--- Tsukumizu ---
つくみず
self portrait
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Tsukumizu is a Japanese manga artist who is relatively new to the scene. She only has one work to her name titled "Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou" or "Girls' Last Tour". I stumbled upon her work last term when the manga was made into an anime of the same name. It was serial storytelling I'd never experienced before; so quiet, relaxed, with a massive emphasis on atmosphere and shot composition. The tone completely clashed with the premise, that is two girls are wandering a post-apocalyptic city in search of food and answers as to the mysteries of the past. There is very little conflict throughout the entire series, and the girls' frankly bored, almost totally apathetic response to the barren stillness was refreshing to see, especially amidst typical Western-style apocalypse films that only focus on the gore, the grit, and the inherent evil within man or whatever. It was not just the counter-culture twist to traditional apocalyptic themes, nor the frequent use of distorted perspective shots of the decaying city that I loved. Rather, it was an entirely new take on assessing the past, not with grief (think planet of the apes) but with wonder, curiosity, and intrigue, albeit at arm's length. It was that weirdly positivist takeaway in even the bleakest of situations that I just had not seen before. It was comforting, even if it's all in a way a defense mechanism. There are no rotting bodies, and there are no obvious causes as to why the world stood still. It's honestly surrealist, the depictions of sheer emptiness alongside dynamically framed abstract architecture. I loved it all. Here are some screenshots from the anime.
How does this relate to my project?
My game project is all about assessing the past. You're an astronaut who is part of a planetary colonization program. During your initial observations, you discover these incredible structures that wrap around the entire planet. They contain random pulses of electromagnetic energy, which, with your fancy schmancy abstract nonsensical computers, you can analyze. The pulses are essentially random clusters of memories; images, words, soundbytes, video clips, all of it mishmashed into a random blip as it shoots across the planet. Though your technical "job" is to give to A-Ok on colonizing the planet, you spend the majority of the game discovering various memories, and you, the player, actively construct this planet's past, with all its glories and hardships. You are also the last astronaut on your vessel, as all the others have found their respective planets, so there's another small connection to Girls' Last Tour. This active construction doesn't have sweeping narratives of good vs. evil, you are merely a collector, making your own interpretations. Basically, the manga's chapter on Art sums up the mood and themes very well:
I love this ending shot. The first and last pictures drawn by humanity side-by-side.
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Tsukumizu and Iyashikei
I don't believe it was until I saw Girls' Last Tour that I found out the "iyashikei" genre even existed. I don't know the exact translation, but Iyashikei shows are part of the "slice of life" category that specifically gives the viewer a soothing or healing feeling -- Slice of life is an interesting genre in and of itself, as one would not expect a show about living the everyday to warrant any attention, let alone praise, and yet...here we are. I have seen a couple of shows and short films classified under the "iyashikei" category, and nothing has come close to resonating so much as Girls' Last Tour did for me. I think it's the juxtaposition of post-apocalypse and slice of life that does it. That, and the simple explorations of nihilistic themes and perspectives on the future (after all, this show is just two kids, maybe teenagers, coming to terms with the past, the present, and the extremely bleak future).
On Tsukumizu Herself
I know next to nothing about the actual life of the manga artist in question. Not knowing Japanese creates a real annoying research barrier, as what I know about her past is all hearsay. All I've heard is that she was depressed in the past, and working on the anime and manga burnt her out. She had been working on GLT since 2014, up until January 12th of this year. She also seems very skilled at animation and drawing. Maybe went to art school? I dunno. Overall, practically zilch. Here are some random gifs from her tumblr though:
Overall, all aspects of tsukumizu's work have inspired myself and this game project to some degree, from the art, to the game mechanics, to the philosophy of the story, AND I'd go so far as to say my outlook on the future, that is nonchalant and not very fearful. 'Cause why waste the now with what-ifs? Life's a fun thing. Embrace it and be curious or whatever, i dunno. honestly hope to meet her someday once i actually learn Japanese too, that'd be awesome
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