Manga Review: Look Back

^{PART 26 of 52 ONESHOTS in 52 WEEKS
藤本タツキの『ルックバック』 “Look Back” by FUJIMOTO Tatsuki}

To mark the half-way point of 52 Oneshots in 52 Weeks, I am returning once more to Tatsuki Fujimoto, whose manga Goodbye, Eri commenced the project six months ago. Look Back was his preceding oneshot, featuring in Jump Plus magazine in July 2021, nine months before Goodbye, Eri. Spanning just over 140 pages, it’s a sizeable work as far as oneshots go, much like its follow-up which, though unrelated, makes a great companion piece. Both exhibit artistic stories which are moving in their own right, but creatively they double up as an exploration of the author himself, with personal details kneaded into the characters and composition.

From primary school and into adulthood, Look Back follows the lives of Fujino and Kyomoto. The two girls are opposites in essence — Fujino is a popular student who enjoys making her classmates laugh, whereas Kyomoto struggles with social anxiety and is unable to attend school in person — but they are brought together through a love of drawing. They each author a weekly four-panel comic strip for their school’s newspaper, with both girls unknowingly inspiring the other to improve their art and storytelling. When the two finally meet, they find that, with their talents combined, they may have what it takes to author a manga which Shueisha will publish.

Look Back captures in earnest the indelible sparks of passion inspired through competition and hobbies, with author Fujimoto chronicling the characters’ resolute dedication through several repeat panels, in which the focal point remains the same, but the surroundings change. In the earliest of these panels, Fujino remains poised at her desk, drawing with determination, as the seasons pass and her bedroom gradually fills with reference books. It presents an exquisite time-lapse quality, with all key information conveyed through the art. In my review of Chainsaw Man, I noted the lack of background detail in certain pages, but Look Back is by and large a superbly detailed piece. There are many gorgeous and intricate page spreads, capturing the beauty not only in scenery and environments, but also in human connections, with the bond between Fujino and Koymoto represented with persuasive naturalism.

This concern with detail is an important point of subtext within Look Back, with author Fujimoto embodying himself within the two central characters, whose names combine to spell out his own. In the oneshot, Fujino’s art is rather crude, but her storytelling is creative and fun, and seemingly comes to her naturally. Kyomoto’s comic strips, on the other hand, are absent of dialogue and plot, typically depicting observational scenes, but they are highly detailed with expert perspectives; the product of rigorous practice which she laments still take too long to draw. These two characters and their artistic sensibilities come to represent two sides of the author, whose best pieces incorporate rugged foreground art within attentively illustrated settings. It’s a unique insight into the author, where several of the characters’ remarks could be interpreted as self-referential. Fujimoto continues to allude and experiment in this way in Goodbye, Eri, where he explores authorial voice.

Inspirations aside, Look Back is a story with a lot of heart, finding camaraderie in rivalry, tackling happiness and grief, and depicting the veritable dedication behind talent, all the while paying homage (and some criticism) to the creative process. The last half of the manga reframes earlier events in a ‘what-if’ scenario, introducing some slight fantastical aspects, which the author depicts with a superb degree of ambiguity, leaving reality up to interpretation. Equally, he weaves brilliant expressivity and ambivalence into key scenes, suggesting emotion and disposition through the setting and environment as much as through expression and posture. For a short work, it is astoundingly comprehensive, with an ending that balances a fine line between reaffirming and despondent. Look Back and Goodbye, Eri display an exciting progression from Fujimoto’s earlier oneshots which, while largely enjoyable, lacked the depth and abiding quality that is present in his newest additions.

^{Click here to explore the rest of 52 Oneshots in 52 Weeks and find my numerical ratings on MyAnimeList!}