What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedLook Back
Tatsuki Fujimoto · Book · 2022
If you loved Look Back, start with Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Look Back across media.
What hooked you in Look Back was the way the intensity of creative passion mirrors the complexity of human connection.
Films on the same thread
Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc
Film · 2025
Explores: Forbidden Romance, Survival, Identity.
If the raw emotional stakes of Look Back moved you, this film offers a similarly visceral exploration of how identity and existential dread complicate the bonds we form.
Your Name.
Makoto Shinkai · Film · 2016
Explores: Fate, Interconnectedness, Rural vs. Urban Life.
Like the profound connection between Fujino and Kyomoto in Look Back, this story captures the way fate and memory bridge the gap between two deeply different lives.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Mamoru Hosoda · Film · 2006
Explores: Regret, Consequences of Time Travel, First Love.
Fans of Look Back will appreciate how this film examines the weight of regret and the passage of time, mirroring the poignant coming-of-age journey of Fujino and Kyomoto.
Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki · Film · 1989
Explores: Finding your place, Self-discovery, Female empowerment.
Just as Look Back captures the solitary struggle of an artist, this film beautifully depicts the internal challenge of finding one's place while navigating the transition to independence.
Series on the same thread
Chainsaw Man
Series · 2022
Explores: Debt, Devil Hunters, Transformation.
Experience the creator's signature style beyond Look Back in this series, which highlights the same contrast between a character's desperate dreams and their harsh, unforgiving reality.
NANA
Ai Yazawa · Series · 2006
Explores: Female Friendship, Dreams and Aspirations, Urban Life.
Those moved by the intense, life-defining friendship in Look Back will find a similar resonance in this story of two women navigating their dreams and evolving personal trajectories.
Dororo
Osamu Tezuka · Series · 2019
Explores: Revenge, Body Horror, Loss of Humanity.
Much like the melancholic reflection found in Look Back, this narrative explores the profound impact of loss and the search for humanity through a lens of artistic grit.
When Life Gives You Tangerines
Lim Sang-choon · Series · 2025
Explores: First Love, Childhood Sweethearts, Island Life.
If you valued the lifelong, transformative bond between the protagonists of Look Back, this story provides an equally sweeping look at how resilience defines a shared personal history.
Podcasts on the same thread
Slaggy Book Club
Podcast
Explores: Contemporary Literature, Book Recommendations, Literary Analysis.
For readers who appreciated the meta-fictional and literary depth of Look Back, this podcast offers a space to engage with the themes of creative obsession and memoir.
Backlisted
Backlisted · Podcast · 2026
Mirroring the reverence for artistic history found in Look Back, this show provides the same thoughtful context for stories that deserve to be revisited and deeply understood.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Look Back written by the same person who created Chainsaw Man?
Yes, Look Back is a 2022 book written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto, who is also the creator of the popular series Chainsaw Man.
What is the story of Look Back about?
Look Back follows two small-town girls, the confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto. Their shared passion for drawing manga brings them together in a poignant narrative about growing up and moving forward.
Who are the main characters in Look Back?
The main characters in Look Back are Fujino, who is described as overly confident, and Kyomoto, who is a shut-in. The story focuses on their connection through their mutual love for creating manga.
When was Look Back released?
Look Back is a book that was published in 2022. It was crafted by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, and explores themes of personal growth and artistic connection.