Look Back

Fourth-grader Ayumu Fujino regularly draws four-panel manga for her school newspaper and is lauded as having the best artwork in her class. One day, she is asked by her teacher to turn over one of her manga slots in the school newspaper to a truant student named Kyomoto. When Kyomoto's manga pops up alongside Fujino's, it receives high praises for its detailed artwork, making Fujino furiously jealous.

Refusing to be beaten by someone who barely attends school, Fujino devotes herself to learning to create manga. As time goes on though, her goal of outshining Kyomoto seems to only get further and further away, and Fujino, now in sixth grade, eventually gives up and quits making manga.

Graduation day arrives, and Fujino is asked to deliver Kyomoto's graduation certificate to her. Through chance, the two end up coming face to face, and their unexpected meeting will end up having consequences far beyond what either of them could ever predict.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kyoumoto Main

Yoshida, Mizuki Japanese

Fujino, Ayumu Main

Kawai, Yuumi Japanese

Oshiyama, Kiyotaka Director, Screenplay, Character Design

Kimura, Eriko Sound Director

Fujimoto, Tatsuki Original Creator

Inoue, Toshiyuki Key Animation

Reviews

Jul 1, 2024

InfinityDude88

Recommended

Well-written

With the monumental success of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man it is no wonder that studios immediately turned to adapting more of his works. The concern of course then becomes whether there will be a rush to pump something out regardless of the quality. Thankfully, much like Chainsaw Man, Studio Durian was able to uphold and even uplift Fujimoto’s Look Back and, in the process, create a beautiful, heartfelt and devastating movie that will surely leave an impact for years to come.

Clocking in at only a little over an hour Look Back is a very short film, however it absolutely makes the most of that ... runtime. Beautifully sequenced timelapses emphasise the feeling of constant time passage which establishes a real sense of progression for the film. There is also no time wastage, with every scene playing an important role in either the plot or at tugging on your heartstrings. I also wouldn’t say I was left wanting more by the end, rather that it had an entirely satisfactory and fitting conclusion – perfect for a self-contained movie.

Despite being a relatively new studio, Studio Durian took the opportunity to show off their animation skills with some of the most mind-blowingly smooth and fluid animation in the business. For a film about the creation of manga, crazy animation was certainly not necessary, but it does make the overall package that much better. Any scene with movement whether it be running or paper floating about features dynamic action shots with constant flow, employing the common modern technique of 3d environments to stunning effect. This animation style also perfectly reflects Fujimoto’s style of drawing, with realism less important than the impact and emotion behind the scenes. The thinner, sketchier art style of the manga is also reflected in the movie. I think the perfect example of Durian’s desire to go above and beyond is the opening scene, where they fully animate Fujino’s first yon-koma manga in her style creating an exciting opening out of what could otherwise have been a fairly

The music in Look Back is another aspect executed flawlessly. Nakamura Haruka crafted a fitting soundscape composed primarily of piano and strings. Whilst it swells up at times, particularly during the montages, it also knows when to remain minimalistic in order to let the raw emotion be displayed in full. The ending theme (played at a brilliant moment I might add) remains in much the same style as the soundtrack with the addition of soothing vocals to encourage reminiscence on the short but moving experience that just occurred.

I finally want to touch on the theme and story. It is clear from the outset that Look Back is largely a distillation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s experience as a mangaka (if you couldn’t figure it out from the premise, the appearance of the Chainsaw Man parody Shark Kick later on will surely suffice to demonstrate that fact). Fujino’s feelings of incompetency, her struggle to maintain friendships, the clashes in her partnership, the choice between art university and becoming a mangaka outright, and on and on. All of these elements feel as though they are coming from Fujimoto’s heart directly which makes them all the more impactful and realistic when they occur in the film. Even when things exit the realm of reality towards the end, they do so to emphasise the need to push forward and move on whilst respecting and building on the events of the past that is central to the overall message.

Tldr; Look Back is a raw, stunning, beautiful and emotional ride all packed into an hour that left me utterly blown away by the level of craftmanship and heart put into it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jul 12, 2024

SpacemanSpiff357

Recommended

Spoiler

Masterpiece. I liked the manga but the seeing it adapted was something else. The extended shots of fujino running through the rice fields in the rain, her and kyomoto in the city, and the beautiful soundtrack to accompany all of it. You can tell it mirrors Fujimoto's own experience with art very closely; creating art is frustrating, tedious, and seemingly fruitless at times, yet capable of turning into something amazing like look back.

