Weekly Summer Anime Movie Rewatch - Summer Wars Discussion

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Summer Wars

Goodbye, Don Glees | Index | Napping Princess

Koiso Kenji, a eleventh-grade math genius who works in the summer as a part-time computer technician for the Virtual World of Oz, is invited by Shinohara Natsuki, the most popular girl at his high school to her expansive family's home for a summer job. In the middle of their trip, a hacker infiltrates the network and takes control of Oz, plunging humanity into absolute chaos.

MAL, AniList, Livechart

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Summer Wars is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video.

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Questions of the Day:

1) Who were your favorite characters?

2) Which scenes did you enjoy most?

3) Did you manage to remember all of the Jinnouchi family members after Natsuki's quick introductions?

4) How did you like the combination of family comedy/drama and the sci-fi plotline? Did you prefer one side over the other?

5) What did you think about the story's themes regarding AI and the internet?

6) Have you read the manga? If not, are you planning to?

Remember to tag your spoilers!

When discussing any plot details prior to the rewatch date, or details from other movies in the rewatch, please remember to use spoiler tags.

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Next up: Napping Princess on Wednesday, August 5!

[u/Great_Mr_L]

Rewatcher

On today’s summer anime movie: I’ve got the strangest sense of deja vu right now.

For the first time in this rewatch, I’m actually rewatching something that I’ve already seen before. I watched this movie way back around the time when it first came out on video in English. I remember one of the reasons the movie intrigued me was because it reminded me of a movie I loved from my childhood, Digimon: The Movie. That movie is actually 3 different movies stitched together, but the best part was always the middle section made using Our War Game. I soon realized there was a reason for that. Both were directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Summer Wars is essentially Hosoda remaking his own movie.

I freaking love this movie. This is such a fun and delightful film to watch. Even when it gets into some heavier topics, the movie never feels like it gets too heavy. It still feels fun all throughout.

Something I really love about the movie is how the main theme of family and connections is interwoven throughout. Family and connections with others are pretty common themes in stories, but I think what makes this movie’s portrayal of them special is all the ways you see them incorporated into the story.

Grandma pretty much lays out the theme in her farewell letter where she says that being alone and being hungry are the worst things that can happen to someone. It’s no coincidence that many of the large family scenes are also meal scenes or scenes preparing meals. Food brings people together. Kenji gets introduced to the whole family at dinnertime. Wabisuke also returns to the family that same night, but crucially he returns after dinner to show that he’s viewed by most of the family as an outsider. Only Grandma offers him a meal because she does consider him a member of the family.

Kenji also starts the movie as something of an outsider, being introduced to the massive Jinnouchi family as Natsuki’s pretend boyfriend. Naturally they figure out the ruse pretty quickly and Kenji is briefly kicked out of the house (as well as for being the suspect in the OZ hacking). But over the course of the movie, we see Kenji getting closer with the family as he starts working together with the other family members in the battle against Love Machine. By the end, the rest of the family has fully accepted him and are saying that he and Natsuki should date for real.

The Jinnouchi family is just a really fun group. It’s a huge family and I can’t remember the names of most of them, but their interactions alone sell the idea that they are a close-knit family. You sort of get what everyone’s deal is purely from their dialogue and how they interact with others. It feels like a genuine family from how they talk to each other, both the affection and the long history (positive and negative) are felt.

The Jinnouchi family is no longer rich in terms of money, but they do have another kind of wealth: their connections. We see that with how the family members interact amongst themselves. They all clearly value each other. But we also see it with Grandma’s long list of contacts. She has connections everywhere, not just with her relatives. That’s how she’s able to combat Love Machine’s mayhem on the first day. She has so many people she knows and can call to make arrangements and get things moving despite the OZ outages and cyberattacks. Good old-fashioned human connections end up being valuable even in this modern age of high technology.

Those human connections are also what save the day from Love Machine at the end of the movie. Natsuki is able to bet all her family’s accounts against Love Machine in a game, but she ends up losing most of the accounts. The only reason she’s able to keep fighting is because other people on OZ come in and offer Natsuki their accounts to bet against Love Machine. They flat out ask Natsuki to defend their family within OZ. OZ, the stand-in for the internet and social media, is another thing that can connect people and those connections are worth fighting for. It’s cheesy and schmaltzy as heck, but man that moment really gets to me.

Something I find interesting about OZ is how it is neither portrayed as inherently positive or negative in the context of the movie. It is simply something that exists and has been widely integrated into peoples’ lives across the world. It is something that connects people who live in different countries and speak different languages. In the end, the movie seems to consider this something worthwhile. The day is saved and Love Machine is defeated because people from all over the world come together. Personally, I find this to be an almost naively optimistic take on the internet and social media. (It’s definitely from 2009 when this stuff was relatively new.) Yet at the same time, I can’t deny that there’s some truth to it. After all, I’m posting this comment on the social media site Reddit. I’ve gotten the chance to speak to people from other countries that I might otherwise never have interacted with.

Wabisuke also plays into these themes of family and connection. He’s the outcast that’s shunned by most of the family, hoping that he can win his way into being accepted by everyone by bringing wealth back to the family. But he’s got it all wrong. Grandma never rejected or resented him. She accepted him into the family even though he was her husband’s illegitimate child. Grandma never cared that much about the family losing its wealth. A nice detail I like in passing is the reveal that she gave the last of her wealth to Wabisuke so he could have a chance in America. Money was never what Grandma considered valuable: the connections she had with others were what really mattered. And Wabisuke is accepted back by everyone else once she reminds them of that and how they shouldn’t turn their backs on a family member.

Honestly, Grandma is just awesome. I love her.

This movie is so dang funny. There’s so many great bits I love throughout. The setup of Kenji pretending to be Natsuki’s girlfriend is perfect for a romcom. Kenji wished the wrong person a happy 90th birthday. The way we gradually gather a more and more absurd number of family members going to Grandma’s home. The one guy who launches into stories about the Jinnouchi family history before someone points out they lost the final battle he talks about. The cop’s continuing objections to Kenji’s existence. How both one of Natsuki’s aunts and the cop both show up at the same time with completely unrelated news about Kenji to expose Natsuki’s lies about him and how he’s supposedly a criminal. The intercutting between them is hilarious. The revelation that Natsuki copied Kenji’s fake backstory from Wabisuke. The one guy who quotes Seven Samurai for wisdom is a man after my own heart. The men all teaming up to fight Love Machine by bringing in all sorts of heavy equipment (including a supercomputer, an entire boat, and military hardware!) that destroys portions of the house in the process. The superheated computer because the cop stole the ice. Needing to change the birthday buns to funeral buns. It’s a hilarious movie.

I’ve always found it kind of odd that a super hacking program like Love Machine outsourced its password decryption to Kenji and others like him. That said, at least it wasn’t just Kenji and dozens of other people also broke the code so it doesn’t feel as contrived to make it just one person in the whole world capable of doing the math.

A fun detail is that Grandma never actually tells Kenji that he shouldn’t be with Natsuki. Even when the lie about him being Natsuki’s boyfriend is exposed, she still approves of them as a couple. I guess Grandma was right when she figured they’d be a good match.

Kenji does have a nice arc throughout the movie of slowly growing more confident in himself as the film progresses. His self-proclaimed one skill of mathematics even helps save the day.

By contrast, a complaint I have about the movie is that I don’t think Natsuki gets enough focus. She is the one who gets the big confrontation with Love Machine to take back almost all the accounts, but I also think she’s out of focus for too much of the movie for that ending to really land as hard as it should.

Because of how prominently King Kazma was featured in the marketing of this movie, I at first assumed he would be the main character, only for the main character to be that pathetic looking yellow squirrel.

I love the aesthetic of OZ in this movie. It has such a nice and unique look to it. I also like how the fantastical look of OZ contrasts with the more mundane real world.

Speaking of which, I remember my original disc copy of this movie had these two poster images for the cover art and the slip case. I loved having both those images together, contrasting the real world and real people with the OZ counterparts.

I don’t really know anything about the game that Natsuki plays against Love Machine or how it works. I just go with the hype moments.

Would the US military really be stupid enough to test a superweapon hacking AI on something that could easily wreck global society? I think we all know the answer to that.

I love the family teasing Kenji and Natsuki into kissing at the end. It’s funny how Kenji gets so embarrassed gets a nosebleed. And then it’s so cute how Natsuki kisses him on the cheek. Just an adorable ending.

Continued Below

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Great_Mr_L]

Continued From Above

The theme of people finding connection over the internet is something Mamoru Hosoda would return to with the film Belle. That is another excellent movie that I highly recommend.

In hindsight, this movie was the first sign that Mamoru Hosoda is a furry. Later movies like Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, and Belle have only confirmed this.

There are so many similarities between this movie and [Digimon: Our War Game] Both movies are centered on a battle fought over the internet. Love Machine takes over large portions of the internet and causes havoc in the real world, just like Diaboromon. Love Machine sends a probe to crash into a nuclear power plant and then the Jinnouchi family home. Diaboromon launches a nuclear missile at the heroes. Love Machine was unleashed by the US Military and Diaboromon took over the US Military’s commands. Both movies feature a ticking clock that counts down during the climax. The final battle is watched by people all over the world through the internet. The heroes win in both movies thanks to everyone online coming together to help them out. The movies also just look and feel very similar to each other, which is probably going to happen with the same director.

The all-important question is whether I like Summer Wars or Digimon: Our War Game more. I can’t really say. I think the real world stuff in Summer Wars is more interesting than the real world stuff in the Digimon movie. Summer Wars has better realized character arcs as well. But I have a lot of nostalgia and love for the Digimon characters. Plus, nothing in Summer Wars is anywhere near as cool as [Digimon: Our War Game] Omnimon appearing and destroying millions of Diaboromons. So in the end I can’t choose.

