Sometimes life isn’t fair and our dreams don’t come true. Even if we’re talented and do everything the “right” way, sometimes life just doesn’t turn out how we expected it to. That’s the lesson learned by the character Shinji in the 2019 experimental animated short, A Japanese Boy Who Draws, which is now available on YouTube. It has English subtitles.
I’ll be totally honest; until yesterday I had never heard of this short before. Now that I’ve watched it though, I feel compelled to get as many people as possible to view it as many times as possible to boost that view count on YouTube. Yes, it is that good. And I’m making it my personal mission to get you to watch it.
Told in a variety of art styles that range from scribbles with a marker on the back of old sales ads, all the way to beautiful true-to-life pencil artwork — all signifying the passage of time — this short tells the life story of a 30-year man named Shinji who dreams of becoming a manga artist.
Always drawing, Shinji meets another boy named Masaru who also loves to draw but prefers to draw people wearing professional wrestling masks. And boobs. After an incident at school in which Shinji turns his back on his friend in his time of need, the two boys grow apart and Masaru moves away. Shinji doesn’t really think about him ever again and continues on his path to becoming a manga artist.
Going on to art college and then moving to Tokyo after winning an award, the next twelve years of Shinji’s life are a nightmare as he faces nothing but rejection and failure in his quest to break out on his own. Finally, he is forced to return to his hometown, a defeated husk of his former self. I won’t spoil the last few minutes of the short, but the twist ending is certain to punch you right in the feels.
Directed by Kawajiri Masanao, this short caught me completely off guard with how good it is while being utterly depressing at the same time. While it only lasts for 20 minutes, the pacing is well crafted. No one art style dominates the short for too long, which does a fantastic job of conveying the skill of the artist as the years progress.
I also applaud the choice to tell the story in a documentary style with Shinji’s mother narrating the story along the way. This was a unique way of showing the story without bias from the main character, there’s no rosy-tint at any point. This is a harsh story that shows the reality of how hard it can be to break into the manga industry, but more importantly, it’s also a story that shows how one single moment can change lives forever and leave lasting memories.
I really can’t speak highly enough of this short. Go watch it now, we’ve even embedded it for you.
Source: WTK on Twitter
