[TF Cine Review] 'Look Back', The Resonance of the Original Work Blossoming with a Beautiful Gaze

A live-action film based on the manga of the same name by Tatsuki FujimotoA story of friendship, separation, and moving forward despite it all"Look Back," opening on the 8th, is a work that depicts the beautiful friendship of two girls connected by their passion for drawing. /Megabox JoongAng(주)[Reporter Park Ji-yoon] I encountered the live-action film "Look Back" without having seen the original manga or animation. As I followed the beautiful scenery and delicate visuals, I found myself slowly drawn into the two girls as they expanded each other's worlds. Their journey, as they grow together and face an unexpected separation, then move forward while carrying the pain of loss, makes one feel why this story has been loved for so long.The film "Look Back" (directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda), opening today (the 8th), is a work that depicts the beautiful friendship of two girls connected by their passion for drawing, and is based on the manga of the same name by the genius Japanese manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto."Look Back," which was previously adapted into an animation and grossed 2.04 billion yen worldwide, now meets audiences once again as a live-action film. The work unfolds the process of Fujino (played by Nanase Furi), who serializes four-panel comics in the elementary school newspaper and is confident in her drawing skills, feeling inferiority after encountering the manga of her classmate Kyomoto (played by Okada Luka), who is absent from school, and dedicating herself to improving her drawing skills."Look Back" is based on the manga of the same name by the genius Japanese manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto, and was adapted into an animation last year, grossing 2.04 billion yen worldwide. /Megabox JoongAng(주)However, Fujino eventually quits drawing as the gap in skill between herself and Kyomoto fails to narrow. Time passes, and at the request of a teacher, she visits Kyomoto's house to deliver her graduation certificate, only to discover for the first time that her friend, who admired her but was afraid to venture out into the world, had been confined to her room.Fujino, who gets along well with friends and goes out often, and Kyomoto, who is isolated from the world and stays in her room, influence each other while working on manga together, each focusing on what they do best. Thus, the two build precious memories and grow, but Kyomoto, wanting to study art more professionally, goes to art school, while Fujino enters society, and they each walk their own paths.Then, one day, a tragic event occurs to Kyomoto, and Fujino begins to attach "what ifs" to all her actions, imagining different endings, and falls into deep loss and guilt. After briefly looking back, she accepts reality and moves forward again, cherishing the time spent with Kyomoto and the meaning of that encounter in her life.The story, centered around two budding girls, deals with innate talent and the effort to catch up, the admiration for someone, and an irreplaceable friendship.Director Hirokazu Kore-eda vividly portrays the friendship of the two girls with beautiful visuals and child and adult actors who boast an astonishing resemblance. /Megabox JoongAng(주)It explores how meeting someone can change a person's life, and it delves into the passion for one's favorite work through efforts that surpass mere jealousy of innate talent, easily handling the complex emotions that everyone has likely felt at some point in their lives.And it is director Hirokazu Kore-eda who beautifully captures this with his unique sensibility. Filming on location for a year in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture, the hometown of original author Tatsuki Fujimoto, he delicately portrays the emotional lines of Fujino and Kyomoto, which are all the more brilliant because they represent the unrepeatable time of youth, with an analog sensibility. In particular, he captures the changes of the four seasons, which seem to breathe with life, quickly and vividly, completing the protagonists' brilliant yet poignant moments with a heightened sense of immersion.Furthermore, the child and adult actors who play Fujino and Kyomoto convey the characters' various emotions in detail through subtle facial expressions and deep gazes. They also boast an astonishing resemblance, naturally depicting the passage of 13 years and the changes in their relationship.Although the meaning of the title was not easily discernible at first glance, after watching the film, the meaning embedded in the title naturally resonates with the audience. "Look Back," which leaves a lasting, gentle impression even after the end credits roll, is rated for all audiences and has a running time of 100 minutes.jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]