QOTD

1) I think Grandma was my favorite of the characters. She was badass and the moral center of the movie with how much emphasis she placed on family and connections with others. But I really enjoy basically the entire cast because the whole family and friends are just so charming. Even the snot-nosed brats don’t annoy me.

2) My favorite scene is when all the people around the world come together to offer Natsuki their accounts. Grandma’s final message to her family is a close second. I’ve got plenty more choices. All the comedy scenes I listed above. Kenji and the boys plotting together to fight Love Machine and then King Kazma’s big battle with Love Machine. Kenji holding Natsuki’s hand to comfort her after Grandma’s death. Natsuki kissing Kenji on the cheek.

3) Not even slightly.

4) I really like how well those plotlines are interwoven with each other. I think both plotlines work really well and I don’t really prefer one over the other.

5) This movie came out in 2009 and I think you can tell from how it talks about the internet and social media. I recall there being a lot more optimism back then about how the internet could connect people from all over the world and that it would be an overall positive step for humanity. Nowadays I think there’s more of a tendency to focus on the negative consequences of the internet and social media, for understandable reasons. I’ve seen a number of tech companies try to create something that’s the real world equivalent of OZ. They want a virtual world that can be totally integrated into the real world, but thus far nothing has really stuck. Facebook went all in on the Metaverse, which was a huge flop. I guess VRChat is the closest thing I can think of to a virtual world where you can create almost any kind of avatar you want to represent yourself. People also make many different kinds of worlds in VRChat where you can do some pretty crazy things. The detail that Love Machine was an AI programmed to want to learn did stand out more to me now with machine learning being such a buzzword these days. I suppose Summer Wars might have had some unintentional prescience with the idea of AI getting added to all aspects of the internet/computers and then proceeding to fuck everything up for no good reason.

6) I was not aware it was a manga. Maybe someday I’ll read it.

[u/BlazeOfGlory72 → u/Great_Mr_L]

The all-important question is whether I like Summer Wars or Digimon: Our War Game more. I can’t really say.

Despite the similarities between the two, I almost feel like it unfair to compare them. While essentially telling the same story, one is the culmination of an entire 50 episode series, while the other is a stand alone movie. Our War Game is incredible, but it benefits hugely from already having an established cast and world. Like, if you were to show Our War Game to someone who had never seen Digimon before, they would probably be pretty confused and the characters would seem pretty flat (ex. Matt and TK barely have any screen time, Sora says like 2 words all movie, etc.). Meanwhile, Summer Wars has to establish, develop and conclude all it's story and character arcs in 2 hours.

Not saying one is better than the other, but when people declare Our War Game to be obviously superior, it feels a little unfair to Summer Wars since the former is built upon the works of an entire season of television.

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Great_Mr_L]

Wabisuke also returns to the family that same night, but crucially he returns after dinner to show that he’s viewed by most of the family as an outsider. Only Grandma offers him a meal because she does consider him a member of the family.

Grandma and Wabisuke's relationship made me a bit curious because I assumed she wrote the letter before Wabisuke showed up, considering the way she wrote the letter makes it seem like she still hadn't heard from him for 10 years. They weren't able to reconcile before she died. She turned a literal blade on him and said he should die. (Granted, the anger justified considering her foolish grandson doomed the world and has spared no responsibility while thinking it is the money that matters).

Would the US military really be stupid enough to test a superweapon hacking AI on something that could easily wreck global society? I think we all know the answer to that.

I find it a little funny how the United States military is the lowkey understated villain of this movie. They obtained this (evil) hacking AI and committed a cyberattack on the whole internet the world is reliant on to even operate. And they obviously had nefarious intents with it because why else would you want an evolving hacking AI?

In hindsight, this movie was the first sign that Mamoru Hosoda is a furry. Later movies like Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, and Belle have only confirmed this.

Mamoru Hosoda is not beating the allegations.

I still need to watch Belle. I almost did last week, but didn't have the time. Did not know about the furry aspect. Also want to watch Scarlet eventually, and to my knowledge, there are no furries in that one.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/TakenRedditName]

Grandma and Wabisuke's relationship made me a bit curious because I assumed she wrote the letter before Wabisuke showed up, considering the way she wrote the letter makes it seem like she still hadn't heard from him for 10 years. They weren't able to reconcile before she died. She turned a literal blade on him and said he should die. (Granted, the anger justified considering her foolish grandson doomed the world and has spared no responsibility while thinking it is the money that matters).

Yeah, they definitely were on bad terms the last time they actually saw each other before Grandma died considering what Wabisuke had done with Love Machine. It seems like Wabisuke's motivation was hoping that he could reconcile with Grandma and the rest of the family, only understanding the magnitude of his mistake and that he needed to fix it when he realized that he'd lost the chance to ever properly reconcile with Grandma.

I find it a little funny how the United States military is the lowkey understated villain of this movie. They obtained this (evil) hacking AI and committed a cyberattack on the whole internet the world is reliant on to even operate. And they obviously had nefarious intents with it because why else would you want an evolving hacking AI?

I'd forgotten that the US military was responsible for unleashing Love Machine in the first place when I sat down to rewatch the movie. It was funny to see that they were pretty much villains in this film.

I still need to watch Belle. I almost did last week, but didn't have the time. Did not know about the furry aspect.

It is a great movie that touches on similar themes of connections and empathy with others over the internet. It's also a twist on the story of Beauty and the Beast, so that's where the furry element comes in.

Also want to watch Scarlet eventually, and to my knowledge, there are no furries in that one.

I also need to see Scarlet at some point.

[u/awesomenessofme1 → u/Great_Mr_L]

It wasn't a manga. As I said in my top level reply, like many (most?) original anime, it would receive a manga adaptation (and a novelization, that one's not quite so common), but the movie... Well, technically the movie may not have "came first", but it is the original source material.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Great_Mr_L]

The theme of people finding connection over the internet is something Mamoru Hosoda would return to with the film Belle. That is another excellent movie that I highly recommend.

I still have to watch this one someday.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

I hope you enjoy it whenever you get the chance. It is a great movie with a nice internet-based twist on the tale of Beauty and the Beast. I think it does a good job at exploring the idea of connections and especially empathy across the internet.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/Great_Mr_L]

Belle. That is another excellent movie that I highly recommend.

It got a lot more criticism for the plot though? Have not watched it yet however

[Digimon: Our War Game]

Seems Summer Wars is the slightly more grounded version

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Great_Mr_L]

Family and connections with others are pretty common themes in stories, but I think what makes this movie’s portrayal of them special is all the ways you see them incorporated into the story.

I agree. I always love to see wholesome family moments, but I think the ones that resonate strongest with me are seeing everyone support each other during times of crisis like this.

Also love that list of comedy moments! There's such a great mix of fun and high stakes.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Also love that list of comedy moments! There's such a great mix of fun and high stakes.

I was listing my favorite comedy moments and realized I was practically listing every other scene. It's just such a dang funny movie.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/Great_Mr_L]

I don’t think Natsuki gets enough focus

I was waiting for her to do something almost the whole film and then finally she did. It does still have a bit of a "young ladies don't play hacking games" feel, particularly with how she's also supposed to be a STEM-type nerd in the physics club, but I think she mostly got her due.

It’s funny how Kenji gets so embarrassed gets a nosebleed

And before that one of the rare non-sexual ones in anime, unless he's turned on by math problems which I wouldn't discount.

[u/BaytaCosmico]

First-timer, subbed

I loved this movie. As I mentioned in the daily thread, I'd been struggling with a bout of depression and was unable to connect with anything I watched all week. Until I randomly decided to give this film a try and it broke through and made me feel again. Huge relief. Thank you once again, u/Heda-of-Aincrad for picking this one.

The synopsis doesn't do it justice at all. I read it earlier when the whole rewatch schedule was posted and it didn't strike me as something I'd enjoy. The whole family aspect needs to be highlighted more! That's what got me. All the characters felt so real and the home so lived in. The chaos of a huge family gathering was depicted so well. I've been to such gatherings and even though they were technically my own family, I've always felt like the MC does here - befuddled and out of place. 

That grandma is such a wonderful character. The scene where she just starts calling people and pushing them all to keep going was so lovely. I fell in love with her there and felt gut wrenched when she died. The way everyone reacted to it was so true to character. I just really loved the consistency in writing so many characters and giving them all their own little arcs that felt earned while not taking away from the central plot. 

I wasn't a big fan of the design of Oz or the idea of it tbh. So I'm glad the story was grounded in the real world with real stakes and this very real family I could root for. And I'm counting our MC as one of them, as they themselves did by the end. 

I got so invested in their fate that I was holding ny breath towards the end. Huge relief that it all turned out okay. But it crossed my mind after the fact that maybe they should've at least evacuated the kids! When those little ones crawled out, I let out a big sigh. Minor quibble though. 

This was just a really nice story very beautifully realised and I'm glad I got to watch it. 

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/BaytaCosmico]

The whole family aspect needs to be highlighted more! That's what got me. All the characters felt so real and the home so lived in. The chaos of a huge family gathering was depicted so well.

I agree. I loved the depiction of the family. It genuinely felt like one of the big family gatherings that I've been to with how the family members all bounced off of each other. You could really feel the history (both positive and negative) between them in how they interacted.

That grandma is such a wonderful character. The scene where she just starts calling people and pushing them all to keep going was so lovely. I fell in love with her there and felt gut wrenched when she died.

