In post-war occupied Japan, young Tatsumi's passion for comics not only leads him becomes a means of supporting his poor family but also leads him to redefine the manga landscape. He pioneered gekiga (dramatic pictures), an alternative genre for adults which is by encouraging an alternative genre for adults which is realistic, disquieting and grapples with the darker aspects of life. This film celebrates the life of this master and five of his most compelling tales. A war photographer canptures a moving scene in the ruins of Hiroshima, only to be haunted by its sinster truth. A lonely factory worker parts with his beloved monkey, with tragic consequences. A despised prositute severs ties with all men, beginning with her loutish father.