HIDIVE Screens ‘The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes’ Anime Film in Theaters in Fall

HIDIVE announced on Thursday that it will screen Tomohisa Taguchi‘s The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, the anime film of Mei Hachimoku and Kukka‘s Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi young adult novel, in theaters this fall. The company streamed an English-subtitled trailer:

HIDIVE teased that it cannot yet reveal an English dub.

The film opened in Japan in September 2022. Ōji Suzuka starred in the film as Kaoru Tōno and Marie Iitoyo played Anzu Hanaki. Otakon screened the premiere for the English-subtitled version of the film on July 29.

HIDIVE has licensed the film, and it describes the story:

Urashima Tunnel – Once you enter that tunnel, you can get whatever you want, but at a price. Kaoru Tohno, who seems to have an elusive personality and traumatic past, and Anzu Hanashiro, who is struggling to reconcile her ideal image and true-to-heart attitude, team up to investigate the Urashima Tunnel and get what they want. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and sprinting in a remote countryside.

Tomohisa Taguchi (Akudama Drive, Kino’s Journey – The Beautiful World, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna) directed the film at CLAP (Pompo: The Cinéphile), and was also the scriptwriter and storyboarder, as well as the line director alongside Kanji Miyake. Tomomi Yabuki (Pompo: The Cinéphile animation director) was the character designer and chief animation director, with Yabuki, Seiji Tachikawa, Akio Hasegawa, and Yasuhisa Katō as animation directors. Harumi Fuuki (Miss Hokusai, Forest of Piano, Tsurune) composed the music.

Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed both the original light novel and its manga adaptation.

Hachimoku released the original light novel in July 2019, with illustrations by Kukka. The novel was ranked #9 in the bunkobon category of the 2020 edition of Takarajimasha‘s Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (This Light Novel Is Amazing!) guidebook.

Koudon launched the manga in Shogakukan‘s Sunday GX magazine in July 2020, and ended it in November 2021.

Source: HIDIVE