New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning (1996): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1996, New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning is an animation film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, running about 100 minutes.

What it’s about. The Kimagure Orange Road series centers on a teenage romantic triangle: Hikaru and Madoka were best friends until they fell for Kyosuke, an understated hero with psychic powers. In 1991, the 19-year-old Kyosuke is struck by car and propelled three years into the future, where he tries to understand the changes that have taken place in his world. Madoka and Hikaru have grown up to become a promising songwriter and a student of drama and dance, respectively; the older Kyosuke is a student-photographer on assignment in Bosnia. The problem of two Kyosukes coexisting is played for laughs, including a sequence where the 22-year-old Kyosuke counsels his younger self. The filmmakers expect the viewer to know the characters from the OAVs, although designs have been changed. The result is a Pax-style romantic fantasy, rather than a sci-fi adventure.

Who’s in it. New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning stars Toru Furuya as Kyosuke Kasuga (voice), Hiromi Tsuru as Madoka Ayukawa (voice), Kenichi Ogata as Grandpa (voice) and Michie Tomizawa as Manami Kasuga (voice), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.2/10, New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning page.

If you liked it. Fans of New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning tend to enjoy Spirited Away, Your Name., Grave of the Fireflies and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.