Another Teaser for LOOK BACK Live-Action Movie Offers a Heartfelt Look at an Unforgettable Friendship
A new teaser has arrived for the live-action adaptation of Look Back, and while it's still brief, it does a great job of capturing the emotion and creative spirit that made the original story such a favorite with fans.
The teaser comes from Japanese distributor K2 Pictures, giving us a few more glimpses at the coming-of-age drama before it opens in Japan this September. The latest footage leans into the relationship between its two young leads, showing quiet moments of friendship alongside scenes of them pouring everything they have into creating manga together.
Based on the acclaimed one-shot manga Look Back, created by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man), it tells the story of two girls whose shared passion for drawing changes both of their lives. Originally published on Shonen Jump+ in 2021, the manga became an instant sensation, pulling in 2.5 million views on its very first day in Japan.
The story centers on Fujino, “an outgoing and confident student whose manga regularly appears in her elementary school's newspaper, and Kyomoto (京本, Kyōmoto), a shy shut-in dealing with severe social anxiety.
“Although Kyomoto admires Fujino's work and hopes they'll become friends, Fujino initially struggles with feelings of jealousy after seeing Kyomoto's extraordinary artistic talent. As time passes, the two form a deep friendship through their shared love of manga, and the story follows that bond as they grow into adulthood.
This new live-action version stars Natsuki Deguchi as Fujino and Aju Makita as Kyomoto, alongside Furi Nanase and Rokka Okada.
The production was filmed in Nikaho City in northern Japan, and the latest teaser includes several beautiful new shots, including the two friends relaxing together in a grassy field along with more scenes of them sketching, drawing, and chasing the dream that brings them together.
The project arrives after the acclaimed 2024 animated adaptation of Look Back, which marked the feature directorial debut of Kiyotaka Oshiyama. That film earned widespread praise for faithfully bringing Fujimoto's emotional story to the screen, and it'll be interesting to see how this live-action version offers its own interpretation.
The film is written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose impressive body of work includes Maborosi, Without Memory, After Life, Distance, Nobody Knows, Still Walking, Air Doll, Like Father Like Son, Our Little Sister, After the Storm, The Third Murder, the Palme d'Or-winning Shoplifters, The Truth, Broker, Monster, and this year's Sheep in the Box.
Produced by Daiju Koide, Look Back will open in Japanese theaters this September before making its way to U.S. theaters later in 2026 through GKIDS.