Its a testament to creators who continue to write and draw in the face of setback. Fujino keeps drawing manga after tragedy strikes, just like kyoani still survives today after the arson attack. ... I'm not sure if Fujimoto knew someone personally who passed away then, but its clear it impacted him heavily. No doubt creating manga now takes on a much different meaning now than it did when Fujimoto was a kid, though I do certainly hope he is proud of what the works he's created and is able to find enjoyment in what he does despite everything a mangaka has to go through. I know there's a lot of fans such as myself who'd say he's more than earned it.

Most anime adaptations of stuff I like fail to improve upon the source material for whatever reason. An anime adaptation doesn't surpass a manga simply due to the existence of animation and a soundtrack... those inherently unique characteristics that anime has over manga need to elevate the source in a significant way. Look Back does this to a tee. Visually it's stunning, with vivid imagery and expressive characters, all the while keeping true to Fujimoto's style. The music is consistently amazing all the way to the ending "Light song." This is one of the few times where I'd say the anime is better than the manga, although both deserve to be experienced at least once.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 1, 2024

cynfest456

Not Recommended

What an overrated piece of media. But I'll compliment this story because unlike CSM it has a point and the studio did their job, but the story is purely fueled by the popularity of "misery p*rn" being pushed as the next big thing in storytelling.

"Look Back" by Tatsuki Fujimoto is another example of the new modern trend that relies on excessive emotional manipulation & shock value to garner unwarranted praise. The story follows two young girls, Fujino and Kyomoto, who bond over their shared passion for drawing manga. While this premise could offer a heartfelt exploration of creativity and friendship, the execution is severely lacking ... and relies heavily on the characters' suffering to maintain interest.

The narrative is a blatant attempt to milk sympathy from the audience. The portrayal of the characters' struggles is not only unrealistic but also overly dramatized, bordering on melodrama that would have been more effective and believable if the characters were older. It's as if Fujimoto is trying too hard to make readers feel sorry for these really young characters, rather than allowing their experiences to evoke empathy naturally......

The pacing of "Look Back" is erratic and frustrating. The initial build-up of the girls' relationship and their artistic journey is engaging enough, but the latter half of the manga rushes through critical moments, sacrificing any semblance of depth for cheap dramatic impact & shock value. This jarring shift leaves the story feeling disjointed and incomplete.

Despite the technically proficient artwork, "Look Back" fails to deliver a story that resonates on a meaningful level. The manga's reliance on misery as a storytelling crutch detracts from any genuine emotional impact it might have had. Instead of offering a nuanced exploration of the creative process and the pressures faced by young artists, it opts for a heavy-handed approach that feels manipulative and insincere.

In conclusion, "Look Back" is a disappointing and overrated piece of media. Tatsuki Fujimoto's artistic talent is undeniable, but it is squandered on a story that leans too heavily on tragedy and emotional manipulation. It's a shallow attempt at creating something profound, ultimately falling flat and failing to live up to the hype surrounding it. For those tired of media that exploits misery for cheap emotional payoffs, "Look Back" is a letdown.

Maybe it's because this is the #10095930 piece of media that relies on shock value and misery p*rn to be written in the 2010s era but it's 2024....... and is becoming tiresome instead of daring.

I will give it a 5 because the director had a desperate need to make this look good on the big screen so his studio grows and I can tell he wanted to grift off Fujimoto's name because there are better stories out there that could have been animated but why take a risk on them when Fujimoto can help you break even on name alone, right?

There are better stories out there. Thats why this is just a one-shot...

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Recommendations

'Look Back' Unveils Additional Staff, Trailer

The official website of the Look Back anime movie unveiled additional staff, the theme song, a trailer, and the key visual (pictured) on Wednesday. The movie is sche...read more

Apr 16, 3:31 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (25 comments)

'Look Back' Announces Main Cast

The official website of the anime movie adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back manga announced the main cast on Thursday. The movie is scheduled to open in...read more

Mar 13, 6:55 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (6 comments)

	Poll: Look Back Episode 1 Discussion IzanaSolos - Jun 14	11 replies	by EvenJellyOn »» Yesterday, 4:50 AM
	Pretty Curious About How Goodbye Eri Will Be Adapted wisnuyoga78 - Apr 20	9 replies	by likepanda »» Jul 8, 4:34 PM
	Look Back OST LLBird - Jun 27	2 replies	by Razecube »» Jul 7, 3:28 AM
	Hideo Kojima - "Look Back is one of the most remarkable anime of the past decade". RyanJ_9 - Jul 1	0 replies	by RyanJ_9 »» Jul 1, 2:45 AM
	"Look Back: An Exceptional Production to Embrace the Paradox of the Artist [Annecy 2024]" - Sakuga Blog LLBird - Jun 16	2 replies	by RobertBobert »» Jun 27, 8:56 PM