diff --git a/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/index.org b/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/index.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a129b96 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/index.org @@ -0,0 +1,407 @@ +--- +title: "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes" +tags: ["review", "anime"] +date: 2023-11-12T12:44:22-08:00 +draft: false +--- + +* Natsu e no Tonneru, Sayonara no Deguchi + +Original work written by + ++ [[https://g.co/kgs/gTTxcM][Hachimoku Mei]] + +and illustrated by + ++ [[https://twitter.com/hamukukka][Kukka]] + +The movie was directed by + ++ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomohisa_Taguchi][Tomohisa Taguchi]] (Bleach: TYBW) + +Starring + ++ Ouji Suzuka as Touno Kaoru ++ [[https://marieiitoyo.amebaownd.com/][Iitoyo Marie]] as Hanashiro Anzu ++ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasuku_Hatanaka][Hatanaka Tasuku]] as Kaga Shouhei ++ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisa_Komiya][Komiya Arisa]] as Kawasaki Koharu ++ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruka_Terui][Terui Haruka]] as Hanamoto-sensei ++ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikiya_Koyama][Koyama Rikiya]] as Touno's father ++ [[Kobayashi Seiran][Touno Karen]] as Touno Karen + +Produced by + ++ [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=23845][Ryoichiro Matsuo]] + +#+ATTR_HTML: :width 40% +[[./the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes.jpg]] + +Just for some background, I was out of the country on a business trip and +recently returned. Most people would choose to take it easy after coming back +from a trip abroad. However while away, I took a look at the [[https://www.tunneltosummer.com/][Tunnel to Summer +website]] and was surprised to find out the movie would start screening in the +United States right when I returned. For some background, this movie was +original planned for a US theatrical release in March 2023 by HIDIVE but kept +getting pushed back. Imagine waiting 10 months to see a movie and missing it +just because you were away due to business. + +I landed at the airport, went back to my apartment, dumped my thick winter +jacket (its scorching hot where I live) and luggage, grabbed my car keys, and +headed straight to the theater that was playing the movie 25 minutes from that +moment. Luckily, the theater was close by. A 15 minute drive at a leisurely +pace. I had 10 minutes to spare, which gave me time to admire the quality of +theater I was at. The recliners were nice. The screen was large and clean. I +felt somewhat sorry for the person sitting a couple seats away from me as she +needed to brush off a piece of popcorn on her seat. The thing I love the most +about Japanese animation movies airing in the United States is that the showings +tend to be barren in terms of watchers. I was in a very large theater room that +could likely fit 100+ people, and I counted a number of people that were in the +single digits total. From my perspective of where I was sitting, it was like I +had the entire room to myself with the best view of the screen. This is a +blessing for me since I like watching films in great environments but do not +like crowds. + +**NOTE:** I have only watched the movie, so my review will solely be based on +movie content. + +My understanding is that there are some minor differing points between the movie +and the light novel. I am very interested in reading Hachimoku-sensei's novel as +well as his other works after watching the movie. + +**NOTE:** By the time I post this review, the movie will be available for +streaming [[https://www.tunneltosummer.com/watch-at-home/][as mentioned on the movie website]]. Let me throw in a breakdown table +of the audio and closed caption options for each streaming service at the time I +took a look at this because the offerings are different among them. + +| Streaming Provider | Audio Languages | Closed Caption Languages | +|--------------------+-------------------+--------------------------| +| [[https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes/umc.cmc.689zm3a3c92v29hpzuv2d75ys][Apple TV]] | English | English | +| [[https://www.amazon.com/Tunnel-Summer-Exit-Goodbyes/dp/B0CM96QRKL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LVOTN50UZFW8&keywords=The+Tunnel+to+Summer%2C+the+Exit+of+Goodbyes&qid=1701445520&s=instant-video&sprefix=the+tunnel+to+summer%2C+the+exit+of+goodbyes%2Cinstant-video%2C87&sr=1-1][Prime Video]] | English, Japanese | English | +| [[https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Tunnel_to_Summer_the_Exit_of_Goodbyes?id=PYUZhoXVXkU.P&hl=en&gl=US][Google Play]] | English | English | +| [[https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/The-Tunnel-to-Summer-the-Exit-of-Goodbyes/2700312][VUDU (Fandango)]] | Japanese | English | +| [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YTqD05Dpw4][YouTube]] | English | English | + +The above table was generated with my best effort of parsing the information +from each website, and this information is obviously subject to change. I +encourage anyone planning on using the above services to take a moment to verify +the details to make sure the movie is provided in the optimal form for the +viewer. + +Normally, I use YouTube or Google Pay for these types of things since I