Look Back
A heart-wrenching single-volume story about the struggles of being an artist, from the creator of Chainsaw Man.
The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.
The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.
The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.
The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.
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Community Reviews
You know when you’re reading something and you can feel in your blood that it’s going to be one of your favorite things? I had that sensation quite a few times reading Look Back. Here’s a book that tells the bond of two girls — two artists — and like every work I’ve seen from Fujimoto, it uses humor to coat an otherwise thoughtful, sad journey.
Over the course of 140 pages, this manga moved me to my core, made me laugh, and ripped my heart out. Through its short length, it leaves a lot open to interpretation.
I think what’s most thought-provoking in the manga is the depiction of the character Fujino’s art: it’s very juvenile with a crude art style matched with cruder humor. This is contrasted against the character Kyomoto’s art, which is deep and reflective, the detail mesmerizing in its realism.
Considering Fujino’s name being so close to Fujimoto and their matching sense of humor (not to mention, Fujino’s manga ‘Shark Kick’ seeming to be a direct parody of Fujimoto’s own ‘Fire Punch’), I could not help but interpret this one-shot as Fujimoto lamenting what he perceives to be the lack of realism or sincerity in his works. Fujino makes art, but she seems only satisfied because of people’s reaction to her art, not the art itself. Kyomoto, by contrast, finds the art to be intrinsically valuable. It is Kyomoto’s authenticity that Fujino is jealous of but can never achieve herself. Is Fujimoto self-conscious about himself? Does he see himself as a clown, someone who produces art only to appease others? Can he only gaze at sincerity and not summon it himself?
If this is a concern Fujimoto has, I think the emotional impact of this manga, not to mention the many sad moments sprinkled throughout Chainsaw Man, prove him wrong. He is capable of sincerity. He is capable of authenticity. For every dumb gag in Chainsaw Man of Denji being stupid, there’s a moment portraying growth and maturity. There’s beauty and truth in even the silliest moments of Fujimoto’s works. Fujimoto so effortlessly seems to capture youthful bliss and the maturity that follows more than any author I’ve experienced. If he is self-hating, then that is a shame. He is clearly more than a clown and a meme joke dispenser.
Look Back is short but summons lots of reflection of the reader. The sense of movement is so definite. There is a cinematic language being communicated through the page. I was engrossed from start to finish and continue to be after reading.
Over the course of 140 pages, this manga moved me to my core, made me laugh, and ripped my heart out. Through its short length, it leaves a lot open to interpretation.
I think what’s most thought-provoking in the manga is the depiction of the character Fujino’s art: it’s very juvenile with a crude art style matched with cruder humor. This is contrasted against the character Kyomoto’s art, which is deep and reflective, the detail mesmerizing in its realism.
Considering Fujino’s name being so close to Fujimoto and their matching sense of humor (not to mention, Fujino’s manga ‘Shark Kick’ seeming to be a direct parody of Fujimoto’s own ‘Fire Punch’), I could not help but interpret this one-shot as Fujimoto lamenting what he perceives to be the lack of realism or sincerity in his works. Fujino makes art, but she seems only satisfied because of people’s reaction to her art, not the art itself. Kyomoto, by contrast, finds the art to be intrinsically valuable. It is Kyomoto’s authenticity that Fujino is jealous of but can never achieve herself. Is Fujimoto self-conscious about himself? Does he see himself as a clown, someone who produces art only to appease others? Can he only gaze at sincerity and not summon it himself?
If this is a concern Fujimoto has, I think the emotional impact of this manga, not to mention the many sad moments sprinkled throughout Chainsaw Man, prove him wrong. He is capable of sincerity. He is capable of authenticity. For every dumb gag in Chainsaw Man of Denji being stupid, there’s a moment portraying growth and maturity. There’s beauty and truth in even the silliest moments of Fujimoto’s works. Fujimoto so effortlessly seems to capture youthful bliss and the maturity that follows more than any author I’ve experienced. If he is self-hating, then that is a shame. He is clearly more than a clown and a meme joke dispenser.
Look Back is short but summons lots of reflection of the reader. The sense of movement is so definite. There is a cinematic language being communicated through the page. I was engrossed from start to finish and continue to be after reading.
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