Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s animated debut function movie Look Again, based mostly on the best-selling manga by Tatuski Fujimoto, is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama that has resonated with moviegoers and at dwelling audiences globally, amassing greater than $12 million worldwide and touchdown a spot on Prime Video. At slightly below an hour, Look Again follows the favored Ayumi Fujino (Yumi Kawai) who has been lengthy praised for her humorous comics within the college newspaper. Nonetheless, when her instructor asks her to share panel area with Kyomoto (Mizuki Yoshida), an absent recluse, her stunning art work outshines Fujino’s and kickstarts pleasant rivalry between them into their younger grownup years.
Right here, Deadline talks to Oshiyama concerning the significance of Look Again and the highs and lows of pursuing artistic endeavors.
DEADLINE: What was your entryway into Look Again? I perceive that you just used to do animation work on Chainsaw Man. Did you learn it first, or did Tatsuki Fujimoto method you about collaborating on the difference?
KIYOTAKA OSHIYAMA: Avex Photos got here to me and mentioned, “Do you wish to work on Look Again with us?” So, I agreed. We then labored collectively on growing a pitch and took it to Shueisha, the writer of Look Again. Different groups had been additionally all in favour of adapting Look Again, so it was like a contest vying for that pitch to be permitted. However I believe Shueisha, together with the manga editor and Fujimoto, selected our group Avex Photos and Studio Durian. That is my opinion, however what caught Fujimoto’s eye was once I uploaded some illustrations on social media. I believe that performed an enormous function in getting this pitch. Although [my studio] Studio Durian is an anime manufacturing firm, it’s not like we had plenty of road cred or clout engaged on industrial animation tasks. We had been going up in opposition to huge manufacturing firms, however I believe Fujimoto’s private bias was towards what I had uploaded.
DEADLINE: As an artist and filmmaker, what theme resonated with you and made you wish to adapt the story?
OSHIYAMA: Within the manga and the film, there’s a line, “Manga isn’t one thing that you have to be drawing.” As an animator, I believe it’s higher to be within the viewers simply watching anime. To devour anime is a lot better. Making it’s a actually lengthy manufacturing. The truth that you must sit for thus lengthy and keep your focus is a bodily demanding job. So, I don’t suppose it’s one thing that we might work on for lengthy durations of time or lengthy years.
Look Again
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DEADLINE: Within the movie, the 2 women come to a crossroads. One decides to skip college and proceed her profession. The opposite decides to place her profession on maintain and do formal college coaching. That’s an actual battle. What’s your individual journey with coming into filmmaking?
OSHIYAMA: My dad appreciated to attract as a interest. I believe that had an affect on me. I even have an uncle-ish one who is a painter, nevertheless it’s not like I had plenty of involvement with him rising up. Additionally, as a child, I had a neighbor who rooted me on to proceed drawing, so that basically helped, too. In elementary college, I used to be one of many children who drew rather a lot. I had the talent to look at one thing after which recreate that on paper. I used to be additionally a part of the artwork membership and performed sports activities slightly, however I appreciated being indoors drawing. When it got here to school, I truly failed my entrance exams to get into the college that I needed [laughs]. So then, I went to a 3D CG-based college. However the place I grew up in Fukushima, it’s not like their graphics had been tremendous nice. However I practiced after which moved to Tokyo. Whereas there I used to be doing part-time work and in search of a job. I believe I might have gone into changing into an illustrator or a manga artist, however that’s one thing that I actually didn’t know methods to get into the trade. However as an animator, I believe so long as you get into an organization that animates, you might grow to be an animator. In order that’s how I selected to be an animator. After which, I occurred to discover a job posting for firms to affix their firm to grow to be animators. I joined the one firm that accepted me.
DEADLINE: Now you’ve acquired this broadly praised movie that everybody is speaking about. Was the stress price it?
OSHIYAMA: Sure [laughs]. I actually suppose the success of a film is hit and miss. You don’t know what contributes to it and I believe I used to be simply fortunate. I’m grateful for the reward that I’m getting, however I attempt to inform myself continually to keep up my psychological power. It’s like, “It wasn’t actually my potential. It was simply luck and all the opposite facets that got here into it.” So, I attempt to inform myself and tone it down. However I believe if I had been to consider my subsequent venture and in the event that they’re like, “Oh, it’s going to be a success similar to Look Again,” then I would stress out slightly, however I strive not to consider it.
DEADLINE: The movie is simply in need of an hour. What had been a number of the artistic challenges of adapting one thing so brief about grief, love, and happiness in such a short while span? Was there ever a model of this movie longer than an hour?
OSHIYAMA: The [idea] began out correctly a brief that will be inside 40 minutes. Contemplating my schedule for Studio Durian and the funds, I can’t use some huge cash. So, I knew that having a 90-minute movie to work on was going to be plenty of work, and I wouldn’t wish to do it. So, with that in thoughts, it was essential to maintain it brief. But additionally, as a result of the unique manga follows this timeline, I couldn’t rush by way of these scenes too quick. As a result of then, I believed the viewers wouldn’t be capable of sustain. I additionally needed to maintain it simple for the viewers to observe what’s occurring in an excellent rhythm. So, I believed, “What can I do?” After which, I believe I ended up borrowing the ability of what music can do in a movie. As a result of I believe the dialogue and artwork might do rather a lot, nevertheless it’s not sufficient. I believe, actually, the music, they’re capable of convey their feelings and what they’re feeling inside simply and straightforwardly. So, even in a brief scene with the music altering the tempo or what’s occurring or what’s occurring, I used to be capable of maintain it brief and concise. But additionally simple to observe and in an excellent rhythm.
Look Again
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DEADLINE: What was a scene that you just didn’t suppose would work whereas making the movie, however upon seeing it ended up resonating greater than you thought on display screen?
OSHIYAMA: There’s rather a lot. However for instance, I believe in the direction of the top of the film there’s about three to 4 minutes the place it goes again into the previous. There’s plenty of cuts and stills. To have that many stills is used rather a lot in TV however hardly ever in movies as a result of it seems like a cop-out. So, it’s simply a very long time. Three and a half minutes or 4 minutes of simply music and stills, we had been like, “Is that this going to be okay?” I used to be fearful. However due to the schedule, we had run out of time, so we needed to simply make it into stills. So, till it was proven, I used to be fearful, like, “Is the viewers going to be okay with this? Is it nonetheless going to convey what we wish to and is it going to be accepted?” However the viewers actually appreciated it. So, it ended up working properly for me.
DEADLINE: Speak concerning the ending of the movie. Fujino is coping with this guilt of shedding her buddy however retains a chunk of her art work together with her in the long run. What does this imply to him? OSHIYAMA: Within the manga, it does have that 4-panel strip pasted. I believed possibly within the movie that it’s not necessary to have that strip pasted on the window. However I believe once I took on this venture, considered one of my greatest objectives was to respect and be true to the manga as a lot as doable. So, in the long run, we did match the manga. However I believe within the movie, even when we didn’t have that 4-panel strip pasted on the window, the ending conveyed what we needed to convey, and I believe what the manga needed to convey. As a result of I believe with the place Fujino is working exterior her window, it’s like a lovely metropolis surroundings. After which, it turns in from morning to nighttime, and she or he simply works all through. And I believe the background surroundings actually did the work of what that 4-panel strip conveys. However yeah, I believe in the long run, we matched the manga simply to match it. However I do suppose what I needed to convey, what the manga needed to convey, was already conveyed if that is smart.
[This interview, conducted through an interpreter, has been edited for length and clarity]
