art and love are unglamorous

i believe the best part of life is loving others— seeing people manifest themselves in ways so raw and real. look back captures that experience. it’s raw. it’s emotional. it’s human. it made me remember what a joy it is to have the ability to love.

the story has layers— everyone will walk away with something different. and the visual direction? absolutely stunning. the background details, the scratchy lines, the sound design— everything works together to tell a story that feels intimate and lived-in. every frame feels hand touched.

i especially loved the thoughtful direction, particularly the use of long, quiet scenes like where fujino just skips down the street after learning that kyomoto is a big fan of her work. many works would have cut this because, well, it’s a silent scene of a repetitive action; however, this is deliberately done to draw out fujino’s emotions, her ego. i got so much secondhand joy from just watching her skip.

the bond between fujino and kyomoto is everything to me as their connection transforms both their art and their lives. sharing something as personal as art can shape and elevate both individuals involved. of course, this work is very personal to the mangaka, fujimoto. i can’t help but see kyomoto as a rendition of fujimoto’s creative side that was pushed aside as he grew into his role as a professional mangaka.

the film feels incredibly personal. art is so unglamorous and impractical, especially in our world, yet it’s the most important thing we can do. art is how we process chaos. it’s what connects us to each other. even when life is messy and uncertain, art gives us a way to hold it all.

look back made me… well, look back (lol) on why i create. why i care. why i’m constantly drawn to other people’s stories. and why i want to keep telling mine.

if you love to make things or love watching other people make things, you should absolutely 10000% watch this movie.