We have officially run out of Studio Ghibli films! But let's continue with the spirit of our Ghibli Movie Nights by watching some other wonderful anime that Hayao Miyazaki himself would have been proud to conceive and direct!

• When: Every Friday at 8:30 PM (ending approx. by 11:00 pm)
• Where: KCECH 1938 Lounge (snacks and refreshments provided)
• No RSVP required: just show up, and feel free to bring your friends!

This Friday we'll be screening Mamoru's Hosuda's dazzling サマーウォーズ, Samā Wōzu ("Summer Wars", 2009), produced by Madhouse studio, which ranked No. 7 at the box office in Japan. It won several international awards, both for the quality of its animation and for its story –uncannily foretelling of our current concerns with the internet and artificial intelligence fifteen years later.

Kenji is a timid math genius, and a moderator in the massive computer-simulated virtual reality world OZ, who gets asked for a peculiar favor... by no one less than the girl of his dreams, Natsuki. She basically begs him, well, to pose as her fiancé! during her relatives' gathering in celebration her great-grandmother's 90th birthday. Kenji cannot believe his luck. Thing is, this is not just any family! Natsuki descends from a samurai clan who challenged the Tokugawas in 1615; and even if their glory is but a thing of the past, their ancestral home in the city of Ueda is nothing short of imposing. Kenji is only beginning to guess what he's gotten himself into when he receives an e-mail with a mathematical code, and he cracks it. What follows is total chaos. Unbeknownst to him, that code actually was the security encryption of the OZ infrastructure, on which the real world has come to depend for everything, from bank accounts to all public services. An AI computer program gone rogue –and ironically named Love Machine– hacks the entire system, causing widespread damage... and threatening life on Earth. Amidst the summer heat, Kenji, Natsuki, and her relatives –including her geeky cousin Kazuma and her mysterious, infatuating uncle Wabisuke– must work together against the clock to avert the catastrophe. And how can the Japanese game of cards Koi-Koi help?

Hoping you'll join us!