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Have you ever felt like your passion was taking everything from you—your time, energy, even relationships—but somehow, it still felt worth it? What if that passion could destroy you? Would you keep going?
These are uncomfortable questions every creator faces, and Look Back takes them head-on. In roughly an hour, Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, delivers a story so raw and personal, it feels pulled straight from his own life. It’s not just about chasing your dreams—it’s about what you lose along the way and why you keep going, even when it feels like it’s taking everything. The anime is alot to unpack because it explores the highs and lows of chasing your passion-what it gives, what it takes, and the question it leaves us all with: why do we create?
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back isn’t like Chainsaw Man. It’s quiet, reflective and deeply human. On the surface, it’s a story about two girls—Fujino and Kyomoto—navigating the challenges of artistic growth, comparison, and unexpected friendship. But beneath that, it’s a deeply autobiographical story. Even their names are subtle nods to Fujimoto himself. Fujino starts as a confident young artist, praised for her work at school. But as she grows older, that confidence fades. Her family, once proud of her talent, begins questioning her choices. Her grades slip, and her sister asks the painful question, “How long are you going to stick with this manga thing?” Let me tell you something from personal experience. Nothing hurts more than someone calling your passion “ a thing.” People call my YouTube channel “that YouTube thing,” like it’s not real or meaningful. Hearing that undermines all the work, sacrifices, and joy you pour into your passion. So when Fujino’s classmate asks “Aren’t you too old to be into this art stuff?”—you feel her pain. Passion connects us, but it can also isolate us. That’s why community matters.
If you’re passionate about anime or whatever brings you joy, join the Discord—I’d love to hear your journey. Because your passion is never just 'a thing.' It’s part of who you are. Fujimoto knows this struggle all too well. It is seen in all of his work. Many of his characters crave to be considered “normal.” Denji just wanted to have a good meal and craved human connection. Aki wanted a life where his close ones stayed safe. Though Fujino is just a little girl, she is dealing with the painfully real threat of peer pressure taking away her hobby for the sake of being perceived as normal. Fujimoto himself has spoken about being judged for his passion growing up, and you can feel that past trauma in Fujino’s story. It is that experience that gives Look Back its authenticity. You can feel the real life experiences pouring into the anime. This is just the start. Look Back asks one of the toughest questions creators face and it’s a question we can’t ignore.
Look Back draws you in with its incredible attention to detail. Every frame feels intimate, from the cluttered warmth of Fujino’s childhood room to the vast, dreamy landscapes Kyomoto loves to draw. These moments feel alive, like they’ve been pulled straight from Fujimoto’s own memories. The use of montages is particularly striking. Instead of rushing through the story, these sequences let the emotions linger. They show that passion isn’t about dramatic leaps forward—it’s a marathon of quiet, unnoticed moments. You see Fujino and Kyomoto growing not just as artists, but as people. It’s a reflection of real life: the countless hours spent improving your craft, unnoticed by anyone but yourself.
...And then there’s the twist. Without spoiling too much, it hits like a gut punch. It forces you to confront the fragility of everything you’ve worked for. That moment isn’t just shocking—it’s devastating. It left me questioning the sacrifices we make for passion. Are they what give our efforts meaning, or are they just the price we pay?
This is a universal question that all creators face, no matter how successful. Osamu Tezuka, often referred to as the “God of Manga,” drew more than 150,000 pages of manga in his lifetime. To do this, he worked for hours, faced criticism, and struggled with relationships. Though his legacy lives on many years later, like Fujino, he had to make peace with the fact that his artistic sacrifices were disrupting other parts of his life. So whether you’re a beginner or considered a “god,” this tension your passion creates is constant. The relationship between Fujino and Kyomoto is the heart of Look Back. Their bond—through competition, collaboration, and quiet moments of connection—makes their story feel universal. Whether you’re an artist or not, their journey speaks to anyone who’s faced the tension between pursuing a passion and maintaining a balanced life.
