During Look backAt the Anime Expo 2024 panel, the anime film's director Kiyotaka Oshiyama shared some behind-the-scenes insights, including the challenges faced on the international film festival circuit.

Responding to a question about the length of the film, Oshiyama revealed that Look back was originally conceived as a project that could compete in global film festivals.

This ambition influenced the storyboarding process, which expanded the narrative beyond the single volume of the original manga.

Despite the efforts, the final product resulted in a film approximately 60 minutes long.

Oshiyama then recounted his experience taking Look back to several film festivals, only to be met with disappointment.

Despite dreams of having the film compete internationally, it was rejected by several festivals due to its running time. Many festivals did not consider the film eligible for competition as it fell short of the minimum 70-minute running time required to be categorized as a feature film.

Animator Toshiyuki Inoue recently shared insights into the unique production process behind the film.

Look back The anime film was released in Japanese theaters on June 28, 2024, and grossed over 227 million yen in its first three days.

Studio Duran animated the film, with Kiyotaka Oshiyama directing, handling the script and also the character designs. Look back.

The director had previously suggested that he intends to create the Look Back film differently from the manga.

Look back is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. It was published in Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ in July 2021.

Source: Anime Expo 2024 via X