Far from the city's noise lies Torishirojima—a quaint and peaceful island where time seems to move slowly. Hairi Takahara, a young boy nursing a wounded heart, uses the recent death of his grandmother as a quiet reason to leave the city for a summer retreat to Torishirojima.
Upon reaching the island, Hairi finds himself surrounded by a refreshing, laid-back atmosphere, a far cry from the hustle and bustle he is used to. After moving in with his aunt, Kyouko Misaki, he prepares to spend the summer helping her sort through a shed full of artifacts his grandmother collected over the years alongside his cousin, Umi Katou, who is staying with them.
While adjusting to the island's slower pace, Hairi decides to spend his free time exploring. He soon meets the cheerful Tsumugi Wenders; the antisocial Shiroha Naruse; the wandering Kamome Kushima; and the sharp-tongued Ao Sorakado. Drawn into their lives and the island's subtle mysteries, Hairi is gradually swept up in a summer filled with fun, nostalgia, and life-changing moments that will stay with him forever.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
worlddestroyer
Summer Pockets – Spoiler-Free Personal Impressions It’s been a long time since an anime made me feel this way. I went into Summer Pockets without reading the description, without expectations, and somehow that instinct paid off. From the very first episode, it hit me with the same kind of quiet nostalgia I felt all those years ago with certain classics. There's a softness to its atmosphere—like memories you forgot you had until something triggers them. The pacing is slow in the best possible way. It gives you time to settle into the island, the days, the people, the lingering silences. That gradual build-up is what lets theemotions land without feeling forced. Even when I could somewhat predict the direction of things, it didn’t matter—the tone carried it. The show doesn’t rush to impress you; it lets you sink into its world until you're just… there.
What stands out most is the emotional layering. On the surface, it looks like a typical summer slice-of-life setup with a cast of heroines and the main character drifting through encounters. But there’s always something underneath—an unspoken sadness, a sense that every moment is temporary. The supernatural elements don’t feel out of place either. They blend into the tone instead of jumping out for attention, and with each new development they quietly reshape your understanding of what’s really going on.
And then there’s the nostalgia—the kind that doesn’t rely on references or callbacks, but on feelings. The kind that reminds you of being younger, of summers that slipped away before you realized they were ending. The show captures that passing warmth and turns it into something bittersweet. It made me remember how rare it is to watch something that doesn’t just entertain you for a season but actually leaves something behind.
Even before finishing it, I found myself thinking, “It’s been a while since I felt something like this.” That alone tells me it did its job. Summer Pockets might not be loud or flashy, but if you give it time, it quietly hits where it matters.
Ratings:
Animation: 8/10
Voice Acting: 8/10
Music: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Pacing: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
If you're interested in the full breakdown with spoilers, you can check out the detailed non–spoiler-free review in my profile under comments.
KanekoKTIA
So this is an adaptation of a Key Visual Novel, Key of which are known for mostly Jun Maeda's works - Kanon, AIR, Clannad, Little Busters!, Angel Beats!, Charlotte, The Day I Became A God, Heaven Burns Red. This is not one of those, it is primarily written by Nijima Yu known for the VN Hatsuyuki Sakura and Kai who is a long time writer at Key and did routes in works like AIR and Clannad etc. First off this is a VN with a lot of mystery elements don't expect things to be explained to you before they happen, everything makes sense eventually (Ao's routespecifically explains a lot). You're also not chucked into some insane story right off the bat, Key always wants you to care about the characters normal daily lives before that stuff happens so when it does it hurts, although a fair bit of that is cut down from the VN to fit with the 4 episodes an arc format.
The anime follows most of the VN however my biggest criticism is the first 2 arcs especially get small cuts to extremely emotional scenes that take away a fair bit of the gut punch the VN delivers during those scenes. The pacing gets a lot better in the second half as a lot of major plot points and themes that couldn't be cut out start appearing.
I also advise not being thrown off by the sudden changes from arc to arc as it is a necessary thing for this adaptation to work and it gets us fully complete routes instead of random fragments like a couple of Clannads arcs
But really even the 10/10 routes in the VN don't even come close to Alka and Pocket (the VN true routes), do not drop this until you finish those final 2 routes/arcs. While again the VN holds more emotion they are still the best set of episode any anime has delivered this year, probably decade even for me (and there's been some great anime coming out). Although it uses the original games ending which isn't exactly satisfying, I hope we get a Reflection Blue OVA or season for the ending that was added to that version of the game as it wraps everything up nicely - there are some things pointing to that like a certain red hair girl in the background.
