Amazing flip-book artist shows the dangers of overwork culture in Japanese "black companies" using a heart-wrenching, but brilliantly animated video.

While there are more innocuous (and quite frankly, accurate) roots to the stereotype of unusually long workdays at Japanese companies, many of the darker stories surrounding grueling work schedules in Japan are in relation to what are referred to as burakku kigyo (literally "black companies"), or more aptly translated, "shady companies". The term refers to companies that violate workplace standards with exploitative overtime systems (with no overtime pay), bullying, and damage to career reputation of workers who attempt to attempt to quit. The phrase made another term, karaoshi ("death from overwork") popular, and was recently covered when Japanese worker committed suicide due to excessive overwork.

Not all circumstances are so grim, but Japanese artist Shinrashinge (@shin___geki) is taking a look at what seems to be an unfortunately all-too-common scenario at many of these dishonest companies. In a video titled "Corporate Slave" (Shachiku), Shinrashinge takes a heartbreaking look at the life of an overworked fictional employee that has Japanese Twitter in tears.

Using an array of moving landscapes and sound effects, the video not too dependent on Japanese, but some written dialogue and signs really add impact to the story. As the young protagonist employee traverses through the daily grind and sleepless nights of working for a shady Japanese company, a boardroom whiteboard displays slogans such as "work until you die", which is promptly crossed out and replaced with "work even if you die". There are even sarcastic (but not unrealistic) motivational slogans of "be proud of your hard work, be proud to be a corporate slave" and "there are 24 hours in one day, so three days of work can be accomplished in one!"

This is all punctuated with a cruel "missing work, being late for work, and showing up or leaving exactly on the dot are grounds for immediate dismissal."

The last bit of text is the dialogue of a phone call. As the protagonist struggles with work everyday, he gains a new colleague who sits next to him. The colleague, leaving late at night after an exhausting shift, is struck by a car right outside the office (the implication being it's dangerous to leave in such a state when it's dark, late at night). By the end of the video, the protagonist has reached become crushed by his life as a slave to company, and attempts suicide, envisioning freedom on the other side of a noose. Fortunately, his noose snaps, and he is sobered by a call from his colleague, who is recovering in the hospital. In the call, she says "I know it's tough...but try your best, because I'm doing my best too."

Although bleak, the video is being tearfully praised on Japanese Twitter not only for its neat aesthetic and technique, but also for how it presents the reality for many employees. One commenter even suggested that everyone should start going home on time, regardless of whether it means getting fired or transferred. The Japanese government has recently been trying to apply pressure to out these companies and more strictly regulate working hours, but because of the nature of companies who engage in these practices, it's not a quick-fix.

If you need to cheer up, check out this awesome artistic Doraemon cup from Shinrashinge! You can follow on Twitter and Instagram for more amazing artwork as well.