The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes review: A cliched yet enjoyable summer flick

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, has enough of a unique premise to overlook its somewhat basic characters.

Anime films can range from great epics to slice-of-life delights. The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, fits somewhere in the middle, as a sci-fi based coming-of-age story.

The movie follows Kaoru and Anzu, two lost teenagers in 2005 who come together to investigate a mysterious tunnel that is said to grant the wishes of whoever ventures through it – at a cost which challenges your desires and whether it’s worth the price.

The film, while nothing genre-changing, still manages to be an emotional sci-fi coming-of-age stint, with plenty of pretty animation and character growth. But first, warning: Slight spoilers ahead!

Intriguing plot, clichéd characters

On a technical level, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes has some pretty well done and intriguing uses of its animation, along with some emotional songs – though many of these songs are a little too powerful, and definitely overstay their welcome. As do the sheer amount of times our characters breathe heavily in this film. Trust us, you’ll notice.

The movie opens in a rather cliched style for an anime movie – that being silhouettes and cryptic voice overs – but we then thankfully move on to exploring the main concept of the film pretty quicky. And what an interesting concept it is; a cave in which you can find your greatest desires, but potentially lose years of your life whilst wandering inside.

This play with the passage of time allows for a very efficient coming-of-age story, and our leads are entertaining enough that we want to see them succeed. Unfortunately most of the characters, and their plights, are pretty archetypal. You’ve got your tsundere leading lady, your shy but nice leading guy. Then there’s the people that accost them, that being a school bully and an abusive father, who are stereotypical past the point of appearing human. Then again, the way our leads react to their tormenters – punching the bully and apologising, and holding in his breath around his father – feels both interesting and very realistic.

The tunnel to summer is a concept used well

This isn’t just a sci-fi tale, it’s also a human one. We naturally see a romance play out between our leads as they both grow as people. It’s rather cute and heartfelt, though it can sometimes be frustratingly predictable – since she’s a tsundere she runs hot and cold, and there’s even multiple moments where they fall on top of each other. But these stereotypes are played out well enough, so if you’re into those tropes you’ll very much enjoy this movie.

The pacing of the film also helps. It feels fast, but it works with the concept of time that Tunnel to Summer explores. The way time can so quickly slip away gives bigger stakes to the plot, while also explaining why the relationship feels a little rushed.

The film manages to balance a suitable tone between the relaxed romantic moments and the sci-fi infused emotional moments. Ultimately this is a story about overcoming regrets of the past, which is a nice way of exploring both our leads’ “Want Vs Need” arcs. So even if the conclusion of these arcs can once again feel rushed, there’s still plenty to appreciate about the message of the movie.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes review score: 3/5

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes is definitely a movie worth watching, but it likely won’t stick with you forever. But this film is all about challenging what we feel about things, so head to the cinema and decide for yourself.

Anime Limited and Crunchyroll is releasing The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland from 14th July 2023, and in France later this year.