Throughout our lives, there are moments when we question our choices. However, the ones that result in friendship and love are the ones that stick with us the most. Look Back — adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s (Chainsaw Man) 2021 manga of the same name — forces us to consider the impact of small moments in our friendships. What might seem like an innocuous moment may change someone’s life, and the ripples of our decisions echo across time. Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama lovingly adapts the heartbreaking tale, making it as impactful as Fujimoto’s initial story.

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Look Back Plot

Two young artists decide to draw and write anime for an elementary school newspaper. Ayumu Fujino establishes herself as a popular manga artist amongst her classmates, but despite her success, the teacher running the school newspaper asks if another student can contribute. Fujino laughs it off at first, especially when the teacher says it is a truant student, Kyomoto. However, when Kyomoto’s art comes in, Fujino is floored. Not only is Kyomoto a brilliant artist, but she’s more talented than Fujino.

In the years that follow, Fujino becomes obsessed with overtaking Kyomoto. As she gives up on being an artist, the teacher has Fujino drop off an elementary school diploma to Kyomoto. Upon meeting each other, the two artists change their disposition, becoming collaborators and fast friends. In the following years, their relationship changes in ways neither would expect, ultimately confronting them with incredible tragedy.

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Look Back embraces the visual beauty of everyday life.

For those who only watch the latest Studio Ghibli offerings, the unique artistry of Japanese animation rarely gets its due. Yet Oshiyama ensures that everyday life is captured in the stunning detail it deserves. Throughout Look Back, there are undeniable homages to the greats — including Miyazaki and Takahata, but Oshiyama continues to embrace the look and feel of traditional manga. Much of Look Back does not rely on one’s knowledge of the industry but instead asks you to appreciate the small details. In fact, Oshiyama often goes minutes between dialogue sequences, pushing the audience to experience his protagonists’ lives through beautifully scored montages.

That’s not to say there is a lack of story. Instead, Oshiyama conveys many of these beats and the girls’ bonding through mere visual storytelling. It’s an extraordinary sequence to watch and makes the footage easy to relate to. While Look Back occasionally steps into tropes, the idea that hard work and life in a small town are worth depicting with such precision is precisely why the manga resonated with fans. With each character’s complex relationships and depictions fleshed out, it becomes easy to fall in love with the story.

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Art, for art’s sake.

Baked into the concept of a story like Look Back is the journey of an artist. When one finds their passion, they put their soul into the process. Wisely, Oshiyama shows the toll this takes on Fujino — both for her mental health and her friendships outside of the artistic community. This begins as unhealthy competition, with Fujino growing upset by Kyomoto’s creative brilliance. This causes her to become obsessed with progressing as an artist, and she quickly devotes all her time to pursuing artistic improvement. Meanwhile, her “friends” are worried she’ll become an otaku – someone obsessed with anime to the detriment of their social standing.

This adds cultural specificity that’s easy to understand for anyone in a competitive field. At what point do we reach our peak in our field, and is it even worth the time we invest in this pursuit? Everyone knows a friend who believes they could have accomplished something incredible in art or athletic prowess, but their skill alone simply could not carry them. If you want to be the best, you often rely on unhealthy monomania to reach those goals. That path is not for everyone, but those who can overcome external and internal challenges reach those heights.

As these ideas eat away at our characters, Oshiyama and Fujimoto add another twist. What if one does not want to jump into the art world for acclaim but instead to connect with others? Artistic partnerships have fallen apart over less, and even if there’s a hope that reconciliation can occur, it may never be the same. Look Back asks us to evaluate these goals and what motivates us to continue changing the world around us. It’s not the most original idea for a story, yet at the same time, it’s among the most profound questions we can ask ourselves.

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Is Look Back worth watching?

It’s stunning to see an anime and manga legend showcase drastically different sides of themselves. For Fujimoto, Look Back reminds its audience that artistry and the struggles to find oneself in the field can take unusual journeys. However, the beauty and fragility of the tale come shining through. With Oshiyama’s willingness to shift the art style of the manga while still maintaining its indie feel, Look Back is a stunning work of adaptation. However, some repetitiveness and a short runtime make us want more out of the experience, making Look Back a memorable but flawed film.

Watch Look Back in select theaters starting October 4, 2024. Additional theaters will be added on October 6 and October 7.
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