<p><b>Virtual neo-Tokyo is about to explode in this technological love story.</b></p><p>With his 2006 feature <i>The Girl Who Leapt Through Time</i> anime director Mamoru Hosoda demonstrated his flair for narrative whimsy and technical mastery; <i>Summer Wars</i> confirms he is hot on the heels of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. </p> <p>The story follows Kenji, a high-school maths whiz who works part time as a low-level moderator of OZ - a virtual-reality world used by everyone for everything from email and recreation to business and military defence. Shy and self-conscious, Kenji can't believe his luck when his dream-girl Natsuki asks for his help with a summer project - but he quickly finds out that she hasn't been entirely upfront about her intentions.</p> <p>Cleverly playing into today's technological Zeitgeist, Hosoda wows us with visual punches while never forgetting the simple charm of a well-told story.</p>