Summer Wars - A review

So Summer Wars, an anime movie from Japan happens to be a nice movie. Watched it for a couple of hours on DVD, alone, with French fries in one hand and Iced Milo in the other. Man, I'll tell you ... that is the life!

So basically its an animated movie with a huge emphasis on family, tradition, courage but really the central theme is the power of family. It's set in modern day Japan, yet the environments happen to look really wonderful. For one thing, the graphical aspect is simply awe-inspiring. By far, the best anime I've seen in a pretty long time. and dude, you are looking at a guy who spent his entire childhood watching the Pokemon and Digimon anime series!

Again, the movie seamlessly integrates modern technology (LCD TVs, laptops, giant CPUs) with traditional Japanese furniture, amidst a background of lakes and mountains. The product is a breath-taking view of countryside Japan. Somehow or rather, the movie can make you ponder, is this 3D or not, probably due to the fact that the artists craft the environment and the characters so intricately. I really enjoyed looking at the environments for one thing. Perfect eye-candy.

As for the characters, they may not be Dragon Age melodramatic or Changeling worthy characters but they are very individualised. Each character has a distinct look and feel around them which offers you an insight into their personalities. In that aspect, I felt the artists were spot on. And there are approximately 20 odd supporting characters, so that is a pretty amazing feat.

The story itself has a very deep meaning, scrutinising the influence of technology over humanity. It kinda reminded me of Chuck, whereby events of great importance take place alongside seemingly mundance, everyday-life situations. Here, we have the protaganist dealing with a digital villain that threatens the safety of the Earth, while trying to prepare for his pretend-girlfriend's grandma's 90th birthday. The climax was especially moving.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie as a whole, particularly because the environments and characters are so damn polished. "Polished" is perhaps, an understatement. The movements themselves, the mountains, the pastures, the fields etc. are all amazing scenery to take in, and it really made me appreciate Japanese culture and their way of life. In conclusion, anyone looking for a feel-good anime must see this movie.