Look Back, the adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator Tastsuki Fujimoto’s 2021 manga of the same name, is a hit in Japan after a strong opening weekend. One person who is particularly in love with the film is none other than everyone’s favorite full-time cinephile and part-time game developer, Hideo Kojima. In the five days since the movie’s release, Kojima appears to have seen the movie not once, not twice, but four times.
In typical fashion, we know Kojima has become enamored with Look Back thanks to his own social media posts. On June 28 (the film’s release date) Kojima tweeted a still from the movie, which many have taken as him signaling he watched the movie that day. Kojima then did the same thing on June 29, June 30, and July 1. That’s four back-to-back viewings every day since Look Back was released in theaters. Even with a short runtime of an hour and one minute, it’s still a commitment to see that often. Between all these viewings, Kojima posted his thoughts on the film on June 30. “Look Back” is one of the most remarkable anime of the past decade,” he wrote, “I was shaken to my core! The tenderness, the kindness, the strength! Such rich expressions and sensitivity, surpassing even a live-action film! I was moved by the present and future of entertainment!”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Look Back follows two students, Fujino and Kyomoto, as they both create manga in competition against and eventually with each other. Like many of Fujimoto’s other works including the short Goodbye, Eri and even parts of his more popular series such as Fire Punch, Look Back deals with the purpose of consuming and creating art, while also serving as an introspective meditation on Fujimoto’s career as a manga artist. But this is Fujimoto, so don’t expect quiet character drama from start to finish. Things will get weird, and you should also be ready to cry. Seems like these themes and how the story executes them got to Kojima, which isn’t surprising given his own status as a revered artist in the gaming space. Kojima has an unending respect for other artists with inspired visions (see his affinity for Mad Max creator George Miller).
Advertisement
If you want to see what all the fuss is about after all of Kojima’s raving, you’ll have to wait as Look Back currently doesn’t have a wide U.S. release date. The movie is set to premiere stateside as part of the Japan Cuts Film Festival in New York on July 14, but that screening is sold out. As of this writing, Kojima hasn’t yet posted about Look Back on July 2, so no sign if he is still keeping his viewing streak going.
.
