Jinsei

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1:41

Jinsei

Jun 2026

1h 33m

Drama

Anime

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

81%

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31 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Our hero (voiced by rapper ACE COOL), called by a different name in each chapter of his life, becomes a J-pop idol, an outcast, a leader, and an oracle in this hundred-year chronicle spanning the past, present, and future. Through a chance encounter with a transfer student, he trains to become an idol, starting his search for self-identity and a journey toward greatness beyond superstardom. Written, directed, edited and entirely hand-drawn by newcomer Ryuya Suzuki over eighteen months, JINSEI (meaning "life" in Japanese) is an anime tour-de-force that announces Suzuki to the world as a bold new talent in independent animation.

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Jessica Kiang

Variety

Jun 15

It is the opposite of a prestige Hollywood blockbuster primed to manufacture astonishment on an industrial level. But if this is the Summer of Awe, the visionary “Jinsei” belongs right there alongside them.

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James Scott

Austin Chronicle

Jun 11

3/5

I see so much potential in Suzuki’s skill as an image-creator, and his process with Jinsei where he created the scenes over an 18-month crunch makes for an exciting behind-the-scenes story.

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Christian Zilko

IndieWire

Jun 10

B+

Anyone lamenting that it’s getting harder to make truly personal films should jump at the chance to watch something that so clearly emerged from the mind of one passionate artist.

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

2d

3/5

An animated exercise in disassociation and distraction, chronicling a century in the life of a glum Japanese boy-band exile who's something like a cross between Zelig and Billy Pilgrim.

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Joe Creely

In Review Online

Jul 10

A project with ambition and commitment that you can’t fault, but which feels too palpably like the work of a first-time feature director, one not short on grand formal ideas but also not yet one who can stitch the threads satisfyingly together.

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Joe Friar

Fort Worth Report

Jun 17

3.5/4

Ryuya Suzuki ventures down a dark path, using shades of gray in his hand-drawn, Scorsese-like fable about a J-pop idol turned oracle, which culminates in a cosmic conclusion that is both stunning and, in an abstract way, beautiful.

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MS

Jun 17

Great editing. Also, intentions of the shots and details were amazing.

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jesse v

Jun 17

there is an interesting story here but it desperately needs a faster live action or anime adaptation. the music was great but oddly bizarre to have a budget less than 100 meters. the movie didn't need the last 35 minutes.

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A L R

Jun 14

Good and WEIRD. Just how I like my Japanese content.

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Michael S.

@Mikhail13 Jun 17

I can appreciate the ambitious endeavor, but I got lost fairly early with the homogeneous looking characters and 10 pounds crammed into a 5 pound bag. The author uses lots of shorthand.

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Scott J.

@NC_Dinos Jun 15

The biggest surprise of 2026 so far, Jinsei is a wild ride of innovative animation and trauma. From the opening montage, you are hit with trauma jumpscares and dark surprises. I give it a 9/10 and recommend seeing it in the theaters to support the team and genre in general.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 5

Success in 1 hour and 33 minutes. Original and loving it.

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Jinsei: Trailer 1

1:41

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Synopsis

Our hero (voiced by rapper ACE COOL), called by a different name in each chapter of his life, becomes a J-pop idol, an outcast, a leader, and an oracle in this hundred-year chronicle spanning the past, present, and future. Through a chance encounter with a transfer student, he trains to become an idol, starting his search for self-identity and a journey toward greatness beyond superstardom. Written, directed, edited and entirely hand-drawn by newcomer Ryuya Suzuki over eighteen months, JINSEI (meaning "life" in Japanese) is an anime tour-de-force that announces Suzuki to the world as a bold new talent in independent animation.

Director: Ryuya Suzuki
Producer: Kenji Iwaisawa
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Rock'n Roll Mountain
Genre: Drama, Anime, Sci-Fi
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 5, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 17, 2026
Runtime: 1h 33m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)