Look Back

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1:30

Look Back

2024,

1h 15m,

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller/

Anime

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26 Reviews

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Popcornmeter

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26 Reviews

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Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing. Based on the acclaimed manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of "Chainsaw Man", Look Back captures the highs and lows of pursuing artistic excellence and the special bonds formed through creative collaboration. The heart-wrenching story is the stunning feature-length directorial debut from Kiyotaka Oshiyama that will leave you in tears and inspire you to chase your own artistic dreams.

Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Nov 12, 2024

5/5

There’s a haiku-like purity to it: Look Back is as neat and yet also as overflowing as the four-panel strips in which its leads once diligently honed their craft.

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Oct 17, 2024

3.5/5

The heady buzz of creation. The stillness of grief. The heart-expanding-five-times-its-size joy of a perfect day with a friend. It’s all there. I just wanted more of it.

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Elijah Gonzalez

AV Club

Oct 3, 2024

A-

Look Back exudes love for its source material, this medium, and the very act of creation in every frame. It’s crushing and visually vibrant in equal measure, so much so that it may even help AI art freaks inch back a bit closer to the light.

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Lexi Amoriello

Movie Recs by Lex

Jul 11, 2026

Not only does it have so much to say about art, but it’s also such a necessary reminder to look back on the positives instead of constantly beating yourself up and wondering what if you had done things differently.

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Matt Schley

Japan Times

Jan 23, 2025

4/5

It’s a touching story that’s also a pleasure to look at thanks to director Oshiyama’s springy, supple use of animation.

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Liam Maguren

Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)

Jan 15, 2025

As the credits roll over a beautifully composed shot that mirrors the panels of a manga strip, there’s a sombre but satisfying sense that nothing else needs to be said. Not a minute more needed from this hour-long experience.

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Kiyotaka Oshiyama

Director

Yumi Kawai

Fujino

Mizuki Yoshida

Kyomoto

Kiyotaka Oshiyama

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing. Based on the acclaimed manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of "Chainsaw Man", Look Back captures the highs and lows of pursuing artistic excellence and the special bonds formed through creative collaboration. The heart-wrenching story is the stunning feature-length directorial debut from Kiyotaka Oshiyama that will leave you in tears and inspire you to chase your own artistic dreams.

Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
Screenwriter: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
Distributor: GKIDS
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 4, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2024
Runtime: 1h 15m

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