Summer Wars

It was on my way back to Tokyo when this animation movie caught my attention at Gimpo Airport. When the movie came out to box offices earlier in Japan, I dismissed it is just another Japanese cartoon. Well, it turned out not. The film is added to my (short) DVD shopping list.

Summer Wars

Summer Wars is about family reunion, the history of samurai, (a bit futuristic) information technology, high school baseball, teenage love and so on.

Natsuki, a 18-year-old girl, asks Kenji to come to Ueda, Nagano (located in central Japan) with her to see her great grandmother and relatives, pretending to be her boyfriend. Although he wasn't used to such a huge family get-together, he starts to enjoy the time at Ueda.

But, everything becomes so different after he replied to a spam mail. Followed by ID thefts happening all over the world; computer-controlled systems of utilities and public transportation go into a panic. Then, Kenji, Natsuki and all the family members try to save the world...

Doesn't sound so exciting, does it? Unlike most of (non-cartoon) Japanese movies, however, the story isn't slow. As watching it, I burst into laughter so many times. And a bit of tear drops. Gosh, after all, I really wanna visit my grandma!


Shortly after back from Seoul, a news followed: a former Korean president's death. Kim Daejung, a Nobel peace prize winner, opened up Japanese pop culture coming into Korea. Thanks to him, the movie is in the theaters in Korea (I watched it after having come back to Tokyo though). I was also very delighted to see so many Korean names (perhaps for CG works) on the ending roll.

***

There is another "Summer War" this year in Japan. General election is held tomorrow. As predicted, will the Democratic Party of Japan defeat the post-war dynasty of the Liberal Democratic Party? Or will LDP survive accidentally? Can't leave TV tomorrow night. It's a D-day. Let's vote and see.