An animated film based on the autobiographical manga, A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi, this is a loving and effective exploration, and celebration, of someone credited with the birth of Gekiga (a style of manga aimed at an adult audience). What I know about manga, and most manga artists, could be written on a grain of rice, but I felt armed with enough knowledge once I read the very brief summary before watching this.
The structure is quite straightforward. We're shown the career progression of Tatsumi, the main everyday material interspersed with different stories lifted from other Tatsumi works, and the style of the animation seems to emulate what many will find familiar from the pages drawn by Tatsumi.
Written and directed by Eric Khoo, with plentiful source material to pull from, this works just like a great documentary. It looks at a central subject with great affection, tries to provide insight to those who already consider themselves fans, and encourages others to check out more from the artist. I might actually add someone who isn't named Junji Ito to my small amount of manga shelf-space, and that's something I never expected to say.
I can't claim to be any expert on Tatsumi after watching this, but that is more to do with the way I take in information than it is to do with the film. What Khoo does, and what I'm assuming Tatsumi did in A Drifting Life, is show some unforgettable moments in a life that could so easily be seen as unremarkable by those not interested in the art. While this is a film about one person, it's also about an entire people. This is best illustrated by a story, titled "Hell", that juxtaposes the huge shadow of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with the darkness that can taint and cover the souls of those committing their own evil acts. "Hell" is a personal story showing people affecting one another, but it also makes clear how permanent the scarring is from the horrific events that ensured the end of any further Japanese involvement in WWII.
I really enjoyed this, and the 93-minute runtime passes by quickly enough, but I'd be keen to rewatch it after reading some of the printed works of Tatsumi. I could sense that the film would be even more rewarding to those able to spot more nods and references, and I found myself slightly jealous of the readers who have already spent so much time in the company of such a talented and interesting artist. Give me some time and I guarantee you that I'll at least dip a toe or two into the world of some more varied manga titles. Until that time comes, however, I am very happy to endorse this, and I cannot see anyone more well-versed in the featured medium being disappointed by it.
8/10
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