Look Back: follow your passions and watch animated films
By Julia Kelm
Look Back, by Tatsuki Fujimoto, is a 2024 animated film adapted from a web manga by the same name. The film is a coming-of-age story, observing Ayumu Fujino, a young, ambitious — and perhaps a tad vain — elementary school student.
I technically watched this film for the first time a while ago, a few weeks before the Oscars — which was totally snubbed in the best of animation and foreign film categories, by the way. It struck a chord with me then, and I felt compelled to write about it for a few reasons.
One reason is that the story of this film is an important and relatable one — not just to artists or writers, but to anyone who is devoted to achieving a goal and pursuing their passions. I thought, “Well, that sounds like a lot of college students I know — why not write about it for a school publication?”
The second reason is that I think animation is a medium looked down upon too often. Shining light on a film that a lot of people might have missed last year — a short, digestible one at that — would be a good place to start when it comes to the nay-sayers of anime and animation.
Keep in mind that this film is an anime, so you do have the choice of watching it subtitled or voice-dubbed in English. Some would say watching anime subbed is the only — and best — way to go because it’s usually considered that the original voice acting performance is better. However, I personally prefer dubbed performances because I just catch more — so I say, to each their own. Just don’t tell the anime purists.
The plot of the film follows Fujino, a talented manga artist who draws cartoons for her school paper. She is greatly praised by her classmates, friends and teachers who read her work. One day, her teacher asks if Fujino can give one of her strips to another student, Kyomoto.
Kyomoto has extreme anxiety and hardly ever shows up to school because of it. Fujino is reluctant to give her a spot, but eventually gives in.
To Fujino’s surprise, in the next issue of the school newspaper, she discovers that Kyomoto is an amazing artist — and a much better artist than herself at that.
In retaliation, Fujino throws herself into her work, forcing herself to improve her art, even if it means alienating her friends and family to get better.
Fujino tries relentlessly to get better, but eventually gives up altogether. It’s not until much later that she comes face-to-face with Kyomoto, the person who simultaneously is the reason Fujino worked harder than ever before, and why she gave up on her talent.
However, to her surprise, Kyomoto admits to Fujino that she’s her biggest fan and was the reason she started putting her drawings into the paper in the first place.
This film continues to show how these girls grow and adapt, turning into the people they want — and need — to be. Their lives intertwine like some sort of predetermined destiny.
Fujino and Kyomoto’s relationship is the heart of this film. As the story continues, you get the impression that they both have this drive to be the very best at what they do, though they can’t quite get there without one another.
Talent and passion can only get you so far in the world. If you don’t have someone encouraging you during the bad days, it’s a lot easier to give up.
While this movie does take a violent turn in the last half, which adds a sad layer to the film. I find that the twist drives home this idea of the girls’ connectedness and makes the viewer contemplate the choices they’ve made in order to be where they are today.
So, if you have a little extra free time this week, maybe between eating lunch in The Depot, walking to class or procrastinating on that assignment that was due yesterday, I highly recommend Look Back. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime and will only take an hour of your time.
Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”