Look Back (2026)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Follows Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi), a popular and outgoing student, and Kyomoto (Aju Makita), a shut-in with severe social anxiety, who bond over their shared love of creating manga. Kyomoto idolises Fujino for her work drawing manga for their elementary school's newspaper, wishing to befriend her, however Fujino initially resents Kyomoto's natural artistic talents. The pair grow close through their shared love, with the work following their bond as they grow into adulthood.
- Actors:
- Ryô Ikeda, Miyu Sasaki, Maho Yamada, Natsuki Deguchi, Kankurô Kudô, Aju Makita, Furi Nanase, Kayo Noro, Rokka Okada, Masaki Suda
- Directors:
- Hirokazu Koreeda
- Producers:
- Koide Daiju
- Writers:
- Tatsuki Fujimoto, Hirokazu Koreeda, Ryoko Taguchi
- Aka:
- Rukku Bakku
- Genres:
- Drama
- Countries:
- Japan
Reviews (1) of Look Back
Drawn Back In - Look Back review by griggs
The anime was my way into Look Back, so the drawings were still fresh in my head when Hirokazu Kore-eda’s live-action version turned up. Happily, it has enough charm to make the return trip worthwhile.
Fujino and Kyomoto bond over drawing, though Fujino spends years privately fuming that Kyomoto is better. Kore-eda lets the scratch of fountain pen nibs do a lot of the talking, and the performances make their partnership feel lived-in, sting of being outdrawn included. The rotoscoped sequence near the end is a smart touch, turning the actors back into drawings.
It held me throughout. After the tragedy, the story branches into a what-if, with Fujino imagining a different path, and that’s where things get sketchier. The grief lands, though I spent part of the payoff working out which timeline I was in.
Worth a watch, and easy to recommend. One lovely visit was enough.