Kappa no ku to natsu yasumi (2007)

Director:

Keiichi Hara

Writers:

Keiichi Hara (screenplay)
Masao Kogure (story)

Release Date:

28 July 2007 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation

Plot Keywords:

Fossil | Bullying | Samurai | Kappa | On The Run

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Futo Tomizawa
Naoki Tanaka
Naomi Nishida
Ken'ichi Nagira
Takahiro Yokoyama

Also Known As:

Summer Days with Coo (International: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

Australia:138 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:All | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:PG

Company:

Dentsu

Goofs:

Plot holes: The national media have staked out the house. The kappa (river spirit) is reported nightly on the TV news. The whole country is agog over the kappa. The boy goes on the run with the kappa, and keeps running for many days. Yet not one person the boy or the kappa encounters or passes recognizes either of them.

Okay film about a boy who awakens a river spirit is at times in need of some editing as sequences go on much too long

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A young boy finds a strange rock near a river. After he takes it home and washes it off he finds the water has awakened a small Gappa, or river spirit,named Coo, who moves in with the family. After a couple of adventures they realize that Coo can't stay with the family, and after trip to find a place for him to stay, the media finds out and a circus ensues.

Five year labor of love for the director is an uneven and much too long story of friendship, family, media and a few other things (the film runs almost two and a half hours). Often lovingly animated this film the film has a couple of beautiful sequences, (the dragon, coo and the dog and Coo and his friend swimming), but at other times its in love with itself with sequences that go on and on and on, usually anything involving the running or driving or chasing. It all becomes just too much, even when it's working. By the half way point I was ready to call it a night with the result the second part shift between the boy and his friend to the media made me feel as if I was watching the sequel to the first.

To be honest its not bad but the film really should have been better. If only I didn't end the film mostly a desire to trim it down.

A word of warning for parents, there is a rather violent and bloody sequence at the start (with severed limbs). Its an intense sequence that sets events in motion.