Coming hot off the heels of Chainsaw Man Part 1, Tatsuki Fujimoto's "Look Back" offers a deeply introspective and thought-provoking look into the mind of the artist himself - a self-reflection on his journey to becoming a successful manga artist, from creating short stories as a kid to writing one of Jump's latest big hits. This semi-auto-biopic introduces us to Fujino and Kyomoto, two talented and passionate girls who expertly represent the internal ideological debate regarding the very essence of creating art and pursuing goals. Simultaneously, the film tells an emotional tale of the bond between these young artists - although going into detail would involve major spoilers, due to the multitude of heart-shattering twists and turns in just 60 short minutes of runtime.
As a story about art and passion, it is only natural that the film's production would mirror these qualities expertly - Kiyotaka Oshiyama is perhaps one of the most interesting and unique creators in Japan's animation industry, and, so far, this is certainly his magnum-opus. With a relatively small team, he has managed to craft one of the most visually appealing pieces of animation I've ever seen - single-handedly producing, directing, screenwriting, designing, storyboarding, supervising and animating absurd portions of the film. It is safe to say that Oshiyama's career path ought to reach heights unheard of by any mortal man. Breathtaking work, and truly inkeeping with the message of Fujimoto's masterfully written story.
(bonus point - Haruka Nakamura's soundtrack is amazing, especially the main theme "Light song").
Look Back perhaps may not become a mainstream hit, but will certainly be remembered by those who watched it as a heartfelt, emotional, beautifully-crafted film with an incredible attention to detail.
10/10, without a doubt. This is the type of film that changes lives.