As an adaption Summer Pockets does a good job of adapting a masterpiece and not whatever was going on with 9 Nine's awful anime, while it never reaches Clannads heights in it's anime it manages to retell these routes in a satisfying enough way that despite it's flaws it's still Summer Pockets - it's still that nostalgic summer that I repeated at the start of this year and cried my heart out too, and while the memories of the VN will remain strong in my heart this adaptation is still something that I will find in my pockets and for that it's still a masterpiece in my eyes even if the anime isn't as masterful.
Oh yeah visual are really nice, nothing amazing but it looks good and the OST (which is just the VNs) is perfection
Highly advise you read Reflection Blue to truly see how great this story is.
FlowMAL
Summer Pockets is a frustrating watch. The anime only starts to feel worthwhile after slogging through the first 17 episodes. The early episodes are loaded with tired clichés, outdated humour, and flat, 2-dimensional characters that feel like they belong to a less refined era of anime storytelling. Worse, the story feels like it was never truly adapted for an anime audience. The pacing is rushed due to only having four episodes in an arc, which kills most of the emotional payoff. The “routes” transition with zero explanation: one episode ends, the next begins, and suddenly everything has "reset", leaving the anime-only viewers confused. In earlier episodes, Isaw many online comments stating that the anime doesn't make sense. These comments exist because the anime never signals that a new route is starting, sticking too closely to its visual novel format. Most of the time it feels like they just slapped animation on top of the VN script and called it a day.
And yet, despite all of this, Summer Pockets eventually finds its footing. Episodes 18 and onwards are a MASSIVE improvement. Once the island's mystery starts coming together, the anime suddenly feels like it has purpose. The final stretch is compelling and emotional; the kind of storytelling I was hoping for from the start. The true ending delivers some much-needed payoff to those who stuck around.
///Route-by-Route Breakdown///
- Kamome's route:
Painfully average. It felt like I was watching a bootleg Anohana with its undeveloped "fulfilling a childhood promise" storyline. The last episode felt especially rushed, then, of course, they tried to squeeze in a last-minute tearjerker to force some emotion out of the audience.
- Tsugumi route:
Easily the worst. Her constant "mugyu" catchphrase was unbearable; was it supposed to be cute? Catchphrases can work (e.g. Mayuri's "tuturu" from Steins;Gate), but this one was just annoying. Combine that with Tsugumi acting like a literal child, and it becomes exhausting. She's easily one of the most irritating characters I've seen in anime in a long time.
- Ao's route:
This one actually had an interesting premise and was enjoyable for the most part, but it still gets dragged down by the same outdated tropes as the others. At least they didn't go for the cheap "let's make the audience cry" ending. But the open-ended conclusion they went with somehow felt even worse. It was like they just gave up on delivering any kind of emotional payoff.
- Shiroha's Route + True Ending:
The Shiroha route was decent, but still rushed. The romance never felt earned; the characters didn't have enough time to actually develop feelings for each other.
That said, from episode 18 onward, when the island's mystery finally starts coming together, the anime actually becomes very interesting. The emotional weight lands better, the pacing improves, and the payoff is satisfying.
///Final Thoughts///
Summer Pockets is a hard anime to rate. I want to give this a higher score than 5, but I just can't justify doing so with how painful all the routes outside of the true ending were. The first 17 episodes feel outdated, rushed, and poorly adapted. But episodes 18-26 somewhat redeem the experience. Though not perfect, it manages to tie the story together, deliver on the mystery, and leave you with a fairly strong emotional conclusion.
I can't recommend this because I think most viewers will struggle to make it through the first two-thirds of the series. But if you can endure the extremely weak setup, you’ll be rewarded with a final act that’s pretty good. The only time I'd ever recommend Summer Pockets is if you're a die-hard fan of bittersweet endings (e.g Anohana, Angel Beats, but not quite on the same level), or if you’re curious about the island's “big mystery” and are willing to slog through 17 episodes to get there.
AES-senpai
The Nostalgic Embrace of a Key Summer: The story takes place on Torishirojima, a rural, isolated, and peaceful island in the Seto Inland Sea, with a small population. The protagonist is Hairi Takahara, a young man who grew up in an urban environment but decides to travel to the island during summer vacation. The official excuse is to help care for his recently deceased grandmother's belongings, but in reality, Hairi is trying to escape his problems and an unpleasant incident in his life. On the island, he soon encounters a mystery and meets a group of peculiar girls, each with their own secrets and ties to theisland:
Shiroha Naruse: A girl who seems to have forgotten about summer vacation and is seen swimming.
