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It was criminal that the Best Animated Film category didn’t exist at the Oscars before 2001. Iconic films like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan missed out on the golden statuette. While Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, the absence of a dedicated Animated Feature category left a void in recognizing the artistry of animated films at the Oscars.

The creation of the award, in hindsight, inadvertently confined animated films to their own category. Following the 81st Academy Awards, cinephiles noted that no rule prevented Wall-e from being nominated for Best Picture, sparking debates on animated films’ true recognition.

At the time of the award’s introduction, Disney had cooled off, and Pixar (distributed by Disney) took the reins, dominating with creativity and innovation. Pixar has claimed 11 of the 23 Oscars for Best Animated Feature.

Today, the animated landscape is more competitive than ever.

Prime Video today announced the exclusive global premiere of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Jīkuakusu), the latest installment in the legendary Mecha Sci-Fi ‘Gundam’ series.

The series will stream simultaneously with Japan across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Tuesday, April 8.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX represents a historic collaboration between Studio khara, renowned for the Evangelion series, and Sunrise, the legendary studio behind the Gundam franchise.

The series brings together an all-star creative team, including director Kazuya Tsurumaki, writers Yoji Enokido and Hideaki Anno (Evangelion series), with character designs by Take (Pokémon Journeys) and mechanical designs by Ikuto Yamashita.

This dream team of Japan’s top anime creators marks a watershed moment in anime history, uniting the creative forces behind two of Japan’s most influential mecha series. The series was preceded by a theatrical promotion, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-.

This theatrical cut launched in Japan in January...

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back anime film grabbed quite a few eyeballs. It received praise from both Japanese and international audiences, which might have been the boost that Chainsaw Man needed for its upcoming film.

Along with a promising plot, the new film is being animated by Mappa, a name that already ensures awesome animation quality and style. If season 1 of Chainsaw Man is anything to go by, the Reze arc movie will shake up the anime world and help Tatsuki Fujimoto reach greater heights.

Look Back paved the way for a Chainsaw Man movie Look Back cemented Tatsuki Fujimoto’s name in the anime film industry | Credits: Durian

Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s Look Back film premiered in June 2024 and became one of the most acclaimed movies of the year. It won the Animation of the Year award at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival and was nominated at the Annie Awards,...

The winners of the 52nd Annual Annie Awards have been announced and despite several nominations, no anime movies took him any awards. Look Back was nominated for Best Feature: Independent category but lost to the Latvian animation film Flow.

Look Back lost to Flow at the Annie Awards | Credits: Durian

Both The Wild Robot and Arcane took home several awards, leaving anime fans a huge blow to deal with. However, with a limited number of anime films released in 2024, the industry already had a huge handicap.

Don’t be surprised by the lack of anime at award shows this year

The anime film adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s Look Back one-shot manga received many positive reviews after its theatrical debut. Fans even expected it to be nominated in American award shows like the Oscars and Annie. However, the movie did not even make it to the final nominations list for...

The Wild Robot swept its categories at the 2025 Annie Awards, winning a leading nine awards, including best feature.

The DreamWorks Animation title was nominated 10 times, but two of those nods were in the same category.

Also Saturday night, The Wild Robot won the Producers Guild Award for outstanding producer of animated theatrical motion pictures. And Friday night, it won best animated feature at the Critics Choice Awards.

Other features that won multiple awards from the International Animated Film Society Asifa-Hollywood, which presents the prizes recognizing the year’s best in animation, include two-time winners Flow and Orion and the Dark, with the former winning best feature — independent and best writing — feature.

Flow, which won the Golden Globe for best animated motion picture, and The Wild Robot are both nominated for the Oscar for best animated feature, along with Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

The board of Asifa-Hollywood, the organization behind the 52nd annual Annie Awards, pondered, like many other organizers behind events on the awards season calendar, whether the show should be postponed or scaled back because of the devastating fires that ravaged Los Angeles in early January. Many members of the animation community are among those who’ve been severely impacted.

“We represent the animation community and it’s really important to us, especially at this time, that we support them a thousand percent,” says Asifa-Hollywood executive director Aubry Mintz. And after much discussion, the board decided that the show will go on, albeit with a somewhat more somber tone and featuring the announcement of efforts to consolidate resources and support for those in the community dealing with various (and in many cases multiple) losses.

“We discussed this with the board: ‘What are the implications if we go forward with the Annies...

The 67th edition of the Blue Ribbon Awards, presented by the Association of Tokyo Film Journalists, has announced its winners on January 28, 2025. The nominees and winners are selected from movies released in 2024 by members of the Association who are film reporters from seven sports newspapers in Tokyo. Indie movie “A Samurai in Time” was the surprise hit last year and has picked up a double win for Best Film and Best Actor. Likewise for Yu Irie‘s “A Girl Named Ann” bagging the Best Director and Best Actress awards.

