Rukku Bakku

'Look Back (2024)' is a mediation on friendship, passion, and art, examining what happens when these elements intersect. It essentially aims to answer the question that plagues all artists: what is art for? Is it driven by ambition? Success? Fame? Is it to tell a deeper truth? To say what can't be said with words? To get what's inside out for all to see? Is it to connect with strangers? To make someone feel less alone? To make someone smile or weep or take a step back and look at their place in the world? Or is it simply to do something you love with someone you love? If so, why do you carry on even when one of those things has gone? The film explores these ideas through the relationship between two girls who grow up together making manga after one of them confesses to being a fan of the other's school newspaper strips. Taking place over a number of years, the picture depicts their evolving relationship with both each other and the art they create, ultimately taking an emotional turn when life inevitably catches up with their ambitions. There's a semi-fantastical element here that could be interpreted one of two ways, and interestingly I prefer the more literal version than the metaphorical one (which I tend to lean towards). Either way there's a lot of thematic resonance to be found here, and it's unsurprising that it's connecting so deeply with so many people.

Clocking in at just under an hour, the piece doesn't waste any time. It sort of feels like a long short film, but it's actually a short long film (it's over the minimum length to be classed as a feature). In some ways, it feels like it could have been expanded by twenty minutes; in other ways, it's exactly as long as it needs to be. It's a focused experience that mimics the insular nature of the central dynamic, as the two leads are the only important people to us just as they seem to be the only important people to each other. The animation sometimes seems slightly rough, in that it isn't consistently refined and some movements don't quite keep things on model, but it also includes several scenes that must have been really tricky to pull off because they include sweeping camera moves and changing perspectives. I can't tell if the animators used 3D models and custom shaders for these scenes or if they, much more painstakingly, animated everything in 2D; either way, if I can't tell, it's equally as impressive. There's a meta element to the movie, too, because it's based on a manga that's about producing a manga (obviously the meta aspects are watered down somewhat by the adaptation process, but the parallels between the film and its subject are still strong nevertheless). This makes each and every frame, as well as the time and effort that's gone into it, all the more relevant, and it's a perfect example of a film's form enhancing its content.

Ultimately, this is a moving and engaging anime that doesn't waste a moment in conveying its story and themes. Its a gentle, bittersweet experience that's both devastating and life-affirming, and it feels as though it grasps at a deeper truth about artists and their work. Its a strong effort.

"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.

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!

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.

Understandable "roughness" aside (which gives it a welcome quirkiness), it is pretty well done!

Has a great visual style, beautiful color palette, good sound design, comical editing, and some very impactful action animations. But more importantly, it tells a meaningful story of tender and weighty moments in less than one hour, with some very interesting characters and interactions. A truly memorable film.

I have an inclination to the ununderstood impact of choices that others can't ever see.. because they will never happen. How some things can only be appreciated when the idea of "yanking them away irreparably" truly sinks in.. and how only dramatic and traumatic events can help a person see that! I've always wondered how can you communicate that without it being too late. It's a thought-provoking crutch in storytelling you don't see a lot of.