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Look Back movie reaction

Is this that new Chainsaw Man movie I've been hearing about?

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I don't plan on publishing this to YouTube ever but figured I'd make a shorter version and host it there anyway:

https://youtu.be/EJUSa-Vyoa8

Comments

I knew I'd seen that explosion scene before!

Josh Bowers

@Goodwin Kyoto Animation has solved the problem of balancing life and work in the animation industry by adhering to ethical labor practices. The studio has been able to maintain its output and quality while becoming one of the most popular, influential, and critically acclaimed in Japan. The solution to the work-life balance problem in the animation industry may be to mirror whatever Kyoto Animation is doing.

Jasmine Tea Enjoyer

yes. the kyoto animation arson attack is the explicit inspiration for this story and film.

Jasmine Tea Enjoyer

"I hope this wasn't too personal for the author" It was... RIP to the 36 Kyoto Animation employees who lost there lives in the 2019 arson attack.

Jasmine Tea Enjoyer

Thank you for this! One day we will get the fruits basket movie... one day.

Jasmine Tea Enjoyer

Another reference is in the theater. There is a scene that's similar to chainsaw man opening where Power is walking away from an explosion. Which itself was a reference to another manga.

Perchik

On a less philosophical note, there are a lot of hidden animation references in this movie. For example, Luffy from One Piece being on the cover of the manga magazine. Also, if you look at the cover of the first few Shark Kick volumes, the characters appear very similar to some Chainsaw Man characters (to include sharkman), both in poses and appearance. Another one is that door that Kyomoto draws at art school. I'm pretty sure that's the door in Denji's dreams that he's not supposed to open. I had to pause many times cuz I noticed small details like that, and I love that they included them.

Josh Bowers

to me, the manga time travel thing, is the way of the author to fulfill the wish of a different outcome, but the reversal of the comic is the way of Kyomoto to say "even if I didn't came out of my room, I would had still drawn until the end", even we could have meet each other again. Like that path still take you back to us. Look Back to the path you made until today, that will tell you why you keep doing what you do.

José Sebastian Rebolledo

Wow! Really wasn't expecting this on a Wednesday. I loved the reaction. Thank you Mr.Goodwin! <3

Emman Reed

adding to this, the manga one-shot was released on the same date as the Kyoto Animation arson, exactly 2 years after the tragedy

AryTheDog

I was wondering about this while editing! I think while the plot focuses exclusively on the two girls, I think the broadest reading it is something like sacrificing for the legacy of those that held the torch before you (and we can extend that to those who come after) and seeing the significance of what you do in the lives who have touched yours and the lives you will touch. The full conception of that is staggering and I think is a strong enough "why" to make any "how" or "what" possible. It seems reasonable to assume that the Kyoto animation study tragedy factored in here as a very potent, specific example of those that came before

Alex G

I love that interpretation and that's the one I want to take. And it's not just a line between two points, the girls, but also extends metaphorically to all of the authors that influenced them, and also the people who their work will also influence. While the ending left me feeling sad for Fujino and wondering how much of it was a cry for help from the author, I think that IS the noble, higher meaning here

Alex G

I don't usually comment on here but no one seems to have mentioned it so here it goes. Fans interpret Look Back as an homage to the victims of the Kyoto Animation arson attack that occurred back in 2019. In Japanese, the character used to write "Kyo" in Kyomoto is the same kanji used in Kyoto Animation (she's also the one who gets killed in the story). Also the perpetrators in both cases being seemingly mentally ill and saying their motivation for the attack is an alleged plagiarism of their work. I don't think Fujimoto ever confirmed this tho, but it seems likely since the arson attack was deeply traumatizing to us fans, but more so to creators like Fujimoto himself.

Slothy

I love the implied answer to "why do you do this?" after Fujino talks so much about not enjoying the act of creating manga. It's tedious, it's painful, it's "unglamorous" as she puts it. What do we see after this question? Kyomoto. Her art touched somebodies life, it meant something to Kyomoto. My reading of the ending is mostly hopeful, she pins that blank strip up on her window to remind her of why she does this. It's worth all the suffering and tedium for that real human connection. That there's someone out there who connects with your work. I think that's really precious. When she walks back to work after visiting Kyomoto's place there's a certain determination conveyed. She spent some time looking back, if you will, and found something she had perhaps lost.

Miguel

Or the incredibly niche “Look Around You”

Sunny

YAY! can't wait for friday, hope you have fun with it

Ayan

Great detail

Alex G

I'm up for it, I liked doing this

Alex G

Yup! Tomorrow and the day after will be Re: Zero, and the following day I will post Haikyuu (filming it today 😁)

Alex G

Also about the culture, this is not to support it but just trying to imagine, I think the difficulty is that there are always hungry authors who will draw like it's breathing air. If you're not gonna do it, someone else will be glad to take your spot. So it depends on how much do you want it. Of course, this creates a problem for people who have a lot to contribute but also want to live a balanced life. I'm not sure what the answer is

Alex G

Maybe "cry for help" isn't so far off... Though there's much more. I wonder about the choice to end the movie that way. Clearly there's inspiration and legacy from one to another, whether it's the girls or the authors creative spirit to his workaholic self. There's something noble and inspiring about that element of it. But the way the final scene is done hit me as bleak. Not so much of a difficult struggle out of obligation, but more of a trap of feeling like one has to move forward. Though as I said, it's a blurred line between those two things and not always obvious to an observer or even oneself.

Alex G

as much as i like chainsaw man, the oneshots that fujimoto ocassionally writes stick with me far more. i hope more of them get adapted into movies or ovas at some point so more people can be exposed to them. btw, do we have a specific date for the haikyuu movie this week so i don't hold my breath with every patreon notification? 😭

Ayan

the industry is very hard on the creators. the author of naruto once said he worked over 100 hours a week and usually got 4 hours of sleep. there have been creators who have died in their 50’s and 60’s, presumably because of the toll their careers had on them. there is definitely a toxic culture that needs some spotlight.

Chris Sharpe

a detail about the character’s names: the names fujino and kyomoto have half of the author’s name, fujimoto. many people infer that this is meant to be a metaphor for creative burnout, with kyomoto, the stary-eyed passionate aspect of himself, dying. yet a part of it lives on, and so he keeps drawing.

Chris Sharpe

I had not seen this movie before watching along here, I fully didn't know what to expect. Beautifully heartbreaking. The characters felt really genuine and the tragedy hit me pretty hard. I know it's unlikely but it'd be cool to see more content like this.

Aidan Pullen

Very dark weapon triangle. Pen beats sword, sword beats high jump kick, high jump kick beats Notch, Notch ruins anime.

Douglas Davis

What about the prequel Look Forward

Seth

So fun fact. In the bookcase next to Fujino’s desk at the very beginning of the movie is a book that has “don’t” written in big letters on it and on the book case next to her desk at the very end their is a book that says in big letters “In Anger”, these to things were taken directly from the manga where those words appear on the first page and last page and when put together with the title it becomes a reference to the song “don’t look back in anger”.

Mortis

After Look Back 2: Look Back Again and Look Back 3: Look Way Way Back

Alex G

This hit me way harder on the second watch. So when is the re-reaction dropping? Lol

Sunny

Great time to be a Goodwin fan! Anything by fujimoto is always pure gold and rezero is my favorite webnovel of all time. Love seeing people react to this stuff.

Starky

Merry Christmas to us 🔥

Seth


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