enjoy +using my FIDO U2F-backed Google account for just about everything. That said, I +am a huge fan of watching these types of movies in their native language. This +leaves me with a choice between Prime Video and VUDU. + +** Overview + +**Disclaimer:** I do not know the exact timeframe of the movie's setting. +Guessing based on the state of technology throughout the movie. + +It's the early 2000s. The rain is pouring down on a a coastal town in Japan, +leaving behind a pitter-patter sound in its wake. The grey sky masks away the +sun, shading the town in a murky hue. A boy walking by pauses. His eyes drift to +a sight unfamiliar to him. A girl soaked by the rain, waiting at the station. +The boy comes over, hoping to get on the next train. An announcement is then +played, letting the only two people know that there has been a delay. +Apparently, a deer was on the track. The girl fidgets a little, trying to mask +her concern. The boy notices and tells her "Deer crossings are common here." He +notices her soaked and then offers up the umbrella he has. The girl is a bit +relucant. He then follows up saying that her parents are likely worried about +her. Likely to get him to back off, she tells him "I do not have parents." The +boy then replies with his honest thoughts, "That's awesome" with a hint of envy. +She immediately turns her face towards the boy, eyes wide open and filled with +intrigue. She grabs the umbrella from him, introducing herself as Hanashiro +Anzu. The boy replies to her simply with, "Touno Kaoru." She then exchanges +phone numbers with him using a flip phone, saying she will contact him in order +to return the umbrella. + +** Spoilers + +**Disclaimer**: Only read this section if you have watched the movie (which I + highly recommend doing) or are not planning on watching the movie. + +The movie's opening scene portrays people walking through the small coastal +town. Two high school girls are idly chatting along. They begin gossiping about +the Urashima tunnel. Supposedly, this tunnel can grant any wish, at a price. In +exchange, the person who enters the tunnel will give up 100 years of their life. + +Touno Kaoru-kun goes to school the next day after his encounter with +Hanashiro-san. His hoomroom teacher announces that a new transfer student is +joining the class. She is supposedly from Tokyo, which excites the students who +have not experienced life in the big city. The student then walks into the +classroom. While all the other students appear intrigued, Touno-kun wears a +surprised expression on his face. The girl transferring to his class is none +another than Hanashiro Anzu-san, who he met by chance in the rain yesterday. +Hanashiro-san cuts her class introduction short and heads towards her desk. +Before reaching her desk, she stops at Touno-kun's to briefly mention that she +will hand back the umbrella tomorrow. + +As they go through their classes, various students try to interact with +Hanashiro-san during breaks. However, she completely ignores them as she keeps +her eyes on what appears to be a book she is reading. This behavior catches the +attention of Kawasaki Koharu and her group. They have an air about them that +gives off the trouble-making popular student vibe. They approach Hanashiro-san +at her desk and try provoking her. Hanashiro does not react at all and keeps her +eyes glued to the book she is holding. In response, Kawasaki tries grabbing the +book which ends up falling on the floor. The book has loose pages that fall out +revealing that the content is actually a manga, which Kawasaki points out with a +mocking tone to be a really old one. After getting up from her seat to pick up +the book, Hanashiro asks Kawasaki if she is trying to pick a fight. When +Kawasaki confirms this, Hanashiro does not hesitate to throw a punch at +Kawasaki's face. Kawasaki falls to the ground, and her nose is bleeding. +Touno-kun stares at Anzu with both shock and a slight hint of intrigue at this +event, while other students in the class are trying to call a teacher. + +Kaoru heads home the same day and immediately heads to an alter to pray for +likely someone close to him who passed away. It's become dark outside with light +barely shining in the Touno residence. He then walks through the hallway and +sees light creeping from the tiny slit from the living room door not being +perfectly closed. He peaks in, presenting a scene of a middle aged man wasting +himself to alcohol. This is likely the father of the Touno family. With +hesitation written on his face, Kaoru opens the door and enters the living room. +His father looks towards the door and acknowledges his son's presence. Their +conversation is slow paced. Touno's father mentions someone brought up Karen's +death anniversary today. Karen, Kaoru's sister, is likely the one the alter is +for. The father's emotional state starts to fall apart as he continues talking, +recounting the painful times without healthily coming in terms with his loss. He +then pushes Kaoru against the wall asking why his sister had to die and that it +should have been Kaoru instead. He yells at Kaoru saying Kaoru should trade his +life for Karen's. Kaoru runs out of the house with an anxious face, filled with +fear. While doing so, his father quickly transitions to apologizing, displaying +his emotional instability. + +With reckless abandon, Touno