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The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

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The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes
Light novel cover
夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口
(Natsu e no Tonneru, Sayonara no Deguchi)
Genre
Light novel
Written byMei Hachimoku
Illustrated byKukka
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintGagaga Bunko
DemographicMale
PublishedJuly 18, 2019
Manga
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine
Written byMei Hachimoku
Illustrated byKoudon
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
  • NA: Seven Seas Entertainment
Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runJuly 18, 2020 – November 19, 2021
Volumes4
Anime film
Directed byTomohisa Taguchi
Produced by
  • Reiko Sasaki
  • Masayo Kudou
  • Nao Matsumura
  • Taisuke Shiikawa
Written byTomohisa Taguchi
Music byHarumi Fuuki
StudioCLAP [ja]
Licensed bySentai Filmworks
ReleasedSeptember 9, 2022 (2022-09-09)
Runtime83 minutes
icon Anime and manga portal

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (Japanese: 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口, Hepburn: Natsu e no Tonneru, Sayonara no Deguchi) is a Japanese light novel written by Mei Hachimoku and illustrated by Kukka, published by Shogakukan under its Gagaga Bunko imprint in July 2019. A manga adaptation, titled The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine and illustrated by Koudon, was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from July 2020 to November 2021, with its chapters collected in four tankōbon volumes. Both the light novel and manga are licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. An anime film adaptation produced by CLAP [ja] premiered in September 2022.

Plot

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The story is set in a fictional Japanese city near Kasaki Station, where an urban legend speaks of the "Urashima Tunnel", a mysterious passage said to grant wishes—though at a cost. Kaoru Touno, a reclusive high school student in a rural town, commutes daily on the Oosara-Sugimori train line. One rainy evening, he encounters Anzu Hanashiro, a drenched girl at the station. When Kaoru offers her his umbrella, she reveals she has no parents, to which he responds with an indifferent "good". They exchange phone numbers before parting ways.

The following day, Anzu transfers into Kaoru's class from Tokyo, surprising him. Despite the class's attempts to welcome her, her aloof demeanor alienates them, provoking Koharu Kawasaki, a classmate who bullies her by destroying her manga. Anzu retaliates by punching Koharu, shocking everyone. That night, Kaoru's drunken father assaults him, blaming him for his sister Karen's death and demanding he bring her back, even at the cost of his own life. Distraught, Kaoru flees and stumbles upon the Urashima Tunnel. Inside, he retrieves one of Karen's slippers and his deceased pet parrot, only to emerge and discover a week has passed outside.

Kaoru re-enters the tunnel the next day, encountering Anzu. They agree to collaborate to fulfill their respective wishes. Over the following weeks, their bond deepens. They learn that time inside the tunnel flows differently—three seconds within equate to two hours outside. During a visit to an aquarium, Anzu confesses her fear of the tunnel, while Kaoru reveals his wish: his sister Karen died after falling from a tree while attempting to catch a rhinoceros beetle to reconcile with him following an argument. He wishes to undo her death.

During another expedition into the tunnel, Kaoru and Anzu aim to spend precisely 108 seconds inside—equivalent to three days outside—but they exceed this time, emerging at 4 a.m. They retreat to Anzu's apartment, where she explains her own wish: her grandfather, a struggling manga artist, became a burden on her family, and when she expressed her own ambition to follow in his footsteps, her parents disowned her. She desires the talent to become a renowned manga artist. The papers they retrieved from the tunnel are an old manga she wrote as a child, discarded by her father. Kaoru reads it and insists she already possesses talent.

After a summer festival date, Kaoru returns home to find his father with a new partner. The next day, he persuades Anzu to delay their final tunnel trip, but soon afterward, he vanishes. Anzu, fearing the worst, rushes to the tunnel and receives a message from Kaoru revealing the tunnel's true nature: it cannot grant wishes, only restore what was lost. He urges her to pursue her dream as a manga artist so he may one day see her work when he escapes. Heartbroken, Anzu admits she simply wanted to remain with him. Inside the tunnel, Kaoru finds himself reunited with Karen in a fabricated reality. However, he begins receiving messages from the outside—an impossibility—and Karen assures him she will be content as long as he is happy with someone he loves. Realizing his true desire is to be with Anzu, Kaoru accepts Karen's death and resolves to leave.

Eight years pass outside. Anzu has become a moderately successful but disillusioned manga artist. One day, she returns to the train station where she first met Kaoru and collapses in tears, confessing she has never forgotten him. Suddenly, she receives a message from Kaoru and rushes to the tunnel, believing he has emerged. Inside, Kaoru slips and falls, only to awaken to Anzu's presence. They share a kiss, and he finally exits the tunnel—13 years and 102 days after first entering.

