The anime film Look Back premiered in an “unfinished” state at the Annecy Film Festival, but it has still gotten positive reviews despite its current state.
That’s not to say the film is completely unfinished, as it still manages to adapt the entire one-shot. It’s just that its current state is still a work in progress, meaning its final release version should look more polished.
Still, the early reviews should be great news for fans of the original manga as they state that the film captures the source material’s essence well.
Look Back ‘Unfinished’ in Annecy Film Festival Premiere
The Look Back anime film was announced in February 2024.
Instead of being made by a big studio such as MAPPA (which animated Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man), this film is produced by Studio Durian and helmed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama (of Devilman Crybaby and The Wind Rises fame).
Even though its announcement was just a few months ago, the film was already screened at the ongoing Annecy International Film Festival.
This means Oshiyama put in a ton of time and effort to work on this movie. Thus, it’s no surprise that he mentioned in a recent interview how he practically lived in the office for over two months while making it.
Despite the sleepless nights, the film was released as a work in progress, as there should still be final touches that will be added to the Annecy cut.
Based on reviews though, the film's current state didn’t take away from the viewing experience.
Look Back Anime Film Receives Praise despite Being ‘Work-in-Progress’
Shortly after its initial screening at Annecy, some reviews were shared on Letterboxd, with all scores being 4 and 5 stars.
There, it seems that the consensus is that the film does the manga justice, though it’s not yet the complete version. To be exact, some inserts are unfinished while the soundtrack is said to be only over halfway complete.
Anime News Network also shared a review of the film, which also gave it similar praise. The review also noted the eye-catching animation style which helps bring the manga to life.
When Will Look Back Arrive in the US? Our Predictions
Given that Look Back is still unfinished, we will likely have to wait a bit longer for it to be released. After all, there’s no word yet on a release date even in Japan.
As such, the movie will likely be released in the US sometime in 2025. It’s also a fairly short movie, so it’s not clear if it will get a theatrical release.
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