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 "slug": "the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-2022-film",
 "title": "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022 film)",
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 "excerpt": "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口) is a 2022 Japanese anime film by Tomohisa Taguchi, adapting Mei Hachimoku's novel about the wish-granting Urashima Tunnel; 83 minutes, CLAP, Paul Grimault Prize at Annecy 2023.",
 "snippet": "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口) is a 2022 Japanese anime film by Tomohisa Taguchi, adapting Mei Hachimoku's novel about the wish-granting Urashima Tunnel; 83 minutes, CLAP, Paul Grimault Prize at Annecy 2023.",
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 "markdown": "# The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022 film)\n\n*The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes* (Japanese: 夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口, *Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi*) is a 2022 Japanese animated science-fiction romance film directed and written by Tomohisa Taguchi, adapted from the debut novel of the same title by [Mei Hachimoku](https://www.edgepedia.org/mei-hachimoku) (八目迷). It follows two high school students in a rural town who investigate the Urashima Tunnel, a legendary passage that grants any wish in exchange for something taken from the person who enters it.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Japanese release | September 9, 2022; 83 minutes; distributed by Pony Canyon<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup> |\n| Source | Novel by Mei Hachimoku, published by Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko imprint in July 2019<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://dokode-mireru.jp/anime/natsuhenotonneru-sayonaranodeguchi/)</sup> |\n| Award basis | The novel won both the Gagaga Prize and the Judges' Special Prize at the 13th Shogakukan Light Novel Award<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup> |\n| Director and writer | Tomohisa Taguchi (director, screenplay, storyboard, episode direction)<sup>[4](https://www.clapclap.co.jp/works/natsuton.html)</sup> |\n| Animation studio | CLAP, the studio behind *Pompo: The Cinéphile* (2021)<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup> |\n| Lead voices | Oji Suzuka as Kaoru Tono and Marie Iitoyo as Anzu Hanashiro<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup> |\n| Music | Score by Harumi Fuki; theme and insert songs by eill<sup>[5](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2445/n-a)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.clapclap.co.jp/works/natsuton.html)</sup> |\n| Festival honor | Paul Grimault Prize at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival<sup>[6](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1695366368)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nThe story centers on the Urashima Tunnel, a rumor in a small rural town: anyone who enters can obtain whatever they desire, but only in exchange for losing something in return.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup> Time also behaves differently inside the tunnel, so a short walk can return a person to the outside world years later.<sup>[7](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-2022-film-review-by-jane-fae)</sup>\n\nThe two leads each carry a private wound. Kaoru Tono appears easygoing but is marked by a past accident, and he hopes to see his deceased younger sister one last time.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2445/n-a)</sup> Anzu Hanashiro, a transfer student from Tokyo who stands apart in her new class, struggles beneath her composed manner with the gap between herself and her own ideal self.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup> After Kaoru discovers the tunnel, the two form a partnership to investigate it and obtain what each of them wants.<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup> The official site frames the film as \"an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and running forward\" set in a small town.<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup>\n\n## Production\n\nTomohisa Taguchi, born in Okayama Prefecture in 1985, directed the film and wrote the screenplay after earlier work on *Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna* (2020) and the anime series *[Akudama Drive](https://www.edgepedia.org/akudama-drive)* (2020).<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2445/n-a)</sup> The character drafts and original illustrations are by kuka (くっか), known for *D_CIDE TRAUMEREI*, and Tomomi Yabuki served as character designer and chief animation director.<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.clapclap.co.jp/works/natsuton.html)</sup>\n\nThe animation was produced by CLAP, a studio described in the film's promotion as up-and-coming, whose credits include *Pompo: The Cinéphile* (2021).<sup>[2](https://natsuton.com/story/)</sup> The score was composed by Harumi Fuki, and the singer-songwriter eill performed both the theme song and the insert song.<sup>[5](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2445/n-a)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.clapclap.co.jp/works/natsuton.html)</sup>\n\nThe voice cast pairs two actors known primarily for live-action work: Oji Suzuka, who made his film debut in *Listen to the Universe* (2019) and swept new-actor awards including honors from the Hochi Film Awards and Kinema Junpo, voices Kaoru; Marie Iitoyo, whose credits include *Shiraisan* (2020), voices Anzu.<sup>[8](https://natsuton.com/character/)</sup> Supporting roles include Tasuku Hatanaka as Shouhei Kaga, Arisa Komiya as Koharu Kawasaki, Haruka Terui as teacher Hamamoto, Rikiya Koyama as Kaoru's father, and Seiran Kobayashi as Kaoru's sister Karen.