For me, the most profound takeaway is how passion brings both joy and pain. It creates connections but demands sacrifices. It’s a paradox every creator must wrestle with: is the joy of creating worth the hardships it brings? This question lingers long after the credits roll, encapsulated in the anime’s final line: “Then why do you draw, Fujino?” The anime doesn’t give us an answer, because the answer is deeply personal—and constantly evolving. Sometimes we create for connection, other times for competition, and sometimes we can’t explain it at all. We just have to.
Fujino’s journey shows us that the reward of passion isn’t in achieving a specific goal—it’s in the journey itself. The hours of work, the friendships, the failures, and the fleeting joys along the way make it all worthwhile. Passion gives, and it takes. But without it, would life feel as meaningful? As Fujimoto’s work reminds us, the sacrifices we make for what we love may be painful, but they’re also what give those moments of triumph their weight. When you reflect on your own journey, ask yourself: would you trade the hardships if it meant losing the joy and growth that came with them?
This is what makes Look Back so profound. I ask myself this question as a Youtuber and I don’t know the answer. Some days I create to connect with like-minded fans. Other days it is to learn more about a topic. Sometimes I can’t even explain why, I just have to. I have no idea where this journey leads. Maybe to great heights or the lowest point in my life but I just can’t stop.
This is because the journey is the true reward with all its ups and downs and the countless reasons both big and small that push you forward. Fujino never reflects on every little step that gets her to the end of the anime but it is clear that Kyomoto was a crucial catalyst. At first it is the competitive nature of their work but then it is their friendship. They are slowly and quietly influencing one another to grow on this journey and they are enjoying the ride. Kyomoto evolves in her own right though not into a social butterfly that you may expect. She obtains a new outlook on life. Far from the 4 walls of her safe space, she is slowly realizing that the world is beautiful but not just in the scenery she draws, but in the experiences. For an anime about drawing manga, we aren’t really shown how their artwork improves over time. The montages show them working hard and playing harder. They have no idea that their journey is leading to a path of anger and sadness but their present in the moment. This is why we don’t care if our passion is taking everything from us because what it is giving us is so much more.
Fujino and Kyomoto’s lives are heavily impacted by their passion for better and for worse. If you took that passion away, they may have an easier life but they will always be missing something. When they let that passion drive them forward they are rewarded with new opportunities both big and small all accompanied by their best friend to laugh, eat, and play with. When you reflect on your own journey you may see every sacrifice, loss, and hardship, but would you give those up if it meant losing every smile, skill, strength, and connection you have made along the way?
This is what makes Look Back more than an anime. It’s a mirror that reflects the messy reality of being a creator, of pouring yourself into something without even fully understanding why. It shows you not just who you are but what you have been in the quest to get there. The question “why do you draw” isn’t just for Fujino, it is for all of us. It isn’t a question to even be answered but rather to be felt. Look Back will leave you intrigued and emotional with its tough questions. It will leave you stunned by the art work and powerful storytelling. It will leave you inspired to keep moving forward with what you love. Fujimoto continues to provide painfully real stories whose themes are universal and anyone with a passion should watch it and reflect on why you draw.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by your passion, ask yourself “is this worth it?” If the answer is yes, even for a moment, keep going. In the end, the sacrifices we make for what we love may just be the thing that gives it all meaning and you’ll be thankful you pushed through when it’s long behind you. Every minute I’ve sacrificed—whether it’s giving up relaxation, sleep, or the comforts of an easier life—hasn’t led to massive paydays or world-shaking opportunities. But then, I get comments like "needs more views" and "you're channel is underatted!", and it reminds me why I push through. Those small moments of connection make all the challenges worth it.
Creating manga may seem simple, but Look Back turns it into a profound exploration of life’s toughest questions. Its universal themes resonate with anyone chasing a dream, much like Blue Giant does with music.an anime that shows a similar journey of following your dream but challenges you to see what really matters in your life and to hear more about that, you can check out this video right here:
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