Look Back director had to live in studio for months to finish the movie

Look Back, the new movie based on a manga from Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, is about to premiere, and director Kiyotaka Oshiyama has spoken about the difficult production process.

Given the association with Chainsaw Man, Look Back is a high anticipated upcoming anime. Merging slice-of-life elements with a slight horror tinge, it’s the story of two kids drawn together through a love of manga, whose lives become embroiled with a serial killer, and has the potential to be one of the best anime of the year.

As Look Back starts screening, with a showing at the this year’s Annecy Festival happening in a week’s time, Tatsuki spoke to Oricon about production. He revealed a hefty schedule that saw him living in the studio for months.

“I was drawing until yesterday afternoon, and finished it yesterday night,” he told the outlet. “I stayed at the office all day for about two-and-a-half months. Finally, I went home yesterday and slept in my futon at home. I think I’ve accumulated quite a bit of sleep debt.”

He compared making the feature to a “hard triathlon”, but also adds “every day was so thrilling”. The filmmaker notes, at the time the interview was conducted, none of the staff had a seen a cut yet.

Time is so tight, Kiyotaka had to buy a new outfit to do press, since he had no clean clothes. “I heard that there was an event today, so I didn’t have any clothes to wear, so I worked hard at noon and bought some at night. So everything is new,” he states.

Oricon notes Kiyotaka looked “exhausted” when speaking. His story is one of several that have emerged of late concerning tough conditions within the anime and manga industries.

A recent study warned the anime industry could “collapse” if current trends of overwork and crunch continue, and a number of studios, including Jujutsu Kaisen house Studio MAPPA, have been the subject of allegations surrounding long hours and exhaustion.

We can only hope conditions improve as creatives are more candid about the process. Look Back opens in Japan on June 28, 2024. Our guides to Tower of God Season 2 and Dandadan will keep you up to speed on other top anime on the way.