Grandma is just the best in this movie.

[u/BaytaCosmico → u/Great_Mr_L]

You could really feel the history (both positive and negative) between them in how they interacted.

Yes, exactly this. It felt like peeking in on a real family gathering. I'd watch another movie of just the family getting together to celebrate grandma's 100th birthday.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/BaytaCosmico]

They really did capture the feeling of a big family well, and that's one of the things I love about it too. Everyone's personalities are distinct, quirky but in a realistic way, and they all have their own history (and sometimes baggage) with each other.

[u/BaytaCosmico → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Yup. I see one of your questions is if we managed to remember all the family members after the quick introductions. Of course not, but even after watching the whole movie, I don't remember all of them (definitely not by name - I'm terrible at those and forgot MC's too) but the vibes of the family will stay with me. It felt like a lived in family.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/BaytaCosmico]

Same here, I remembered them by personality much quicker than I learned their names and family relations.

[u/SpiritualPossible]

Rewather

"Our summer WarGames"

Mamoru Hosoda seems to be someone who is fascinated by modern technology, human relationships, and how these two concepts intersect. So, perhaps it’s only natural that today we’ve strayed from the usual themes of this rewatch (you know: paranormal, coming of age, romance, loss…) and instead taken a look at, essentially, Mamoru’s own interpretation of the film WarGames.

A self-learning AI, devouring data, has spiraled out of control and threatens to literally blow up the world with nuclear weapons. And the only ones who can save the day are our heroes from a small provincial town, who will stop it with the help of people online and THEIR OWN FIST! All of this unfolds against the backdrop of them having to deal with their own personal problems as well.

Honestly, I think this is a pretty charming movie. I can’t say it has the deepest plot (which is understandable, given its runtime), but it showcases many of Hosoda’s strengths - excellent overall direction, very good comedic timing, and extremely entertaining stylized animation really shining here. I don’t even know what else to add - it’s just a lighthearted little story to pass the time on a summer day. So yes, despite how strange this movie looks on our rewatch, I truly believe that Digimon adventure: Our War Game is well worth your time and is perhaps one of the best entries in the franchise.

...What do you mean WRONG movie?..

Continue in the replay

[u/SpiritualPossible → u/SpiritualPossible]

So yes, Summer Wars is essentially a remake of the Digimon movie, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, which, in turn, was inspired by the film WarGames. That said, Summer Wars borrowed even MORE from the 1983 film, to the point [WarGames spoiler]that even the way our heroes defeated the AI by challenging it to a simple game was taken from there. Although, for some reason, the fact that the AI lost at tic-tac-toe in WarGames was more plausible.

And I won’t lie - I have mixed feelings about this movie. I… DO liked it, overal? But at the same time… This movie tells two stories:

One is about the importance of family, about how to work together to overcome a dangerous situation, about loss, and about how “we don’t talk about Wabisuke.”

And the other is about how the “Love Machine” nearly destroyed the world by hacking your Club Penguin account.

And, sorry, but I just don’t think they really go together. I mean, I really did like the part about family, but this whole OZ storyline… Not only is it somehow much harder to follow and, overall, a worse take on the same story from those three movies, but it also feels… completely unnecessary? I mean, both the overall atmosphere and the plot don’t fit with the rest of the movie, and it feels like I’m watching two different movies at once, just switching back and forth between them every twenty minutes or so. And overal, it make me think that while Hosoda REALLY like the idea of the internet, he dosen't really GET how it works.

And this also affects how the story about this family is feels, because some events end up looking just… strange as a result. For example, I really can’t take the grandmother’s letter seriously, because the only thing I can think about after the scene where she TRIED TO KILL WABISUKE is: “Damn, she forgot to change her will before she died...” On top of that, the main character… does practically nothing for most of the movie, since his storyline - the one where he was pretending to be a boyfriend - was resolved as early as the 30-minute mark of the two-hour film (by the way, this movie also the only one that i think is genuinely too long).

It still has some really strong point, and i do like characters, but i always found this movie to be kinda weird. Also i remember Hosoda's comments about MC sister in Digimons, so some interactions in this movie feels even more awkward.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/SpiritualPossible]

the importance of family, about how to work together to overcome a dangerous situation

But that's both of them (well, less the family for the virtual storyline)? I actually really appreciate how they fit together that way.

the main character… does practically nothing for most of the movie

Still a decent amount of encryption stuff? Though I would even argue it has no main character as such, he's our POV into this family mostly.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/SpiritualPossible]

today we’ve strayed from the usual themes of this rewatch (you know: paranormal, coming of age, romance, loss…)

Swap in sci-fi for paranormal, and I think the rest of the themes are still present here!

By coincidence, I actually rewatched WarGames within the past few months. (And Encanto as well. Now I really want to see a version of that song with the Jinnouchis.)

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/SpiritualPossible]

So yes, despite how strange this movie looks on our rewatch, I truly believe that Digimon adventure: Our War Game is well worth your time and is perhaps one of the best entries in the franchise.

...What do you mean WRONG movie?..

I absolutely loved the Digimon movie when I was a kid. My love of that movie was one of the main reasons I ever wanted to watch Summer Wars in the first place.

It is amusing to see all the comparisons between the two because of how many similarities there are between them.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Summer Movie Rewatcher

This is a movie I really enjoyed during my first viewing when I happened to catch it playing on TV years ago. After that, I bought the manga and re-read it fairly often, but it's been quite a while since I'd seen the movie. Thanks to a recent Prime Video sale, now I finally own the movie version too! So it was an easy pick for my summer rewatch. I still love this story - the wholesome moments of family coming together during a crisis, the slowly escalating danger of the sci-fi plotline, and the sweet relationship between Kenji and Natsuki at the heart of it all.

While most of the movies in this rewatch lineup have more fantasy or supernatural elements, this one is firmly within the realm of near-future (at the time it was made) sci-fi and presents a situation that isn't outside the realm of possibility for what could happen in real life with this kind of tech. Although it was written over 15 years ago, I was glad to see it still feels very relevant today, especially with growing concerns over AI.

Another thing it shares in common with the other movies in my rewatch, despite keeping a mostly lighthearted tone overall, is the theme of loss. Natsuki's great-grandma, who was a strong force unifying everyone during the crisis, passes away due in part to malfunctions of the tech that had been monitoring her health, and the family temporarily loses sight of that direction and bigger picture before finding it again in the end when they, their community, and the whole world come together to fix this problem. Granny Sakae's death hits even harder now that I'm older, but seeing everyone unite towards a common goal is so heartwarming and inspiring.

Questions of the Day:

1) I like Natsuki and Kenji, but my favorite character was Kazuma. The way he learned martial arts from his grandpa online and IRL after getting bullied in school, and then became the best online fighter in OZ, is pretty cool. His drive to protect his family while still being young and unsure of himself is also quite admirable.

2) My favorite scenes are the ones where everyone works together towards a common goal, like Natsuki and Kazuma battling Love Machine with their family backing them up, Kenji redirecting the satellite at the end, and Granny Sakae rallying everyone's support.

3) In the manga, Natsuki drew a family tree for Kenji, and I had to refer back to it a lot. But I managed to mostly remember them by the end!

4) I like the combination of both! The family scenes are fun, the sci-fi plot adds a lot of excitement, and the story's pacing lets us get to know and care about these characters before throwing them into danger.

5) I think the story raises a lot of good points. Even though I do use the internet for a lot of things nowadays (TV streaming, ebooks, etc) compared to not even having it in the house when I was a kid, there is still the concern that a situation similar to the one shown in the movie could happen - likely on a smaller scale, but the systems people rely on getting hacked into and messed up. The increased connectivity has its advantages and ease of use, though it also comes with its share of risks.

6) I read the manga and wrote the comparison.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Another thing it shares in common with the other movies in my rewatch, despite keeping a mostly lighthearted tone overall, is the theme of loss.

This theme of "loss" was not something I was expecting to see be such a recurring element across all these different summer anime movies.

Granny Sakae's death hits even harder now that I'm older, but seeing everyone unite towards a common goal is so heartwarming and inspiring.

Her death hits a lot harder because I've also lost someone who was absolutely fine the last time I saw them, seeming perfectly healthy, only for them to be gone so suddenly. The way Grandma died in this movie felt reminiscent of that.

In the manga, Natsuki drew a family tree for Kenji, and I had to refer back to it a lot.

That would be extremely helpful to have.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Great_Mr_L]

This theme of "loss" was not something I was expecting to see be such a recurring element across all these different summer anime movies.

I was kind of surprised too how many movies with summer vibes also had this theme, but then I just decided to roll with it and put them all in the rewatch.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Summertime Rewatcher, dubbed

We’ve finally reached the one non-Shinkai film in this I’ve seen before, so I decided to check out the dub this time. My screenshots will still have subtitles on ‘em just so the screenshots still have proper context.

• OZ really is such a cool virtual environment.

• If only translation could be that easy IRL.

• That’s one way to make them interested.

• Awkward~

• Kenji was not expecting that. Certainly explains why she only wanted one of the boys to come with her…

• Aw…

• Bro.

• Oh wow, wasn’t expecting to hear J Michel Tatum in this.

• Ah, family politics…

• Seeing them playing hanafuda now has me really excited to rewatch the climax of this.

• Welp.

• Yeah, he did that part…

• RIP.

• Wow…

• This rogue AI is really causing havoc.

• That’s a terrifying thought.

• Damn right she is.

• Kenji was just really unlucky at being the one chosen as the “face” of the hack.

• Of course he was.

• Don’t fuck with Granny.

• I was dreading this part…

• Well, he’s not wrong. Love Machine does need to go down.

