Otaku Culture

The Look Back anime had a difficult production

The director of the film adaptation of 'Look back', Kiyotaka Oshiyama, shared surprising details about the production process. Oshiyama revealed that he was working on the film until yesterday, one day before its scheduled release in Japan, and that he hasn't left the office in over two months.

In a recent interview, Oshiyama commented: “I was drawing until noon yesterday. Then I found out there was an event today, so I didn't have any clothes to wear, so I worked hard through noon and into the evening to buy something. So everything is new.", he said, making everyone laugh. "Not even the crew has seen the full movie yet.».

Reflecting on the arduous days of production, Oshiyama stated: “It was an incredibly difficult few days. It felt like I was doing a tough triathlon. Each day was so exciting, and it was barely over. It's actually still too early for it to end, so it doesn't feel like it's truly over yet, so I thought watching everyone's film today would finally make me feel like it's over.", he said with a wry smile. "I kept drawing until yesterday afternoon and finished last night. I was in the office all day for about two and a half months. Finally, I went home yesterday and slept on my own futon. I think I've accumulated a good sleep debt.», he commented with an exhausted look.

The animated adaptation of 'Look Back' was made at Studio Durian, with Kiyotaka Oshiyama in charge of direction, character design and even script writing. Additionally, as a character designer, he also had to work directly with the animators and make the frames himself. It is not about “exploitation”, but rather he himself decided to work this way.However, it is also a reality that other productions with much larger staff still suffer from this type of problem, a constant problem within the anime industry, which is increasingly required to produce productions with shorter delivery times.

Synopsis of Look Back

Fourth-grader Ayumu Fujino regularly draws four-panel manga for the school newspaper and is praised for having the best artwork in her class. One day, her teacher asks her to give one of her manga spots in the school newspaper to an absent student named Kyomoto. When Kyomoto's manga appears next to Fujino's, he receives much praise for his detailed illustrations, making Fujino jealous.

Fujino refuses to be defeated by someone who barely goes to school and dedicates himself to learning how to create manga. However, as time passes, his goal of eclipsing Kyomoto seems increasingly distant, and Fujino, now in sixth grade, eventually gives up and stops creating manga. Graduation day arrives, and Fujino is asked to present his graduation certificate to Kyomoto. By chance, the two meet face to face, and the unexpected encounter will have consequences far beyond anything either of them could have anticipated.

Source: Oricon News