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DEADLINE: What was your entryway intoLook Back?
I understand that you used to do animation work onChainsaw Man.
Did you read it first, or did Tatsuki Fujimoto approach you about collaborating on the adaptation?
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KIYOTAKA OSHIYAMA:Avex Pictures came to me and said, Do you want to work onLook Backwith us?
So, I agreed.
We then worked together on developing a pitch and took it to Shueisha, the publisher ofLook Back.
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This is my opinion, but what caught Fujimotos eye was when I uploaded some illustrations on social media.
I think that played a big role in getting this pitch.
As an animator, I think its better to be in the audience just watching anime.
To consume anime is much better.
Making it is a really long production.
The fact that you have to sit for so long and maintain your focus is a physically demanding job.
DEADLINE: In the film, the two girls come to a crossroads.
One decides to skip school and continue her career.
The other decides to put her career on hold and do formal school training.
Thats a real struggle.
What is your own journey with coming into filmmaking?
OSHIYAMA:My dad liked to draw as a hobby.
I think that had an influence on me.
In elementary school, I was one of the kids who drew a lot.
I had the skill to observe something and then recreate that on paper.
So then, I went to a 3D CG-based school.
But where I grew up in Fukushima, its not like their graphics were super great.
But I practiced and then moved to Tokyo.
While there I was doing part-time work and looking for a job.
So thats how I chose to be an animator.
And then, I happened to find a job posting for companies to join their company to become animators.
I joined the one company that accepted me.
DEADLINE: Now youve got this widely praised film that everyone is talking about.
Was the stress worth it?
OSHIYAMA:Yes [laughs].
I really think the success of a movie is hit or miss.
You dont know what contributes to it and I think I was just lucky.
Its like, It wasnt really my ability.
It was just luck and all the other aspects that came into it.
So, I give a shot to tell myself and tone it down.
DEADLINE: The film is just short of an hour.
Was there ever a version of this film longer than an hour?
Considering my schedule for Studio Durian and the finances, I cant use a lot of money.
So, with that in mind, it was necessary to keep it short.
But also, because the original manga follows this timeline, I couldnt rush through those scenes too fast.
Because then, I thought the audience wouldnt be able to keep up.
I also wanted to keep it easy for the audience to follow whats happening in a good rhythm.
So, I thought, What can I do?
And then, I think I ended up borrowing the power of what music can do in a film.
Because I think the dialogue and art could do a lot, but its not enough.
But also easy to follow and in a good rhythm.
OSHIYAMA:Theres a lot.
Theres a lot of cuts and stills.
So, its just a long time.
Is it still going to convey what we want to and is it going to be accepted?
But the audience really liked it.
So, it ended up working well for me.
DEADLINE: Talk about the ending of the film.
What does this mean to him?
OSHIYAMA:In the manga, it does have that 4-panel strip pasted.
I thought maybe in the film that its not important to have that strip pasted on the window.
So, in the end, we did match the manga.
Because I think with where Fujino is working outside her window, its like a beautiful city scenery.
And then, it turns in from morning to night, and she just works throughout.
And I think the background scenery really did the work of what that 4-panel strip conveys.
But yeah, I think in the end, we matched the manga just to match it.
