[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Renowned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is taking on his first live-action film adaptation of a youth manga. He will reinterpret Tatsuki Fujimoto’s iconic short story “Look Back,” which has gained worldwide popularity, through his own unique lens, and the film will be released to Korean audiences this fall.

Distributor Megabox Joongang announced on the 7th that the film “Look Back” has been confirmed for a domestic release this October and unveiled a teaser poster and trailer.
“Look Back” depicts the journey of Fujino, a girl who serializes four-panel comics in her school newspaper, and Kyomoto, who used to draw only in his room, as they come to understand one another and grow through their comics.
The film is based on the short manga of the same name published in 2021 by Tatsuki Fujimoto, who gained worldwide fame for “Chainsaw Man.” It recorded 2.5 million views on its first day of release and was published in 37 countries, earning recognition for its artistic merit. The animated film, released last year, also drew 320,000 viewers in South Korea and surpassed 2 billion yen (approximately 18.8 billion won) in global box office revenue, earning praise for successfully bringing the original’s emotional impact to the big screen.
With both the manga and the anime having achieved such commercial success, Director Kore-eda is widely regarded as the key reason for adapting this work into a live-action film. Having won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for *Shoplifters*, he is a director known for his delicate portrayal of family and human emotions. In this project, he will tackle a coming-of-age manga for the first time, exploring the friendship and growth of two girls, as well as the joys and losses of creativity, through his signature warm perspective.
The released teaser poster features Fujino and Kyomoto sitting side by side drawing manga, as well as a scene of them resting their heads on their desks as children, poignantly hinting at the time they will spend together.
The lead role of Fujino will be played by Natsuki Deguchi, known for the films *All Greens* and *My Secret*, while Kyomoto will be portrayed by Aju Makita, who has appeared in *After the Typhoon* and the drama *Reboot*, promising a high degree of fidelity to the original work. It is also reported that Nanase Furi and Okada Roka, who play the characters as children, were selected after Director Kore-eda praised them highly at the audition, stating, “There’s no one else but these two.”
The teaser trailer released alongside the announcement begins with the sound of a pen tip gliding across paper. Set against the backdrop of changing seasons, the story of two girls who grow up together while drawing unfolds through Director Kore-eda’s signature understated visual style and the lyrical melodies of music director Yuta Bando, leaving a lasting impression.
With “Look Back” having already captivated countless readers and audiences through its manga and anime adaptations, all eyes are now on how it will resonate anew when combined with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s artistic sensibility. Scheduled for release in October.