Best Film

A Girl Named Ann

Abudeka Is Back

Let’s Go Karaoke!

52-Hertz Whales

A Samurai in Time

11 Rebels

Faceless

All the Long Nights

Last Mile

Look Back

Best Director

Yu Irie – A Girl Named Ann

Kazuya Shiraishi – 11 Rebels, Bushido

Ayuko Tsukahara – Last Mile, La Grande Maison Paris

Michihito Fujii – Faceless, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days

Junichi Yasuda – A Samurai in Time

Best...

The official website for the Tokyo Anime Award Festival (Taaf) announced the winners of its 2025 Anime of the Year awards on January 31, 2025. The awards are given to the most outstanding anime works or individuals from all works that were screened, broadcasted or streamed in the fiscal year 2024. The selection process begins with a vote by anime fans to select the 100 best works (20 theatrical films and 80 TV series). From those 100 works, "Best Work" (Feature film and TV series categories) and "Individual Award" awards were voted on by a wide range of animation industry professionals, including producers, creators, other media and stores handling anime merchandise. Additionally, the "Anime Fan Award" was selected by voting by the general users. The "Best Work" award in the feature film category went to Look Back , an anime film adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's ( Chainsaw Man ) coming-of-age manga of the same name. The 58-minute film produced by...

Japan’s box office fell 6.5% to $1.33bn (¥207bn) in 2024 due to a large drop in takings for US features, despite strong earnings for local titles.

Overall admissions were 7.1% down to 144.4 million, according to data published by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (Eiren). The figures remain some distance from pre-pandemic 2019, when the gross box office was $1.55bn (¥242bn) from 195 million admissions.

Scroll down for the top 30 titles

It was a positive picture for Japanese films, which took $1bn (¥156bn) at the local box office, up 5.1% year-on-year and comprising 75% of total takings. Topping the chart was anime Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram,...

Will Season 19 of Sister Wives treat viewers to an end-of-season Tell All?

That’s a question on Sister Wives fans’ minds as the season nears its 19th episode.

Sunday, January 26, will mark Episode 19 this season, Behold I Come Like A Thief.

In years past, Kody Brown and his then-four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, would sit down with a Tell All host and spill all the post-season tea.

However, producers have shaken things up in recent years, either forgoing a Tell All altogether or implementing a multi-part one.

There hasn’t been any official word yet regarding a Season 19 Tell All, but Monsters and Critics can confirm that Sister Wives will be taking a hiatus next month.

Sister Wives goes on hiatus following the February 2 episode, with Part 2 returning this spring

Additionally, Season 19 will be a two-parter.

The break comes after the February 2 episode, which will be a mid-season...

With its shocking story and lively animation, Look Back became a fan-favorite anime film in 2024. Ahead of the 97th Academy Awards, fans were excited to see Look Back making it to the nominations list. To their dismay, Look Back couldn’t make it to the list. This has sparked a conversation about the Oscars’ reservations against anime as a medium.

Fujino gets to know about Kyomoto in Look Back | Credits: Studio Durian

Such a discussion is important considering all that the anime film offers in a short span of time. For the same reason, the fan reactions are understandable. However, the worst aspect of this entire ordeal is Tatsuki Fujimoto not receiving his due.

Look Back is sad, beautiful, and truly riveting in many ways

Look Back hit the theatres in June 2024, and quickly garnered massive attention from fans. It follows the story of Fujino, a young artist, and her relationship with her craft.

The announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature has sent waves of shock and disappointment across the anime community, with Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back absent from the list.

Ayumu Fujino in Look Back. [Credit: Studio Durian]

Instead, the nominees include Flow, Inside Out 2, The Wild Robot, Memoir of a Snail, and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. No anime movie was on the list.

However, to say that anime and the Academy Awards have a rocky relationship would be an understatement. Every few years, some anime film reshapes popular culture, and Look Back is the latest buzzworthy hit, thrilling fans ahead of Oscars 2025.

Look Back was not nominated for the Best Animated Feature

Flashy titles that came out in 2024 kept many anime fans’ hopes high for the 97th Academy Awards. Yet, it seems next year might follow the usual pattern, with Disney claiming victory. Still,...

The official website of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed a list of nominees for the 97th Oscars on Jan 23, 2025.

While a total of five anime movies, including Look Back, The Colors Within and Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim were eligible for the Best Animated Feature Film category, none of them made the final cut.

The nominations for the Best Feature Film Category include:

Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy & the Heron won the Oscar Award for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, held on March 10, 2024. It marked the director’s second win in the category, following Spirited Away in 2003.

It was also the only anime film to...

