The Chainsaw Man creator has already explained the real reason for doing a retrospective, and it’s touching

Tatsuki Fujimoto Look back is a moving coming-of-age story that celebrates art as well as the artists who create it. After gaining widespread fanfare and critical acclaim following the publication of the one-shot manga, an anime adaptation has been released in theaters and will hit home streaming services on November 7, 2024. Thanks to the film’s widespread popularity, a number still biggest anime and manga fans have rushed back to Fujimoto’s manga, to give it the love it deserves.

Arguably his most universally acclaimed work to date, Look back steps away a bit from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s usual trademark unpredictability and strangeness to deliver a quiet, intimate story about two aspiring manga artists. In their presentations, Fujino and Kyomoto are elementary school students competing for a spot on the school newspaper, where they can show off their drawing skills. The story follows the two girls into adulthood, chronicling their journeys as artists, until tragedy strikes and threatens their long friendship.

The story is not exactly based on the life of its author, but rather draws heavily on Fujimoto’s personal experiences as an artist. Both halves of Fujino and Kyomoto’s names combine to create author name. And in a published collection of one-shots from a time before he was a well-known artist, titled 17-21Fujimoto includes a brief interjection to explain the inspiration behind Look backrevealing that it is as moving as the story itself.

Disaster as inspiration in the creation of Look Back

A real-world earthquake was the inspiration behind the throwback

Fujimoto begins this short section by recounting his first days at art school, around the age of 17. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake had just occurred, and he writes, “We all must have been asking ourselves whether it was really right for us to continue drawing as before,” before stating that, “Drawing seemed pointless.” In an effort to help in any way, he says he and 30 other students volunteered to help clean up after the disaster, but after being unable to do anything, he felt a sense of helplessness.

Later in the section, Fujimoto explains that he wrote Look back in an attempt to vent the feelings of impotence that accompanied him throughout his journey as an artist. It tracks, as one of the Look backThe main themes of is finding the meaning in art as well as the reason for creating it. After the tragedy that occurs in the story, Fujino expresses similar feelings towards his own craft, calling it useless.

But later, in what is probably the most powerful section of the story, Fujino realizes why she draws, as well as the impact her drawing can have on other people. In a series of flashbacks, Fujimoto includes several examples of Kyomoto reacting to something Fujino drew, showing that although his art may not be able to prevent the tragedy, can still put a smile on someone’s face.

Looking back is a reminder of the importance of art in a world of tragedy

Look Back reminds us that art is the most honest form of communication

Fujimoto later mentions that looking back 17-21The collection of one-shots reminded him that he often drew in moments of helplessness or hunger, always practicing and trying to improve. He writes, “It brought back such fun memories that I wonder why I was only remembering the dark things,” before expressing that he was happy to be able to publish his stories.

Look back is a reminder that, through art, all people have the ability to fight the scary world around them. Tragedy can happen and evil can be lurking around every corner, but that doesn’t take away from the importance of the art that people share. Tatsuki Fujimoto was able to process these feelings of helplessness through sharing her art, while also inspiring the countless artists who would encounter her.

And that is the message at the heart of Look back; that in a world of tragedy, art is the way people can truly bare their souls and communicate sincerely with each other. Although the story was born out of a tragedy, it works to uplift everyone who dares to read it and tries to create something of their own.

Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 and available on VIZ.