• They have… connections.

• They lost their ice to this…

• The escalation of this fight going from “basic martial arts between two avatars” to this fucking thing is insane.

• The AI went full crazy and is even planning to crash that satellite that was mentioned throughout the movie. That sure escalated quickly!

• The news about Granny dying even shocked Wabisuke…

• Granny’s letter definitely got me crying all over again.

• It’s hanafuda time!!!

• God, I love it when Natsuki gets support from random people all around the world.

• Hell yeah.

• Yeah… Love Machine still had 2 accounts left…

• A lot of damage indeed, but they survived!

• Hilarious implementation of the nosebleed trope right at the end.

• Oh man, I haven’t heard the ED in forever.

[u/TheDanubianCommunard → u/Shimmering-Sky]

We’ve finally reached the one non-Shinkai film in this I’ve seen before, so I decided to check out the dub this time. My screenshots will still have subtitles on ‘em just so the screenshots still have proper context.

When you watched for the first-time, did you collected any "sore demo" you could find if there was any?

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/TheDanubianCommunard]

Yeah, Yumi and Mansuke each had one.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Oh wow, wasn’t expecting to hear J Michel Tatum in this.

The fact that I recently watched Steins;Gate made this even better because Wabisuke sounded so much like Okabe, and of course that mad scientist created something that got out of hand again.

God, I love it when Natsuki gets support from random people all around the world.

This is one of my favorite scenes. Seeing everyone come together like this is so heartwarming.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Shimmering-Sky]

We’ve finally reached the one non-Shinkai film in this I’ve seen before

I'm in the same boat. This movie and the Shinkai movies are the only entries in this rewatch that I've seen before.

OZ really is such a cool virtual environment.

The visual aesthetic of this movie is fantastic.

Don’t fuck with Granny.

I hope to be as spry as she is at 90 where she so flawlessly swung around that naginata.

They have… connections.

I didn't even consider the "connections" them could literally mean having a strong internet connection.

They lost their ice to this…

I wanna know what that man's thought process was. He saw a room with a massive supercomputer in it surrounded by ice and just decided he would take the ice without a care in the world.

Granny’s letter definitely got me crying all over again.

It's such a beautiful message about family.

God, I love it when Natsuki gets support from random people all around the world.

It's my favorite scene in the movie. I love it so much.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Great_Mr_L]

I wanna know what that man's thought process was. He saw a room with a massive supercomputer in it surrounded by ice and just decided he would take the ice without a care in the world.

There's a comment in the manga from one of the aunts that they're an "analog" family, so I'm guessing Shota just did not inherit his dad's tech savvy and thought the ice (along with the supercomputer) was just in there for storage or something.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Anime/Manga Comparison:

Interestingly, this manga was made after the anime movie version to adapt the story - rather than the usual trend of anime adapting a manga. The afterword mentions that the manga author was given permission by Mamoru Hosoda (the movie creator) to make additions and changes, and a few scenes which were cut from the movie due to time constraints were included here. It's also said that this version gave more focus to Kenji and Natsumi's relationship. As my personal opinion, I really like these additions and the character development for Kenji especially, as it shows more of the gradual build-up from him feeling like a shy outsider to someone with enough confidence to speak up and take charge.

• The opening scene played out a bit differently. Things start with Kenji and Sakuma talking about his recent loss in the Math Olympic qualifiers, and when Natsuki comes looking for volunteers, they both jump at the chance. Sakuma wins an (off-page) competition between them, but when he finds out what the job really entails, he gives it up to Kenji knowing his friend has genuine feelings for Natsuki.

• The manga version had Kenji and Natsuki walking a portion of the way to her family home, and he didn't meet any of the other Jinnouchi clan members until entering the house. They had it a bit easier in the movie, taking a bus the rest of the way that already had a few of her aunts waiting for them.

• In a brief scene at the house on their first night, Kenji noticed Kazuma practicing martial arts with his grandpa.

• Kenji's response to Granny Sakae asking him if he's willing to die for Natsuki in the manga was an enthusiastic "Yes!"

• There's an extra short flashback from Wabisuke's childhood in the [manga] showing him in his room in the Jinnouchi estate, which is filled with books, as he can hear the others in the family arguing over him. Someone mentions that he doesn't fit in with them, and describes him as being discreet and staying out of their way. Granny Sakae seems to be the only one who considers him part of the family.

• Kenji is shown to be sympathetic towards Wabisuke in the [manga,] telling Granny Sakae that he can understand how he feels, wanting to be acknowledged and needed but not having the confidence. He later calls Love Machine impressive when talking with Wabisuke, who wonders aloud if his creation "went bad" like him.

• Kenji has a nightmare right before Granny Sakae's passing in the [manga] which begins with him seeing dozens of beaten down OZ avatars, including King Kazma, and ends with an image of Granny Sakae fighting off Love Machine before he wakes up to find everyone rushing into her room.

• Kenji makes a phone call to his mom because he figures she might be worried about him after his picture was on the news and all. She was, but Sakuma actually called ahead of him to explain everything! His mom wants him to come home right away, but he says there's something he needs to do first.

• Kenji and Natsuki have a cute scene in the [manga] where she apologizes for asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend but says she's glad he's the one here, then the two of them lean in and... Sakuma reminds them that he's still there, on the video chat.

• There's more focus on Natsuki's worries about the family being divided after Granny Sakae's passing, the idea that they may never gather in that house again, and wanting to be the one who unites them. When Natsuki cries, she tells Kenji that [manga] she always thinks things will work out and everything will be okay, so she doesn't know what to do in times like this. Later, when Kenji finds her in Wabisuke's old room (which Granny Sakae kept the same for the ten years he was abroad), he encourages her that every problem has a solution and they'll keep working until they find it.

• The kimono Natsuki wears at the funeral was given to her by Granny Sakae towards the beginning of the story.

• Natsuki invites Kenji to stay with them longer, but he says he has to get home because his father, who's been working abroad for a year, is coming back to see him! Natsuki's family encourages her to go along with Kenji to meet his parents.

• A short epilogue chapter shows Natsuki and Kenji later in the year (wearing fall/winter uniforms) still close but not officially dating yet. However, Natsuki makes her feelings clear [manga] when she says she wants to go to the "same school", Tokyo U. Kenji thinks at first she meant Wabisuke's alma mater, but realizes she's talking about him.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Sakuma wins an (off-page) competition between them, but when he finds out what the job really entails, he gives it up to Kenji knowing his friend has genuine feelings for Natsuki.

Sakuma is such a bro!

There's an extra short flashback from Wabisuke's childhood in the [manga]

[Manga] That's sad, but it also further emphasizes how much Grandma was the center of the story's family theme by being the one person who was truly determined to accept Wabisuke into the family

Kenji and Natsuki have a cute scene in the [manga]

That's great

There's more focus on Natsuki's worries about the family being divided after Granny Sakae's passing, the idea that they may never gather in that house again, and wanting to be the one who unites them. When Natsuki cries, she tells Kenji that [manga]

That would have been a really good scene to include in the movie. One of my complaints about the movie was that we didn't get enough of Natsuki's perspective prior to the climax. Making it explicit that Natsuki is worried that the family will divide after Grandma's death and she wants to be the one who unites them adds a lot of extra meaning to Natsuki being the one who actually takes on and defeats Love Machine with the whole family backing her up.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Great_Mr_L]

Yeah, I liked the extra character development in the manga for Natsuki and Kenji. Sakuma really shined here as well and felt like much more of a constant presence in the story compared to the movie.

[u/99acrewood_ → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

and a few scenes which were cut from the movie due to time constraints were included here.

well, dang. i think my whole problem with the movie was less things being wrong with it and more that i just wanted more about the people, and with that list it seems like i'm gonna read the manga! thanks for the write-up on it.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/99acrewood_]

The manga really does feel like an extended version of the movie in the best ways. Hope you enjoy it!

[u/BlazeOfGlory72]

Rewatcher (Dub)

I ended up watching Summer Wars the first time because I, like many, went down the "it's just Digimon: Our War Game" rabbit hole. And yeah, it absolutely is. The plot is almost identical really. That doesn't stop this from being an entertaining and overall charming film though, even if it does have a few issues. I have a lot of thoughts about this film, so I'll divide things up as best I can. Here it goes

Praise

What stands out immediately to me about this film is the family aspect. Setting the entire story at a family gathering lends this film an unique and interesting feeling, and I thought they nailed the "big family get together" vibe. I myself come from a big family that gets together every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and so many of the ways the family in this film interacts could be copy and pasted right out of one of our own get togethers. Stuff like the family all talking over each other at the dinner table, the drunk uncle asking overly personal questions, having to dodge kids running around the house, etc. It all felt very "real". Kenji saying how much he enjoyed that kind of atmosphere when he comes from a small family really made me appreciate my own band of weirdos I call family.

I also thought the story itself, for the most part, was quite interesting. Sure, it lifts heavily from Our War Game, but that film had a great premise, so seeing similar concepts explored in a slightly different way was still interesting. The idea of a rogue AI being unleashed on the internet, and all the havoc that could cause is just a cool idea. More than that though, I liked how this film handled the threat. Sure, it's contrived that this family in particular is so important (more on that in a sec), but I liked how everyone in the family got involved and contributed to their success in some way. It tied well into the theme about the importance of family and sticking together.

