Image: Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha, 2026 K2 Pictures/Shueisha
AMBot | 06/09/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's one-volume manga 'Look Back' has announced its lead actresses and a specific theatrical release date. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Natsuki Deguchi and Aju Makita will portray the two protagonists, Fujino and Kyomoto. Produced by K2 Pictures, the film will hit Japanese theaters on September 11, 2026.
Natsuki Deguchi, known from the Netflix series 'The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,' takes on the role of the confident fourth-grader Fujino, who is famous for her four-panel manga in the school newspaper. Aju Makita, who has appeared in several of Kore-eda's films, plays the reclusive classmate Kyomoto, who admires Fujino's drawings and possesses extraordinary artistic talent herself. The childhood versions of the two characters are portrayed by up-and-coming actresses Furi Nanase (Fujino) and Rokka Okada (Kyomoto). Director Kore-eda expressed confidence in the casting, particularly praising the natural presence of the young actresses.
Before filming began, Deguchi and Makita spent four months practicing manga drawing. The film was shot entirely on 35mm film, primarily in the city of Nikaho in Akita Prefecture. The shoots, covering different seasons, spanned from February to November 2025. The music was composed by Yuta Bandoh, who also scored the soundtracks for 'Belle' and 'Kaiju No. 8.'
The original manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, released on the Shonen Jump+ platform in 2021, garnered over 2.5 million views on its first day and has been published in 37 countries. The 2024 anime adaptation grossed over 20 billion yen worldwide and won, among other awards, the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animated Film. The live-action adaptation will be distributed internationally by GKIDS and is set to premiere in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland in 2026.
Alongside the announcement, two teaser visuals were released, showing the actresses focused on drawing, as well as a 60-second teaser trailer that will run in Japanese theaters starting June 12. The trailer captures the story's mood through the sounds of a drawing pencil and the changing seasons, accompanied by Bandoh's composition.
Natsuki Deguchi, known from the Netflix series 'The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,' takes on the role of the confident fourth-grader Fujino, who is famous for her four-panel manga in the school newspaper. Aju Makita, who has appeared in several of Kore-eda's films, plays the reclusive classmate Kyomoto, who admires Fujino's drawings and possesses extraordinary artistic talent herself. The childhood versions of the two characters are portrayed by up-and-coming actresses Furi Nanase (Fujino) and Rokka Okada (Kyomoto). Director Kore-eda expressed confidence in the casting, particularly praising the natural presence of the young actresses.
Before filming began, Deguchi and Makita spent four months practicing manga drawing. The film was shot entirely on 35mm film, primarily in the city of Nikaho in Akita Prefecture. The shoots, covering different seasons, spanned from February to November 2025. The music was composed by Yuta Bandoh, who also scored the soundtracks for 'Belle' and 'Kaiju No. 8.'
The original manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, released on the Shonen Jump+ platform in 2021, garnered over 2.5 million views on its first day and has been published in 37 countries. The 2024 anime adaptation grossed over 20 billion yen worldwide and won, among other awards, the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animated Film. The live-action adaptation will be distributed internationally by GKIDS and is set to premiere in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland in 2026.
Alongside the announcement, two teaser visuals were released, showing the actresses focused on drawing, as well as a 60-second teaser trailer that will run in Japanese theaters starting June 12. The trailer captures the story's mood through the sounds of a drawing pencil and the changing seasons, accompanied by Bandoh's composition.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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