Ao Sorakado: A girl who pursues the island's legends and the mysterious "butterflies" (a key plot element).
Kamome Kushima: An eccentric, upper-class girl who is searching for a pirate ship linked to a childhood promise.
Tsumugi Wenders: A younger girl who is on a journey to find herself.
As he interacts with these girls and immerses himself in the island's routine, Hairi begins to feel a strange sense of déjà vu, and lost memories and the island's deep secrets resurface, making him question what he truly came here for.
Analysis and Strengths
1. The Unforgettable Summer Atmosphere
Summer Pockets' greatest triumph is its atmosphere. The work shines by portraying the nostalgic feeling of an isolated summer, even if the viewer has never experienced anything like it. The vibrant art, spectacular sound design, and the depiction of the island's starry sky create an incredibly immersive and emotionally resonant setting. It's a love letter to the summer vacations of youth.
2. Exceptional Soundtrack
Following Key's tradition, the soundtrack is a highlight, setting the perfect tone for moments of comedy, drama, and melancholy. Songs like "Alka Tale" and "Lasting Moment" are striking and amplify the emotional charge of each scene. Get your tissues ready, because these songs are made to accompany tears.
3. The "Key Mix" of Drama, Romance, and Supernatural
The story is a visual novel (and its anime adaptation) that follows a route format, where each character arc (such as Kamome, Tsumugi, and Ao) offers a bittersweet mix of adventure, romance, and tragedy, culminating in an emotional resolution, often with supernatural elements (the "butterflies," memory manipulation, etc.).
Kamome's route (Search for the Pirate Ship) carries a strong melancholic flavor and unfulfilled promises.
Tsumugi's route (Search for Purpose) is pure innocence and tenderness, dealing with the ephemerality of things and emotional goodbyes.
Ao's route (Legends and Cycles) delves into the mysteries of the island and the butterflies that hold memories, connecting the characters' bonds over time.
4. The Theme of Nostalgia and Memory
The work deeply explores the themes of nostalgia, lost memories, and cycles of repetition. Hairi isn't just organizing his grandmother's house; he's reconstructing forgotten parts of himself and the island's history. The title "Pockets" refers to the idea of a small treasure chest where we store the most important memories of our childhood.
Verdict
Summer Pockets is a must-read for fans of the Key genre. If you enjoy stories that blend slice-of-life with romance, heavy drama, and fantasy/supernatural elements, and that explore the power of memories and the fleeting nature of happiness, you'll love this summer adventure.
It's a long game (or anime), but it rewards the time invested with deeply emotional narratives.
Get ready for: An unforgettable summer (and plenty of tears).
AngeVNs
Summer Pockets is yet another anime adaptation of a Key/Visual Arts visual novel, the creators behind titles like Clannad, Little Busters!, Angel Beats!, Kanon, Air, Planetarian, The Day I Became a God, Charlotte, and others. Interestingly, most of the titles I listed had direct involvement from Jun Maeda, who eventually stopped working on anime entirely after The Day I Became a God to focus on the much more successful Gacha: Heaven Burns Red. As a result, Summer Pockets, despite sharing a similar feel to previous Key works, has mostly different writers, which can make it feel somewhat derivative of earlier Key projects. That's not necessarily a badthing. In fact, the Summer Pockets anime does some things better than previous Key works, whether they were visual novels or not.
In most visual novel anime adaptations, you may or may not know, the source material often features routes where the main character dates a heroine, navigating their drama while building a romantic relationship. Anime adaptations tend to tell these stories without the romance, except in specific cases like Kurugaya in the Little Busters! anime or Tomoyo and Kyou having their own separate romance OVA, as their routes would otherwise overshadow the main Clannad plot.
Due to how the plot works in Summer Pockets, I appreciated how the anime retained the romance in each heroine's arc. Instead of cramming all the characters and stories into one timeline where the main character ends up with the main heroine, as seen in Clannad or Little Busters!, Summer Pockets takes a purposeful omnibus format, similar to Amagami. The protagonist pairs with a heroine, goes through their romance, and then time rewinds to the beginning of the story, where he chooses a different girl.
I'm thrilled a big-budget anime adopted this omnibus format. The only other times I can recall this being done successfully were in the adaptations of Amagami and Yosuga no Sora.