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup>\n\n## Release and festival reception\n\nThe film premiered in Japanese theaters on September 9, 2022, and was screened in the Japanese Animation section of the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival that autumn.<sup>[1](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://2022.tiff-jp.net/guide/TIFF_Japanese_Animation2022.pdf)</sup> In June 2023 it was selected for the feature film competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, where it won the Paul Grimault Prize.<sup>[6](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1695366368)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-annecy-review/5183238.article)</sup> It also screened at Otakon in the United States in July 2023 and opened in South Korea on September 14, 2023.<sup>[6](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1695366368)</sup>\n\nInternational theatrical releases followed: the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 14, 2023,<sup>[11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/10/the-tunnel-to-summer-exit-of-goodbyes-review-anime)</sup> and a North American release beginning November 3, 2023.<sup>[12](https://www.tunneltosummer.com/)</sup> In Japan, the film began exclusive unlimited streaming on Amazon Prime Video on September 29, 2023, alongside a making-of book sold online.<sup>[6](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1695366368)</sup> It later became available on multiple Japanese streaming services, including U-NEXT, Hulu, Netflix, and DMM TV.<sup>[13](https://filmarks.com/movies/100670/vod)</sup> The film's second anniversary was marked in 2024 with re-screenings at Cinema City Tachikawa and Shinjuku Wald 9 and a signing event by the director.<sup>[14](https://natsuton.com/)</sup>\n\n## Critical response\n\nReviewers at the festival circuit responded favorably. Wendy Ide, senior international critic for *Screen*, writing from Annecy, called it \"an animation for the ages\" and described a \"gorgeous, sparkling sci-fi romance\" that \"wears its high concept lightly,\" with characters rooted enough in the real world to keep the fantastic premise grounded.<sup>[10](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-annecy-review/5183238.article)</sup> The British Board of Film Classification, which rated the film 12A for its UK release, noted that \"a theme of grief lends mature weight to a gentle but dramatic film.\"<sup>[15](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdeymzq3)</sup> The *Eye for Film* review praised the drawing and the use of CGI to set the tunnel apart visually from the rest of the film's world, while noting that the ending does not withstand close logical scrutiny.<sup>[7](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-2022-film-review-by-jane-fae)</sup> On the Japanese review aggregator Filmarks, the film held a rating of 3.5 out of 5 across more than 20,000 user reviews.<sup>[16](https://filmarks.com/movies/100670)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口 : 作品情報, 映画.com](https://eiga.com/movie/96314/)\n2. [STORY | 映画『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』公式サイト](https://natsuton.com/story/)\n3. [夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口はどこで見れる？配信サービスを徹底比較, どこで見れる☆JAPAN](https://dokode-mireru.jp/anime/natsuhenotonneru-sayonaranodeguchi/)\n4. [『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』｜WORKS｜CLAP Animation Studio](https://www.clapclap.co.jp/works/natsuton.html)\n5. [夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口, Nippon Connection film database](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2445/n-a)\n6. [『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』29日より配信決定, アニメイトタイムズ](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1695366368)\n7. [The Tunnel To Summer, The Exit Of Goodbyes (2022) - Film Review, Eye For Film](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-2022-film-review-by-jane-fae)\n8. [CHARACTER | 映画『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』公式サイト](https://natsuton.com/character/)\n9. [2022年のジャパニーズ・アニメーション部門, 35th Tokyo International Film Festival guide](https://2022.tiff-jp.net/guide/TIFF_Japanese_Animation2022.pdf)\n10. ['The Tunnel To Summer, The Exit Of Goodbyes': Annecy Review, Screen](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-annecy-review/5183238.article)\n11. [The Tunnel to Summer, Exit of Goodbyes review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/10/the-tunnel-to-summer-exit-of-goodbyes-review-anime)\n12. [The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes | Official Website | November 03 2023](https://www.tunneltosummer.com/)\n13. [夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口の動画配信サービスまとめ, Filmarks映画](https://filmarks.com/movies/100670/vod)\n14. [映画『夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口』公式サイト NEWS](https://natsuton.com/)\n15. [The Tunnel To Summer: The Exit Of Goodbyes, BBFC](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdeymzq3)\n16. [夏へのトンネル、さよならの出口の作品情報・感想・評価, Filmarks映画](https://filmarks.com/movies/100670)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Animated and short films › Japanese anime features › Released 2014 to 2026*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-tunnel-to-summer-the-exit-of-goodbyes-2022-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
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 "speakable": "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes is a 2022 Japanese anime film by Tomohisa Taguchi, adapting Mei Hachimoku's novel about the wish-granting Urashima Tunnel; 83 minutes, CLAP, Paul Grimault Prize at Annecy 2023."
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