Look Back

Watching Train Dreams and then this on back to back nights was a bad idea. I didn't expect that twist at all but in hindsight I guess there had to be some sudden change for such a short movie. The animation was incredible especially when considering the fact that this was Studio Durian's first project. The level of detail was put on full display from the very beginning with the use of a mirror in the first couple of minutes. The scene where Fujino and Kyomoto were on opposite sides of the tree was equally breathtaking. Turning to the narrative, I think Look Back was a great take on friendship and relationships in general and how the people you surround yourself with shape your entire life. This is perfectly reflected in the third act when we get a glimpse into what Kyomoto's life may have been like if she didn't walk out of her room on that fateful day. People often ponder what their life would be like if they could be transported back in time with knowledge of the future, however I think this movie does a great job at asking the audience whether or not they really want to know the answer to that question. Kyomoto may have kept her life, but the 10+ years from 6th grade all the way to college would've been devoid of almost any human interaction. The very same interactions that we then see in a beautiful montage flashing across the screen as Fujino tries to answer the question "Why do you draw?" I don't think Fujimoto intends for the audience to draw a clear answer to this friends vs. life question from this movie, but rather to push us to keep the friends we already have close so that if we were to find ourselves on either side of the situation Fujino and Kyomoto face, we could rest assured that our life made an impact on others.