This title was mostly well written but the time period switched back and forth confusingly. Characters were interesting. Art is appealing with a good amount and quality of detail.

This is one-shot e-comic by the creator of Chainsaw Man, a quick read into the life of a manga-ka. Middle schooler Fujino is an aspiring artist, writing the comics for her school newspaper. Then an intruder appears in her life, a shut-in student who submits their own comic. Soon she finds herself desperate to surpass them, studying art and practicing over the next few years. On the brink of giving up, sure that she'll never catch up, the school asks her to deliver the shut-in's diploma. What a shock to find the shut-in is her biggest fan.
With her passion for art rekindled, she joins forces with Kyomoto to become the middle school manga-ka dream team, publishing their first manga by the age of 13. As they get older, Kyomoto decides to make the leap to art school and start off on her own path. Angry and hurt, Fujino presses forward without her, ending up with a very popular manga series. She's so wrapped up in her own life that when she spots Kyomoto's art school on the news due to a violent attack on the students, she suddenly realizes what she has lost.
Believing her choices have led to this future, she can't help but imagine what she could have done differently to change the outcome.
A beautiful story about friendship, the bonds formed, and how easy it is to lose it all. In just a short while, this story manages to both emotionally invest the reader and shatter their heart utterly.

I had previously read Look Back when it was simulpubbed in Shueisha's Jump+ App and requested this to note what distinguished this version from the original digital release. From what I can tell, this is largely unchanged from that release. That said, this is a work I think is a must-read meditation of grief and loss. Tatsuki Fujimoto is perhaps best known for his series Chainsaw Man but I have continually found myself most impressed by his short stories. Look Back is among the best of them with fantastic art work and writing that hits harder upon every reread. Excited to have preordered this one.

This is a really poignant manga, though it was a bit too short for me to fully feel the emotional impact of the traumatic event and after-effects. I think if we'd had more development of the pair's friendship and artistic collaboration, the manga would have been more effective for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto is one of my all-time favorite comics. It traces the stories of two young girls as they grow and foster their love of art alongside one another in a simple yet extremely effective way. Fujimoto's emotive art is on full display, and this is a story I find myself drawn to again and again.

Story and Art: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Translation: Amanda Haley
Touch-up Art & Lettering: Snir Aharon

(The credits page was not included in the ARC I received, but the translation and lettering were the same as the Shonen Jump App digital version that came out in 2021.)

A striking and stirring story that manages to capture so much in such a short space of time and pages.

This one shot by the creator of Chainsaw Man was beautifully illustrated, I loved the art style (and have always enjoyed Fujimoto's art style, even though this is the first of their work i've actually read). The characters are beautifully drawn, and the shading is fantastic. The story made a bit less of an impact on me, but it's still good, focusing on the friendship between two artists that support each other as they strive to become manga artists. For the majority of the book, it seems like a straightforward slice of life type story about friends and art, until the friends drift apart and a life changing event changes everything. The story then becomes one of grief, and loneliness versus being alone. I'll admit the story lost me a bit at the end, but it was well executed and I'll definitely read other one shots from this author in the future.

It was very Japanese. I loved that about it but I think that it's a little too cerebral for my students.