Despite how it may appear from the outside looking in, this film is in fact very familiar. Many and famous are the family-friendly flicks of fantasy or science fiction that have been made about a family, and especially a young kid, befriending an unusual lifeform. Recognizable story ideas fill these 138 minutes, from extra serious beats (the opening scene is stunningly dark and heavy, and it won't be the last), to the creature experiencing illness; experiencing modern life from a fresh perspective, and the unexpected capabilities of the newcomer; some very heartfelt moments, lessons learned for all involved, and the worry of the humans for their new friend; and so on. Funny, cute, dramatic, sad, heartwarming, or thought-provoking in turn, 'Summer days with Coo' offers slight illumination of Japanese folklore while also decidedly playing fast and loose with it. Even as this broadly walks a tried and true path, it's splendidly charming and enjoyable, and well worth checking out.
There is perhaps a tiny bit less detail in character designs than we see in other anime, but they are swell nonetheless and pretty much right on par. The backgrounds and settings are as lovely and rich with detail as we'd ever hope, however, and the animation is nice and fluid all the while. Some aspects are especially sharp, including and not limited to the incredible water effects (handily rivaling the best of 3D animation), the use of lighting (e.g., a sunset), or the care put into kappa Coo and his naturalistic behavior. As with a lot of kindred fare some of the humor is a tad childish, yet mostly the vibes here are warm and gentle, befitting the thrust of the narrative as young Koichi forms a close bond with his unlikely companion. With that said, the story goes places I hadn't anticipated, and as it does it seems to me that the writing only gets tighter and more compelling. Strong scene writing fuels the proceedings while bolstering themes of freedom, privacy, respect for life and nature, found family and true friendship, resilience in the face of changing circumstances, and more. Though in general the characterizations don't make a major impression, and Koichi sometimes raises a skeptical eyebrow, I am delighted by how Coo is written - a highlight here in a manner that isn't necessarily true of other beings in similar works - and Ossan is a pleasant surprise.
Composer Wakakusa Kei made some curious choices with instances of harmonica and slide guitar that plainly invoke the U. S. Deep South, and country music, but for the most part his score is quite lovely as it complements the proceedings, and some examples are outright brilliant. The voice cast give capable performances to bring their characters to life, and filmmaker Hara Keiihchi demonstrates direction as smart and skilled as his writing in navigating the saga as it shifts from light and merry, to warm and cozy, to sorrowful and heartbreaking, to astonishingly gloomy or even sinister. Some elements are more sure-footed or less so than others; just as the writing has notable bright spots, there are other examples through to the end that fall a smidgen short by comparison. Yet even if it's not altogether perfect, or a total must-see, the picture is solidly absorbing and satisfying, not to mention completely endearing. Whatever else one might say of 'Summer days with Coo' it is a minor treasure, and any nitpicking is almost beside the point. Don't necessarily go out of your way for it, but if you do have the opportunity to watch then I'm pleased give it my high, hearty recommendation.
