The Look Back anime movie continues to dominate the Japanese box office since its release on June 10, 2024. Now, the head of Studio Ghibli and producer of films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Boy and the Heron, has weighed in on the critically acclaimed anime movie based on the one-shot story by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man.
According to Comic Natalie via Crunchyroll, Toshio Suzuki, the chairman and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, commented on the Look Back animated movie currently playing in Japan. Suzuki said, “For whom is the work for? The answer lies within the film.” While intentionally vague, Suzuki is acknowledging the creator-driven spirit of the film, as Look Back follows two young girls on their journey to become manga artists. Of course, with this being the work of Fujimoto, things are never as straightforward as they may seem.
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Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki Is Among the Many Artists and Creators Praising ‘Look Back’
Suzuki isn’t the only one speaking positively about the Look Back anime movie. Celebrated contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara, whose work has been showcased at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, expressed great praise for the film. “I was so moved by the manga it brought me to tears,” Nara said, “but when I heard the characters’ voices in the anime, with their unique and realistic tones, my heart was moved again and I found myself moved to tears once more.”
Even Fujimoto himself was deeply moved by the animated adaptation of his work by Studio Durian. Kiyotaka Oshiyama, the president and CEO of Studio Durian, was the writer, director and character designer of the Look Back anime movie. After the film was screened at this year’s Anime Expo, Oshiyama was asked if he had any advice for artists who want to work in the industry. “Just draw,” Oshiyama said, referencing a famous line from the film.
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Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back Anime Movie Now Faces Challenges Coming to the U.S.
Although the short length of the Look Back anime movie (estimated to be under 70 minutes) makes it difficult for the film to be distributed theatrically in North America, a representative for the film’s production team said they are “exploring avenues for a wider theatrical distribution” of the film. Recently, Look Back grossed over 1 billion yen at the Japanese box office, an incredible achievement for a film with limited distribution in a short amount of time.
An official English release of the Look Back story by Fujimoto is available via Viz Media and the Manga Plus app. Part 2 of the Chainsaw Man manga continues, while an animated movie based on Part 1 will be released in the future. Season 1 of the Chainsaw Man anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
Chainsaw Man
Following a betrayal, a young man left for dead is reborn as a powerful devil-human hybrid after merging with his pet devil and is soon enlisted into an organization dedicated to hunting devils.
- Author
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Artist
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Release Date
- December 3, 2018
- Chapters
- 127
- Volumes
- 14
- Publisher
- Shueisha, Viz Media
Source: Comic Natalie, Crunchyroll
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