Waiting in the Summer
2012
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- comedy
- drama
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
While testing out his camera on a bridge one summer night, Kaito sees a blue light streaking across the sky, only to be blown off the railing seconds later. Just before succumbing to unconsciousness, a hand reaches down to grab ahold of his own. He woke up the next morning wondering how he ended up back in his own room with no injuries or any recollection of the night before. As he proceeds with his normal school life, Kaito and his friends discuss what to do with his camera, finally deciding to make a film with it over the summer break. Noticing that Kaito has an interest in the new upperclassmen Ichika Takatsuki, his friend Tetsurou decides to invite her, as well as her friend Remon Yamano, to join them in their project. In what becomes one of the most entertaining and exciting summers of their lives, Kaito and his friends find that their time spent together is not just about creating a film, but something much more meaningful that will force them to confront their true feelings.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated summer colours and soft cel-shaded skies, with cicadas, bicycles on empty roads and warm evening light over town rooftops, set the tone. Night scenes on the bridge and in the quiet streets feel hushed, with a faint sci-fi shimmer hanging over them. The sound is gentle: light acoustic guitar and piano, lots of ambient street and nature noise, and long pauses where nothing much happens except people talking and laughing. The mood is wistful and warm, a bittersweet coming-of-age summer with a little mystery underneath, and it suits a lazy weekend, a late-evening watch with a cup of tea, or a comfort rewatch when you want something soft. Pacing is leisurely and episodic, and the emotional arcs follow a small group of high-school friends slowly working out their crushes, loyalties and fears as they make something together. Intensity is low: there is one brief, startling moment of physical danger early on, but no real violence, gore or cruelty, and the romance stays chaste and tender. It is for viewers who want low-stakes, sincere feelings, nostalgic summer atmosphere and a sweetly unhurried story.
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