Starlight Promises

Starlight Promises (Japanese: 約束の七夜祭り, Hepburn: Yakusoku no Nanaya Matsuri) is a Japanese original net animation film produced by XFlag and Yokohama Animation Laboratory. Originally scheduled for release on YouTube on July 7, 2018, it was postponed to August 3, 2018, due to the 2018 Japan floods. The story follows Shoma Mihara, a first-year high school student who receives a message from his childhood friend, Atsushi Fujii, inviting him to a mysterious festival. In hopes of reuniting with Atsushi, Shoma travels to a remote mountain village known as the "ghost village," where the Tanabata festival preparations are underway. There, he meets Shiori Senozawa, a girl who also has someone she wishes to see. Shoma soon discovers that everyone at the festival has come to meet deceased loved ones. Through augmented reality glasses and a mobile app used during the festival, participants can encounter simulations of the departed. During the festival, Shoma finally realizes that Atsushi had passed away, a memory he had repressed. Ultimately, Shoma bids farewell to Atsushi through an AI-generated simulation. The anime delves into themes of nostalgia, loss, and finding solace in virtual reunions.