“Look Back”: Film Director Koreeda’s Live-Action Take on Girlhood Dreams

Director Koreeda Hirokazu (center) with (left to right) Nanase Fūri and Deguchi Natsuki (who both played Fujino at different ages), and Makita Aju and Okada Rokka (who both played Kyōmoto), at the eighty-third Venice Film Festival, September 7, 2026. (© Kazuko Wakayama)

Kyōmoto (foreground, played by Makita Aju) and Fujino (Deguchi Natsuki) work on their manga. (© Fujimoto Tatsuki/Shūeisha Inc; © 2026 K2 Pictures/Shūeisha Inc.)

The pair, still in junior high, are ecstatic at winning the ¥1 million second prize in the Shōnen Jump magazine contest. (© Fujimoto Tatsuki/Shūeisha Inc; © 2026 K2 Pictures/Shūeisha Inc.)

The younger Fujino (left) and Kyōmoto (played by Nanase Fūri and Okada Rokka, respectively). (© Fujimoto Tatsuki/Shūeisha Inc; © 2026 K2 Pictures/Shūeisha Inc.)

Filming amid the scenic beauty of Nikaho, Akita. (© Fujimoto Tatsuki/Shūeisha Inc; © 2026 K2 Pictures/Shūeisha Inc.)

Koreeda and Deguchi on location during the filming of Look Back. (© Fujimoto Tatsuki/Shūeisha Inc; © 2026 K2 Pictures/Shūeisha Inc.)