Web Movies

On Friday, Pony Canyon started broadcasting a scene from the anime adaptation of the young adult novel The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbye (Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi) by Mei Hachimoku and Kukka. The video depicts Kaoru and Hanaki’s joint effort to investigate the Urashima Tunnel.

The movie premiered on Friday in Japan. Kaoru Tno is portrayed by Ji Suzuka, and Anzu Hanaki is portrayed by Marie Iitoyo.

Shhei Kaga, Kaoru’s companion, is portrayed by Tasuku Hatanaka. Koharu Kawasaki, an aggressive classmate of Anzu, is portrayed by Arisa Komiya. Homeroom teacher Hamamoto-sensei for Kaoru and Anzu is played by Haruka Terui. Kaoru’s father is portrayed by Rikiya Koyama. Karen Tno, Kaoru’s younger sister, is portrayed by Seiran Kobayashi.

The movie was directed by Tomohisa Taguchi (Akudama Drive, Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna), who also wrote the storyline, created the storyboard, served as co-line director with Kanji Miyake, and was shot at CLAP (Pompo: The Cinéphile). Character design and principal animator duties were shared by Tomomi Yabuki (Pompo: The Cinéphile animation director), Seiji Tachikawa, Akio Hasegawa, and Yasuhisa Kato. The music was created by Harumi Fuuki (Miss Hokusai, Forest of Piano, Tsurune).
Both the original light novel and its manga adaptation have been licenced by Seven Seas Entertainment, which sums up the plot as follows:
The Urashima Tunnel is said to be immune to the constraints of space and time, according to a rumour Tono Kaoru heard. If you locate it, go through it to the other side, where you’ll find what you’re looking for—in return for years of your own life. The night Karen, the sister he lost in an accident five years ago, comes to mind, Kaoru finds himself standing in front of a tunnel that is curiously like the one the rumour depicts. Unexpectedly, Anzu Hanaki, a new transfer student, has been following Kaoru. She offers to assist him in his exploration of the enigmatic tunnel, but what does she want from him in return? And once the tunnel is complete, what will he have left to give?

Rashmika Mandanna (born on April 5, 1996) is an Indian actress who has appeared in and continues to work in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films. She has earned the title of “Pan-India Actress” with good reason. She has been dubbed “National Crush of India” and has a sizable fan base throughout the country.

Rashmika gained notoriety after winning the Clean & Clear “Times Fresh Face” award in 2014, which led to her being one of India’s most well-liked actors and experiencing both critical and commercial success.

Victor Dubyna, Nolan O’Kane, and Kirk Percival of Lad Films followed up their last film, the short film Hi, Lad (2020), with the release of their debut movie, a continuation of their short in what they have dubbed a “stoner-noir.” The Lad Goodbye (2022) has an aesthetic based on the dope culture of the late 1990s and early 2000s and follows the traditional beats of a classic noir detective thriller with a recognisable kind of humour woven throughout, evoking movies like Pineapple Express (2008, David Gordon Green).

The story follows stoner and self-described “rogue man,” Lester Schmidt (Kirk Percival), as he searches for his missing roommate on the day before he is supposed to leave town. The plot that follows, which lasts for 140 minutes, details Lester’s journey as well as the numerous obstacles and situations he runs into. Although the initial idea seems sound and lends itself nicely to developing a chain of events that could result in an absurd and entertaining experience, the film’s length makes it challenging to track any attempt at pacing over the course of the picture. The Lad Goodbye can occasionally get tiresome or repetitive due to the single-toned tone of the movie and its duration.

This does not imply that the production is not worthwhile, though. Many of the tracking shots are executed exceptionally well and speak highly of the film’s cinematographer. The film-shot, grainy cinematography is consistent with the tone and culture of the genre. The plot is infused with a delightful sense of nostalgia because of the numerous background allusions and easter eggs that pay homage to other stoner movies and cultural icons. They might even hint at the potential for a nostalgic resurgence of this genre, which rose to prominence at the turn of the millennium.

The Lad Goodbye holds a subtle thematic possibility as well as an obvious and clear passion for the craft of cinema that is not commonly found. However, it is not a magnum opus due to its excessive length, repetitious editing, and sound design. The cinematography is expertly done, and they genuinely care about the target genre. These characteristics are used by the movie to create a calming atmosphere that induces a similar stoner trance in its viewers and supports its tone. The stoner genre is still very much alive, if there is one thing to learn from watching The Lad Goodbye.