No action is insignificant.

SPOILER HEAVY REVIEW

This movie truly did surpass my expectations. Being my introduction to Fujimoto's work, I hadn't gone in expecting much. What this movie offered was something special. A distinctive shift in the genre, this movie blends animation and plot seamlessly.

Time & The Little Things In Life
The way that the film has captured the essence of time and wield it so effectively is one thing that I haven't seen to be talked about nearly as much as it should be. After Kyomoto's death is when things start to get interesting. We get thrown into flashbacks, then an "alternate" scenario where Fujino had never gotten Kyomoto to come out of her shell. (By the way, the transition from grown up Fujino slipping the paper in to young Kyomoto getting it was so good)

How does this end up? Kyomoto goes to art school anyways. She ends up in the same scenario leading to her death. However, there is a major change. Since Fujino and Kyomoto never met, Fujino had never had her passion for art be reignited. This causes her to focus on sports, and she eventually becomes a martial artist. This event then leads to her saving Kyomoto's life.

In an unexpected twist, Fujino tells Kyomoto that she is actually planning on starting to draw again. She then tells her to be her assistant, and they basically end up in the same place again. Keep this in mind, as ending up at the same place is prevalent and happens again later.

An interpretation of this is Fujino's method of coping. After Kyomoto's death she imagines a scenario where she had never coerced her to leave her room. The beauty in this is that midway she realizes it would be arrogant of her to think that she was the sole reason of Kyomoto's change. She would've went to pursue her dreams anyways.

In my opinion, I think realizing this is what allows Fujino to move onward. To pick up the pen again.

Parallels Fujino ends up in the same position she's in, but it couldn't be more different.

Visuals
From the effervescent rural landscapes during the still shots to the close-ups of the characters, the movie does it all. Effectively capturing the mood and fine-tuning every scene is an incredibly hard skill to perfect. Fortunately I believe the movie did it well.

Audio

A masterclass in OST. Nothing much to say. Does a phenomenal job in encapsulating the viewers.

The Message

Here is where things get tricky. I think there's multiple ways you can look at it, but I'm going to talk briefly about my own interpretation of the message "Look Back" conveys.

Fujino had to "Look Back" in order to "Move Forward".

"Don't" + "Look Back" + "In Anger"

This has been discussed in forums/threads of the movie, but I still believe it's worth mentioning for anyone that's missed it. In the first scene, there is a book titled "Don't" in Fujino's shelves. Same for the last scene, "In Anger".

You shouldn't dwell in past mistakes. Looking back helps to see the beauty, finding that strength to move forward.

Final Words

Writing this last bit at midnight, been holding back on finishing this because this movie has a lot to unpack when you really get into it. Obviously this review doesn't cover everything, I still feel like I'm missing something but I can't quite put my finger on it. Overall, "Look Back" is a great watch. The length of the film is shorter compared to others, yet the impact it leaves on you is just as heavy. Extremely insightful movie with great animation.