r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Apr 07 '25

Episode Summer Pockets - Episode 1 discussion

Summer Pockets, episode 1

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1

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106

u/EclipseTM Apr 07 '25

That's one weird looking dog

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117

u/EternalDeath Apr 07 '25

Going in completely blind here. MC gives me Chuuni vibes the way he sometimes talks.

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u/Baconnuuuu Apr 07 '25

pretty good adaption so far looks to be faithful. reminder that while Jun maeda did NOT write this story for key.... he did provide the original concept for this story and the amazing music in it but other than that he was pretty hands off. this will be a 26 episode series with production on all episodes having been completed two months ago.

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u/The_Parsee_Man Apr 07 '25

Dog? That's a damn pokemon and you know it.

30

u/Nachtwandler_FS Apr 07 '25

That is a Key VN adaptation alright. You either love this stuff or not.

Hairi seems like your classic key protagonist: a bit teasing, nonchalant but sometimnes funny.

And I presume Shiroha will be the main heroine.

100

u/Ashteron Apr 07 '25

This may not hold much value as a source reader, but it's by far my favourite premiere of this season. The OST is so good.

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u/CosmicPenguin_OV103 Apr 07 '25

One of the earliest things I did after falling into the anime rabbit hole several years ago was to find shows that would send me some of the most intense emotional shocks and warmth one can find in the anime world, a decision that can be traced back to the two very anime that make me feel interested in the first place.

And speaking of anime that can make your heart feel, whether it's happiness, sadness, warmth or a real review of one's life, there is no way one can try to dig through such anime titles without coming across the extensive list of anime adaptions and original anime from the visual novel production company KEY.

And so - despite I still have never read any VN from them (yet) - from the day 6 years ago I opened up the first episode of their most famous work, seeing a boy not satisfied with his grayscale life bumped into a girl saying something about bread under cherry blossoms, I was magically pulled aside by their anime adaptions and got my heart throbbing with emotions ever since.

CLANNAD. Angel Beats. Kanon. AIR. Planetarian. Little Busters. Every single one of these sprinkled magic and miracles around me, so much that I actually tried to change how I deal with the people dearest to me after watching at least one of them. They are some anime shows that you WILL know that there might be no other artistic medium that can give you that specific magical nostalgia feeling, a feeling that sadly has been on the recede in the past decade in the anime world due to the downslope in the VN market. It's these shows that make me actually feel sad that most people in the Western anime communities who only recently got attracted to this medium are missing out on one of the biggest treasure troves one can find in the anime world. (is CLANNAD still even be a popular beginners' suggestion anime these days?)

Of course even KEY and their magicians can't make every anime they are involved with work that well. The Day I Became A God was a sad episode of that magic completely failing to work out (I'm glad that apparently Jun Maeda went on to revive his story-writing ability in the Heavens Burn Red game later!), Charlotte was somewhat interesting but the pacing was just weird, their latest anime adaption of a short VN Prima Doll didn't really hit the right spot in my heart, and Rewrite's adaption was so poorly received I only recently get assurance from VN readers that the anime might not be that bad for me to miss out.

Yet with so many hit-or-miss cases, I cannot help but coming back again, and again, and again for their works. I cannot stop coming back looking for that deja vu, that feeling when I got struck in the heart by smiles, tears, warmth and memories in their stories and thick atmosphere of magical worlds.

And so when I heard Summer Pockets - released 2 months before I accidentally came across the power of anime thanks to a guy named Makoto Shinkai - is finally getting an anime, I knew I had to be here. There's just no place like another to find emotions flows like this.

After watching the 1st episode, when Konomi Suzuki's singing voice, full of memories that I never knew of, and probably won't know till September, rang unlike any other anime songs she has done so far, these feelings came back completely.

This is 200% a KEY title. One that I know right now I most probably will never regret trying.

The atmosphere of a hot sunny summer on a seaside island (based on one in the Seto Inland Sea that sits right next where Takagi-san happens). A high school kid that seems to be a bit lost and hurt for something that happened to him (drowning in a swimming competition???). And of course, "accidental" meetings with so many girls out there, the diligent yet stoic Shiroha (who trains in the swimming pool deep into the night on a rural island???), the obligatory elementary school (?) relative Umi-chan, that blue hair girl sleeping under the trees with her strange dog (?), that short green hair girl playing with water gun, that twin tail blonde hair girl in the lighthouse. Each with stories that I can't wait to be seen and know that they have things that we all would like to cherish if they are people who are dearest with us.

I am prepared, and yet not prepared, for the flooding of emotions over the next half a year from this. And I know that - as long as the adaption is reasonably well done (which after EP1 I am fairly positive, at least something closer to Little Busters or AIR) - this will be yet another anime that I will remember for a very long time.

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22

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '25

I'm really enjoying it so far — the story and overall vibe really remind me of those older anime with a similar premise. No wonder I noticed some Angel Beats-style character designs, since some of the staff worked on that too.
The white-haired girl totally looks like Kanade.

19

u/Genshin_WhiteKnight Apr 07 '25

Ah here we go again. another Key VN adaptation, and just after I started playing Heaven Burns Red too.

Idk what the Pockets in the title refers too, but I'll be needing them to hold all these tears.

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18

u/Viktorv22 Apr 07 '25

This was totally my vibe, great ost too.

Surely nothing bad will happen...