Characters

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Kaoru Touno (塔野カオル, Tōno Kaoru)
Voiced by: Ouji Suzuka [ja][2] (Japanese); Gabriel Regojo[3] (English)
Anzu Hanashiro (花城あんず, Hanashiro Anzu)
Voiced by: Marie Iitoyo[2] (Japanese); Patricia Duran[3] (English)
Shouhei Kaga (加賀翔平, Kaga Shōhei)
Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka[4] (Japanese); Scott Gibbs[3] (English)
Koharu Kawasaki (川崎小春, Kawasaki Koharu)
Voiced by: Arisa Komiya[4] (Japanese); Maggie Flecknoe[3] (English)
Hanamoto-sensei (浜本先生)
Voiced by: Haruka Terui[4] (Japanese); Shelley Calene-Black[3] (English)
Kaoru's father (カオルの父, Kaoru no Chichi)
Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama[4] (Japanese); John Gremillion[3] (English)
Karen Touno (塔野カレン, Tōno Karen)
Voiced by: Seiran Kobayashi[4] (Japanese); Anna Austin[3] (English)

Media

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Light novel

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The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, written by Mei Hachimoku and illustrated by Kukka, was released by Shogakukan under its Gagaga Bunko imprint on July 18, 2019.[5]

In July 2021, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had licensed the light novel for English release in North America.[6] It was released on May 17, 2022.[7]

Manga

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A manga adaptation, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine (夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口　群青, Natsu e no Tonneru, Sayonara no Deguchi Gunjō), illustrated by Koudon, started its serialization in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X on July 18, 2020.[8] The series was also published on the MangaONE app. The first part of the final chapter was published on MangaONE on October 1, 2021,[9] and the series finished in Monthly Sunday Gene-X on November 19 of the same year.[10] Shogakukan collected its chapters in four tankōbon volumes, released from December 18, 2020,[11] to December 17, 2021.[12]

In July 2021, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had licensed the manga for English release in North America.[6] The first volume was released on July 26, 2022.[13]

Volumes

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No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 December 18, 2020[11]978-4-09-157619-4July 26, 2022[13]978-1-63858-420-9
2 March 18, 2021[14]978-4-09-157632-3October 18, 2022[15]978-1-63858-795-8
3 August 19, 2021[16]978-4-09-157648-4February 28, 2023[17]978-1-63858-977-8
4 December 17, 2021[12]978-4-09-157666-8June 13, 2023[18]978-1-68579-533-7

Anime film

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An anime film adaptation was announced on December 15, 2021. The film is produced by CLAP [ja] and written and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, with Tomomi Yabuki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director, and Harumi Fuuki composing the music.[19] It premiered on September 9, 2022.[20] The film's theme song is "Finale" (フィナーレ。, Fināre) by Eill.[21] The film was released on Blu-ray on May 24, 2023.[22]

Sentai Filmworks licensed the film for North America,[23] and Anime Limited acquired the film in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Malta.[24] It premiered in UK cinemas on July 14, 2023,[25] and in US theaters on November 3 of the same year.[26] Hidive began streaming the film on January 2, 2024,[3] and the film was released on Blu-ray on January 10 of the same year.[27]

Reception

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The film adaptation won the Paul Grimault Award at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[28] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[29] Writing for The Guardian, Phil Hoad gave the film three out of five stars, describing the plot as simplistic but the animation as "something else", capturing "the momentousness of first love".[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (Light Novel)". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Mateo, Alex (March 23, 2022). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Anime Film Casts Oji Suzuka, Marie Iitoyo". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Tai, Anita (December 19, 2023). "HIDIVE Streams 'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes' Anime Film on January 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 11, 2022). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Anime Film's Trailer Previews Theme Song, Reveals More Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  5. ^ 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (July 3, 2021). "Seven Seas Entertainment Adds 7 New Manga, 2 Light Novels". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  7. ^ "Book: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye (Light Novel)". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  8. ^ サンデーGX創刊20周年！ブラック・ラグーン4号連続アクスタ付属、4大新連載も. Nalalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 18, 2020. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 5, 2021). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Manga Posts 1st Part of Final Chapter". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  10. ^ 月刊 サンデーＧＸ 2021年12月号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  11. ^ a b 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 群青 １ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  12. ^ a b 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 群青 ４ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine (Manga) Vol. 1". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  14. ^ 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 群青 ２ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  15. ^ "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine (Manga) Vol. 2". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  16. ^ 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 群青 ３ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  17. ^ "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine (Manga) Vol. 3". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes: Ultramarine (Manga) Vol. 4". Seven Seas Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  19. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 15, 2021). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Sci-Fi Drama Novel Gets Anime Film in 2022". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  20. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 26, 2022). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Anime Film's Teaser Reveals More Staff, September 9 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  21. ^ Mateo, Alex (August 16, 2022). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye' Anime Film's Trailer Previews Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  22. ^ 劇場アニメ『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』第32回日本映画批評家大賞にてアニメーション作品賞を受賞. ln-news.com (in Japanese). April 11, 2023. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "Co-production "Giant Beast of Ars" and "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes" Movie Top List of Hidive Announcements at Anime Weekend Atlanta". Sentai Filmworks. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  24. ^ "Anime Limited to Release The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes in UK Cinemas". Anime News Network. April 14, 2023. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  25. ^ Osmond, Andrew (July 11, 2023). "The Tunnel to Summer Opens in U.K. Cinemas on Friday". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  26. ^ Mateo, Alex (September 27, 2023). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes' Anime Film Opens in U.S. Theaters on November 3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  27. ^ Mateo, Alex (January 10, 2024). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, January 7–13". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  28. ^ Hazra, Adriana (June 19, 2023). "'The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes' Film Wins Award at Annecy". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  29. ^ "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  30. ^ Hoad, Phil (July 10, 2023). "The Tunnel to Summer, Exit of Goodbyes review – metaphysical anime tale of first love". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
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