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frozenwhisperer's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
markwillnevercry's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wow that was… Sad? I felt like Fujino did not have enough motivation for turning out as cold of a bitch as she ended up being after serialisation started, but this was a pretty basic story about like “if you are a bitch to someone, you do not have the privilege of being there for them when they need someone”. But honestly with that Kyomoto ended up having a great life after breaking off from Fujino, because for people like Kyomoto this feels like a pretty depressing fate.
Overall, the message is that just because they are your friend does not mean that they can't exploit you. I liked the art, I read this all in one sitting, it was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
oatmeal_oatmeal's review against another edition
4.0
Concise and poignant. The way Fujimoto conveys emotions wordlessly is so well done, I’ll definitely look into his other one-shots. The portrayal of art as work instead of innate skill is also unique and I liked that a lot.
“Then why do you draw, Fujino?” Bro you can’t do this to me :(((
“Then why do you draw, Fujino?” Bro you can’t do this to me :(((
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Grief
refrejarator's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gut wrenching.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Not a school shooting, but a mass murder with an axe.1wingedbalrog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ever since Tatsuki Fujimoto took over the world with Chainsaw Man, his back catalog has seen a sudden burst of interest. But now he's gone back to his roots and offered up this gorgeous one-shot, which might be the best thing he's made in his whole career.
It's not uncommon to have manga about making manga, but Look Back is heads and shoulders above the rest. In just short of 200 pages, Fujimoto captures what it means to feel drive as an artist as well as how to live with pain. Without spoiling too much, a great deal of this book is about pain and suffering. Art is pain for feeling like you're always behind something, whether that's your peers or your self-imposed goals. Life is pain when truly terrible things happen for no reason and any order you try to impose only hurts you. Fujino's struggle to find satisfaction in art while continuously improving should be relatable to any serious artist in whatever field.
One thing I want to highlight is that if you're familiar with other popular Japanese works about making art, like the manga Bakuman or movie Whisper of the Heart, you'll notice a different philosophy on display. In Japan, while people do recognize art as something transcendent, there's a much greater focus on skill and hard work. In America, we tend to think of art as something created through inspiration or coming from special individuals who have led uniquely enlightened lives. Personally, I feel like the Japanese version is more accurate. As sad as this book is, it is ultimately hopeful because it reminds us that we can encounter pain in life and in art, but ultimately overcome it by putting our pencil to paper and creating happy memories along the way.
It's not uncommon to have manga about making manga, but Look Back is heads and shoulders above the rest. In just short of 200 pages, Fujimoto captures what it means to feel drive as an artist as well as how to live with pain. Without spoiling too much, a great deal of this book is about pain and suffering. Art is pain for feeling like you're always behind something, whether that's your peers or your self-imposed goals. Life is pain when truly terrible things happen for no reason and any order you try to impose only hurts you. Fujino's struggle to find satisfaction in art while continuously improving should be relatable to any serious artist in whatever field.
One thing I want to highlight is that if you're familiar with other popular Japanese works about making art, like the manga Bakuman or movie Whisper of the Heart, you'll notice a different philosophy on display. In Japan, while people do recognize art as something transcendent, there's a much greater focus on skill and hard work. In America, we tend to think of art as something created through inspiration or coming from special individuals who have led uniquely enlightened lives. Personally, I feel like the Japanese version is more accurate. As sad as this book is, it is ultimately hopeful because it reminds us that we can encounter pain in life and in art, but ultimately overcome it by putting our pencil to paper and creating happy memories along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Mental illness, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
spooderman's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abandonment
mabellene's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
blues's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ho comprato questo fumetto in maniera del tutto casuale in libreria, senza averlo mai sentito nominare prima, solamente perché lo stile di disegno all'interno mi sembrava interessante e mai mi sarei aspettato che mi sarebbe piaciuto così tanto. La relazione tra queste due ragazze mi ha colpito e mi è entrata nel cuore in queste poche pagine. I disegni mi sono piaciuti un sacco e ho trovato che fossero davvero in grado di trasmettere bene le emozioni, specialmente quando si trattava di forti emozioni negative. Fumetto decisamente consigliato.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Minor: Violence, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
marisarosa's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
yalibrarianjen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
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