A Personal Story Regarding 'Summer Vacation: 1999'

Currently, one of the film directors who consistently releases works and remains active in the Japanese film industry is Shusuke Kaneko. I recall that the first time I watched a film by Director Kaneko was 'Minna Agetechau' (1985), a general release film from Nikkatsu starring Natsumi Asano and Tatsuya Oka (I also watched his directorial debut 'Uno Koichiro no Nurete Utsu' and the subsequent 'OL Yurizoku 19-sai' at revival theaters, though I have not seen 'Eve-chan no Hime'). Among the director's filmography to date, one that stands out as unique and still maintains an enthusiastic fan base is 'Summer Vacation: 1999', released in March 1988. I did not see it during its initial theatrical run, but when it was re-screened at the now-defunct Nakano Musashino Hall on January 16, 1989—I believe it was the last day of a long weekend—I went to see it because there was a stage greeting by the director and the cast (Eri Miyajima, Tomoko Ohtakara, Miyuki Nakano, and Rie Mizuhara (now Rie Fukatsu)). However, since the seats were sold out, I watched the film from a floor cushion seat placed in front of the chairs, and I also watched the stage greeting from there. Just having the director and cast right in front of me was thrilling, and this screening was the catalyst for me falling in love with the work. Since then, I have watched it several times on video, DVD, and CS broadcasts, and I have been blessed with opportunities to see it on the big screen, such as the 35mm film screening (the scratches on the film added a nice touch) at the 'Shojo wa Isekai de Tatakatta' release commemorative event held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on September 12, 2014, and the digital remaster screening at K's Cinema in Shinjuku in August 2018 (the film-like texture was excellent). Furthermore, on the occasion of this digital remaster screening, I also participated in the 'Door to Summer, Once More: "Summer Vacation: 1999" 30th Anniversary Concert' held at C★LAPS in Roppongi (the 'Summer Vacation: 1999' concert was held in 2019, 2020, and 2021).
The film is a youth school suspense story adapted from Moto Hagio's 'The Heart of Thomas' (the screenplay was written by playwright, screenwriter, and director Rio Kishida). In a boarding school surrounded by mountains and forests, boys aged 14 and 15, as beautiful as young girls, lived together. In early summer, a boy named Yu (Miyajima) jumps into a lake and commits suicide. When summer vacation arrives, most of the students return home, but three boys—Kazuhiko (Ohtakara), Naoto (Nakano), and Norio (Mizuhara)—remain in the dormitory. The story depicts the events that unfold when a transfer student named Kaoru (also played by Miyajima), who looks exactly like Yu, appears before the three of them. The fact that four actresses play the roles of four boys is novel in itself (the voices were provided by Minami Takayama, Nozomu Sasaki, and Hiromi Murata, except for Miyajima as Yu and Mizuhara as Norio), and the love-hate drama of the boys unfolds in a place with a fantastical atmosphere set in the year 1999. The beautiful scenery, such as the forest, the school buildings, and the lake, is impressive, and Director Kaneko's direction, which uses minimal dialogue and attempts to bring the boys' inner feelings to the surface through the accumulation of imagery, is also superb. I believe the high quality, which is hard to believe was filmed in such a short period, has not faded even today. And what I think enhances the value of this film is the music. Several tracks from pianist Yuriko Nakamura's debut album 'Kaze no Kagami' (which I personally consider a masterpiece and still listen to on my Walkman from time to time) are used, and every song fits the atmosphere of the film perfectly. I am reminded once again that this film exists because of her music.
If I hadn't gone to Nakano Musashino Hall on that day in January 1989, I probably wouldn't have encountered this film, and at the time, I never imagined it would be supported to this extent. Personally, I am glad I encountered this film, and I cannot help but be grateful to Director Kaneko for making it. In the future, if the digital remaster version is released on DVD or Blu-ray, I will of course buy it for my permanent collection. And every time it is screened in a movie theater, I want to experience it on the big screen again and again. It is a film I love that much.