3 years ago the "LOOK BACK" one-shot was published and brought an entirely new dimension to Tatsuki Fujimoto's works. This year, it received an adaptation and just as how the manga was carefully crafted, so was the film tenderly pieced. My thoughts on this delicately panelled one-shot come to greater life:

At the core of the story are two individuals Fujino and Kyoumoto who constantly bounced off and motivated each other to new, unprecedented heights. Whilst greatly differing in personality and circumstances, they shared one thing in common: they enjoy drawing. However, the journey they had together was not all so sweet. After all the partnership was built on the bitterness and jealousy(in Kyoumoto's case - admiration) manifested in the four panelled manga from Fujino to Kyoumoto.

That same manga that started it also presumably ended it. So what exactly happened?

The idea of looking back can take form in ruminating or reminiscence. Remembering the past: those fun times, the bad ones, and those regrets. It was no different in Fujinos case as her experiences are all encapsulated in these memories. Was it her fault for the tragic events that unfolded? Was it that very manga which brought about another's misfortune? Absolutely not. It did not stop Kyoumoto from coming out in pursuit of her personal growth and development. This is a testament to the artistic drives influence that made Kyoumoto want to improve her art.
-Fujino held onto her regret, took a look back, and remembered why she draws-
It was no different for her. Regardless of her path in life, the struggles she experienced, she never stopped drawing manga. So why did they draw? Perhaps, in certain interpretation, they did it for each other because of each other.

The story quite literally illustrates the intangible yet profound interconnectedness between people through art. It is a commemorative work and message for those in the artistic spaces- exhibited in the collaborative natures, the emotional struggles, and endeavours. A tribute to the KyoAni incident (having been published on the day after the 2nd anniversary of the arson): how the artistic flare drove them forward and how the victims efforts will be remembered in the artistic legacy they left. To those that it empathises with, "LOOK BACK" alarms one of the implications in stepping onto this thorny road but it also reminds one of the reasons they stepped forward in the first place.

Ultimately, "LOOK BACK" is an emotionally poignant and visually spectacular cinematic display of the connectivity of art. It is a bittersweet tale of passion, friendship, and regret. Most crucially, it reminds one: "Why do you draw?"

Look back...then Look Forward