By Plixet Team If you’re already feeling the anime award fatigue this season—blame Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Family, and the usual handful of franchise darlings—think again. The Look Back anime film wins Best Animation Award at Japan Movie Critics Awards, and this isn’t just another trophy for the virtual mantle. It’s one of those rare moments when passion projects actually get their due, and let’s be honest: not enough people are talking about it.
The Rise of Look Back: From Underdog to Awards Darling
You know the story: most anime films fighting for awards are either Studio Ghibli nostalgia trips or blockbusters with endless marketing budgets. So when Look Back—a film based on a somber, beautifully realized manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto (yes, the genius behind Chainsaw Man)—snags the Best Animation Award at Japan Movie Critics Awards, anime fans who crave substance start paying attention.
Directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Flip Flappers alumni and head of Studio Durian), Look Back is one of those rare features where the vision is unified: Oshiyama not only directed, but also wrote the script and crafted the character designs. With music from haruka nakamura and art direction by Kiyoshi Sameshima, the film isn’t just a pretty face—it’s a punch to the feels. And not in a manipulative way, either.
The Best Animation Award at the Japan Movie Critics Awards isn’t a box to check—it’s a nod from people who’ve seen it all and are genuinely impressed. The film shares company with prior winners like Wolf Children, A Silent Voice, and The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl. Look Back anime film wins Best Animation Award at Japan Movie Critics Awards, placing it amongst anime films that resonate well beyond the initial hype cycle.
Awards aren’t new for this film, either. Look Back has racked up recognition at the Hochi Film Awards, Tokyo Anime Award Festival, and even the esteemed Japan Academy Film Prize. For 2024, it’s also up for Crunchyroll’s Film of the Year—for real, not just because the jury needed a Chainsaw Man connection.
The box-office speaks for itself: by October 2024, the film had made over ¥2 billion (that’s about $13.3 million) in Japan and sold 1.17 million tickets, according to Mantan Web. Not bad for a feature-length debut that refuses to play it safe.
Fandom Speaks, Critical Impact & What’s Next for Look Back
It’s easy to get cynical about anime awards. Social media always floods with the predictable “Should have been X” and “Overrated trash” takes. But the Look Back anime film wins Best Animation Award at Japan Movie Critics Awards and the reactions are actually, for once, refreshingly positive. On Reddit, anime threads are filled with fans celebrating Look Back‘s brutal, honest storytelling and the way it nails the creative journey—jealousy, heartbreak, inspiration, all wrapped up in one hell of a visual package.
X (Twitter) saw Look Back trending the day the award was announced, with even high-profile manga artists and anime directors chiming in to congratulate Oshiyama and his team. There were memes about how Chainsaw Man fans can’t have nice things (unless Tatsuki Fujimoto is involved), but most agreed that this film deserved its moment.
Then there’s the international crowd. Thanks to GKIDS, Look Back hit North American theaters on October 4, 2024. For once, the overseas summary isn’t ridiculous PR speak: “Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.” All of this, in about 100 gut-punchingly animated minutes.
So what’s next for Look Back after this latest accolade? Don’t be surprised if it becomes the default recommendation for “anime to make your friend ugly-cry.” The film’s festival circuit momentum isn’t likely to fade soon, and further streaming or Blu-ray releases will only broaden its reach—assuming fans don’t already have their eye on the next Chainsaw Man adaptation tease.
One thing’s clear: the Look Back anime film wins Best Animation Award at Japan Movie Critics Awards in 2024, but this is just the beginning. Expect Look Back to become part of the core anime canon—referenced in thinkpieces, showing up in anime club “must watch” lists, and cited as a reason why the medium is more than just flashy fights or nostalgia-pandering.
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