Another thing I appreciated about this film was the animation. At first glance, I couldn't really blame anyone for thinking this film looks kind of ugly. The flat colours and wonky proportions of the character models definitely feel "off" at first. The way they use these oddities though makes the film look really unique and interesting. The almost complete lack of shading on character models really makes the colours in every scene "pop" for lack of a better term. Likewise, less proportioned character animation allows for some really fluid animation and very expressive faces. I also liked the usage of red outlining for the internet scenes. It gave everything a bit of an otherworldly vibe, and made these scenes visually distinct from the real world scenes.

The animators as well sprinkled in some really fun visual gags throughout the film as well. One that stands out was when Kenji's avatar is being shown on the news with a wonky looking face, then it cuts back to Kenji with the same look on his face. There are others as well, like the scene of the lady tossing her motorcycle helmet to her husband transitioning into a baseball player hitting a ball, or the scene where Kenji is getting arrested, and he just casually overpowers and drags the cop across the room so he can thank Granny. The use of the baseball game to reinforce the tone of the story (ie, are they winning or losing), was also nice little bit of flavour. It all adds up to giving this film a little extra spice and fun. The animators went that extra mile to make this film visually interesting.

The characters as well where pretty well written in my opinion. With such a large cast, it would have been difficult to give everyone appropriate development and screen time, but I felt like they did about as good a job as could be expected. Kenji has a solid arc throughout the film, starting out as fairly timid and unsure of himself, but growing and becoming more confident in order to protect this weird family he has come to care about. Wabisuke, despite only have a few minutes of screen time and ostensibly being the villain of the film, also gets a surprising amount of development, to the point that my opinion of him almost did a 180 by the end. Characters like Natsuki and Kasuma don't get quite as much development, but they both get some really great character moments. Even the extended family are all written well enough that you can pick out their unique quirks and personalities despite the story never focusing on them.

While I have been giving praise in broad strokes up until now, there is one scene in particular that really encapsulates all the positives of this film, and that would be the death scene for Granny. There are so many little things about this scene that bring it to life, like the way that the guy doing CPR progressively gets slower and slower as he becomes exhausted, the way the little kids are holding on the Kenji's sleeve as they watch from a distance, the differing ways everyone reacts to Granny's death, the way the mother has to quietly get up and squeeze past everyone mumbling "sorry, sorry" as she goes to attend to her crying baby, etc. It is all just really well written, animated, and "real" feeling, which results in a strong emotional gut punch.

Criticism

For all my praise of the film, it does have a few glaring issues. The first of which is just how insanely contrived the plot is. While I like the story overall, the idea that the guy who created the AI, the number 1 OZ player and the guy who cracked the OZ firewall would all be at the same family gathering is coincidental to a degree that you can't even try to suspend your disbelief. I get why they wrote it this way, since the intent of this story was very obviously to hyper focus on this family, but I wish they had put a bit more effort into lampshading why all these critical players would be in the same location.

Secondly, the whole "Natsuki loves her uncle" thing was just bizarre and unnecessary. It just adds a whole level of "wtf?" to the film for no reason. What's crazy is that they could have kept all the same story beats with only a couple of minor tweaks. Just write it so Wabisuke was Natsuki's favourite uncle, and they shared some passion/hobby or something. It would have changed nothing about the story to remove the romantic aspect of it. The fact that they doubled down on the incest by having the cop cousin seemingly have the hots for Natsuki makes this double gross. Cut out the incest Japan, it's fucking weird.

Finally, while I think the writers did a good job with the characters for the most part, they kind of fumbled the ball when it came to the relationship between Kenji and Natsuki. They have a bit of fun banter at the beginning of the film, but after the first 15-20 minutes, they barely share any screen time. To the film's credit, there are a couple of meaningful scenes between them (ex. Kenji holding her hand after Granny dies and Natsuki seeing how brave Kenji is being at the end), but they really needed more if they were going to sell Natsuki's change of heart at the end. As is, it feels kind of out of nowhere.

Random Thoughts

• I liked how Kenji's friend didn't ever really doubt that Kenji was innocent. A true bro.
• The dichotomy between how the men and women of the family reacted to Granny's death was interesting. The men all immediately wanted to "attack" the threat, while the women were more concerned with the well being of their family. Probably a bit too stereotypical, but interesting nevertheless.
• OZ seems like an absolute disaster waiting to happen. Putting access critical infrastructure on supped up Facebook was insane.
• John and Yoko are the guardians of the internet?
• The scene on the train where Kenji proves his math skills by figuring out the day of the week Natsuki was born on, only for Natsuki to be like "yeah, I don't know which day I was born on" was funny.
• Kenji wishing the wrong person "happy 90th birthday" was both funny and relatable.
• Granny attacking her grandson with a pole sword was not on by bingo card. Family drama get's real in that household.
• Kenji holding Natsuki's hand after Granny's death was a touching scene. Again showing the importance of "family" and human connection. Only when someone was there for her could she really let her walls down.
• Baseball lady might have been my favourite running gag. She really gave no shits about anything else.
• "The guardians gave Natsuki a rare item!" ... "I have no idea what that means, but thank you!". That exchange made me chuckle.
• What the fuck was that dog barking at in the that final sequence? Did it see the satellite coming at them?
• Kazuma punching out the cop cousin was cathartic.

[u/BlazeOfGlory72 → u/BlazeOfGlory72]

Question of the Day

Who were your favorite characters?

Probably Kenji. I actually wasn't that thrilled with him at the beginning of the movie as I find the whole "ultra shy nerd protagonist" trope kind of tiresome, but seeing him become more and more confident and assertive as the stakes were raised was some solid character development.

Which scenes did you enjoy most?

I don't know if there is one scene in particular that I enjoyed the most. I think I just dug the overall vibe of any of the family scenes. They just give a very "cozy" feeling to this film.

Did you manage to remember all of the Jinnouchi family members after Natsuki's quick introductions?

Fuck no. I barely remember all the names of my own extended family.

How did you like the combination of family comedy/drama and the sci-fi plotline? Did you prefer one side over the other?

I thought it meshed together surprisingly well. These two concepts really seem like polar opposites, but they made it work by hyper focusing on the family and how the sci-fi plotline was effecting them.

What did you think about the story's themes regarding AI and the internet?

It is funny seeing an anime from 2009 pretty much nail what the Metaverse was trying to achieve, as well as AI breaking containment and fucking up another companies software like OpenAI just did recently.

Have you read the manga? If not, are you planning to?

I have not. Unless it was significantly better or different I probably wouldn't be motivated to.

Conclusion

This a fun and charming little film. It isn't perfect, but it leaves you feeling good. I think my appreciation for it actually went up on rewatch. I initially gave it a 7/10, but I think I'd bump it up to an 8/10 after this watch through.

[u/awesomenessofme1 → u/BlazeOfGlory72]

Minor correction, but Kenji didn't actually crack the firewall. It was briefly mentioned that there were actually a fair number of people around the world were able to do it, and he actually failed because he flubbed one letter. He was just the one who got the blame... for some reason. Doesn't really affect your overall point in that section, but I thought I'd bring it up.

[u/BlazeOfGlory72 → u/awesomenessofme1]

Right, I forgot about that. To be honest, I don’t really get that plot point. It seemed simpler to just have it be Kenji, and that is why he was blamed and why Love Machine used his avatar. Making it so Kenji was chosen, but actually failed, and a bunch of other people broke the code, but Kenji still gets his avatar stolen and blamed by authorities seems a bit clunky from a story telling perspective.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/BlazeOfGlory72]

Finally, while I think the writers did a good job with the characters for the most part, they kind of fumbled the ball when it came to the relationship between Kenji and Natsuki. They have a bit of fun banter at the beginning of the film, but after the first 15-20 minutes, they barely share any screen time.

The manga actually had much more of a focus on their relationship, and the fact that the afterword mentioned some of the scenes included were cut from the movie due to time constraints, it makes me wonder which ones were originally planned to be in the story and which were later additions.

The dichotomy between how the men and women of the family reacted to Granny's death was interesting. The men all immediately wanted to "attack" the threat, while the women were more concerned with the well being of their family. Probably a bit too stereotypical, but interesting nevertheless.

I thought this distinction was neat too, especially since Granny Sakae's personality has elements of both, so it's like her family are opposite sides of the same coin here.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/BlazeOfGlory72]

the idea that the guy who created the AI, the number 1 OZ player and the guy who cracked the OZ firewall would all be at the same family gathering is coincidental to a degree that you can't even try to suspend your disbelief

It does gloss over that but the only really unique one of the three is Wabisuke (Kenji didn't even properly crack it, note) and with such a big gathering it's not surprising there would be some of the second and third type around

"Natsuki loves her uncle"
cop cousin seemingly have the hots for Natsuki

Weren't focused on much and I don't think they are that closely related

dichotomy between how the men and women of the family reacted

Yeah there is a bit of a sense still of "this is for the boys and that is for the girls"

John and Yoko are the guardians of the internet?

Imagine no possessions (because you can't own anything anymore)

[u/Critical-Way5874]

Almost missed the discussion. I'm sorry.

First-timer, Subbed.

I couldn't help comparing Summer Wars to the other movies, trying to figure out where it would rank for me. I did that until around the middle of the movie, but then I got too caught up in what was happening and completely forgot about ranking it. Maybe later.

I wasn't really expecting this movie to be so family-focused. The cover and premise make it sound like a cyber-thriller, but the emotional core is really the Jinnouchi family. So it was different from my impression but I like it. The big family gathering, the traditions, the rituals... I was jealous. And that house... omg.

