Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Live-Action 〈Look Back〉 to Open in South Korea in October

The live-action film 〈Look Back〉 (Look Back), directed and written by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, will open in South Korea this October. Megabox JoongAng Co., Ltd., the importer and distributor, announced the release and unveiled a teaser trailer on Sept. 7.

The film 〈Look Back〉 is based on the short manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of the global phenomenon 〈Chainsaw Man〉. When it debuted in 2021, it surpassed 2.5 million views in a single day and quickly became a hot topic. The 2024 animated film adaptation also earned strong praise from critics and audiences at home and abroad. The project has drawn global attention as Kore-eda’s first youth film; the Palme d'Or–winning director is best known for 〈Shoplifters〉. K2 Pictures and Shueisha participated in the production.

The lead cast and visuals have been revealed. Newcomer Natsuki Deguchi plays Fujino, the protagonist who dreams of becoming a manga artist while serializing four-panel comics in the school newspaper, and acclaimed actor Aju Makita plays Kyomoto, a loner who locks herself in her room to draw — the revealed casting and visuals appear to closely match the original characters. Child actors Furi Nanase (young Fujino) and Roka Okada (young Kyomoto), personally selected by Hirokazu Kore-eda in auditions, vividly portray the characters' youth and are expected to heighten viewer immersion.

The teaser trailer pairs the scratch of pen nibs with music by Yuta Bando, who served as music director and completed the film’s melody, and captures the radiant four seasons Fujino and Kyomoto spend connecting through manga in Kore-eda’s signature warm imagery. The film 〈Look Back〉, which tells the sincere, coming-of-age story of two girls bonded by manga, is set to open in South Korean theaters this October.