Rapper Ace Cool voices the protagonist in Jinsei. Taketo Tanaka, Shohei Uno and Tsubaki Nekoze also provided their voices to the movie in Japanese. The film features English subtitles.

Jinsei follows the unnamed protagonist’s (Cool) life over the course of 100 years. During that time, he’s addressed by many different monikers, including Se-chan, Kuro, Zen and God. His life is broken up into chapters, which are distinguished by the evolution of the ever-changing names he adapts. The main character transforms from an orphan into a budding J-pop star. During that time, he has been both an outcast and a leader.

The protagonist’s parents’ lives flash on screen through a wordless, emotional prologue. An elderly driver hits the main character’s parents right in front of him. The accident leads to his mother’s death and his father falling into a coma. His stepfather, Hiroshi (Uno), receives custody of the main character.

The protagonist then strikes a friendship with one of his classmates. His new friend aspires to achieve success in the idol industry, and convinces him to join him on his journey to success.

The two therefore set out to become stars, with the help of the classmate’s birth father, who was once a member of a hit boy band. However, their fame comes at a price, as they make a bargain with a predatory pop mogul. As a result, the reserved protagonist meanders between success and catastrophe, both in his personal life and career.

Suzuki’s minimalist animation allowed him to create visuals that would have been difficult to include in a live-action film. The animation’s muted color palette focuses more on the characters’ expressions and framing than anime’s typical lush background details. The surreal minimalism therefore emphasizes the protagonist’s decision to move through life not caring about anything, even in disaster and war.

Suzuki took a free-flowing approach to the way he told the main character’s story by including multiple chapters that don’t have much connection with each other. But the drama’s middle section is its most sentimental exploration of the cost of fame and the pitfalls of the entertainment business. Suzuki’s nuanced storytelling also explores such important themes as coping with loneliness and making true friends as a public figure.

Cool captured Suzuki’s dialogue through the script’s short, concise sentences with a rather monotone voice. However, the actor was still able to capture the character’s sensitivity and vulnerability through the way he delivered the lines. Overall, he created a sense of intrigue around such an initially quiet character who later mysteriously became a star.

Suzuki’s minimalist visuals and muted color palette, which focus more on character expressions and framing, adds mystery to the film. The moviee explores the abstract surrealism of the distant future.

Also taking inspiration from such features as The Worst Person in the World and 2001: A Space Odyssey, the protagonist’s journey in Jinsei offers a unique look into how society handles human drama and trauma. Epic in its storytelling and visual style, Suzuki’s new feature film directorial debut is one of the most unique Japanese anime movies of the 21st century.

Jinsei had its North American Premiere on July 25 at the SVA Theatre during the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). The  anime received a nominated for the Uncaged Award during the festival.

Overall: A-

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