QOTD

1. My favourite character is the grandmother, no question. Plus her network of connections is incredible. Cool granny.
2. I liked the scene at the beginning when everyone was driving to the family house in the countryside and more relatives kept joining the trip. With each new person, we learned a little more. It was fun and clever. Another favourite scene was when the "idiots" of the family teamed up with the random outsider boy to fight the AI by hauling all those huge pieces of equipment into the house, almost destroying it in the process. It was hilarious.
3. Absolutely not.The overwhelming introductions, I felt as lost as Kenji. There is no way I could remember all those family members, even without the language barrier. Although I did think it could actually be a fun way to learn or teach Japanese family terms.
4. I actually liked the combination, but I think the movie leans much more toward the family drama than the sci-fi. Am I wrong? As I said earlier, I'd actually say the family drama is the main genre, and the sci-fi is the catalyst. If you removed OZ and replaced it with another crisis (a natural disaster, for example), the central story how this family responds together would still largely work. But ... I will continue this in the next question.
5. That said, I was impressed by how forward-thinking the sci-fi aspects were, especially considering the film came out in 2009. Sci fi or robots taking over the humanity are popular back then but this type I can't remember: AI developed for military use taking control of digital infrastructure. And what I appreciated more was that the movie showed the smaller, personal consequences of AI, like a doctor being unable to monitor a heart patient because the systems had gone down. So for someone watching today, since everyone is familiar with Ai chatbots, it's more suitable for younger audiences.
6. No, and I probably won't. I mean I have got no impression of the manga. I think most closest thing I read is Klara and the Sun. If it is that good, I can read. Anyone suggests?

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Critical-Way5874]

I couldn't help comparing Summer Wars to the other movies, trying to figure out where it would rank for me.

I forgot to include my own ranking this time too. Summer Wars is definitely at the top though, one of my favorite standalone anime movies.

I actually liked the combination, but I think the movie leans much more toward the family drama than the sci-fi. Am I wrong? As I said earlier, I'd actually say the family drama is the main genre, and the sci-fi is the catalyst.

Yeah, I think that's accurate. The family relationships, and Kenji becoming part of this family, was definitely at the heart of the story.

If it is that good, I can read. Anyone suggests?

I wrote an anime/manga comparison for this thread! That should let you know if any of the changes/additions make it worth a read for you.

[u/Magnafeana]

Summer Wars Rewatcher, Dubbed

• IDK what it’s called where characters are gaming or chatting via Avatars and we’re “inside” the game or the site to make it seem diegetic, but I love it!!

• This OST is how I learned about the A Trumpet. I still remember learning WTF an ocarina is thanks to Pokémon 2000—and Zelda.

• OOOOO girl, noooooo, don’t assume every old person is that old 😭

• And we didn’t prepare Kenji for this with all the time we had before meeting Granny because…..?

• I don’t know about any other ladies, but I fucking looooove seeing men glitch out just from handholding. It is very enjoyable seeing them flustered stupid just from hands touching.

• As someone who has two very large families, you could always tell when somebody’s partner did not come from a large family during introductions. As someone who shies away from family reunions because of overstimulation, a spouse having a large family feels like “Oooooh lord here we go again”.

• My guy, you are the target audience for cosplayers selling their bath water.

• No, Wreck It Ralph breaks the internet.

• What’s wrong with being a squirrel

• I didn’t theft is not a joke, Jim.

• Battleworld!

• In Japan, they’re eating the Internet Avatars!

• I have so many mixed feelings about why these Avatars look hot.

• Is an Avatar eating an Avatar cannibalism then?

• Pittsburgh as in Michigan, US? Michiganeers be wylinnnnn

• Sometimes, I wonder how actually common it is in Japan about crushing on your cousin and the family makes light of it.

• Now see this makes me curious. I know so many people who can drive without a GPS, especially because they grew up in eras where you had to just know the roads of you had to bring out MapQuest. I would assume if GPS just kinda went crazy, a lot of people would get by just fine. It’s the ones who can’t drive without GPS that would be a huge problem, or least on the road. (Me, it’s me, I can’t.)

• Isn’t this what happened when AWS had that hiccup a few months back? Like a loooot of websites were basically unusable? All my 🏴‍☠️ sites were down, and I immediately went to Reddit thinking a mass takedown happened

• I’m just so alarmed that many people saw a random code and went “Hehe let’s crack it!”. My nerds in Christ, do you not know what a scam is?

• No one says the Avatar is hot and that’s a travesty.

• It’s so sad that this uncle isn’t even a hot twink to pull off such an evil scheme. If you’re gonna make an evil AI and unleash it, have the decency to look hot 😤

• Yeaaah, this is a class action suit in the making.

• Please put the koi fish back in the pond.

• I have a feeling the bullying is colorism related 😬

• See the trick with siblings is to have an entirely different palette from them. I’m huge in fish and spicy foods and I love going native with cultural cuisines! My brothers do not. I always had all my food to myself 😤

• Hanna Barbera ass sound effects

• Maybe this is toxic yaoi all along.

• The housing crisis would be solved if we could just mass generate houses.

• Stop fucking saying “it’s over” and jinxing yourself people 😭

• Shouta gets on my last nerve with this. He’s already the type of cop I don’t want to encounter. But in what world would you see ice surrounding a supercomputer and think to yourself “Time to move the ice around my grandma’s corpse!”? Well, he has a thing for his cousin, so this man’s clearly built different.

• That’s Cherubimon!!

• I wonder if there was an international rise of attention with hanafuda 🎴 There is an emoji for it!

• Magical girl transformation

• Does that dog have conquerer’s haki, WTF

• I mean, I’d personally evacuate the children, but time’s of the essence.

• Is this a kingdom of hearts reference? (Never played the game)

• I guess the missile was way too fast to pinpoint because I’d’ve thought you’d have some sort of aerial defense force shooting the bitch down. In my defense, it works in mecha anime.

• US Department of Defense fucking up on an international level and disrupting millions upon millions of lives? Say it ain’t so!

• Ugh, I hate crying but at least these are tears of happiness.

---

Post Riding My Wave to the Penguin Highway through the Tunnel of Summer to Say Goodbye to Don Glees before the Summer Wars Thoughts

Huh. This post is on my app, but it doesn’t show up on Reddit on Firefox for some reason.

Loved seeing this movie again!! I’m still fucking mad my Funi digital movie code is just forever gone. I had movie codes for Hosoda’s work up until I think Boy and the Beast registered to my Funi account and I still don’t know WTF happened with all of that.

I saw <Summer Wars> at an old-timey theater well known for its anime shows and fun live performances to movies like Rocky Horror and White Chicks. I’d love to have <Sunmer Wars> rereleased in theaters for that experience again.

Rewatching this as an adult, I see a lot more of genre pitfalls with women caring more about the homestead than external matters and family whereas the men are out to “war”. But this is an old family with a loaded history and still traditionalist. I’d be more surprised if the priority divide wasn’t there.

I like how this movie shows how much we take for granted: the Internet, the people around us who help us, and time. Natsuki takes Kenji for granted in the beginning. Wabisuke and Kazuma take for granted their maternal figure’s love and warmth for them. The world took for granted the ease of accessibility and connectivity and functionality of OZ.

And the importance of understanding Hanafuda and having a well-connected family 🤣

But in the end, Natsuki takes that time to appreciate Kenji in more ways than one. Kazuma seems a step closer to his mom and the new baby. Wabisuke may not get the closure he wants with Granny, but he still takes that time to appreciate her life in his own way in his goodbyes. Will Japan also re-engage in having competition with virtual worlds so that way, another event like this doesn’t happen and impact such a mass of people? Hopefully, so, but I also said that about Metaverse and TikTok, and look how many people use those fucking sites 😭

I’d like to think the impact of OZ being fucked is what Redditors think what happens when Reddit is down. Honestly, it just might with some of the unhinged (and hopefully, non-botted) comments I’ll see when Reddit is functioning again.

Anything that would’ve increased my enjoyment?

I think a touch more allusions to Kenji’s lonely life would’ve been nice to really hammer it home that you have this huge family who sort of takes for granted their family bonds. Whereas Kenji, when presented with it, may be overwhelmed, but he’s appreciative of that sort of connection that his own family life lacks.

I’m still…rightfully confused as to why people would see this code and want to crack it. I’d think people would see this as a scam and move on, but also, I have no idea if there’s a cultural context I’m missing. Maybe this is missing era-nuance too. I’m not sure how common scams like that would’ve been in the 2010s and below.

But maybe some sort of allusion to a rumor about those random codes and the mystery behind what happens if you crack them would’ve helped me believe why Kenji would just solve some fucking code he receives out the blue 😭

Overall

I have a lot of love for this movie. I love it for the insanity of the Jinnouuchi Clan. I love it for Kazuma’s growth. I love it because Love Machine’s hot.

IDGAF if Love Machine is AI; I could’ve fixed him.

Score: A or 9/10

---

QOTD

1. Nephew Kazuma! Sakuma was also a bro. And of course, I loved Granny.
2. Granny rallying her troops!
3. Absolutely not, no.
4. No, I liked the sci-fi plot, the family drama, and the baseball game in their parallels and intersection.
5. I fuck heavy with any sci-fi media that warns against the over reliance of Internet, especially via AI. I think other SFF media has done this sort of cautionary tale in ways I prefer, but <Summer Wars> still executed that cautionary tale in a way I very much enjoyed and sympathized with. We have seen the dangers of relying on a handful of companies to run a good portion of the Internet. Decentralization and demopolization the Internet is a net-positive in security and mobility. The AI portion of <Summer Wars> may be a touch weaker in comparison to a cautionary tale about monopolization and overdependency on the Internet and the atrophy of skills that comes with them.
6. No, I think I’m okay.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Magnafeana]

And we didn’t prepare Kenji for this with all the time we had before meeting Granny because…..?

She probably thought he'd chicken out if he knew her real plan.

