Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back Shares Surprising U.S. Release Date

Look Back will begin a very short release window in the United States in October.

By Megan Peters

Over the past few years, anime has made its claim at the box office, and chains are starting to listen stateside. Thanks to hits like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Haikyuu, anime is thriving in theaters across the United States. Earlier this year, another movie acquisition left fans hyped as GKIDS shared plans to screen Look Back. Now, the movie has locked in its release window, and fans are admittedly surprised by how short the run will be.

The announcement went live today as GKIDS confirmed plans to screen Look Back in theaters nationwide on October 6. The movie will be in theaters for two days only, so fans will have a limited time to check it out. If you are in New York City or Los Angeles, you will have an extra two days to watch Look Back; The movie will hit those regions on October 4.

What Is Look Back About?

As you can imagine, fans are happy to have a release date set for Look Back, but its short run is definitely a surprise. The movie has been a must-see for the fandom since it was first announced, after all. Based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's eponymous manga, Look Back was brought to life by Studio Durian in June 2024. The movie has earned little but praise following its debut in Japan, and at its U.S. premiere in July, Look Back had fans lining up for 10+ hours in hope of nabbing a seat.

You may not be familiar with Look Back, and if that is the case, we cannot recommend the manga enough. Created in 2021, the one-shot is considered a masterpiece and elevated Fujimoto as one of manga's best modern voices. Look Back is a coming-of-age drama that tells the story of Ayumu Fujino, a young girl who is obsessed with art and finds a friend-slash-rival in Kyomoto. The pair team up to create their own manga as they enter high school, and we follow their journey into young adulthood. It is then a tragedy sets forward, leaving Fujino to question her interest in art, and that ensuing crisis unravels a supernatural mystery that no one saw coming.

When Will Look Back Hit Theaters?

Praised for its detailed art and unique character arcs, Look Back is something entirely its own. Studio Durian worked very hard to bring that nuance to the screen, and Look Back left audiences in tears as they finished the film. The movie has been a hot topic within the anime fandom thanks to this high praise, and GKIDS will bring it to theaters in less than a month.

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Still, its short release window is definitely a surprise. A longer theatrical window may give more fans time to check out a movie, but it also costs money. GKIDS weighed the pros and cons for the film's release and honestly? We are just happy to see Look Back get a release stateside period let alone one so close to its Japan premiere. At under an hour long, many fans questioned whether Look Back even qualified for distribution stateside due to guild rules. Luckily, GKIDS was able to extend the movie's runtime with a special Q&A feature with director Kiyotaka Oshiyama. This bonus will be available at AMC Theaters, so you better nab your tickets for Look Back ASAP. Tickets are on sale now, after all. 

Will you be checking out Look Back when it hits theaters? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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