dashes without looking ahead and ends up falling +down a grassy slope. In doing so, he ends up on a path that leads him to a +mysterious cave-like structure. The entrance is filled with a mystifying aura, +radiating with a sense of other-worldly properties. Water shallowly blankets the +ground around the opening, suggesting that it permeates into the passage. Touno +seems to be drawn towards it. He enters the opening. To his surprise, a runway +of trees painted with autumn color leaves greets him. As he runs through the +pathway of trees, he stumbles upon a sandal, and his sister's name is written on +the sole. His instincts guide him to leave the tunnel with haste. + +Kaoru heads home after his experience. His father frantically greets him at the +door, expressing his worry about not seeing Kaoru for a week and inquiring where +he has been. This question puzzles Kaoru, making him respond that he has only +been gone for "a couple hours". With a sudden change in mood, his father becomes +dismissive towards his son and says this better not happen again. Kaoru's father +does not do this out of concern for his son but because he will be held +responsible if something happens to Kaoru. Kaoru then heads up to his room to +wind down from his long day. After putting down the shoe that is supposedly +Karen's, he flips open his phone to see a number of texts from his friend he +dismisses. He sees a text from Hanashiro mixed in there and opens it. She wants +to know if he is alive, which Touno replies to immediately. He shows up to +school the next day, mindlessly responding to a couple inquiries about his +absence. + +After school, Touno heads for spot he found. He is under the belief that it is +the infamous Urashima tunnel rumoured to grant people's wishes. This time, he +comes prepared to calculate the difference in time from how long he is in the +tunnel versus the time that elapses in the outside world. While getting ready to +turn back inside the tunnel, he is surprised to see none other than Hanashiro. +He grabs her and runs out of the tunnel as fast a he can. Hanashiro pulls out +her phone and realizes that more time has passed in the outside world than in +the tunnel. She learns what Touno-kun was experimenting with and decides to join +him in order to get her own wish granted. They work together as partners trying +to uncover the secrets of the tunnel. During this time, their relationship grows +closer in terms of trust. + +One of their expeditions into the tunnel brings forth interesting results. Manga +illustrations suddenly appeared in the tunnel. Touno-kun has no idea what these +are, but Hanashiro-san franctically picks up the illustrations. Seeing this, +Touno-kun tries to help quickly pick them up and run out of the tunnel with her. +The amount of time elapsed will likely make Touno's father upset, leaving +Touno-kun in a difficult position. Seeing him distressed, Hanashiro offers to +let Touno come to her apartment. + +Unable to keep his eyes from wandering, Touno cannot help himself from looking +around her place. Touno-kun looks through Hanashiro's bookshelf while she dries +herself from the rain. He finds a large envelope at the top of the bookshelf +that seems to be filled with manga panel drafts. He picks it up and places it on +the table. Hanashiro comes back to find him with it, and she does not want him +reading through it. It turns out that Hanashiro's grandfather was a manga +artist. However, we was only able to serialize three volumes in his entire +career. He kept trying but was unable to make another successful release +throughout his life. He could not make a steady income from his work and had +nothing to show for his passion. Because of this, Hanashiro's parents looked +down on him and his occupation. + +Hanashiro's grandfather had a huge impact on her as a child, and she enjoyed the +manga he made. The sheets of manga from the tunnel turned out to be the very +first manga drafts she ever made. They are important to her because her +grandfather complemented them. This revelation is able to help Touna paint a +better picture of who Hanashiro is. Hanashiro reveals that the apartment she is +in belongs to her uncle. Her parents refused to support her if she was going to +pursue manga. Touno-kun asks her if he can continue reading the unfinished +manuscript Hanashiro made but never submitted. She hesitates telling him she +thinks its not very good, but he urges her that he wants to read it. Hanashiro +sits at her desk with her face hidden from Touno. When Touno-kun finishes read +the manga, he tells Hanashiro his feelings about it. As with any creator, +Hanashiro tries her best not to show reveal her joy over his comment, but the +pitter patter of her feet give her feelings away. + +Hanashiro's and Touno's relationship continues to get closer over time as the +two test the tunnel. They start to even spend time together outside of explorer +the tunnel. The two go to the acquarium together. During this date, Touno +reveals the reason he is explorer the tunnel and the fact that he is willing to +trade his life for Karen's. Wondering what Hanashiro's opinion of him is like, +he asks if she finds him scarier than the Urashima tunnel, to which she denies. +Touno's friend, Kaga Shouhei, throws out the idea that Touno should take out +Hanashiro to festival that is happening in their town