Japan’s blockbuster 'Look Back' set for PH release this month

 

The wait is over! The anime adaptation of Look Back, from Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto will have a Philippine release on August 28. Yūmi Kawai (Plan 75) and Mizuki Yoshida (Alice in Borderland) lend their voices to lead characters Fujino and Kyomoto, respectively.

An endearing and tearjerker film on the beauty of friendship that had fans and critics alike raving when it was released in Japan, Look Back is the anime film adaptation of a one-shot manga that tells the story of two small-town girls Fujino and Kyomoto, who are polar opposites of each other. Fujino is overly confident, and in contrast, Kyomoto is a shut-in, but their shared love for drawing manga brings them together. 

The coming-of-age film is animated by Studio Durian, founded by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, who helms Look Back as its director.. Under Oshiyama’s impressive list as an animator are films and series such as The Boy and the Heron, Devilman Crybaby, and Flip Flappers.

The original Look Back manga was critically acclaimed and highly popular in Japan, reaching over 4 million reads within two days of publication. In Japan, the movie adaptation has grossed more than 1 billion yen in less than 20 days.

Screen Rant raves about the film’s quality in animation, direction, and writing in their review. “In many ways, Look Back does an even better job of showing off Tatsuki Fujimoto’s talents than the Chainsaw Man anime did, and it’s already an easy contender for the best anime film of 2024 , if not the best-animated film of 2024, overall,” they write.

But Why Tho puts the emphasis on the emotional depth of Look Back, writing, “While I cried when reading Fujimoto’s original manga, I felt myself weeping even more while watching the Look Back anime.” They go into further detail, ‘The score and the small movements of wind that carry their connection through time and space feel gargantuan even within the small scale of the film. From the four-panel comics being animated to the main story itself, the animation captures whimsy, melancholy, and romance. It’s a unique atmosphere that almost defies explanation, much like Fujimoto’s manga.”

Go on an emotional journey as Look Back opens in Philippine cinemas on Aug. 28. Follow Encore Films PH on Facebook and @encorefilmsph on Instagram for the latest updates.

This article was provided by Encore Films PH.