By Joanna Orland
Adapted from creator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot manga, Look Back is a story of friendship, regret, and the power of art. Previously adapted as an anime feature by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, Look Back has now been made into a live-action film by auteur Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is a perfect fit for the material.
Reminiscent of some of Kore-eda’s older work, Look Back is sweet, sentimental, and sad. We first meet a young Fujino (Furi Nanase) in fourth grade, where she is admired by her classmates for the comics she makes for the school newspaper. She’s asked to share the column with Kyomoto (Rokka Okada), a reclusive classmate who refuses to attend school. When Fujino and Kyomoto meet, the latter expresses her admiration for the former, and the two rivals form a deep and lasting friendship, centred around their mutual love of creating manga.
‘Look Back’ Is a Story of Friendship and Regret
Look Back follows Fujino and Kyomoto’s enduring friendship throughout their youth. Later recast with older actresses, their aging is beautifully seamless. The Fujino actresses in particular share an uncanny resemblance both physically and in their rapport with Kyomoto.
Older Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi) and Kyomoto (Aju Makita) spend their time together drawing manga in Fujino’s bedroom, working to create their masterpiece. They also frolic in fields, enjoy the outdoors, play together, and eat together – Fujino becomes instrumental in helping Kyomoto emerge from her bedroom into the outside world.
The two girls are well-developed characters, but it’s their friendship that is the film’s fully realized vision. As seamlessly as the characters themselves age, their friendship feels natural and touching as it unfolds. Their bond runs deep as their mutual passion for drawing means many hours together locked away in Fujino’s bedroom, with the common goal of creating a manga.
The bond of youthful friendship is a poignant story, but Look Back is also a tale of regret. Without spoiling too much, Kyomoto and Fujino have a pivotal turning point in their friendship, which leaves Fujino pondering what would have happened had she done things differently. The way this moment is handled by Kore-eda is a bit jarring at first, but ultimately pays off with a tender portrayal.
‘Look Back’ Honors Artists and the Art They Make
An ode to manga and anime, Look Back explores the power art has to heal and bond us. As much as Fujino inspires Kyomoto to rejoin the world, it’s her passion for art that allows her to fully reintegrate. A key moment in her life is finding a book on the art of Studio Ghibli, which fuels her passion further and gives her the desire to become a better artist.
In addition to honouring manga, Look Back pays a significant homage to Studio Ghibli. Not only does it use the art of Ghibli as a catalyst, but the film itself almost feels like a live-action anime film. It’s possibly more similar to some of Mamoru Hosoda’s films than Hayao Miyazaki’s, but the influence is overtly there.
The love letter to art seems to stop short at digitization and commercialization. As Fujino and Kyomoto painstakingly hand-draw their manga, you can see the connection between them and their work – even in the noises they make that coincide with drawing their shading. When they later move to digital drawing, there is less passion in the process.
Fujino moves from the bedroom to an office, with a team rather than just her best friend. There is something much more sterile and clinical about the commercialization of her work, even in the aspect of creating it. Her editor acknowledges that realizing your dreams means they’re not yours anymore, as professionalism can lessen the passion for art.
Hirokazu Kore-Eda Is a Masterful Filmmaker
The camerawork pays close attention to detail as it lingers on the artmaking process, immersing the viewer in the visuals and their creation. The landscapes are filmed lusciously on 35mm, as beautiful as the art drawn by Fujino and Kyomoto. Lush fields of green grass sway in the breeze, cherry blossoms of spring are pink and ripe, golden autumnal colours fill the leaves, and crisp white snow blankets the ground in winter – everything is picture perfect as the passage of time poetically represents the two girls growing up.
Look Back feels like a Kore-eda classic, reminiscent of some of his older films. The way he gets the best out of his young actors and focuses on their relationships is central to much of his iconic work. The tone and pace are gentle and thoughtful, leaving a lot of room for the viewer to digest the imagery on screen and the quiet comfort of Fujino and Kyomoto’s dynamic.
A gentle and sentimental film, Look Back is an ode to the power of friendship and art. Kore-eda is once again doing what he does best — exploring human connection in a beautiful and tender way.
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Look Back
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring Natsuki Deguchi, Aju Makita, Furi Nanase, and Rokka Okada
Reviewed at TIFF 2026
