Look Back

Fujino was the leading manga creator for her school until Kyomoto, the class recluse, entered the scene. From then on, they grew together and pushed each other to improve themselves and achieve their dreams. They were on top of the manga game until Kyomoto decided to branch off and go at it alone. They continued to do what they loved until tragedy struck, forcing Fujino to reevaluate her circumstances.

This is a beautiful anime film about how people can find a friend in the most unlikely of places and how that person can push them to greatness. The story is simple but uses the full range of human emotion. The animation changes as the story progresses, giving the film a unique look. With a runtime of fifty-eight minutes, the story is not rushed. It focuses on the significant parts of Fujino and Kyomoto's story. This is an excellent film for all and should be streamed or watched in theaters as soon as possible.

Look Back is a debut anime, and yet it already connects with some of the masterpiece of Japanese animation.

A coming of age story, Look Back tells the story of two kids sharing the same dream. Complex feelings such as jealousy, competition, friendship, codependency, social anxiety, ambition, grief and trauma are told in such a delicate and genuine way.

Watching this movie made me feel very nostalgic, thinking about my dream as a kid and how self critical we are towards ourselves. In some moments, it reminded me of Your Name and 5 cm per second by Makoto Shinkai, even if the art style is completely different.

I can't wait for this anime to become widely available, 100% recommended!

This is about life, death and life. Fujimoto is a great contemporary writer in the manga scene known for Chainsaw Man - gory and heavily handed on social commentary. This work is truly a gem and also boasts the depth in writing. It's a very simple yet very deep piece that feels very calculated and precise in it's form and message.

A little background might help us understand where this manga came from and what it wants to come across. In 2019, there was an arson attack on the famous Kyoto Animation that killed many many brilliants artists. This left everybody in shock about everything in the community. This manga(2021)/movie(2024) uses this tragic event to ponder about life, work (anime and manga industry) and hardships.

It's not a coincidence that both characters came from the author's name: Fuji(no) and (Kyo)moto. They're both part of Fujimoto's sense of self: the shut-in genius persona and the social energetic persona. Having this two sides working together is what Fujimoto thinks as a point where success comes from. But, when faced with a great real tragedy, the real-life genius side also takes a hit (i guess). So Fujimoto writes away finding a path to go on making art.

What makes this an effective work of art is how anyone can relate to this feeling. A heartfelt breakup, something that you worked so hard and failed, death, etc. There are many thing in life that makes you look back on past events and than you find a way to get back on your feet to live life again!

My heart goes to all the manga/anime industry community that went through this tragedy. And to the victims and victims family members, I will forever treasure the work made in KyoAni. This will not be forgotten.

"If you just follow me, everything will go smoothly."

Absolutely heart-wrenching film about two aspiring female mangaka that is accomplished through a lot of visual creativity and excellent editing. It may be less than an hour long but it's all killer and no filler. The theme of friendship is also fuelled by competition, jealousy, and guilt on Fujino's side. The first time we see Fujino, we see her back, and her foot impatiently tapping away while also being quite tired after drawing the 4-panel manga strip for the school's newspaper. We only see her face in the reflection of a mirror on a table, and her clothing is gender ambiguous, which caused me to mistake her for a boy until her voice comes out. You only notice she's a girl when there's a zoom out to her clothes at school much later. She gets bigged up hard at school where everyone praises her First Kiss sci-fi romance strip, and it's clear she cares a lot about external validation. This comes crashing down when a rival to her comic strip also shows up in the newspaper, from truant student Kyomoto who stays at home because she's scared of people (hence why her art is of backgrounds such as buildings). There is a scene where Fujino is walking across a field, cross-cut with comments from others praising Kyomoto's strip and now Fujino's art is seen as "average" in comparison. Fujino is asked by a teacher to take this younger girl under her wing. Fujino develops an obsession over a whole year to be better, incurring social and education costs. She then quits, and only until she finally visits Kyomoto to deliver a graduation certificate and gets fangirl'ed, also seeing they both stacks of drawing notebooks piled up, does her interest in being a mangaka get reignited. They both improve each other in ways, such as encouraging Kyomoto to get out of the house and meet people, become less shy, and travel together. From here a strong and bittersweet friendship grows.

Kiyotaka Oshiyama's character designs, screenplay, and direction along with the rest of the team deliver a phenomenal audiovisual adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga, that has to be seen at a cinema. The animation is amazing throughout, with some variety in art styles, and one section of the First Kiss manga strip reminding of Masaaki Yuasa's simpler and wacky style. Fujino's character arc from overly confident and arrogant to more social and collaborative with Kyomoto is beautiful to see, which is why when Kyo doesn't decide to stick with her to become a manga series artist and wants to go to art university instead regresses Fujino back to a more guilt-tripping and mean side. The form of manga itself is playful and magically realist towards the final stretch. I was drawn to tears towards the last 20 minutes, especially when there is a montage of stills as they draw and hang out together. The ending is one of the saddest for any film this year. Not only the best animated film of the year but in general, one of the best films of 2024.

The Look Back anime movie does an exceptional job of adapting the amazing manga short story into animation, bringing it to life with added layers of depth that only this medium can provide. The film skillfully uses animation, voice acting and music to heighten the emotional impact of the story. The atmosphere created by the soundtrack and the heartfelt performances of the voice actors enriches the narrative, making it even more profound.

A special mention goes to Fujino's voice actor, who was a first-time performer, yet delivered a remarkable performance. It's impressive how well she captured Fujino's energy and emotion, despite being new to the craft. Kyomoto's voice actor also deserves high praise for perfectly portraying a character who is so inexperienced with human interaction and shy. The subtlety and depth in the way these two characters are brought to life is one of the movie's strongest aspects.

At its core, Look Back is a love letter to creators, celebrating the passion, challenges, and personal growth that come with the artistic journey. But the film also balances this theme with a genuine, heartfelt relationship between Fujino and Kyomoto, making their bond feel real and deeply touching. This balance between creativity and emotional connection makes the movie a must-watch for not only fans of the original manga but anyone who appreciates stories about art, friendship, and the human spirit.