The list for the 2025 Academy Awards nominations was recently released, and it has been the talk of the town since then. The Oscar 2025 list has many contentious perceptions, but the biggest one is that not a single 2024 anime film made it to the list. This was certainly heartbreaking for hardcore anime fans, considering the fact that anime has become a mainstream phenomenon.

The Boy and the Heron | Credit: Studio Ghibli

While the anime art form is still underappreciated in many different places, 2024 changed it in a major way because of some great pieces of work that attracted a lot of attention. However, the fact that the Oscars 2025 are not nominating a single 2024 anime has a much deeper reason behind it that many anime fans fail to understand.

The main culprits behind this are Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai, who have been nominated for and even won Oscars in the past.

To say that anime and the Academy Awards have a rocky relationship would be an understatement. Every few years, some anime film reshapes popular culture, and Look Back is the latest buzzworthy hit, thrilling fans ahead of Oscars 2025.

It’s always been maddening how underrepresented anime is during the Academy Awards, but 2025 might just top that. The highly publicized chatter for Look Back was stunned to find out the anime that ruled supreme above others in 2024 was shunned from the Oscars’ Animated Feature category.

Look Back. [Credit: Studio Durian]

Flashy titles that came out in 2024 kept many anime fans’ hopes high for the 97th Academy Awards. Yet, it seems next year might follow the usual pattern, with Disney claiming victory. Still, the snubbing of Look Back from the Oscars 2025 has enraged fans, and they have been speaking their minds online.

Outrage sparks as Look Back Misses 2025 Oscars Nomination

The Academy Awards have had a long,...

The movie that was crowned the best anime film of 2024, Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back, is still making a lot of noise because of the popularity it amassed since its release in June 2024. The anime film has been acclaimed as one of the greatest works by Fujimoto and Studio Durian, and a lot of factors contributed to the overall success of Look Back.

Look Back By Tatsuki Fujimoto | Credit: Studio Durian

From its animation to its story development, everything in the anime film adds to the wonderful portrayal of the storyline from the original one-shot web manga that came out in 2021. However, there is one aspect of the story that was utilized by Fujimoto in the most perfect way possible. This aspect was the symbolism that the story portrayed through different scenes.

One particular scene that grabbed the attention of a lot of fans was when Ayumu Fujino found out...

2024 was definitely a big year for the anime industry, especially for the movies. There were quite a few films that left an impression on the community, but the one that stood above all was Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back. The movie has received worldwide appreciation and has been crowned as the best anime film of 2024 by fans and critics.

Look Back is the Best Anime Film of 2024 | Credit: Studio Durian

Not only that, it even won the Best Anime Film at the Filmarks Annual Awards 2024, proving Fujimoto and Studio Durian’s talent. According to many anime fans, the main reason behind naming Look Back as the best anime film of 2024 was its brilliant visualization and animation. However, it is the only reason why Look Back deserved the title.

There are many other elements that contributed to the success of the Look Back anime movie. But the one that was the...

The 48th annual Japan Academy Film Prizes, also known as Japan Academy Awards, has revealed its nominees for Excellent Animation Award on Jan 21, 2025, with Look Back, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, and 3 other anime films among the contenders.

The nominated anime films are:

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram Look Back Give It All

In addition to the animated categories, Asuka Saito, Anna Yamada, and Rihito Itagaki, known for their roles in the live-action adaptations of Oshi No Ko, Golden Kamuy, and Cells At Work! respectively, are all nominated for the Best New Actor category.

In the Outstanding Supporting Actress category, Mana Ashida has earned a nomination for her role as Niko Urushizaki in the live-action adaptation of Cells at Work!.

Go Ayano has been nominated for Outstanding Actor for his role as Kyouji Narita in the live-action film adaptation of Yama Wayama’s Let’s Go Karaoke!

The biggest celebration of Japanese film, the Japan Academy Prize, is gearing up for its 48th annual ceremony on March 14, 2025. Ahead of then, the Japan Academy Prize Association revealed the nominees for all the top awards today . The Animation category is filled with some of the biggest anime films from 2024, including Look Back , Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, and more! The full list for Animation of the Year includes: Ganbatte Ikimasshoi Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram Look Back Outside of anime, the latest Kingdom live-action film, Kingdom 4: Return of the Great General , is up for Picture of the Year, with director Shinsuke Sato up for Best Director, lead actor and supporting actor Kento Yamazaki and Takao Osawa up for their respective awards as well as many production awards. The Cells at Work live-action film also picked up a few nominations,...

Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s animated debut feature film Look Back, based on the best-selling manga by Tatuski Fujimoto, is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama that has resonated with moviegoers and at home audiences globally, amassing more than $12 million worldwide and landing a spot on Prime Video. At just under an hour, Look Back follows the popular Ayumi Fujino (Yumi Kawai) who has been long praised for her humorous comics in the school newspaper. However, when her teacher asks her to share panel space with Kyomoto (Mizuki Yoshida), an absent recluse, her beautiful artwork outshines Fujino’s and kickstarts friendly rivalry between them into their young adult years.

