A Review of Look Back and How It Reflects on Fujimoto as an Artist.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
I was very excited upon hearing that Tatsuki Fujimoto was creating another one-shot. He shines at these, I've read almost every single one I could find, and since I've read both Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man, I have a good grasp on how he writes and draws. Even with all of that knowledge before reading it, I was absolutely blown away. I know Fujimoto is not new to making more grounded stories (Imouto no Ane is an example), but this felt so thorough and personal to Fujimoto himself as a manga artist. From the self-insert main characters, (FUJI)no and Kyo(MOTO), Spoiler, click to view
the way they started with one-shots, Fujino's series titled "Shark Kick" (with nods to both Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man),
PLOT
The plot is straightforward and simple to grasp, it revolves around the life of 2 manga artists, Fujino and Kyomoto, and details their journey together as artists since middle school all the way until adulthood. The main focus is to show how life is like as a manga artist, all the good and bad that comes with it. The jealousy, the helplessness, the times where you spend all day with your back hunched, the times where you try to find shortcuts to get better, and all the success that follows the hard work. It's a tragic tale that shows the ups and downs of being an artist, based on Fujimoto's experience.
CHARACTERS
As mentioned before, Fujino and Kyomoto are like the 2 halves of Fujimoto. In Fujimoto's interviews, he mentions about how he was a NEET and would spend all day in his room, this is reflected in Kyomoto's personality. Fujino on the other hand, expresses the jealousy of an artist, as Fujimoto expressed in a interview with Samura, he felt as though some artists were "cheating" to be so good, as if they got to redo their lives, another moment is when he jokingly stated that he would kill the old folks at his local art school if he couldn't get better than them. These 2 characters also play off each other very well, and have an interesting dynamic together.
ART
Look Back is UNDOUBTEDLY peak Fujimoto when it comes to art. Absolutely phenomenal linework and paneling. The spreads and facial expressions are so vibrant, eccentric, and clear, it's a joy to read through. The way the paneling shows off the passage of time, similar to that of a montage, is nothing short of engaging. It creates sequences where you can tell how hard these characters worked to get to where they were, doing the the same things, in the same position, every day.
FINAL (SPOILERY) THOUGHTS
Spoiler, click to view
The finale of Look Back involving Kyomoto's death and how Fujino deals with it is a powerful scene. The initial sense of shock and survivor's guilt kicking in could not be more accurate. The way Fujino fantasizes about how everything would've been fine if they never met, but it doesn't stop there, the fantasy extends to Fujino beating the killer; you can sense the frustration in Fujino by judging the fact that she even had that line of thought. The ending shows how Fujino keeps on drawing her manga after seeing the positive feedback about it and how people are waiting, she complains about the process and how tedious it is, but she keeps on going and when asked why, there's no answer. I can see how this can be seen as negative, how Fujimoto might be continuing CSM Part 2 due to the happiness of fans only and not out of personal enjoyment. However, I have an optimistic outlook regarding it. Fujino from the beginning has shown to be at her happiest when she is praised because of her art, the praise of others is what makes her happy, what keeps her drawing, and that is why she continues her series; the happiness of her fans is tied to her own happiness. I think when looking at it this way, Fujimoto is telling us that he's not going anywhere.
Don't Look Back in Anger~~~~~~ 