For the most part, the heroine arcs are probably the most consistent among all previous Key works. While I wouldn't say any of the four main arcs before the final one are amazing, they are at least consistently decent or better. In contrast, arcs in Clannad, Little Busters!, and Kanon/Air were often much more uneven in quality.
The anime also does a great job of carrying on the tradition of using background music straight from the original visual novel, much like Clannad and Little Busters!. This really enhances the atmosphere of a chill summer vacation on an island.
In general, the anime balances lighthearted slice-of-life moments to introduce the characters' personalities while building up the darker, dramatic elements, ensuring the emotional climax of each arc is at least decently impactful and makes sense for the characters. I liked all four main heroines—Shiroha, Ao, Kamome, and Tsumugi—fairly well.
The final arc was probably my favorite part. It delivered the best emotional payoff and tied into the true main character and heroine effectively, even if it leaned into the usual Key trope of over-the-top supernatural elements. Compared to other Key works, the supernatural aspects of Summer Pockets I thought were at least better built up and consistently executed and used from the beginning as opposed to other Key works where the buildup is really vague and usually only real reveals happen at the very end of the story.
While I think Summer Pockets is generally pretty good and consistent, it has some issues that prevent it from being truly great and, sadly, make it a downgrade compared to at least half of Key's anime titles.
The comedy, for instance, is hit-or-miss at best and generally not that good to me. There are humorous moments here and there, like Ao being a closet pervert or Kamome's unpredictable quirkiness. I personally think Shizuku's obsession with boobs is the funniest joke in the show. There are also some one-off jokes, like Tsumugi and Hairi having the conversation at the beginning of her arc about wanting to find herself while she's just sitting on the lighthouse.
However, many jokes fall flat or feel repetitive, like Shiroha's "dosukoi" catchphrase or the constant references to people failing at making fried rice. The humor around the two "bro" characters, especially the shirtless guy who keeps getting hit with a water gun, isn't funny at all.
As I've alluded to, while none of the typical Key "feels" is bad, it's not particularly standout either. It can feel overly melodramatic, relying on predictable surprise plot twists to evoke sadness rather than unexpected character development, especially if you're familiar with how Key plot twists and drama work.
This is the Key work with the highest amount of supernatural elements in its routes. Every character has some kind of supernatural power, and while some are explained in typical Key fashion, many are barely justified beyond "it just happens" or "something happened to me" toward the end of an arc. This isn't my favorite type of Key storytelling.
While I generally liked the final arc the most, it's probably the least gimmicky compared to the true routes of other Key titles like Clannad: After Story or Little Busters!. However, I wasn't a huge fan of how the main character, Hairi, suddenly became irrelevant. It was a fun twist, but it made me question why we followed him for most of the show if he ultimately didn't matter as much in the final arc of the story.
As I mentioned earlier, Summer Pockets feels very safe and familiar. You can trace many narrative elements and supernatural "feels" to previous Key works. While this isn't necessarily bad—it allows time to polish everything, ensuring consistency—the lack of originality makes it a fun but not particularly memorable experience.
That said, this makes Summer Pockets probably the most beginner-friendly Key title for both anime and visual novel fans. If you're unsure whether you'd enjoy a Key title, this is a great way to explore their signature elements. From there, you can decide which title to dive into next if you like it enough.
Summer Pockets offers a good mix of fated scenes, friendship themes, romance, supernatural emotional moments, character dialogue, and solid pacing, all wrapped in vibrant visuals with a strong buildup based on the established characters.
Overall, I think Summer Pockets is an enjoyable experience, especially if you're familiar with Key titles. In terms of quality, it's pretty middle-of-the-road among Key adaptations. While that's not necessarily a bad thing—other Key titles have had significant issues that made them less enjoyable—Summer Pockets feels derivative and predictable. Still, its consistency is a strength, and a consistently enjoyable anime in 2022 (assuming the MAL release date) is hard to come by, especially for visual novel adaptations. The omnibus format is a definite highlight, making it a solid, recommendable watch for those seeking emotional character-driven stories with a touch of supernatural flair.
