As the BFI’s upcoming anime season offers a look at the past 100 years of anime history, Anime Limited are delighted to offer you the chance to see what awaits in the medium’s future with Summer Ghost, a remarkably honest and hard-hitting search for the beauty in life, even when it’s cast over by the shadow of death. Summer Ghost will be shown at the BFI Southbank in London on 13th May 2022 alongside a Q&A with the director.

The 40-minute film marks the directorial debut of 27-year old loundraw, a renowned illustrator who has recently made their name internationally as the concept visual illustrator on anime such as the romantic drama film I want to eat your pancreas, as well as Vivy: -Flourite Eye’s Song-, a Sci-Fi television series by Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- creator Tappei Nagatsuki. Summer Ghost was animated by FLAT STUDIO, an animation studio founded in 2019 by loundraw, as their first major narrative work.

Summer Ghost is the bittersweet story of three high school students who set out to investigate rumours of a ghost who only appears when fireworks are set off. When they finally come face-to-face with the spirit of Ayane Sato, a girl who is rumoured to have died by suicide, she tells them: “Not everyone can see me. Only those meddling with the idea of death”. Tomoya, Aoi and Ryō all have their reasons to be dissatisfied with life, but what can they learn from someone who has experienced death? 

Summer Ghost is a profound exploration of a sensitive subject that is both emotionally resonant and handled with remarkable delicacy in its modest run-time, which shines a brighter light on the potential futures of loundraw and FLAT STUDIO than any firework could.

Summer Ghost will be shown at the BFI Southbank in London on 13th May 2022, and will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles. The film is presented as part of the BFI’s major two-month anime season, running at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from 28 March – 31 May 2022.

About Anime Limited:

Based out of Glasgow, Anime Limited is Europe’s premiere distributor for Japanese animation, renowned for bespoke collector’s editions of fan-favorite anime and soundtracks, connecting Western audiences with creators across languages and oceans, and helping to bring anime front and centre in cinemas. Anime Limited proudly produces releases from the biggest franchises in anime including Cowboy Bebop, Attack on Titan, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, Mobile Suit Gundam, Tokyo Ghoul, Your Name, Weathering With You, Mirai, BELLE and JUJUTSU KAISEN.