good to know that once the time comes for Miyazaki to retire (not too soon I hope!) there's people capable of following his steps."[45] The Korean newspaperHerald Business saw the film's fantasy theme and gorgeous animation as a differentiator from works produced by Hollywood studios.[31]
Patrick W. Galbraith of Otaku2.com compared the design of OZ toTakashi Murakami's artwork, specifically "the flatness, or slick, polished surfaces" and then contrasted them with the sequences in Nagano noting, "it has a warm and lived in feel to it, aided by a scrupulous attention to detail." Of the story and characters Galbraith wrote that "scenes such as the large family coming together and talking over dinner are heartwarming and hilarious" and compared the movie to "a moving picture book, a family photo album turned back a few decades." He also noted the audience response, reporting sold-out screenings two nights in a row, and highlighting handwritten notes left at the theater by "hordes of fans who on the spot decided to move to Nagano." In conclusion, Galbraith wrote "there is an innocence and purity to this work that really reminds [him] of Miyazaki Hayao andStudio Ghibli back in the day, and the stellar backgrounds invokeShinkai Makoto."[10] Justin Sevakis ofAnime News Network gave the film an 'A' rating and wrote that "decades from now,Summer Wars will be seen as the official arrival of [director] Mamoru Hosoda into the realm of historically important anime directors." He called the film "a near-perfect blend of social satire and science fiction, at once timely and timeless, sardonic and optimistic." and noted that the film is "practically overflowing with sharp social insight in a way we have not seen from anime in years." Sevakis praised Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's character designs and highlighted the visuals as "sharp and consistently great". In summing the film up he calledSummer Wars "Incredibly entertaining, and intriguingly intelligent. Accessible and fast-paced. Pretty much perfect."[46] Similarities have been commented on between the film and a previous work of Hosoda,Digimon Adventure: Our War Game.Neo magazine has stated thatOur War Game is "plainly a prototype" of Summer Wars.[47] Hosoda has stated thatOur War Game "kind of started my idea forSummer Wars," noting thatSummer Wars "became the feature-length version of that idea" and allowed him to explore material he was unable to inOur War Game's 40 minute runtime.[48]
Rachel Saltz ofThe New York Times also gave a positive review of the film. Saltz praised Mamoru Hosoda's direction, and says it "matches the clean, classically composed images of his [Hosoda's] outer story." She further praised the visuals and themes, comparing it to those of directorYasujirō Ozu.[49] In his review forVariety critic Peter Debruge stated that Hosoda's direction "appeals to the hard-to-please teen crowd by taking mind-bending ideas and planting them within a relatable contempo context." He also praised the CG animation in the OZ sequences.[50] Peter Hartlaub of theSan Francisco Chronicle praised Hosoda's style and said that it "adds enough dimensions to his characters and kinetic battles that the serene real world seems like a dream state." He also likened Hosoda's style to that ofHayao Miyazaki andNintendo. Hartlaub complained that Kenji's character is "a bit too over-caffeinated in the first part" and concluded that the film is "the kind of fun and quirky film that you don't see very often in art houses this time of year."[51]Ty Burr ofThe Boston Globe gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. He stated that "Summer Wars is most appealing in its hushed moments" and also praised Satoko Okudera's writing, stating that it "stakes a claim for the non-virtual world of history and of family ties that stretch back to Japan’s medieval era." He also praised the OZ animation sequences as "visually ravishing explorations of white-on-white cyberspace, but the hectic gaming action sequences feel curiously passé." Burr notes that in the film, "it's what's old that's made to seem refreshingly new."[52] Nicolas Rapold ofThe Village Voice also praised the film's visuals, and said that "it’s hard to appreciate things like the character detail amid the insufferably squealy voicing and arbitrary suspense."[53]
Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times praised the film's visuals, stating that "Summer Wars is awesome in its detailed depiction of Oz, which floats in space with an array of satellites, and earthly cityscapes visited by calamities." Thomas also said the film is "also a superb example of Japanese anime, balancing science fiction fantasy with a paean to the timeless value of family life." and called it "a sophisticated yet poignant family entertainment with an appeal beyond Japanese animation buffs."[54] Stephanie Merry ofThe Washington Post gave the film 2 out of 4 stars. Merry criticized the film's plot, stating that it "ventures into territory both melodramatic and corny." Merry also said that the relationship between Natsuki and Kenji "unfolds as blandly as aDebra Messing rom-com."[55] Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter stated that the "increasingly convoluted narrative may be too difficult to follow for younger viewers," but said that the film's "thematic ambition and dazzling visual style ultimately make it one of the more rewarding anime efforts to reach these [American] shores."[56]