PS For anyone who wants comparisons to how it adapted the original visual novel. While I have not read the original VN, I know a bunch of people who have and have talked to them about it. I also watched a YouTuber @Genchaku who reviewed the anime and read the VN and he said that for the most part each arc was pretty faithful although usually the dramatic parts of the VN are a bit more rushed compared to the first half with Shiroha's arc being the shortest in the anime being only three episodes when the other three main heroines had four episodes. Also, the anime is most clearly based on the original VN, not its "enhanced" version Reflection Blue. So even the tweaked ending of the true route ending of Reflection Blue is not in the anime. And the only reference to Reflection Blue is a really quick cameo appearance of Shiki in one episode.
Rizki_Kazehaya
The story in the anime is good, at least the main piece in each route is not skipped. Of the total six routes adapted from the visual novel is told quite well, especially in the Alka and Pockets routes. Some people who have been following Key Production Anime for a long time might think that the ending of this anime is similar to Clannad, but in my personal opinion, this anime still gives a different impression from Clannad because the story is fresher in terms of the lore and setting used, and the cause-and-effect of the main events are presented in detail. It's good enough ifyou don't want to play the visual novel. But, some scene are not explained properly, especially in tsumugi route.
raisin-kun
Warning: minor spoilers ahead Summer Pockets is the latest adaptation of a Key visual novel and if you don't know who Key are...which rock have you been living under the last decade? Key's reputation for creating cute, fluffy, yet at the same time heavy and dramatic stories precedes them with an iconic brand that they have been consistently maintaining for the past 25 years at this point. Summer Pockets is no different. In blatant and cynical truth - if you have seen a fair amount of adaptations of key's previous works then you have seen Summer Pockets and as such if you dislike what Key dothen you would dislike Summer Pockets. The brand is everything and they will continue brewing their cups of tea, taking and reshaping their established tropes, themes, and story beats as they do to find success. Summer Pockets, therefore, has to fight not just with every romance anime but, more importantly, every other Key work. And honestly? It's done a pretty great job about it.
Summer Pockets starts off with our main character Takahara Hairi coming to a small rural island at the behest of his aunt ostensibly to help her clean up the shed of his recently deceased grandmother. Stuck with some free time with it being summer vacation he starts wandering around the island and follows the tried and true visual novel method of touching grass and meeting girls. Not all is cheery though as we soon learn there is more to Hairi and the girls themselves and the anime's story soon develops into one where Hairi's interactions with the various girls he meets on the island bring to light hidden motivations and complex, personal tales.
Summer Pockets' greatest strength is these characters. During the course of watching the final few episodes of this show I started to rewatch parts of Little Busters Refrain and Kanon 2006 - undoubtedly two of some of Key's finest works and the biggest direct competitors to Summer Pockets as both a story and adaptation. I was surprised by just how well-rounded and thought-out the characters were even compared to the previous two mentioned shows. The writers clearly paid attention to the visual novel and wanted every character to express as much of their original, strong personality as possible for the anime. Ao and Tsumugi in particular must be well-loved by the writers since their routes lose little of what makes them so fun. But all of them have their strengths and are generally very likeable. Kamome captured the hearts of many with her unabashed fun personality and has the most flair our of the cast. Tsumugi is the token moe cutie and has one of the sweetest stories of the show. Plus she comes with Boobs as a bonus. Closet pervert Ao is my favourite character as she has by far the best chemistry with our snarky main character Hairi and is just really fun to be around. The show clearly thinks so too because I swear her arc has the best character animation attention to detail. Her voice actor also does an immaculate job and it's probably the best performance of the show. Main girl Shiroha is a shy, quiet girl of the group and the most important girl for the plot who has a fairly predictable character arc but whose story extends far beyond the...normal story lets just say. I was also surprised at just how likeable she became compared to her otherwise dour place in the visual novel where all the other characters just have more personality. The anime does a big favour giving her plenty of bonus screentime and showing more aspects of her character than anyone else. Our main character - Takahara Hairi - is a fairly standard deadpan snarker-esque Key main character in line with Kanon's Yuuishi and Clannad's Tomoya and to be honest he's much weaker than those two but he's still plenty enjoyable to follow around and bounce off the other characters.
One thing I really liked about the characters - and an aspect I can see that Key purposefully evolved towards - was that they are given superficial characteristics that belied the true nature of their character. In that - it is suddenly not easy to guess their stories anymore. Such character complexity from Key is almost unheard of. Key always used to stick to their tried and tested tropes but with the characters of Summer Pockets they did something to me and plenty others that I never thought they could do - they faked us out. And they did it well enough that the several twists that are to be expected were genuinely satisfying and added much more to the story than I thought it could.
