Summer Wars

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Summer Wars

PG

2010

1h 54m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Anime

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

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

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

03/28/2011

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

01/20/2011

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

03/30/2025

... 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

08/28/2022

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

01/15/2020

I cannot recommend this movie enough.

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Alan B

Aug 11

A now classic and must watch for any anime fan!

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Aidan

Jul 31

liked the romance part of it, and the community part with the family. just wished they would put more anime movies on 😭

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Raul

Jul 30

One of my top 10 of all time!

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Paul

Jul 30

I love this movie! The visuals in the real world and in the virtual world of Oz were spectacular! And the characters were all very likable! The story was simply brilliant, and the dramatic and upsetting moments were genuinely effective, must-see! I’m glad I got to see it on the big screen!

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Richard T

Jul 30

Anime meets Hallmark for two high school students at a family reunion, funeral, and birthday celebration.

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Brandon G

Jul 30

I watch this every year in the summer, as close to August 1st as I can get. This was the first time I got to see it in theaters and it was beautiful. Summer Wars should be a staple in every household, especially those with a strong matriarchal presence.

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Mamoru Hosoda

Director

Ryûnosuke Kamiki

Kenji Koiso

Nanami Sakuraba

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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