Overview
- The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, Sept. 7, marking its first public screening and placing it among 21 titles vying for the Golden Lion.
- Critics praised Kore‑eda’s work with young actors, Senzo Ueno’s 35mm cinematography and detailed sound design that foregrounds the physical act of drawing.
- Reviewers were divided over the decision to expand the one‑shot into a 100‑minute feature, with some calling the film a return to form and others saying it feels padded compared with the 2024 anime.
- Principal cast members spent months training to draw manga and some of their artwork appears on screen, a production choice Kore‑eda highlighted as central to the film’s texture.
- The movie adapts Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 2021 one‑shot, follows two young creators as they grow, and will be handled for distribution by GKIDS after its festival run, giving it both awards visibility and an arthouse release path.