Jinsei follows the century-long turbulent life of a man given many names from his youth to adulthood. It’s an ambitious solo-directed effort by Ryuya Suzuki, who previously created several short animation projects and refined his skills during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The anime film had a successful crowdfunding campaign from December 2022 to March 2023 and touts On-Gaku: Our Sound director Kenji Iwaisawa as a producer.
Anime Trending spoke with Suzuki to discuss the general production of Jinsei, the meaning of the protagonist’s life, and what viewers can expect from its U.S. release.
You’ve taken on many roles in this production, so how do you manage the workload of creating a feature-length project by yourself? Did you come across any challenges or complications?
Ryuya Suzuki: I did no preparation for this film and got through the year and a half of working on it through momentum alone. Then, thanks to all of my connections and many people [I knew], I was fortunate enough to release this film in theaters. As for how I managed the workload, I just gave it my all every single day.
The cinematography and the flow of the storyboards are eye-catching from the start. Were there any influences that made you pay attention to these aspects of filmmaking?
Ryuya Suzuki: I would say that there are so many films combined and put into my head that it’s hard to name just one reference. But even in the details, like the taxis are yellow because of Taxi Driver. I got the aspect ratio idea from films like Mommy, or Spike Lee films. So, there are a lot of references [like that].
Speaking about cars, the montage at the beginning of the film was very memorable and had a lot of them. Could you quickly describe how you created and put that beginning sequence together?
Ryuya Suzuki: I can’t move characters the way a lot of typical animators do, as I don’t have that technique. I knew I could change the background, and that’s what I did to create [a sense of] change and tempo. That was an original idea I came up with.
Overall, the film follows a nameless protagonist who goes by many names and phases in his life. Why did you feel it was important to explore that character’s story over an extended time? What purpose do you think he fulfilled?
Ryuya Suzuki: I would say that I love movies like Forrest Gump that tell one complete life story. In terms of the story, when it goes into the future, I felt like I could put all of my ideas out into the film. In this film, the protagonist goes against what he believes is wrong, and despite all these people dying or disappearing around him, he continues to maintain this incredible life force. I hope it inspires people to want to live a long life.
Do you have a message for viewers in North America who are going to watch the film?
Ryuya Suzuki: I started loving films in junior high school when I started watching Woody Allen and [Martin] Scorsese films. I saw so many films from North America, and it’s thanks to that that I am here now. I am so happy to be showing this film in North America. Sadly, I’m not able to come to the United States this time around, but I would love to hear what you think. I would love for people to reach out directly to me on Instagram or anywhere else to tell me what they think of the film.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Questions by William Moo and Melvyn Tan.
Jinsei will be released in the U.S. nationwide by Greenwich Entertainment on June 12, 2026.