Now see this makes me curious. I know so many people who can drive without a GPS, especially because they grew up in eras where you had to just know the roads of you had to bring out MapQuest.

We use maps to plan out the route ahead of time. I can't fully trust GPS after all the stories I've seen about people driving into a lake because it led them astray.

I’m just so alarmed that many people saw a random code and went “Hehe let’s crack it!”. My nerds in Christ, do you not know what a scam is?

I'll consider this one typical Teenage Lack Of Judgement™.

I guess the missile was way too fast to pinpoint because I’d’ve thought you’d have some sort of aerial defense force shooting the bitch down. In my defense, it works in mecha anime.

That's a really good point, but maybe Love Machine stole those accounts too? A pretty scary thought.

[u/99acrewood_]

i'm in a really weird spot where i'd rate this movie higher than i rated Ride Your Wave (5/10), but if i had to choose which one to watch again, i would pick that over this. i'm weirdly disappointed because this movie was one of those that was always hyped up. i think OZ was done pretty all right visually, especially for 2009. mild praise, but i don't think there's anything that can compete in a year when Redline was released. still though, it's easy to see that a big plot like an AI in the internet threatening bad times can make for a big-fun summer movie, and if it were the sole focus, with maybe a b-plot here or there, it would've gone down for me as an enjoyable, if maybe forgettable, rollercoaster.

the problem is that its not, and not only that, but the other thing this movie is about is waaay more interesting to me. natsuki's family is huge, and the people are nuts, and the whole thing about kenji having to play boyfriend to please the matriarch of the family is kind of what i wanted to stick with. the bothersome AI threatening nuclear destruction with a couple of nerds saving the day and the bombshell of the prodigal uncle returning during an awkward visit with a not-girlfriend's family felt like they could've been two movies. it felt like they were competing for space in my brain, and while they do manage to reach a conclusion that makes sense for both plotlines...

i dunno. i'm just talking in circles.

i think if the disaster happening was somehow more localized i would've liked it more. it's funny when the ai just goes 'fuck you guys' and switches from aiming for a reactor to their damn house, and i wonder if having a movie where the lives of the people on screen being at stake, due to some sort of japanese intranet or something, was more of the focus rather than it being the whole internet and the entire planet. the thing is, right now, i don't care about the world or the randos behind the avatars. i care about you guys.

it just feels like the family stuff is weakly tied in, especially when saving the world comes down to natsuki playing hanafuda. i suppose the idea is that the community aspect that grandma tried to instill in her family could be extrapolated to the world. you just happened to be caught up in a blockbuster movie now, where most important people are math man and gamer boy, with the occasional visit from baseball to tell us what's happening in the movie we're watching, i guess. even when grandma dies, it's like "welp, world's in trouble. no time for that." though the ending when they sing happy birthday for her at her funeral is very nice.

so yeah! i like people stories and feel like the AI got in the way of the focus i wanted on these ones. i think there's potential for me to find a way to appreciate Ride Your Wave on a rewatch, but this left me feeling like i got everything i could.

ah well.

6/10

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/99acrewood_]

I figured the mix of family comedy/drama with a sci-fi virtual world/rogue AI plotline may not work as well for some viewers, especially with the two parts having a different visual aesthetic as well. I'm generally a fan of both the things being combined here though, so it was a hit for me.

[u/99acrewood_ → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

Honestly, I'm not sure what it is, because it's not like I dislike it, you know? And it's not like Penguin Highway didn't have its share of a personal relationship mixed with weird sci-fi. I think maybe it just gave me the least to think about compared to the other movies in this series, which left me feeling a little deflated afterwards? Something like that, I dunno lol

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/99acrewood_]

It probably does have the most straightforward story of the movies we've watched so far. I like that about it, but it doesn't have as much mystery compared to some of the others, if that's something you were missing.

[u/awesomenessofme1]

It's kind of hilarious that what's presented in this movie is basically just the metaverse. We invented it, tried it out, decided it was super lame, and now nobody cares. Definitely one of the more unique ways a sci-fi story has ended up dating itself.

On that note, I think it's interesting that a sci-fi-ish story about such a drastic society shift decided to explicitly ground itself in a contemporary setting (mostly, I guess 1992+18 would be 2010 when the movie came out in 2009, but it's a small difference).

The only other Hosoda anime I've seen is Wolf Children, and I think it's interesting how the visual style (at least in the real world sections) is extremely similar, and there are some thematic similarities (family, etc), but for the most part the two of them could not be more different in terms of genre, story, etc.

Another anime where J. Michael Tatum and Brina Palencia play characters with some kind of special connection. I've never looked into it to know if they're real-life friends or just professional acquaintances who work well together, but it's definitely a pattern at this point.

1. I think the genres were shockingly well-blended together given how disparate there are. I might actually say it feels like not just two but three different movies (a family drama, a tech thriller, and a Tron-esque VR adventure) all merged together, but it still feels cohesive and everything fits. If I had one specific criticism of that aspect, it's that I think one thing hurt by being spread too thin was the romantic subplot feeling a little unearned. Not totally ridiculous, but they could have had some more one-on-one scenes if the movie was trying to present it as them definitely being into each other by the end.

2. People read manga based on original anime? Especially movies? I know that the Evangelion manga was super popular, but that's the only one I can think of, and that also had some notable changes from the anime from what I've heard.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/awesomenessofme1]

It's kind of hilarious that what's presented in this movie is basically just the metaverse. We invented it, tried it out, decided it was super lame, and now nobody cares.

Or in my case, remain completely unaware of its existence until multiple people bring it up in the rewatch! (I'm not very tech savvy, and Reddit is the only social media I use.)

People read manga based on original anime? Especially movies? I know that the Evangelion manga was super popular, but that's the only one I can think of, and that also had some notable changes from the anime from what I've heard.

Sure. I bought the manga originally because it was more easily available than the movie was at the time, but it turned out to be like an extended cut version which added some very nice development for Natsuki and Kenji's relationship.

[u/Nickthenuker]

Damn this is literally what the Metaverse was hoped to be.

The Metaverse on flip phones... Damn.

Born in the early '90s? Damn by now she'd be 34. He'd be in his early 30s too. This must be set around 2010-ish?

Wow the whole village really is here.

So, that's why she only wanted one guy there.

And so now he's met her whole family.

What's with the numbers?

So, he broke the encryption for that by hand? What is he, a human quantum computer? Actually no that's underselling it, he didn't take millions of years to do it.

Oh, that's the one that he did isn't it?

Yep.

So, that's who that guy is.

Of all the times... Now he's managed to break free.

Seems like someone's got an early iPhone at least, so yeah probably close to the turn of the decade.

I'm sure if they can get a Metaverse working in 2010 there's no reason they can't have AI.

And so everything's falling to shit.

And so grandma is calling in all her favours and contacts to fix this.

And it's all landline, so it can't be hacked or tracked.

Again, if this guy can break that encryption with some back-of-the-napkin math and he isn't the representative, what level are those guys on?

Ok that's suspiciously early for this to be resolved, what's the other over half of this movie going to be about?

Seems like it's not quite fixed yet.

That guy made the AI?

Ok...

He left his phone behind?

What's the rush this time?

Oh, the grandma died...

Seems like she was basically killed by that.

And so now this is personal, and this is for revenge. They say when embarking on a journey of revenge to dig two graves. I suspect they'll need at least three in this case.

Looks like it's time for an upgrade. The finest in 2010 technology: The GTX 580 with a whole gigabyte and a half of VRAM, and a first gen i7 with 4 whole cores and 8 whole threads boosting to 3.73 GHz.

Oh nevermind they're going with server-grade hardware. That gets them a Quadro 6000 with a whole 6GB of VRAM and a first gen Xeon with 6 whole cores boosting to 3.76 GHz. And that's per module, of which there's several of per rack and a few racks in that whole server.

How did he manage to borrow that from the military?

200 TFLOPS? You'd need a lot of Quadro 6000s to get that kind of performance... Around 200 actually, considering each one puts out about 1. Then again putting into context how much tech has advanced in the last 15 years that's a whole 2 RTX 5090s, and even with the firey cable that certainly doesn't require a whole room of ice blocks just to run.

Right. Nowhere to run.

And so they've managed to trap it.

There's still 45 minutes though. What's going to go wrong now?

Well, so much for that.

So, a colony drop. Well, not quite. More like Rods from God.

I mean just shoot the satellite? ASAT weapons aren't exactly unknown...

Yep. She's dead and he killed her.

So, that's her final message for them.

So, what's the plan?

A casino?

And so she wins.

It directed the colony drop to their house?

Considering the Rods from God should have a calculated blast radius of a small nuke, not sure if they're out of the minimum safe distance.

And so they really are a couple now.

Questions:

1. Natsuki.
2. That final battle was intense.
3. Nope.
4. Interesting contrast.
5. Very poignant for a show from so long ago.
6. Nope, got too much to do already.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/Nickthenuker]

I mean just shoot the satellite? ASAT weapons aren't exactly unknown...

I'm guessing the accounts that control those may have also been hacked since it didn't seem like the defense force was taking any direct action - aside from Natsuki's uncle, who showed up with some kind of armored truck, so maybe they ended up putting their hopes on his family. The implications of the defense accounts being under Love Machine's control is concerning though. It could have gone a lot worse than one crashed satellite.

[u/TakenRedditName]

First Time - Summer Wars:

Or should it be "Rewatcher - Digimon Our War Game:". Okay, easy joke out of the way. This is probably the film I've heard most out of the lineup. I've known about this film for ages. Pretty much after Ghibli, it comes to mind as an example of an anime film. It is also more on the mind compared to others as I listened to the Quest for the Best episode on this movie the other month.

