Pros:
Look Back was well animated. My favorite visual choice was how the progression of time was shown by having the seasons change in the background of shots. It made it clear and yet subtle, where it takes a couple seconds to register it. I also enjoyed how the montage
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of Fujino and Kyomoto hanging out was used to represent their diverging paths. During the montage the two are doing things together and holding hands. It is only when their hands separate that Kyomoto let's Fujino know about her plans to go to college. It's also worth noting that Fujino is leading Kyomoto during the montage, just like she's taking the lead in their future's. She wanted to go ahead to serialization, while Kyomoto wanted to go to college first.Based on what I'd heard about the movie, I was expecting
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something sad to happen, like one of the characters dying. I wasn't expecting something as sudden like a maniac attacking the college though. Aside from the shocking reveal, the scene in the second timeline portrays the event well. It uses narration akin to a police report, which creates a sense of dread, as you know exactly what is going to happen. At least, that is what you think, until the events play out differently.Look Back portrays some good messages like being proud of what you've accomplished and finding a good work/life balance.
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At first Fujino is proud of her comics, but then grows to resent Kyomoto because she's better than her. She's negatively comparing their works, putting herself down. That is until Kyomoto shows her that her own work has merit as well. Another good message is about finding a work/llife balance. Fujino becomes consumed by trying to be better than Kyomoto and abandons everything else in pursuit of that goal. She stops hanging out with her friends and family and her grades start to suffer as well. That's not to say having a rival is a bad thing, having someone to bounce off of and compete against, keeps you striving to do better. The key is to do it in moderation, it's always possible to do too much of something good.Neutral:
Look Back's ending also ties into its main theme of being proud of what you've done.
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At first Fujino is distraught about how she indirectly caused Kyomoto's death, but she is brought out of it by Kyomoto's comic strip. Which is a parallel to how Kyomoto brought Fujino out of her self-doubt earlier in the movie. She once again realizes how Kyomoto appreciates her work and that she would want her to continue her manga. The only downside is that it wasn't immediately obvious that this was the case. At first glance I thought that the comic strip would only make Fujino's mood worse, due to getting confirmation that Kyomoto would still be alive if she had taken a difference course of action.I do wish we got an explanation as to how
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the supernatural aspects of Kyomoto's door work. It feels out of place in what is otherwise a very grounded movie.
