Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
kingdom_45
A Short Anime With a Lot of Emotion
Summer Ghost is one of those anime that looks simple at first, but leaves you thinking about it long after it ends.
What I really liked about this movie is how it deals with the struggles people go through in life. The characters are each carrying their own problems, regrets, and feelings, and the story shows how difficult it can be to face those things. It doesn't feel like it's trying to give some complicated life lesson. Instead, it quietly shows that everyone has their own struggles, and sometimes you just need to find the courage to keep moving forward.
Ayane's story especially hit me. Her past was genuinely sad, and I really liked how the anime expressed her emotions without overdoing everything. There are a lot of small moments that make you un…
Read at the sourceRyanSpring
First of all, I liked Summer Ghost and absolutely believe it to be underrated and one of the better anime movies many people have never heard of. That being said it has plenty of shortcomings and more or less all of them, ultimately, can circle back around to its length. Plain and simple, it's too short.
If the pacing feels rushed, if characters and backstories feel underdeveloped, if finding a certain object in a very short period of time that would otherwise be extremely unlikely to be found at all feels convenient and cheesy- you are correct! These are all a biproduct of the movie simply not having enough time to do everything it wanted to do and being forced to cut corners. At just 40 minutes you simply can't develop four main characters properly, deliver the emotional gut punch that…
Read at the sourceAnaTopia_com
Summer Ghost is a short movie about fragile, sensitive topics such as death, mental health and grief. For something so short with a basic art style, I think Summer Ghost touches souls in a very emotional way trough a sentimental and harsh view of death and the world itself. It's psychological heavy, even if it doesn't show anything graphic, yet refreshing and, in my opinion, creative.
For anyone who is struggling to find a meaning to life, for anyone who is dealing with someone's death, for anyone who is dealing with suicide, Summer Ghost may be be your friendly company for at least thirty nine minutes to remind you that you're not alone and that everything will be okay.
Read at the sourceCocoWatermelon
Summer Ghost uses a minimalist approach to explore themes of mortality, regret, and the search for meaning. With a runtime under 40 minutes, the film relies on atmosphere rather than extensive character development, and its strength lies in how efficiently it communicates emotional weight.
The film manages to convey its perspective on life and death with surprising clarity, especially given its limited runtime.
The animation is clean and expressive, particularly in the ghost sequences, which stand out without relying on excessive effects.
The writing is understated. Dialogue is brief and to the point, leaving much of the meaning implied rather than explained. This approach gives the film a contemplative feel, though it also means certain story elements arrive quickly and may feel under…
Read at the sourceBee-ku
Although this film is only 40 minutes long, which is very short. In my opinion I really enjoyed it from start to finish. I couldn't help but empathize with all the characters and the different situations each of them was going through. I liked how it looked visually, and I really liked the message they wanted to convey near the end of the film. Above all, the ending of the film, although for some it may have been predictable, for me it was a well-executed plot twist and I loved it. Absolute cinema.
Characters 10/10
Story 10/10
I absolutely love this!
Read at the sourcetakemeon
First of all, please watch this in the sub version.
As an avid eng dub consumer, the dub here ruins the experience-- I almost didn't watch the movie because the first few minutes of dub were intolerable for my taste. The JP voice actors did a better job of conveying themes of fragility. Their voices softened the tone and conjured that somber mood that suits the story.
Many reviews already touched on the film's brevity. That is not a short-coming, it's a flex. The film told a complete story and succeeded in spreading its message, all under an hour. Based on the overall animation quality, the budget was small. It's visually appealing despite how "rough" it is compared to big label productions. Rather than criticize the lack of "polish", Summer Ghost deserves praise for giving so much whil…
Read at the sourceNEEDY_SPY
Summer Ghost
⭐ 7/10
Summer Ghost is a short but emotional film. The art and music are really nice, and it creates a calm, bittersweet mood that fits the story well. It talks about life and death in a quiet, gentle way that feels honest.
Still, I felt like something was missing. Maybe it’s because the story is so short, or maybe I’ve just seen too many similar animes by now, so it didn’t hit me as hard as it could have. If I had watched this earlier, I think it would’ve felt more special.
