The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie Review

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes is an emotionally rewarding and moving anime – a film that pulls at the heartstrings. Created by Mei Hachimoku and featuring original character designs by Kukka, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes features exceptional animation produced by studio CLAP (Pompo: The Cinéphile, Housenka). Executive produced by Hirofumi Itō (Dark Gathering, Happy-Go-Lucky Days).

Produced by Hisashi Matsumura (Battle Game in 5 Seconds, Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp), Masayo Kudō (Kase-san and Morning Glories, Sing "Yesterday" for Me), Naoki Koyama (Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess, SSSS.Dynazenon), Reiko Sasaki (Natsume's Book of Friends, Teasing Master Takagi-san), and Taisuke Shikama (After School Dice Club, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End), The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes is quite a showstopper. The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes features theme song music by eill. The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes has Japanese voice-performances by Ōji Suzuka and Marie Iitoyo.

Legend foretells of a magical tunnel that can bring dreams to reality. The Urashima Tunnel is a magical place that surpasses all expectations and confines of reality to be a wish-granting tunnel that could make wishes come true. What would one wish for? Despite being a legendary tunnel, the tunnel is certainly not without cost – the tunnel requires part of the existence and very being of the person using the tunnel to make a wish come true.

Even despite the heavy cost, Kaoru Tōno (Ōji Suzuka) feels highly compelled to visit the tunnel when he learns about it and discovers a potential pathway to the tunnel. Could the tunnel help reunite him with his long lost sister? At the same time, Kaoru also meets a beautiful new student and sparks begin to fly. What future awaits Kaoru? Can he bring his sister back with the help of a magic wish?

Kaoru Tōno is a wonderful lead character for the tale. The character goes on an epic journey and one that tests him in ways big and small. The quest and the journey to the magical tunnel is one that is grounded more by the down-to-earth character and his dream.

The character designs by Tomomi Yabuki are well-done. The designs work well for the entire cast of characters. The design work for Kaoru is especially noteworthy and the character feels believable – blending together a sense of reality and fantasy with the design.

The animation is incredible and some of the best animation in modern anime. The animation is top-notch and the artistry of the film is incredible. The film features superb art direction by Yuuki Hatakeyama (The House of the Lost on the Cape, Non Non Biyori Nonstop) and chief animation direction by Tomomi Yabuki (Puzzle & Dragons X, Gaist Crusher). The production scale and sense of scope with the animation is epic and the vibrant animation feels larger in budget and ambition than many other anime features. The animation is incredible from start to finish and fans of other high-profile Japanese anime filmmakers like Mamoru Hosoda, Masaaki Yuasa, and Makoto Shinkai will appreciate the high artistry on display with this production. The animators delivered something incredible with this film – something astonishing.

The cinematography by Kou Hoshina (Pompo: The Cinéphile, Grand Blue Dreaming) is an essential ingredient to the film and its power. Hoshina does an incredible job highlighting the animation throughout the feature. The cinematography is crisp and vibrant – the lighting a huge factor. Outstanding. The visuals are enhanced in spades.

The score composed by Harumi Fuuki (Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Management of a Novice Alchemist) is a delight and adds to the filmmaking in spades. The score by Fuuki is top-notch and it weaves a magical spell on the film. The score is emotionally resonant and creative – the music enhancing the film in an incredible way.

Written, storyboarded, and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi (Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, Twin Star Exorcists), The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes is incredible anime filmmaking – a wonderous achievement. The film joins the ranks of other high-profile anime filmmakers and major studios as a huge accomplishment and something to seek out. The anime has a beautiful story and outstanding production merits. Fans of ambitious and poetic Japanese anime will cherish the film.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The release has an impressive high-definition presentation with outstanding colors and clarity. The razor-sharp image is stunning and the cinematography is incredible.

The wider scope aspect ratio is impressive and one of the best features of the presentation. The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes was given a more cinematic scope ratio that makes the filmmaking feel even more rewarding and absorbing – a ratio not too frequently used with Japanese animation. The animation is beautifully highlighted with the superb 2.39:1 ratio and it enhances the filmmaking in spades.

One of the hallmarks of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior video encoding. Physical media and the Blu-ray disc format provides superior encoding compared to streaming video services. Streaming services tend to provide lower bit-rates compared to the physical media Blu-ray counterparts. An impressive encode on the release means a noteworthy difference. For home theater enthusiasts desiring the best possible picture- quality, the release achieves that in spades.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Satoki Iida (Classroom of the Elite, Yuki Yuna Is a Hero) is well reproduced on the release and adds to the presentation quality.

The Blu-ray disc format provides lossless audio encoding. The lossless audio encoding on the release is outstanding. The surround sound is also incredibly well utilized and it makes a massive difference in enhancing the experience. The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes has a first-rate surround presentation and the subtle and incredible intricacies of the surround mix make the experience rewarding – from the falling of rain the gentle breeze to the more dramatic sequences in the film. Incredible soundstaging. The lossless audio massively enhances the experience, too. A wonderful presentation.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not include an o-card slipcover. The release only includes the following on-disc supplement:

Japanese Promos (HD, 3:06)

The Blu-ray release would have been more well-rounded with a more impressive supplemental package. For such an incredible anime film, where are the supplements? I would have loved to see a making-of documentary, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast/crew interviews, art galleries, and more. These sorts of supplements add a lot of extra value for fans and collectors alike. This is the one area of the release that felt underwhelming.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes is a moving and emotionally-resonant film. The storytelling is superb. Writer-director Tomohisa Taguchi (Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna) made a film of incredible beauty. The animation is first-rate and some of the best I have seen in a modern production. Fans of acclaimed anime filmmakers such as Makoto Shinkai (Weathering With You, Suzume, Your Name.), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle, Mirai, Summer Wars), and Masaaki Yuasa (Ride Your Wave, Lu Over the Wall, Inu-Oh) will want to see this incredible anime film. Don't miss it.

The Blu-ray release features an exceptional high-definition presentation and outstanding lossless audio sound mix. Unfortunately, the release is essentially barebones and lacks any meaningful supplements. Hopefully a special edition with superior extras and collectors packaging will be released by another overseas company sometime in the future. Regardless, anime fans won't want to miss The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit to Goodbyes. Highly recommended.