Retrospective reviews of the film have largely confirmed its enduring popularity and reputation. Writing forTheWrap, William Bibbiani named the film one of the ten best animated films of the 2010s (based on the US release date),[57] while Toussaint Egan and Jason DeMarco ofPaste Magazine and William Lobley ofEmpire declared the movie one of the best anime films of all time.[58][59]
In Japan,Summer Wars ranked 7th in the box office, grossing an equivalent US$1.3 million on 127 screens during its opening weekend,[20][60] and ending its run with a total gross of $17.4 million.[2] In South Korea, the film debuted in 8th place and earned an equivalent of $369,156 on 118 screens[61] with a total gross of $783,850.[2] InSingapore, the film opened in 17th place and earned an equivalent of US$14,660 on 3 screens,[62] and later concluded its run with a total gross $29,785.[2] As of June 2010, the film went on to gross $18,353,560 worldwide.[2] During the film's limited release in the United States, it grossed $1,412 and opened 76th at the box office in its opening weekend, later concluding its run with a total gross of $80,678.[63] Cumulatively,Summer Wars earned a worldwide gross of $18.4 million.[2]
Summer Wars was released in Japan onDVD andBlu-ray on March 3, 2010.[64][65] The DVD version contains a 16-page booklet, OZ stickers, previews, interviews with the film's cast (Ryūnosuke Kamiki,Nanami Sakuraba,Sumiko Fuji,Mitsuki Tanimura and Ayumu Saitō) and an interview with director Mamoru Hosoda,[64] while first press limited edition of the Blu-ray also included the same features, but also added hanafuda cards, an art book, and a film bookmark, and a making-of documentary.[65] These releases were undertaken by Vap. In its first week of release the film became the top selling anime Blu-ray in Japan, with an estimated 54,000 copies sold and surpassed the previous record holderEvangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. As of 2010, the film is the second highest Japanese Blu-ray debut overall, followingMichael Jackson's This Is It. Based on pre-ordersSummer Wars was expected to be eclipsed in sales byEvangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance on its release in May.[66]Summer Wars also topped theOricon Animation DVD charts with 55,375 copies sold in its first week.[67] The Japanese Blu-ray release ofSummer Wars was nominated for a Digital Entertainment Group of Japan (DEG Japan) Award for Best Interactivity.[68]In Europe the DVD and Blu-ray was released on November 26, 2010, byKazé. British distributorManga Entertainment announced in January 2010 they had licensedSummer Wars for the United Kingdom, and was released in March 2011.[69] In North America, Funimation releasedSummer Wars on DVD and Blu-ray on February 15, 2011.[70] The North American DVD and Blu-ray releases included previews, and the interviews with Hosoda, Kamiki, Sakuraba, Fuji, Tanimura and Saitō. The first press copies included art cards. To get out enough copies to meet demand some did not ship with the OZ O-card (cardboard slip-cover), as it required specialty printing that takes longer to produce than the rest of the product. Funimation offered to send out the O-Card to customers who did not receive one as soon as they are available if they fill out a request form on their official website.[71] On January 30, 2025, it was announced the film would be released on 4K UHD on April 1, 2025.[72]
Summer Wars was the first Japanese animated film to be included as a competitor at theLocarno International Film Festival awards inSwitzerland,[73][74] where it was nominated for the 2009 Golden Leopard award.[5] The film made its international premiere at the festival's celebration of manga, paying tribute to its impact on the animation industry.[74] Although the film did not win the award the Swiss newspaperTribune de Genève said it was, "by far, the best film we could find" in the competition and noted that the film would have been the logical winner given the festival's theme.[75] The film was featured in theSitges Film Festival in theOficial Fantàstic Panorama category,[76] where it won the Gertie Award for Best Animated Feature Film.[77]Summer Wars received an award for new media from Japan'sMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry on October 24, 2009, at the Digital Content Association of Japan's annual convention.[78]Summer Wars was also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at theAsia Pacific Screen Awards, although it did not win.[79][80] The film was awarded the Animation Division Grand Prize at the13th Japan Media Arts Festival which Hosoda'sThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time won in 2006.[81][82]Summer Wars won an Award of Excellence in Animation along with four other films at the33rd Japan Academy Prizes. The Award of Excellence is in effect a nomination for theAnimation of the Year Prize, which it won in the final ceremony on March 5, 2010.[4][83] The film was shown at the60th Berlin International Film Festival in February as part of theGeneration 14plus program.[84][85]Summer Wars won the Audience Award for Best Animation Feature at the Anaheim International Film Festival. Funimation, along with GKIDS, submitted the film forBest Animated Feature for the83rd Academy Awards. The film was the 14th submission for the category.[70][86][87]Summer Wars won theBest Animation Film Award at the 70thMainichi Film Awards.[88] Hosoda received anAnnie Award nomination as Best Director,[89] becoming the fourth Japanese individual (afterMamoru Oshii, Hayao Miyazaki, andSatoshi Kon) to be nominated in the category.
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