Look Back Animator Explains the Movie’s Unique Animation Style

Look Back has been a success since the Studio Durian feature-length anime film hit Japanese theaters. While the Tatsuki Fujimoto anime adaptation hasn’t been confirmed for a Western release as of yet, that isn’t stopping anime fans from trying to learn as much as they can when it comes to the tear-jerking tale. In a recent interview, one animator at Studio Durian took the opportunity to discuss the unique animation style used in the film that brings Fujino and Kyomoto to life for the first time. Whenever Look Back does hit North America, it’s sure to make waves when it hits Western anime fans’ eyes.

Animator Toshiyuki Inoue recently took the opportunity to chat with Comic Natalie regarding the unique animation style used by Studio Durian for Look Back. Here’s what Inoue had to say, “The key animation only draws the key points of movement, and the animation fills in the gaps. The lines drawn by the key animator are somewhat rough, so the animation artist cleans them up into neat lines. Normally, the lines drawn by the key animator don’t appear on the screen as is. This time, the key animator’s rough drawings are sent directly to the finishing touches and colored. The key animation is reflected on the screen as is as animation. I think one of the reasons why many people think, ‘this work is different’ is that we retained a hand-drawn feel.”  

Look Back’s Success

Implementing a new animation style for Look Back seems to have paid off for Studio Durian so far. As of the writing of this article, Look Back has garnered over $6 million USD at the Japanese box office alone. Should it have the chance to hit theaters in North America, that number can only go up when all is said and done. 

If you haven’t had the chance to check out Look Back, the manga is available to read both in print and digitally thanks to Viz Media. Here’s how the publisher describes the heart-warming story created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, “The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, could have crafted.”

Via Comic Natalie