Actors Yuumi Kawai and Mizuki Yoshida, along with director Kiyotaka Oshiyama, attended a stage greeting event for the film "Look Back" at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo on November 2.

"Look Back," created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of "Chainsaw Man," is a coming-of-age story about two fourth graders, Fujino and Kyomoto, who connect through manga. One day, a life-changing event shatters their world. The story begins when a four-panel manga they created gets published in the school newspaper, and it follows their journey through middle school and high school.

For both Kawai and Yoshida, this project marked their first time as voice actors. Director Oshiyama explained his reason for casting them after their auditions: "Both of their voices exceeded my expectations. With Kawai, just the first word on her tape made me think, 'She's really good.' Her portrayal of Fujino was full of a charming, rebellious presence. Yoshida, on the other hand, sounded quite unsure of herself. I don't know if that’s true about her, but her voice had an awkwardness to it, which I felt was perfect for Kyomoto's character." He added, "That's why I chose them."

During the voice recording sessions, Kawai said, "I don't know how professional voice actors usually do it, but when Mitsuki and I were in the booth, we took turns voicing in sequence." She added, "Since the mic was in front of us, I couldn't see Mizuki's face, but the determination she conveyed through her back view—her working so hard—gave me a lot of courage."

Yoshida, on the other hand, spoke highly of Kawai, saying, "I'm sure Yumi had many things she didn't know either, but she had so many techniques at her disposal. Her ability to respond vocally to direction was amazing." She continued, "She might come across as skillful, like Fujino—who seems confident and capable at times—and I felt a sense of fate in how those traits connected as I portrayed Kyomoto."

Source : ORICON NEWS