1/15/2024 0 Comments Summer wars japanese name![]() Think of OZ was an amalgamation of Facebook, Second Life, iTunes, Netflix and every other social networking site all working under one umbrella. OZ was explained as an on-line, social networking community which has become so ingrained in the world community that everything anyone does was done through it’s portals. The story begins with the introduction and explanation of the OZ on-line community which becomes a major focal point to the film’s story and the many characters in it. Working from a screenplay by Okudera Satoko (adapted from a story written by Hosada himself), Summer Wars was a nice blend of science-fiction, romance and Japanese slice-of-life. Summer Wars was the project of director Hosada Mamoru whose previous stand-alone anime film, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, was well-received by fans and critics alike. ![]() The film saw it’s American debut at film festivals around the country in 2010, but since I saw it in late May 2011 I consider it a 2011 release for me thus qualifying it as one of the best films of 2011. One such film which looks to have made a successful mainstream crossover to the United States was the anime film Summer Wars which was originally released in Japan in August 1, 2009. While anime series typically still remain the realm of the hardcore fans of the genre the stand-alone films get much more love from mainstream critics and audiences in addition to the hardcore. It has so much going on, it almost takes a minute to sit back and reflect on its brilliance in order to find it.Anime films have been the type to make a major crossover from Japan to the United States when it comes to the US mainstream audience. There are times where the film gets somewhat derailed, like with the high school baseball team, but looking back, “Summer Wars” was a unique experience and one worth having. It is a fun adventure to spend time with this family and its strange cast of characters. And in addition, we care what happens to these people. The characters, the program, the whole situation is so well formulated that when the heavy stuff goes down, we as the audience understand how and why, though the thriller aspect of the film is also handled quite well, keeping us on the edge of our seats where applicable. What “Summer Wars” does so well is it sets everything up. Technology is always evolving and it seems like at an exponential pace. Perhaps the real-life simulation effect of “OZ” is a fair bit further off, but the concept of being able to do real things, like pay your taxes, through the program seems reasonable in the near future. We already have Facebook, which has millions of users. With the ever evolving world, it is not impossible to foresee a program like “OZ” to develop in the near future. It is a taut cyber thriller with interesting characters and sub plots, like the romance between Kenji and Natsuki. That is just a testament to how great of a concept for a movie this is, especially an Anime film. I even left some stuff out, but it is all important. Just typing that made me realize how much stuff was going on in this movie. The whole family must scramble to save the world. When he does, the world of “OZ” comes under attack from an AI bot called “Love Machine”. Kenji receives a text from an unknown number, asking him to solve a complicated math formula. Fearing she will die soon, Natsuki has recruited Kenji, unbeknownst to him, to pose as her fiancé, a job Kenji may not be up to. Natsuki takes Kenji to her family’s home, where her grandmother is celebrating a birthday. But when his crush, Natsuki, asks him to do a job for him, he accepts, but little does he know that his decision could bring the end of the world, literally. Members can even pay their taxes in this program! Well Kenji is a high school math whiz who works part time for the program. The film opens with a bit of background on the program “OZ”, which allows users to create avatars to interact with other members and do pretty much anything. “Summer Wars”, with its modern, sci-fi, cyber thriller plot, is a good example of this successful marriage. Anime has a style that affords itself so well to particular stories that it almost seems a natural fit between the story and style. I for one am not well versed in the anime world however I can openly admit that I greatly admire it. There are also those Americans who are generally unfamiliar with it. Of course the Japanese style is animation, but it has such a distinctive flair to it that attracts many fans.
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