Look Back (2024): A study of creation and absence
2024 • Kiyotaka Oshiyama • 2.00:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, Look Back is an adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s critically acclaimed manga of the same name. The story centres on a confident Year 4 student who prides herself on her four-panel comics in the school newspaper, only to find herself challenged by a truant whose technical draftsmanship is far superior. This rivalry eventually blossoms into a deep, transformative friendship, as the two girls embark on a collaborative professional journey.
The film’s style sets it apart from the polished, standardised look of mainstream commercial anime. It preserves the expressive line work of the original manga, using a sketchy and kinetic animation style to bring the drawings to life. The backgrounds transition from sun-drenched rural landscapes to the cluttered, ink-stained bedrooms of the protagonists, effectively using the passage of time to portray the arduous, solitary nature of artistic labour.
Look Back closely adapts the original manga, blending coming-of-age drama and artistic reflection. The film’s ambitions align with its subject matter as it explores themes of ambition, admiration, and loss.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: Two schoolgirls bond over their shared love of drawing manga, their creative partnership evolving across years of friendship, distance, loss, and the quiet persistence of artistic purpose.
- Actors: Yuumi Kawai, Mizuki Yoshida.
- Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
- Year: 2024
- Cinematographer: Kazuto Izumita
- Origin: Japanese Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 2.00:1
- Genre: Animation & Family