Of course you can't talk about this anime without talking about how it adapts the visual novel. And it adapts it truly - as in, it adapts every arc separately in an omnibus format - with each girl getting her own arc entirely to herself and having it play out over the entire length of time she and Hairi are together during the summer the story is set in. Then the very next arc the anime does a soft-reset of sorts and we loop back to the beginning where Hairi meets a new girl to interact with. And yes, newcomers, this is actually important to the plot. And no, the story cannot be told in the "normal" way. In staying true to it's visual novel story, it does bring some practical problems with it - namely that several parts of the anime feel rushed. And not just in the "the visual novel is 60+ hours long or course we need to rush the story" but also that the four-episodes-per-route formula the anime introduces really does force the show cut out so much important, finer details that give the story it's presence. Kamome route was most blatant with every visual novel player, myself included, absolutely befuddled at her route's final episode seeing that it was practically speaking adapting half her arc into one episode. And, as I said, that was the most blatant - you can find this quite commonly throughout the show and it's very much to the anime's detriment since even non-vn fans could feel something was simply missing. Thankfully this writing choice largely diminishes as the show goes on with the final few arcs not feeling particularly lacking.
The best part of Summer Pockets is the stories just being really good. Each arc's story is crafted in a way to not just develop the characters but also lead you down the wider story and themes. It is the way Summer pockets connects the arcs that make it feel unique and interesting. The ability of Summer Pockets to give questions and answers with each arc is almost reminiscent of the When They Cry series in fact except with a whole lot less murder and more affable waifus. Summer Pockets may look like a generic vn adaptation but it demands your attention while watching the arcs and rewards you for doing such. And don't forget about the individual stories themselves. Despite having the aforementioned quality of being rushed, they're also generally tightly written and convey exactly the information the viewers need to comprehend the overall narrative. Not to mention that they're also just fun stories each showing different ways to enjoy summer and each exposing different sides of Hairi as well as exploring different aspects of summer and what it means to have a fun summer vacation. Kamome's route focuses on the adventures one might have as well as remembering and sharing the fun with everyone, Tsumugi's is a personal tale about the transience of the good times and how we should enjoy it while it lasts, Ao's story doesn't touch on any particular aspect of summer but has by far the most important lore needed to understand the story, and Shiroha's route is a simple wholesome story of friends coming together to help overcome adversity. Simple stuff really. Of course 4 episodes x 4 girls plus the introductory two episodes doesn't add up to 26 but you will just have to continue watching to find out if you are new. But just hear the words "Refrain" and "After Story" and you should get a general idea of what's happening.
The production qualities of this show have their highs and lows. At its best this anime is a gorgeously shot show with beautiful lighting and composition with some of the finest attention to details you can see. But at its worse it has some pretty egregious animation errors. And it's not once or twice it's actually somewhat common to find places where the animators and director were caught sleeping. Heck episode 1 has a repeated animation and it almost bowled me over when I saw it. Not all of it is so obvious that everyone will harp on it but for a show where atmosphere, immersion, and general aesthetics are more important than the norm it can really take you out of it. Thankfully the back-half of the show has much less in the way of animation errors but it's a painful reminder that Kyoto Animation's works with Key are truly special, once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. That's not to say this anime doesn't have it's own moments though. Episode 9 and 12 in particular has some of the best directed scenes of the decade.
Overall Summer Pockets is a fine return to form for Key works that is an excellent watch provided you gain some key understanding of some of the concepts it presents. The stories and themes are well-delivered and the characters are diverse and fun to watch. Of course to watch this show you will need a fair tolerance of Key-brand melodrama which isn't everyone's cup of tea but it's got plenty to enjoy for the niche it does cater to. With just a cast this strong I'd say this easily clears base Clannad and Air and is around equal to Refrain but not quite at Kanon 2006's level. And honestly, the mere act of comparison to such works is already a big compliment in my books.
5iv3_
This show turned out much better than I imagined it'd be from the first couple episodes. To be quite frank, the first 4 episodes were bland and boring as hell. I contemplated about dropping this as it wasn't hooking my attention. Then came episode 5. THE episode that completely hooked me and made me stick with the series. And I'm so glad I did, as it turned out really good. I won't deny that this show doesn't have rough patches, it definitely does. And it gets a bit confusing at times too, but I feel the payout is greater than the rough parts of thisshow. It's definitely gotten some tears outta me at some parts. It's what key is best at.
Overall, though I thought it was a good watch. I quite enjoyed it (i mean, i better have if i stuck with it for 6 and a half months). It's not some amazing story tbh, but it definitely will stick with ya (for better or worse, depends how u view the story itself).