Even so, it’s a good movie simple, touching, and worth watching at least once.
Read at the sourceTuls
Summer Ghost attempts to touch on the fragile subject of life and death, one that requires a careful amount of introspection to come through as something profound or emotive. Character motivations and mental states play a crucial role in establishing depth, especially in this case, as each of the three characters seems to be plagued by the idea of death, either willingly or unwillingly. I feel like the choice of having three characters is detrimental, and it would've profited by discarding Aoi and Ryou altogether, as the time constraint hinders their collective development. The editing, to put it simply, is frankly horrendous. Frequent cuts and snappy dialogues ruin immersion as it's evident that it's trying to cram as much information as possible in its short duration, adversely affecting…
Read at the sourceBlueEmbers
Quality is the great equalizer in anything really. Sometimes you have big budget producers that make 2 hour long movies that are utterly forgettable, and then you get Summer Ghost - which in a short time makes a lot of itself.
Anyhow, the story delves into those who are close to death- physically, cosmically, however you read it. Having been surrounded by suicides and death in my life, it felt a but close to home. Imagine someone could see right through your meat-suit smoke screen and knew that you where dying in some way and driving towards the edge. It's a wonderful concept that is explored that many can likely relate to in personal or health experiences.
The artwork and sound is great, and I especially like some of the writing and voice acting. It's crisp with colors and quality wor…
Read at the sourceNagi_sa
Long Story Short: Summer Ghost had amazing and interesting concepts, but felt rushed due to its run time
Full review: I really did enjoy Summer Ghost, it had an interesting ghost concept with how only those who are close to death can see ghost. But I had problems with it's editing and pacing, it was messy. Characters have big and complexed (in a way) emotions and relations with each other, but thanks to that extremely short run time and editing, the scenes in where they interact feel a little flat. The main trio are built up to be close friends but you don't really see it fully, and the other characters should've had some extra time as well. It's not all negatives though, the film is beautiful, and the points they have, even though not fully explored, do it when they do. I just think if t…
Read at the sourceSenji-san
It's a 40 minute movie .... felt WAY longer - and I mean that in a good way! I went in blind and I regret NOTHING! I can't believe I cried 3 times in 40 minutes and each time it was more and more ... At some point I was watching and I was just holding my breath! Truly an amazing experience!
Everyone at some point NEEDS to watch this, especially if you are in a dark place. I myself thought that I escaped that dark place and I was doing better, until I watched this. It truly shook me up and made me realize A LOT of things.
The only thing I can say is : It will give you a reality check !
10/10 movie
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
This movie is trying to do a lot in almost 40 minutes, and while I think it does a good job telling a pretty evocative story with marvelous visuals, I don't think it does justice to the characters with the limited time it has.
There's something deeper here for each of the leads, something concrete that would have been easy to latch onto since all these characters are close to death in different ways, and yet we barely get to explore more than a surface level understanding of where they're coming from before credits roll. It doesn't help that much of the interactions are deadpan, so even though that makes certain moments pop, it leaves the rest feeling a little drained of emotion, and moments that could have been huge sometimes feel strange or even suggestive of a pretty horrific scene (e…
Read at the sourceDestron
I found this movie through an anime recommendation and I'm really glad I did. The movie (if you want to call it that) is only 40 minutes long which is unfortunate as I would have loved to see a little bit more of the story. I would have loved to see more about the main trio as a whole and get into their backstories about why they feel the way they do. It's shown or implied why they're depressed very briefly but never fully explored.
The story revolves around Ayane the Summer Ghost Girl and trying to find her missing body so she can be laid to rest and give her mother the closure she needs after losing her when she was young.
