Shohei Kireto is a 26-year-old manga artist with aspirations of making a career in this competitive industry. About 1 year ago, he moved to a village in the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan to live with 6 fellow artists chasing the same dream. Kireto had lived alone before taking this bold step, hoping to give his career a boost. Despite the generous support of local residents, Kireto has frustratingly been unable to make a breakthrough. When a fellow manga artist makes his professional debut and has his work published as a comic book, Kireto's confidence starts to waver. Is it time for Kireto to give up his dream?

Yu Kikuchi left an engineering job in the big city to pursue his dream of making things with his own hands. Now 32, he's training to be a blacksmith in Shimanto, a rural town in western Japan. His teacher is 79-year-old Kosaku Matsumura, a master blacksmith who's nearing the end of his career. Turning his apprentice into a full-fledged blacksmith will be his final job. Passing on the traditional skills for crafting hand-forged tools presents challenges – and rewards – for both men.