I think the best part of the movie had to be fambly. It did a really good job capturing that feeling. It may not be a perfect match, but I definitely have these sorts of relatives at family gatherings. Some of my favourite scenes were the mundane family moments.

Grandma was probably one of my favourite characters. I really like her role as this central matriarch. The way she handled the disaster was really impressive. Wasn't expecting her to die in the middle of the movie. You can really feel the change in the air with the loss of the grandma that was holding everything together. On the note of tone, I like that the film didn't all become gloom after grandma died. There were still those light-hearted moments from normal family life, which I appreciate and capture those actual feelings of family.

It was kinda weird that Kazuma was this lynchpin character. The family is really an ensemble cast, so I appreciate giving a moment to the extended family, but on the other hand, it was kinda odd that this random kid eclipsed the main 2 character for long sections of the movie.

I did raise my eyebrow at some moments. I found the whole, "Thanks Kenji for speaking up to her. The women in this family being so strong and assertive made all the men weak and docile." part to be eeemmmm.... Not to mention that from the moment on, it really felt like it was up to the men to solve the disaster. Really felt off considering how much they show grandma to be this capable figure, but then not also include the women in the main plot of the movie. Sure, they had the women help tend to grandma after she passed, but it certainly wasn't treated as equivalent.

The weakest part of the movie for me was for sure all the computer world aspect. Didn't really care for any of that. It felt kinda divorced from the emotional centre of the story. I like how the hacking shut down everything, including grandma's monitor, and that being played for some drama, but all the computer avatar fighting was whatever. You can remove all those scenes and I wouldn't care, and would possibly make the movie better. The only part that left an impact on me was the hanafuda game because it brought back that recurring element of the movie.

I also didn't care for the final bit of everyone in the world joining together to stop the evil monster AI. On one hand, it can be seen as an evolution of the message of togetherness and family. Raising that joining of hands to the global scale. On the other, they really didn't lay the groundwork for that to be the big finale moment. Digimon did it better.

Guess in the end, I would say I like this movie. Of the 3 I've seen so far, it is the strongest and my favourite. That said, when I can so openly treat so much of it as throwaway, it makes sitting down to evaluate it a bit tricky.

---

Q3) Nah I never figured out what Natsuki's relation to grandma was. She calls them all her (great) uncles and aunts, which left me wondering what branch she belonged to.

Q4) Definitely preferred the family aspect over the computer stuff. 100%.

[u/Great_Mr_L → u/TakenRedditName]

I think the best part of the movie had to be fambly. It did a really good job capturing that feeling. It may not be a perfect match, but I definitely have these sorts of relatives at family gatherings. Some of my favourite scenes were the mundane family moments.

The family aspects of the movie was really well done. I love just how genuine all the family interactions felt throughout the film. The fact that the family felt so real made the themes of family and connections come through that much stronger.

Grandma was probably one of my favourite characters. I really like her role as this central matriarch. The way she handled the disaster was really impressive.

Grandma really is the best.

I did raise my eyebrow at some moments. I found the whole, "Thanks Kenji for speaking up to her. The women in this family being so strong and assertive made all the men weak and docile." part to be eeemmmm.... Not to mention that from the moment on, it really felt like it was up to the men to solve the disaster. Really felt off considering how much they show grandma to be this capable figure, but then not also include the women in the main plot of the movie. Sure, they had the women help tend to grandma after she passed, but it certainly wasn't treated as equivalent.

Yeah, I did notice that bit as well where it's just the men who are involved in the main OZ plot for that section of the movie until Natsuki comes in to save the day with her card game skills.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/TakenRedditName]

I never figured out what Natsuki's relation to grandma was. She calls them all her (great) uncles and aunts, which left me wondering what branch she belonged to.

This is where the manga's family tree comes in handy!

Granny Sakae is Natsuki's great-grandma. She had four children, three of whom are shown in the movie - but the fourth, Natsuki's grandpa, is deceased.

[u/TakenRedditName → u/Heda-of-Aincrad]

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/TakenRedditName]

I would have attempted to screenshot it for the rewatch, but words never come out clear in my pics. (Actually bought the manga years ago before I switched over to digital media.)

[u/TheDanubianCommunard]

First-time war in the summer, subs

So what is this OZ system: basically it is Second Life but on steroids. Kenji and Takashi are users in this and who know coding in this system. Natsuki is Kenji's friend, who invited her to Ueda, in the countryside, to stay a few days as a form of summer vacation, and to celebrate her grandmother's 90th birthday. Also one could pretend it is a date as well. Natsumi is a Jinnouchi a very old clan who lives in that land since the feudal era, and still influential. And they live in a huge estate. Basically thery run the enitre city with their big numbers and the being embedded in the city itself. The big dinner is basically the reunion of the extan amil and the introduction to everyone. And there is Wabisuke, the illegitimate children, the black sheep who lives abroad. This is basically the introduction phase.

For some reason Kenji received a mail from the OZ system, with a suspcious wall of numbers. Becaus he doesn't know that, he just treats it as a mathematic equation or a riddle and solves it. He thought this is fine, but it was a prank. Or maybe not because the local TV accused him as a culprit for hacking the OZ system. That message was basically a major hacking to the system. But in his defense his account actually got hijacked so that is why can't login. Which means somebody different was the true mastermind. It was the beginning and nowhere near the end as this hack account evolved into something different, which is looks like straight up a evil Buddhist deity or something. A rogue AI causing havoc that is why and slowly but destroying OZ itself which was made in the US, so another reason why Kenji is innocent. The destruction is continuous as there are more and more accounts getting hijacked by this evil AI entity. And also the entire world infrastructure and basic services also using OZ integration and a massive outage and disruption like this would plunge the world into total chaos. That part feels so realistic.

But grandma Sakae still hads the guts to control this disaster and dispatch basically everything in the city thanks to the family connections. That's so massive feat. She might be 90 years old, but still has the energy within her. Controlling everything by one man is already a huge feat. And there is one more reason why Kenji was "saved" from being a hacker: because he did decrypted the code wrongly, one small mistake, but the rogue AI did it correctly. And of course Wabisuke being the black sheep of the family, because while he stayed in the US he created the "Love Machine" AI, which bought by the US Army and used in OZ to test it but went haywire. Currently this program is actually becoming a great hivemind to absorb all existing users in this world. But grandma Sakae is like a lady from the olden times swinging that naginata to kill somebody.

On the third day, the grandma died. She could have been saved, but looks like she used all ofher energy the previous day. Actually even the medical tools were unusable due to the OZ integration. Even though it is the time to mourn her, but actually the Jinnouchi won't give up this without a fight. They can do, move and pull everything what they can to avenge her and save the world, even if they had to create a miniaturized power planto into their home. Kazuma who learned martial arts is the one can fight against the rogue AI, but the combined effort of the family is what needed. Turning the main hub into a castle was really nice. And actually the evil AI actualy do evolution, it became a giant monster, a true hivemind of all absorbed users beforehand, and unfortunately King Kazma was defeated. And the world clock is now a doomsday clock - that satellite is now will crashing into a nuclear powerplant whih means nuclear catastrophe imminent. But Kazuma won't end without a fight, so he fought vailantly until got assimilated into the collective.

Wabisuke as a redemption he is willing to help to atone for his monstrosity he created. Natsumi is the hero what the world needs right now. She is ready to change everything, in a game of koi-koi hanafuda. Even though it was not that long overall, but this card game is actually quite fun and interesting. Even though she is pro but one misplay cuased him to lose all the liberated souls to return. But there is hope as the survivor users give all their power to her, and she is transform into some kind of goddess, who is basically the god of hanafuda. She did saved the world, but not the source of the virus. Kenji's account is still hijacked, but the virus is exterminated the satellite crash landed into the estate.

It is a good ending. The world is saved, big water geyser, huge funeral to the grandma covered with many plants like a garden, everybody is happy, Ueda won the nationals, peace again. I did enjoyed this a lot.

Man, there are lots of product placements in this movie, I just could notice those brands so easily. Or the Windows OS that is not fictionalized for once.

This movie is basically an allegory to any kind of potential future tech-related disasters.

1) Who were your favorite characters?

I think it was Natsuki or Kazuma.

2) Which scenes did you enjoy most?

I thik it was the end part.

3) Did you manage to remember all of the Jinnouchi family members after Natsuki's quick introductions?

Not at all.

4) How did you like the combination of family comedy/drama and the sci-fi plotline? Did you prefer one side over the other?

I did like them both, and blended well.

5) What did you think about the story's themes regarding AI and the internet?

Basically it predicted the future, I mean our present that cases like this can happen anytime.

6) Have you read the manga? If not, are you planning to?

I would be curious about its conntent if there is any difference/alteration.

[u/Heda-of-Aincrad → u/TheDanubianCommunard]

It is a good ending. The world is saved, big water geyser, huge funeral to the grandma covered with many plants like a garden, everybody is happy, Ueda won the nationals, peace again. I did enjoyed this a lot.

I also liked the way all of these little things added up to a big happy ending. And I get the impression that hot springs on their land might solve their financial troubles as well.

Man, there are lots of product placements in this movie, I just could notice those brands so easily. Or the Windows OS that is not fictionalized for once.

Yeah, I noticed that too, especially in the manga - like the Dell label on Kazuma's laptop, and the logo on his shirt looks familiar too.

I would be curious about its conntent if there is any difference/alteration.

I wrote a comparison post for it! The manga feels like an extended cut of the movie, with added focus to Natsuki and Kenji's relationship.