Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 | Tokyo International Film Festival 2026 | Chicago International Film Festival 2026
Gold Audience Award for Best Animated Feature, Special Mention of the Jury (Satoshi Kon Competition), Fantasia 2026
Ryo, a 32-year-old artist who draws erotic manga, struggles to talk to women. Ami, 28, finds it difficult to interact with men in real life. Despite their fears and lack of romantic experience, the two meet and slowly begin to understand each other. As they spend time together, they learn to overcome their insecurities and discover the happiness of forming a genuine connection. Told with humour and warmth, the film uses a distinctive style that combines live-action footage with manga animation, offering a fresh and unconventional take on love, loneliness and human relationships.
A graduate of Osaka University of Arts, Masanao Kawajiri gained recognition for his 2018 short film, A Japanese Boy Who Draws, which earned numerous festival awards. His unique style, blending animation, live-action, and manga, has drawn attention in Japan and abroad.
Toei
