Summer Wars

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Summer Wars

PG,

2010,

1h 54m,

Sci-Fi/

Adventure/

Anime

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Watchlist

Watchlist

81%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Kenji is a shy, part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki's family, Kenji finds that a rogue A.I. program has stolen his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki's family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse.

Critics Consensus

Family drama mixes with virtual online action in the breezy and entertaining Summer Wars.

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

Jul 29, 2025

3/5

Battling an apparently motiveless AI, it feels increasingly consequenceless, as virtual action often does. But the narrative complexity and bravura imagery still impress.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Mar 28, 2011

Far from resorting to easy, reactionary technophobia, Hosoda shows Japan's age-old traditions being upheld throughout different generations, with the beautifully realised digital community of OZ proving as much the solution as the problem.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

Jan 20, 2011

The filmmakers can't keep the strands of their clumsy plot straight, but they create brilliant images and manipulate them with blithe abandon.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Mar 30, 2025

... proclaiming the importance of helping one’s community before helping themselves because the act of protecting the community makes one stronger whereas focusing on self makes one weaker and more vulnerable.

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

Aug 28, 2022

B-

Where it is far from perfect, Summer Wars feels perfectly in place in Mamoru Hosoda's filmography.

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Ard Vijn

ScreenAnarchy

Jan 15, 2020

I cannot recommend this movie enough.

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Leia P

Dec 10, 2018

Enjoyed watching this, predictable story but still a good watch.

Anakin W

Sep 28, 2018

One of the best anime movies in recent history that I can watch from beginning to end with the same amount of enjoyment that I had the first time I watched it. It has great animation and the American voice cast does a fantastic job with their characters. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a movie that reminds them of Hayao Miyazaki's work.

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Abraham R

Aug 20, 2018

2018-8-20 I've watched this before but don't remember the story. It's a cute little one especially the big family part.

Theodore R

Jun 29, 2018

As a kid I would have given it 5 stars.

Han W

Mar 29, 2018

Another impressive movie from director Mamoru Hosada, Summer Wars is a must see for anime fan, and movie fans in general.

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Leia L

Jan 8, 2018

Hosoda's "Summer Wars/Sama Wozu" beautifully animates a fantasy world packed with imaginative creatures (avatars get it?), designs, and action scenes to explain humanity's overdependence on the increasing Internet of Things; a frightening prediction of what may come in the future. The film also celebrates family life with a loving cast of characters and a welcoming environment that invites us to be a part of them just like the main character, Kenji. However, the film is held back from being great because it poorly uses not one, but two plot devices to reach its climax and conclusion. They're devices that normally would piss a moviegoer enough to not like the film at all. With that said, the film left me feeling good inside by the end of credits, so that must account for something? P.S. To any "Digimon" fans out there, this was the film that should've been to represent the franchise back in the early 2000's. *winks*

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Mamoru Hosoda

Director

Ryûnosuke Kamiki

Kenji Koiso

Hitomi Miyauchi

Natsuki Shinohara

Mitsuki Tanimura

Kazuma Ikezawa

Sumiko Fuji

Sakae Jinnouchi

Ayumu Saitô

Wabisuke Jinnouchi

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Synopsis

Kenji is a shy, part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki's family, Kenji finds that a rogue A.I. program has stolen his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki's family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse.

Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Producer: Nozomu Takahashi, Takuya Itô, Takafumi Watanabe, Yuichiro Sato
Screenwriter: Satoko Okudera
Distributor: FUNimation Films
Production Co: Nippon Television Network
Rating: PG (Language|Incidental Smoking|Action/Violence|Mild Thematic Material|Some Suggestive Content)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 20, 2010, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 22, 2016
Runtime: 1h 54m

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