An Artistic and Philosophical Review of Daiki Yamazaki's "Kishibe no Yume""Kishibe no Yume" (which means "Dream on the Shore"), is an award-winning one-shot manga by author Daiki Yamazaki. This short work tells the story of an artist who searches for a mysterious woman who constantly appears in his dreams. On the surface, it seems like a simple story, but deep down, it raises a series of artistic and philosophical questions that are noteworthy. I have rarely seen an artistic one-shot like this before, one that has such a dark and ambiguous perspective on the art of painting. We all know that different viewpoints can be interpreted from a single image. This review is my attempt to piece something together.
__Artistic Perspective: Horrifying Details and Their Effects
__Artistically, "Kishibe no Yume" captures the reader's attention with its detailed and meticulous drawings. Yamazaki's art style is often compared to the works of the famous horror genre artist, Junji Ito. In fact, I initially thought I was reading one of his stories until I later found out the author's name was different. This comparison stems from the attention to detail in faces and environments, which imparts an unsettling and terrifying feeling to the reader, even if the scene itself is not inherently scary. The use of shadows and sharp lines has given a psychological depth to the characters and the story, creating a mysterious and hazy atmosphere.
Yamazaki's art is not merely beautiful; it serves the narrative. The style of the panels and the camera angles create a sense of tension and anticipation for the reader. This makes the reader feel as if they are slowly sinking into dreams, imagination, and madness along with the protagonist. For this reason, every single panel drew me in.
Philosophical Perspective: A Metaphor for Art
Philosophically, the one-shot "Kishibe no Yume" opens the door to many different interpretations. One of the most compelling interpretations suggests that this manga is a step into a metaphor for the relationship between the artist, the artwork, and the audience.
From this perspective, what we observe is:
The mysterious woman symbolizes the "artwork" itself or "inspiration." She is beautiful and unattainable, existing only in the artist's dream, and he tries to embody her through his art.
The painter represents the "artist." He is someone who has dedicated his life to searching for that ideal beauty and strives to bring it into existence.
From another angle, the art collector symbolizes the "audience" or "society." He is a person obsessed with owning the artwork but may never understand the inspiration and suffering behind the piece.
This interpretation raises several philosophical questions, including:
Is the ownership of art a valid process? When an artwork is completed and presented to the public, does it still belong to the artist? The collector's attack on the artist might be an allusion to the feeling that the audience sometimes tries to possess the work and even impose the role of the author or the "death of the author" upon it. If we ask ourselves this question: doesn't anyone who finds their own meaning in a painting become its owner in a spiritual, volitional sense? This is similar to the painter who considers himself the owner of the painting because it reflects his inner self.
The sanctity of artistic inspiration, much like the growing size of the woman at the end, could suggest that art or inspiration is always greater than the artist himself. The artist is merely a medium for its manifestation but can never fully control or own it.
The story highlights the toxic relationship with the viewer. The collector's aggressive behavior can be seen as a critique of "toxic fandoms" who become so engrossed in a work that they try to invade the creator's life, or even take their life from them.
In short, "Kishibe no Yume" is not just a fantasy or horror story; it is a psychological and philosophical journey through the complex relationships between creation, beauty, and humanity. In this short work, Daiki Yamazaki has managed, with a compelling artistic style, to pose big, profound questions that stay with the reader long after finishing the story. In my opinion, it is worth recommending to any artist. I give this one-shot a score of 8.2.____
