A poignant coming-of-age tale, Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back has brought on the waterworks not once, but twice — first as a one-shot manga, then as an animated feature from Studio Durian. Get ready for a third time, as acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, Monster) is bringing it to the silver screen in live-action form this September.
Highlighting iconic moments from the source material, a new trailer for the film revealed that Natsuki Deguchi, best known for playing Sumire in The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, will play Fujino, while Aju Makita (House of Ninjas) steps into the role of Kyomoto. Joining the leading pair are Furi Nanase and Aju Makita, who portray the younger versions of the characters, respectively.
The adaptation also marks a reunion between Deguchi, Makita, and Kore-eda, following the Palme d’Or winner’s directing stint on The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House. Alongside a release date of 11 September in Japan, two teaser visuals featuring the protagonists were unveiled as well:
“Fujino, a young girl with complete confidence in her talent for drawing manga, and Kyomoto, a reclusive classmate whose artistic ability far surpasses her own, are brought together by their shared passion for creating manga,” reads the synopsis for Look Back. “As in the original work, the film follows the thirteen-year journey of the two characters from their elementary school days onward, portraying it with remarkable sensitivity and a vivid sense of youth.”
The pic is currently in production, with Kore-eda pulling additional duties as scriptwriter and editor. Daiju Koide, producer of Shin Kamen Rider, is producing, and Kensei Nakayama serves as assistant director. Other staff credits include Senzo Ueno as director of photography, Yuta Bandoh (Belle, Kaiju No. 8) as composer, and Shinsuke Kojima as art director.
Originally published on Shonen Jump+ in 2021, Look Back garnered significant attention upon release and has sold more than 750,000 copies internationally. Oshitama Kiyotaka directed the animated film adaptation, which grossed US$12.8 million during its theatrical run before being acquired by Amazon for streaming on Prime Video.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Joey Leong
