<Look Back>

Please, Look Back!

I just watched <Look Back>:) and looked through Kyoto Animation Arson Terror, both of which made me horrified. When the terrorist appears in front of Kyomoto, I felt a pure horror. 

Since I kept in mind the Kyo-ani terror, <Look Back> came to me with much more significance than when I first read the manga. I could tell Fujimoto’s intentions in each shot, scene and the title. Now I do understand what you intended to mean by “responsibility and urgency as a creator”. 

I thought the title “Look Back” means a lot in the movie. Maybe Fujimoto wanted to say “Look back” to this art industry, where most of artists and production chase for success without looking back. This situation can resonate with the structure, that you mentioned  as, “winners and losers are constantly divided” And each scene and shot was well structured and organized to magnify the significance of “Looking back” in this society. 

Fujino, the main character is described to look only forward when she drew manga. So, in the screen, Fujimoto’s only seen in her back to audiences. But As she gets along with Kyomoto she starts to look back without even knowing it. I don’t really want to get involved in the perpetrators’ personal history. But it’s also true that such art industry’s tendency makes lots of losers with inferiority. Fujino disregarded Kyomoto for that she could only draw the background. And that Fujino is killed by another looser which might have been left behind by the industry or society. So for Fujino, ‘Look Back’ was really important and Fujino’s looking back scenes are lot more described in the last half of the movie.

Like you mentioned, it’s true that Fujino seek for other’s recognition. But I also think in the end, the movie also shows that she finally realizes that working with Kyomoto itself was the reason she kept drawing manga. This montage made me feel really moved. I thought the movie also gave a hint of joy of art in that way.