There’s much more than manga, more than Astro Boy to this famous Japanese artist’s work. This short film is kind of Act Without Words I, with a little bit of the Yugoslavian short Krek thrown in. The world is cruel, the smallest objects are practically out to get you, and the smallest comforts are unlikely. The orchestral score works very well, adding both irony and gravity to the proceedings. The twist at the end is not so successful, maybe.
The Drop plays as a well-executed Beckett knock-off. The ways that the main character can’t get at those drops of water are pretty multiple and comprehensive, which all adds up to an absurd, cruel universe. The stylized visuals are really nice, particularly the contrasting textures of the water and the sky above it. The final twist rather gilds the lily. It was fresh water after all! But that doesn’t square with the times he accidentally drank what was obviously/meant to be seawater beforehand. If Tezuka really meant it he would be espousing a view not only cruel, but gratuitous and unnecessary. I don’t think he means it, though. Trying to provide a little savoury fare, perhaps.