Adult Animation Revolution: ‘Look Back’ Celebrates The Art of Drawing
by Tito W. James
Look Back is an anime feature film directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Flip Flappers) and based on the one-shot manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man). Look Back follows two girls — the overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto — who bond over their mutual love of drawing. The film celebrates the personal act of drawing and explores what compels the characters to be artists.
Look Back is a thought-provoking film, especially in the current cultural landscape where art is being devalued in favor of technological efficiency. We also get a peak inside Fujimoto’s head, as each of the two girls embody an aspect of himself– the ambitious rebel and the sensitive painter. In typical Fujimoto fashion, not all is as it first appears and audiences can expect to laugh and cry in equal measure. Oshiyama and the animation team created a solid and enduring adaptation that’s sure to speak to the artist in each of us.
Look Back is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
