To commemorate the release of the animated film "Look Back" on the 28th, an official interview with the original creator, Tatsuki Fujimoto, has been published.

"Look Back," created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of "Chainsaw Man," is a growth story of two elementary school fourth graders, Fujino and her reclusive classmate Kyomoto, connected through manga. One day, an event shatters everything. This coming-of-age story begins when a four-panel manga drawn by the two is published in the school newspaper and follows their lives through middle and high school.

Published on "Shonen Jump+" on July 19, 2021, as a 143-page long one-shot, it received a tremendous response, with comments such as "He's a genius" and "I'm speechless from the shock," recording over 2.5 million views on the first day. It was ranked number one in the 2022 edition of "This Manga is Amazing!" in the male category and was also nominated for the 2022 Manga Taisho Award.

For the anime adaptation, Kiyotaka Oshiyama, who has worked on numerous major theatrical works such as "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance," "The Secret World of Arrietty," and "The Wind Rises," serves as the director, screenwriter, and character designer. The animation production is handled by Studio Dorian.

—What was the inspiration behind the original work?

Originally, I wanted to create many one-shots, and I always had ideas saved up for things I wanted to draw. "Look Back" was one of them. Although there were other ideas like "Goodbye, Eri," "Look Back" had the most concrete content, so I prioritized drawing it after the first part of "Chainsaw Man."

Regarding the content, I happened to read a book that included a line like "Reconciliation with death can only happen through creation." I thought it was a great line. In the original text, it was just a casual, possibly sarcastic line, but it really struck a chord with me. I realized this theme runs through all my works, including "Chainsaw Man" and "Fire Punch." So, I decided to use it as the central theme.

—It's said that your real-life experiences are reflected in this work. Can you tell us more specifically?

When you have a peer who is incredibly skilled at drawing, you can't help but be very conscious of it. When I was in middle school, illustration submission sites had an age field, so I made a list of talented peers. I wondered, "How did they get so good at this age?"

I contacted some artists I found on those sites and asked, "What reference books do you use?" Some of them were very kind and told me about art high schools. I remember thinking, "That's unfair! There's no such school near me!" I was really jealous and wished I could have attended an art high school too.

—How did the world of animation created by Director Oshiyama appear to you?

I felt Director Oshiyama's tremendous passion and thought, "This person is putting their life into this!" And I was frustrated that his drawings were better than mine, even though I was the original creator (laughs).

There were many things that made me think, "I couldn't have done this." For example, when Fujino comes to Kyomoto's room, the colors of the tiles where the four-panel manga falls are all different. I was like, "Wow!" The dynamic perspective of Kyomoto's arm being pulled by Fujino during their outing to the city also impressed me. Moreover, the countryside scenes were just like my hometown, with incredible attention to detail. I was moved by the craftsmanship in areas that only I might notice.

—What did you think of the voices of Yumi Kawai and Mizuki Yoshida?

Both of them were great! They had a subdued, calm atmosphere like in Studio Ghibli films, yet maintained an anime-like charm. I think their voices will be widely accepted by the public.

—There's a line, "Fujino-chan, why do you draw?" Do you have a reason for drawing?

In my early twenties, I drew to pay off student loans, and after that, because it's fun!

—A message to the audience looking forward to the film:

I hope the director's talent and passion come across! I'm also looking forward to it as a member of the audience!

Source : ORICON NEWS