Either way, you 🫵 should watch it! it's a fun watch :D
NakigePlayer
I love this anime so much. Can I tell you an little history? Ok, a go to write my story you want or not,you can read it or not😆. The form I meet this series it was very random. I'm I'm Yandex search Loli twin pictures (For no reason), they not are Lolis but, Search engine are search engine. I have how result a pic from Sorakado sisters, and, they are cute, I search the sauce, and I discover that series with anime confirmed, and it's was a visual novel from Key. Just in 2020 I meet Key when Kaginado airing, I watch all animes from Key, and likeme. I decide read the novel.
This was in 2023
Now, 2 years after, finally the anime come, and it's was so good. It's was so good, I kwon a really really bad anime adaptation from visual novels, but, Summer Pockets really do a good job.
Not perfect, ok, I really hate the change of Tsumugi ending, also, I want to se more of gag comedy, but, the most part of jokes scenes are no adapted. This not it's bad but, anyway, I still wishing see the "You are Lolicon" and "Invulnerable Lolicon" jokes animated.
Well, it's ok, anyway.
That's my story. Why I put this in a review and I don't make a review?
I just wanna tell my story to someone😅, sorry, I not have friends😖.
Ok ok, just to make this good in the end, I make a short review.
The sinopsis of this anime are really, really, really weird, she can say you nothing about the real history, also, when you see the anime and after a few episode the Summer have a "reset", you should be confused if you don't know this it's a Visual anime adaptation. So, you need have in your mind that, this anime have a route system, there are a lot of ways of how spend a Summer vacations, and, in Summer Pockets, you see something of this, that the point, it's a game and if your decision spend a Summer with a certain girl, but, anime not is a game, and you only can saw one, and another Summer. If you not like this system, this not it's an anime for you.
Also, this not is a spoiler since Key is a old producer but... You know it or it's the name "Key" new for you?
If you don't know Key, I tell you this:
Key is a visual novel creator company who makes one and specific one visual novel gender: Nakige, the translation of this word it's "Crying Game", so, the Key's objective it's make you cry with her series, this not say the series have a bad end, but a good end else, it's just and end. As a Fan of Nakige game gander I say you, this is a gender to feel good with a sad ending but, all characters fell happy, no matter with his/her finally fate, the characters from Nakige's games every time make reality his/her dream and that accept the fate with a smile in the face, they make every they wanna make. Since the gender name is "Crying Game", the ends of this games are good from a certain view. So, if you are a fan of the typical "And everything life happy forever", this not it's your anime. Only people who can accept anything type of end can see this anime. You need enjoy the way, no the ending (also, you can enjoy the end)
I think this is all I can say, I don't know.
darth_kaiser_x
If you're looking for a romance anime, you won't find just that here. At first, you might think this is just another route anime where the protagonist constantly changes the romantic partner's choices, but the final plot twist will blow your mind. The script knows how to stir the viewer's emotions and seems to truly evoke a sense of nostalgia at various moments, reminding you of times that will never return. The anime is only listed as romance, but it also fits into the DRAMA category, as there will be moments that will make you want to tear up. Regarding the routes, I liked Shiroha andAo the most. The animation is very well done, knowing how to use 3D at the right times. If you like romance with well-crafted drama without rushing, watch it without fear. You'll enjoy it and even get emotional. However, if you're only looking for romance, you might be disappointed, as the romance is more of a consequence of the story's well-crafted drama, and this anime might not be for you.
patkarunungan
'Summer Pockets' is the latest Key visual novel receiving some adaptation. Having watched KyoAni's adaptation of Kanon and Air, what new stuff does this anime offer? § Overview One summer, Takahara Hairi moves to Torishirojima (鳥白島へようこそ) — literally means 'white bird islands' — to get over the death of his grandmother while having a great summer break in that peaceful island. He is there to sort some of the artefacts she left behind. Once there, he meets wonderful people who will change his outlook on life.§ Notes
1. I associate the adaptation of Key visual novels with the holy trinity of KyoAni, namely, 1) Air, 2) Kanon, and 3) Clannad. After that, Key visual novels stopped getting adapted by KyoAni.
Looking at the studio, feel., we see that it's not new. It was founded in 2002. As to why they are not that well-known, perhaps they mostly support other studios. But they have some well-known titles in their own right: 1) Tsuki ga Kirei, 2) Oregairu, and 3) the currently airing Fall 2025 seasonal, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle.
