Look Back is a love letter to the striving artist and it fully deserved every award it got

Tasuki Fujimoto’s Look Back, is one of the best anime movies that have been released in a while. This is the first Tatsuki Fujimoto manga that has been adapted into a film, and frankly, it should not be the last. Sayonara Eri, another one-shot by him, has also gained considerable attention and has had fans clamouring for an adaptation.

A lot of Fujimoto’s works can be easily adapted, and this is due to how cinematic his works feel. Even Chainsaw Man, his most anime-esque work, feels like a David Lynch movie.

Look Back is a sign that Tatsuki Fujimoto’s true talents might lie in film, especially screenplay, as the manga itself feels like cinema. This is not the first time manga has felt like cinema, as Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond resembled Seven Samurai in some chapters. Solanin, a manga by Inio Asano, bears many similarities to the early works of Richard Linklater. Look Back carries many influences, and because of that, it has a unique feel.

The unique feel of Look Back makes it hard to place it within a genre. Many anime experts call Look Back a slice-of-life piece, but doing that will be myopic. The best way to classify Look Back would be as a coming-of-age, romantic, slice-of-life film, as it has all those elements. Another way to look at the film would be as a love letter to the striving artist and what it means to create. Due to how multilayered and simple the story is, it deserves all the plaudits it gets.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why Look Back is an ode to the striving artist

Kyomoto, as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Every year, there is one movie that captures what it means to be an artist. In 2024, it was A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist, a film that covered legendary folk artist Bob Dylan and his rise to fame. In 2023, it was Tar, a movie that followed the life of a music orchestrator. These films mention the heavy price artists have to pay to get better at their craft. Many manga have also taken the same path, the most notable being Rin and Bakuman.

When it comes to manga that show the daily life of an artist, not many come close to Bakuman. Bakuman follows two aspiring mangakas as they climb to the top, and it does this in the most Shonen way. The two artists are hyperaware of their dreams, and they do not falter even a little bit. This is idealistic, and most of the time, it is not the reality of things. Look Back shows viewers the ugly reality, and it does this in 57 minutes.

The movie starts with a child focusing on a hobby, as most artists start their journey from little hobbies. The main character, Fujino, is an elementary school girl who draws manga weekly, and she is lauded for it. However, one day, another artist, Kyomoto, comes along. Kyomoto steals the applause Fujino usually gets, and like any child would, Fujino vows to get better.

The relationship between Fujino and Kyomoto had sparks of romance (Image via Studio Dorian)

From that point, the story shows viewers how talent is developed. Fujino pours herself into her art at the expense of other aspects of her life. Kyomoto, who is a shut-in, also puts the same amount of dedication into her work. However, due to the amount of time available to the two artists and their interests, their art takes different turns.

Kyomoto has an interest in the aesthetic appeal of the art, a huge difference from Fujino, who wants to make better manga. They eventually meet and form a partnership, and for a while, the duo succeeds. They even make successful one-shots together, and viewers are shown a deep, beautiful friendship that stems from one thing: art. The duo reaches new heights, but it leads to problems.

Kyomoto wants to go to art school, and she mentions that it is because of her and Fujino’s manga, but the reality is much different. Kyomoto wants to discover who she is, something she has not done, as all her artistic pursuits have been in Fujino’s shadow.

Fujino’s insecurities kick in when she hears Kyomoto speak about her chasing dreams. She doesn’t want to lose her winning formula, so she tears Kyomoto down to discourage her from leaving. This is common in all forms of art, as the nature of artistry is control, and Fujino and Kyomoto both battle for control.

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Final thoughts

Look Back shows that what people call talent can be boiled down to interest. Fujino gets better at her art because she invests time in it; the same can be said of Kyomoto.

The environment is also another factor in the creation of art. Kyomoto is a better artist than Fujino because she has the luxury to invest that time in art, and she was a home student. Fujino, on the other hand, had school and friends; these took up her time and didn’t allow her to be as good as Kyomoto. However, the interactions with other people are what make her a better mangaka.

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