tonight. At first, Touno +brushes off the idea but realizes that it might actually be good. He messages +Hanashiro about the festival. + +Touno walks towards the spot he expects to meet up with Hanashiro. What awaits +him is a girl clad in a beautiful kimono, a scene that puts him in awe. +Hanashiro is dragged by Touno for viewing fireworks. She is confused why they +are not heading in the same direction as everyone else. Touno-kun takes her to a +secret spot of his for the best view of the fireworks. He tells her that it was +a place he and Karen found by accident. The fireworks go off as the two are +holding hands, creating an intimate moment between the two. + +Arriving back home, Kaoru hears an unfamiliar woman's voice. He peaks into the +living room to find a woman with his father eating expensive sushi and +exchanging drinks. The scene shocks Kaoru. His father then notices his presence +and drags Kaoru into the living room. He then informs Kaoru that the lady is +going to be his new mother, and they will be moving to Tokyo to start their new +lives together. Kaoru hyperventilates trying to process the situation, while the +other two rattle on about their new lives in their isolated world. For Kaoru, +all the painful memories of losing Karen till that point felt like they were +being trampled on. There is no introspection for Kaoru's thoughts at this moment +in time, but the other two seemed selfish is making this decision without +Kaoru's opinion. From the induced stress, Kaoru ends up throwing up, which his +father considered nasty and threw him out of the room. Kaoru heads up to his +rooms and texts Anzu about wanting to discuss the date when they will actually +use the tunnel to achieve their goals. + +Anzu and Kaoru meet at a very neat cafe. The tables are retro arcade style, +supporting playing space invaders on the table surface. Anzu notices this and +asks Kaoru if you can play games using the table. He replies that it costs money +(coins) but you can. Anzu tells him she might come back to try sometime in the +future. The two get their orders for lunch delivered to their table. Anzu tells +Kaoru that she submitted her manga draft after his encouragement. She has +received news that the publisher is interested in her work and want her to meet +with an editor. This news grabs Kaoru's attention because this means Anzu is +achieving her dream on her own and is different from him. She tries to assure +Kaoru that she still intends to use the tunnel and wants him to know they are +still in this together. + +Kaoru lies to Anzu about the date he plans to use the tunnel and heads in on his +own. He realizes Anzu has a future she needs to look forward to. Realizing +something is up, Anzu heads to Kaoru's house where his father mentions +immediately that Kaoru has not been home, not caring what happened to him as +long as he is not held responsible. She runs out immediately to chase after +Kaoru. Kaoru prepares a text explaining that he believes the tunnel does not +actually grant wishes but returns what has been lost in time to the person that +enters. He then texts her that she has a future, and the tunnel is not useful +for her. Finally, he tells her goodbye with no other parting words. This breaks +Anzu's heart. She complains that she feels like she is left behind and that she +loves Kaoru. She wants to be with him and wants him in her life. She is in tears +in front of the tunnel, emotionally broken from this. + +Now that Kaoru has entered deeply into the tunnel, he enters a type of dream +world. In this world, Karen never ended up dieing trying to look for a bug her +brother wanted when they were kids to make amends. Kaoru is reverted into a +child where he and Karen spend a blissful "eternity" together. As peaceful +moments go by for Kaoru, years pass in the outside world. Anzu is an established +manga author still in the same town where she went to high school with Kaoru. +Her apartment functions as a manga studio as well, and she has assistants come +by. She becomes more beautiful with the years passing. She also holds onto +Kaoru's umbrella. She constantly texts him about the things that are transpiring +around her. Some more years pass and smartphones have been invented. She still +keeps her old cellphone with her to keep message Kaoru. We also see her place +getting lonlier and her sadness growing with the passage of time. + +Karen asks Kaoru if he is happy as-is. He is confused by that question. In +response, Karen explains that her happiness would be seeing her big brother find +someone that he will be happy with. Someone who he can spend the rest of his +life with. She hints at him if he is forgetting someone important to him. Kaoru +then remembers Hanashiro. He reverts to his teenage form and receives the texts +from Hanashiro over the years. In the last one he gets, she mentions how she +still has his umbrella and that it is collecting rust. She wants to return it to +him soon. Kaoru realizes he wants to be with Hanashiro and tells Karen he needs +to go. Karen acknowledges this and encourages him. Kaoru is not running with all +his speed out of the tunnel. However, he accidentally trips and realizes this +will be problematic if he is unconcious for a while. In a last moment of +desperation, he sends a text to Anzu telling him he loves her before losing +conciousness from the fall. + +Eight