The director is Kobayashi Tomoki. I've only seen his other work, Seiren, and it's a night-and-day difference. Suffice it to say that Seiren was so-so in terms of visuals, while this has some fascinating visuals in key scenes. It's not as great as KyoAni's visuals, but on its own, it's great.
Even though Maeda Jun provides the concept, he is not involved in the writing of Summer Pockets, the visual novel and anime. The writers are merely echoing the patterns set by earlier ones, such as Kanon. Make it sad, but also involve some supernatural elements.
2. As an adaptation, it has a slightly different format from KyoAni's adaptation. (I can't comment on later adaptations as I haven't seen them.)
In Air and Kanon, the different routes are integrated into a single timeline. The routes occur one after another.
Summer Pockets follow the omnibus format. Basically, every route is seen as independent of the other routes. I believe this choice is due to Kobayashi Tomoki's experience in using the omnibus format for AmagamiSS and Seiren.
3. Initially, the omnibus format appeared to be a gimmick just to present different girls fairly, so fans of the show can properly debate who the best girl is.
But as you go through it, you will realise that the format is tied into the story where different routes converge. I won't spoil it for you, but it is emotionally touching.
4. Speaking of emotionality, some will cry, and others will be indifferent. I am of the latter camp.
With any anime written by or inspired by Maeda Jun, Summer Pockets starts out with a slice-of-life pace, and nothing seems to be happening. A metaphor for that is being at the eye of the storm, and then being hit by how strong the winds are.
It's not a strong dose. If you prefer a strong dose of emotionality, something like Takopi's Original Sin is for you.
Perhaps the reason why I am not that invested is that the problems, the motivations, and all that are so sincere but illogickal. Like the Key visual novel adaptations I've seen so far, Summer Pockets leans more into 'emotional logick' and feels, which is Key's signature storytelling. It doesn't matter if the motivation seems shallow from the perspective of outsiders. For our characters, they are real.
5. The OP and ED are nice. The final OP and ED seem to be emotional as they are tied to this certain character. And depending on your attachment to that character, you may or may not be touched by them.
6. If there's any attraction one can derive from watching Summer Pockets, it's the beautiful characters. You know, the waifu wars?
Each offers a somewhat sad story, but not too emotionally draining. They are good characters overall.
§ Conclusion
Summer Pockets is a decent anime to watch. It's just that it takes time to find its groove, where the omnibus format seems to make sense.
NOTA BENE: A grade of 6 out of 10 means that I find this anime slightly above average, and I enjoyed watching it.
A 6 means a decent score and one notch above average. If you're the kind of viewer who treats anything below a 7 as irredeemable, I'd encourage a broader, more nuanced approach to rating.
My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.
Retinol_VitaminA
If you have seen other key's work then you know how this is going to go~ (but not as sad as the PURE Maeda's one) Y'know when a show looks very brihgt and happy and nice and everything? And then the end is just somehow sad and made you cry? Well look no more becuase out of 4 heroine routes, Alka route and the true ending; At least 2 (but could be all 6) will make you cry in the end!!! In the end of some routes will leave you crying but some will leave a smile on your face- and no it's not a joke(happened irl to at least one person(yk who)) True ending is good tho.
the characters are also really well made and is just good, we have the adventurous girl, the tsundere(i think), the shy one and they all have really well-made backstory
And the Music? ABSOLUTE CINEMA. The OP/ first ED sung by konomi suzuki and its PEAK. The second ending is still pretty good and could say it's a tear-jerker.
Overall rating are
Story- 10/10
Characters- 10/10
Music- 100/10
True Ending- 10/10
Thank you Key!
abynfrye6
Even though the anime relies on a slow-burn approach, I still enjoyed it despite its slightly complex and confusing plot. really does follow a slow-burn style, which gives room for character development and building the emotional atmosphere before revealing the big plot points. Even if the plot is sometimes complex and confusing (especially with elements like time loops and connecting side stories to the main storyline), this slower pace helps the viewer to: Form a deeper attachment to the characters. Appreciate the small details in relationships and situations.Feel the summer atmosphere and calm before jumping into the major events.
That’s why many people enjoy it even if it’s a bit complicated—because it balances drama with lighter moments, and ultimately gives you the feeling of “summer memories” blended with fantasy.
This anime teaches us to value the time we have, and not to hesitate to share our feelings with others, because time passes and never comes back