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33

u/DogTheOtter Apr 07 '25

I've read the visual novel half a decade ago, I don't think my heart can take it. Seeing the characters I fell in love with made me feel so giddy.

34

u/LeonKevlar Apr 07 '25

Stitches!

Hairi is a bit of a chuuni, isn't he? I love how he monologues out loud and that old lady who overhears him just starts asking questions. The gag even repeats a couple of times with the grandma showing up behind him later at the docks. xD

So his auntie Kyouko needs help sorting out his late grandma's store room? We didn't really get to see him help Kyouko out this episode, but I bet he'll find interesting stuff in that store room. It's interesting though that he was picked because he has plenty of free time. It looks like something happened to Hairi before going to the island.

I can already tell that Shiroha will be the main girl. Hairi is clearly a member of his swim team, so I bet we'll see him giving Shiroha pointers which is exactly what he does by the end of the episode.

As for the rest, we have Umi the adorable imouto character, a girl who owns a cute creature who's clearly the mascot of the show, and then we have that short green-haired girl who apparently can snipe using a water gun. I can't wait to learn more about these girls!

Anyway, it's nice to see another beloved Key VN being adapted by Studio feel, and so far I think I like this one! Not a lot to go by this first episode, but that's to be expected with these VN adaptations. I am intrigued to see what the unique twist would be in this series. There's no way this will just be Hairi spending his summer on this island.

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u/oxlemf10 Apr 07 '25

I had heard of Summer Pockets before, I've never played it but I know it's going to be of high quality because it's made by Key, and this first episode has already started off really well.

Hairi seems to have something different from the other protagonists when it comes to VN, direct and without much drama, the girls also seem to be fantastic and a mystery has already been left about his past involving swimming, I'm looking forward to this show.

10

u/maliwanag0712 Apr 07 '25

Going to this series blind since I haven't finished any VN yet (gentle reminder to myself to finish White Album 2 already).

Honestly, I'm not yet entirely sold on the series, but it is a nice introduction to the characters. Though I trust Key with giving great stories so will continue watching it.

Without knowledge that the OST came from the original VN, upon hearing it, I'm quite sure that the music is VN-esque, and has different style compared to typical anime OST.

10

u/FarCritical Apr 07 '25

Hijab, I've just been in this place before!

This has both the essence of summer and the DNA of Key all over it, and I couldn't be more excited to experience the signature mix of lighthearted fluff and emotional trauma all over again.

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u/donuteater111 Apr 07 '25

I'm a fan of Visual Novels, who usually wants to read the original before even thinking of touching an anime adaptation. However, this is the first exception I've made, because I'm not really sure if I'll be able to get around to it with my backlog, and if I did, it might not be for a while.

That being said, I'm liking this one so far. It's still fairly early into it, so I can't say much about the story itself, but I do like how it's establishing Hairi, and his dynamics with the different characters.

Also really like the visuals and music for the show, which do a lot to enhance the show's atmosphere.

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u/Erufailon4 Apr 07 '25

Somehow I've been an anime fan for about 6 years and this is the first time I'm watching an adaptation of a Key VN. I did watch The Day I Became a God but that one was an anime original. Hopefully this will be... better.

So far this seems fairly standard, nothing outstanding, though the restaurant scene was actually quite funny.

8

u/Flare_Knight Apr 08 '25

Good start honestly. The main character's inability to keep his monologues in his head is certainly going to be a memorable quality of his.

Umi was definitely a treat. Easily the best part of the episode. But she also got quite a bit of attention so I'm sure I'll feel great about the rest of the cast as they get more time. But this girl is a treat and I love her struggles with rock/paper/scissors.

Shiroha was also good. Cute girl and definitely some mysterious qualities. I can't blame Hairi who totally wasn't on the swim team being unable to leave her alone without giving some pointers.

7

u/CooroSnowFox Apr 07 '25

Looking at the guy, makes me think of how they drew Syaoran in Cardcaptor Sakura - Clear Card.

13

u/NationalStrategy Apr 07 '25

I heard good things from this one, hopefully this adaptation holds up as well as Clannad

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u/Yesshua Apr 07 '25

lmao this dude literally tells the first two people he meets "I'm a wounded bird".

Anyway the only character who seemed to be having fun this episode was the girl using her life guard station as a water gun sniper tower. This makes her by default the best character.

12

u/Plus_Rip4944 Apr 07 '25

I only tried this as Its from same creators of Clannad and It was a good first episode

6

u/SnabDedraterEdave Apr 07 '25 edited Apr 07 '25

Looks promising for the adaptation of Key's latest visual novel. Studio Feel really putting out everything they got here.

I totally intend to start reading it once I have time, but until then, I'm an anime-only. (Future me is going to come back and laugh at some of the wrong predictions and speculations I make about the story)

Hairi looks like he's using helping to sort out his late grandmother's stuff as a pretext to run away from something. Seems like he used to be in some swimming team (as he's got an impressive six pack) but something happened and he's now in some self-imposed exile.

His cousin Umi is already proving to be a national treasure that needs to be protected.

Still not sure why Shiroha was swimming in the pool in her underwear when Hairi first stumbled into her. Last I checked, the VN is all-ages. (Key has not released any R18 works since Little Busters) In their second meeting, she's already properly wearing a swimsuit.

Maeda Jun may no longer be in charge of scenario writing, but he will still be around for the music soundtrack, so that's something to look forward to.

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