years have passed since Kaoru has entered the tunnel. Anzu has finished a +manga serialization, but she is no longer able to make new manga. Bringing +Kaoru's umbrella with her, she heads to meet her editor to discuss her writers +block. He tells her to rest and not worry about it. To which, she is only able +to offer words of apology. She heads to the train platform where she first met +Kaoru. There, she weeps due to her lonliness and desire to see Kaoru. Suddenly, +she receives a text on her old phone to see a messages from Kaoru. "I love you," +these words spur her to go to him since he is taking too long. + +When Kaoru wakes up from his fall, he sees Hanashiro who tells him she came to +get him. Anzu responds to his confusion over text with a kiss where the two come +to understand their feelings are mutual. After the two manage to make it out of +the tunnel, Kaoru realizes eleven years have passed since he entered the tunnel +(meaning three have passed for Anzu). He wonders how different the world is +since this much time has passed. Anzu tell him that the world has not changed +much in all that time. The two are realize they are ready to face any future +ahead of them as long as they are together and start heading away from the +tunnel. + +** My feelings about the movie + +The previous section is meant to be an overview of the movie to help me +elaborate my opinions and reflection on it. Overall, I think the movie was +really good, and I would highly encourage anyone to go watch it. I really +enjoyed the experience of watching it on the big screen in a theater but think +any good home theater setup should do it justice. + +Firstly, I think the tones and voice acting of the two main characters, Kaoru +and Anzu, were really good. Kudos to Ouji Suzuka-san and Iitoyo Marie-san for +being able to express the typical bleak personality and polar emotional trends +that teenagers go through. I think it's hard to capture the emotional state of +young adolescents from an adult perspective, but I think these two did well with +their voice acting. Keep in mind that both Ouji-san and Iitoyo-san are actual +actors rather than just voice actors. Their roles here have made me interested +in watching other works (including non-animation) that they have performed in. + +Casting Koyama Rikiya-san as Kaoru's father was also a great choice. Koyama-san +has experience in playing an emotional broken father and adult from his role as +Emiya Kiritsugu from the Fate franchise. I think his experience from acting in +the role of the emotionally broken Kiritsugu, who had to sacrifice everything he +cared for, was great experience that helped in playing the role of the broken +Touno-household father. + +I really liked how Kaoru was portrayed, given the loss of his sister having a +significant impact on him. Living almost like a broken shell unable to move +forward due to the traumatic loss. Kaoru undermines the value of his life and is +even willing to trade it to bring back Karen. Some folks watching the movie +might think that he should move on. It's been so many years since her passing +afterall. Loss isn't something that is easy to handle. Some people might be able +to move forward easily but others cannot and have to act out their lives while +masking their pain. The loss that Kaoru experienced and the state of his life +due to it helped me think about some events that have happened around me. It +helped me get a better mental image of the impact that type of loss can have on +a person. + +Anzu's struggles with achieving her dreams due to her grandfather's influence +and her parents negative attitude towards it were also great to see. I think a +lot of teenagers and young adults have childhood dreams that they want to +pursue. However, I think many are forced to relinquish these dreams due to the +expectations and pressure of modern society. This prospect really breaks my +heart since I think a part of living is being true to ourselves, pursuing what +we enjoy without hesitation. I also felt like I could relate to the moment when +she had writers block from her emotional heartbreak. I have been in the same +state before, and it's an incredibly difficult struggle. On one hand, +programming and writing open source software that helps in the PC-class +development space has been my dream and passion. On the other hand during those +moments, it feels so hard to move forward and continue with the weight of those +negative emotions. + +I felt the movie does a great job capturing themes that teenagers and young +adults struggle with but find underappreciated by adult society. Childhood +dreams, traumatic loss, emotional heartbreak, etc. are all part of the journey +for this age group of people. + +Overall, I thought the movie was on-par with movies like Kimi no Nawa. For me +personally, I thought this was better than some of Makoto Shinkai's works (not +that his other works are not great in their own right). I went into the movie +with tempered expectations since I was told it was not that impressive, but I +came out of the theater quite impressed. diff --git a/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes.jpg b/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..27eaf31 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/posts/tunnel_to_summer/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes.jpg differ