Air in Summer, also known as the Air Summer Special, is a two-episode addition to the main Air storyline. It takes place during the events of episode 8, and thus feature only Kanna, Ryuuya, and Uraha. For the gamers, Air in Summer is something truly special because it animates all the scenes of this particular arc that were in the game but were left out of the TV series. For the rest of us, it is a funny and uplifting reexamination of the relationship between the three characters named above.

The animation is just as perfect as it was in the TV series. Since these two episodes take place entirely in late 10th century Japan, we are treated to plenty of stunning scenery in the form of forest and mountain trails and overlooks. The music pieces used in Air in Summer are the same as those used in the series. The opening and ending are also the same, but some extra, more relevant scenes are added to both the opening and ending animations.

Since this special takes place in the middle of Air episode 8, there is no need to comment on the story more than I already have, since otherwise it may be difficult to avoid spoilers. Let it suffice to say that this special is a largely comedic approach to Kanna’s journey, one without any plot development that was not present in the TV series. In fact, some scenes from episode 8 are even recycled in the first episode of this special. That’s the only thing about this special that I don’t like – had these scenes been omitted, we could have had a few extra minutes of new material. Indeed, this special’s biggest flaw is that it’s only a pathetic two episodes in length.

The best thing about this special is the character interactions and the character development. I mentioned in my Air review that the only characters that were not developed sufficiently were the trio that feature in Air in Summer. Well, this special makes up for that. All the details that were lacking, and that made certain TV series scenes abrupt and unexpected, are present here. A certain juggling scene gains an incredible amount of depth. And on top of all that, the character relationships are solidified through a very healthy mix of heartwarming drama and humor.

I highly recommend anyone who liked Air to watch these two wonderful episodes, especially if they were intrigued by the Kanna arc and were, like me, disappointed by its length. Watching this special will increase your respect for the TV series, and make you laugh while doing it. A warning, though: watching Air in Summer without having seen Air first is a very, very bad idea. Not only will you have no idea as to what’s going on, but the character development that made me so happy will come off as meaningless to you.