Why watch?

Two girls drawing manga together in school, and then the film rewinds to show how it all started — except the ending hits you first and ruins everything afterward. Kiyotaka Oshiyama packed an entire emotional arc into 58 minutes. The animation looks natural and lived-in, not stylized — just teenagers being teenagers. If you've ever had a friendship that changed shape because you both grew up, this one lands different.

Who is it for?

Best as an evening watch on your own, especially if you like something intimate and emotional. If you're into anime like Your Name or A Silent Voice, this is exactly your speed — same kind of drama, but about two artist friends. It's only 58 minutes so you can start it without committing to a long sit, and it keeps the emotional pull the whole way through. Fine for teens and adults, no graphic content, but you'll want some quiet time after it ends.

Similar titles

If Look Back grabbed you with how animation captures quiet emotion between two characters through their smallest gestures, check out A Whisker Away or Night is Short, Walk on Girl — both build their whole drama from subtle expressions and movements, barely needing dialogue. Flavors of Youth does something similar: it lives in the space between two people and trusts animation to say more than words ever could.

  • A Whisker AwayA Whisker Away (2020)
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Plakat — Look Back

Look Back

ルックバック

2024 · 58min8.012
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⚠ Availability may change. Data provided by JustWatch via TMDB.

Classic overview

Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.

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Two fourth-grade girls bond over manga — Fujino publishes her four-panel comics in the school newspaper, and the quiet Kyoumoto wants to share her own work. Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama animates their creative partnership with such tenderness that you feel the weight of every shared moment and private conversation. The art style shifts and breathes with their emotions, sometimes playful and sketchy, sometimes raw and painful. If you connected with A Silent Voice or Your Name, this 58-minute film hits that same nerve about growing up and the people who change you.

Why watch?

Two girls drawing manga together in school, and then the film rewinds to show how it all started — except the ending hits you first and ruins everything afterward. Kiyotaka Oshiyam…

Who is it for?

Best as an evening watch on your own, especially if you like something intimate and emotional. If you're into anime like Your Name or A Silent Voice, this is exactly your speed — s…

Similar titles

If Look Back grabbed you with how animation captures quiet emotion between two characters through their smallest gestures, check out A Whisker Away or Night is Short, Walk on Girl…

Cast

Creators

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