The story itself is short and sweet and gets straight into it. I thought it was a bit weird that they could only see this ghost when they lit a firework despite th…
Read at the sourceHalcyon13
Films nearing the half-hour mark seem like sort of a trend lately. Perhaps due to the declining attention span of viewers, gradually, the general standards for consumption cease to exist. They've always been around, yet recent advertising promises a more glamorous comprehensive experience. Whatever the case, the runtime doesn't have to be an issue, nor does it even need to be considered a facet of thought when handled in the right direction. Summer Ghost is bewildered, bound by a specific restraint on its cast and to what extent they're written if they're written at all. It's hard to imagine there was genuine effort behind the composition of their relative roles in the story, more precisely, the terribly dull dialogue and character beats in a scene. The trio represents various disillusione…
Read at the sourcenia74
The movie has only 45 minutes to show you the story and the background of each character, so you thrown into the action right away. In just a few scenes authors are able to show the characters stories and make them feel relatable. The artwork and music are full of summer and brings a pleasant nostalgic feeling.
On the other hand story is really swift and straight forward, it felt like there was strict time limit there. Despite the fact that you as a viewer are able to undestand the protagonists, they and their stories still feel superficial which ruins that melancholic vibe expected from the anime.
Regardless of the downsides mentioned above, it leaves that bittersweet aftertaste you probably came for, so in the end you would not be dissapointed.
Read at the sourceOPGMitaki
This movie is essentially a piece of advice. a roughly 40 minute advice that tells you to keep living. That tells you that no matter how shitty life is and no matter how much you try to convince yourself that you've done enough you've gotta keep doing your best, You've gotta keep breaking your limits. At least live until you've lived a life you will never forget and never regret. No matter how nice and free the world of the dead may seem or sound to you. Maybe it isn't so worth it after all? A fast paced movie with no particular story structure, no normal pacing, and no awfully detailed animation like modern Anime today. Just a masterpiece in the disguise of an advice needed by many humans in this day and age.
Read at the sourceJamieNormand
Summer Ghost is a film that hit me like an unexpected slap to the face. It is graceful, beautifully told, beautifully edited, with a great score.
The story begins with three young people with their own problems meeting to go and check out if the so-called Summer Ghost is real and if they can see her. From then onwards, the 37 1/2 minutes long film (45 if you include the credits) grabs you and never lets you go. The main character Tomoya, and the others Ryu and Aoi are explored as unfortunate characters and how their relationship with the ghost and each other develops becomes the main topic.
What is so exceptional about this film is that it is doing a great job in terms of time management: you check if the film is nearing the end and you see that all the things that shocked, mesmerized you…
Read at the sourceAndersonCarlos
"Summer Ghost"
Theme without much development, but with a simple and satisfying message.
A short film to think about the inevitable, suffering and the future.
A short that shows all the insecurities, uncertainties and restlessness of each character and that sends the message that "everything passes with time".
I don't know how the production of the short film went, but the animation is good and the highlight I think is more in the direction along with the soundtrack. the characters, their development, the story and the message are simple, but I think that's what got me.
This was my analysis.
OBS: may contain writing errors, because I used google translate.
Read at the sourceRealAuraz
The Movie is really short, 39 minutes, which may be a bit too short to reach the full potential the Movie could've had, but was still long enough to give me a unique experience and leave me with a feeling I can't put to words.
Music: 9/10 - Really fits the artstyle and the story and is able to capture and endorse feelings very well.
Art Style: 9/10 - In the first moment it may feel like the artstyle is not that good, but it perfectly fits the story and I quickly began liking it.
Story: 7/10 - The pacing was very fast, so the story does not have that much depth, but nevertheless I liked it. The last sequence also is well-choosen, I was afraid they would leave that part of the story unfinished but no, they wrapped everything up.
I would highly recommend watching it, alothough not everyon…
Read at the sourcenanashi_xx
The film tells a beautiful and meaningful story, and it manages to do so in a short amount of time. While there are some technical flaws, the movie's strengths more than make up for them.
One of the few areas where this film could have been improved is in the delivery of the dialogues. Although the plot moves quickly, the dialogues sometimes lack intimacy and depth, which makes it difficult for the audience to connect with the characters on a personal level. I found myself wishing for more emotional depth, particularly during the movie's pivotal moments.
Additionally, while the characters are intriguing and unique, they lack a deeper background that would have allowed me to form a stronger connection with them. I would have loved to learn more about their past experiences and motivations…
Read at the source