Here, Deadline talks to Oshiyama about the significance of Look Back and the highs and lows of pursuing creative endeavors.

Deadline: What was your entryway into Look Back? I understand that you used to do animation work on Chainsaw Man. Did you read it first,...

There’s another medium that anime fans need to check out: Chinese animation, or donghuas, which has fallen under the radar of many Western viewers. However, donghuas availability on streaming services like Crunchyroll with multiple dubbing proves the industry is ready to captivate global audiences. Moreover, although Donghuas were known for their focus on mythology and epic adventures, one of the most recent sequels released in the Crunchyroll winter season of 2025 is a hidden gem that surpasses many animes, and more people need to see.

In an interview with Afp News, Masao Maruyama, founder of Mappa and Studio M2 and co-founder of Madhouse studio, warned how China was on the road to surpassing Japan’s top spot in animation due to the rise of more original projects in the neighboring country, and one of Crunchyroll’s series is confirming that as Link Click has one of the most intriguing and original stories in recent years.

Recently Tatsuki Fujimoto’s name has become known to everyone in the manga community, and for all the good reasons. As the creator of the modern classic, Chainsaw Man, he has consistently attracted more and more fans with his mastery of weaving hard-hitting stories.

Yet, even among his other works, particularly one-shots like Look Back has unexpectedly stolen the spotlight with its spectacular movie adaptation last year. But if you think that must have been Fujimoto’s finest work of all time, you will be greatly mistaken.

A still from Look Back movie | Credits: Studio Durian

Here comes Goodbye Eri, a hauntingly beautiful manga that is actually capable of emotionally dismantling even the most stone-faced manga fans. This gut-wrenching one-shot is a good reminder that no matter how much you think you know Fujimoto, he can still surprise you!

What makes Goodbye Eri stand out more? A still from Goodbye Eri manga | Credits: Tatsuki Fujimoto,...

2024 was a great year for animated films, and few stood out more than Look Back and The Wild Robot. The former was a phenomenal adaptation of the Tatsuki Fujimoto manga of the same name, the latter was largely seen as the best DreamWorks film in years, and both are easy contenders for the best animated films of 2024, if not some of the best films of 2024, in general.

Look Back and The Wild Robot were two of the best animated films of 2024, by far, but one might have overtaken the other in prestige. With 2024 officially over, the full statistics of how certain films performed over the year are finally coming out, and to the surprise and joy of many, Look Back beat The Wild Robot in one of the biggest movie rankings of the year. It’s nothing but a testament to Look Back’s incredible quality, and it says great...

If one has to talk about the way that a manga is to be crafted, not just in a visually appealing and artistic manner, but in a way that captures the attention of the fans.

Fujino and Kyoumoto from Look Back. [Credit: Studio Durian]

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s oneshot Look Back has captivated the hearts of fans in such a way, and has succeeded topping trends in Japan and earning widespread acclaim.

Being globally recognized and acclaimed for his work on Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch, Fujimoto is a renowned mangaka legend who once again proved his mastery of storytelling. There is art in every panel, but there is also a well-thought out philosophical essence within the characters’ action.

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back Is a Masterclass in Storytelling

The brilliance of Look Back is not in its visual appeal (which has its own magnetic effect), and it lies not in flashy...

Look Back has been named the highest-rated animated film of 2024 in Letterboxd’s Year in Review.

Gkids, the North American distributor, celebrated the film’s feat with a post on its official X account, noting its impressive rankings in various categories.

Look Back was not only the highest-rated animated film of the year on the platform but also ranked #4 in the highest rated overall film category, and #2 highest-rated Asian film.

Look Back was all over @letterboxd's Year in Review!

Letterboxd released its list of the most-watched actors and highest-rated films of 2024, based on ratings from its 17 million users. Zendaya was the most-watched female actor again, thanks to her roles in ‘Dune: Part 2’ and ‘Challengers.’ Dune: Part 2 was the top-rated movie of the year, with a 4.4-star rating, and its director, Denis Villeneuve, was the most-watched director.

Zendaya’s ‘Dune’ co-star, Timothée Chalamet, was replaced by Willem Dafoe as the most-watched actor. Dafoe appeared in four big films last year: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ ‘Saturday Night,’ ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ and recently released, ‘Nosferatu.’

You can check out the top picks below:

The most-watched actors of 2024 on Letterboxd are led by Willem Dafoe, followed by Timothée Chalamet and Stellan Skarsgård. Other top actors include J.K. Simmons, Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo.

1. Willem Dafoe 2. Timothée Chalamet 3. Stellan Skarsgård 4. J.K. Simmons 5. Josh Brolin 6. Samuel L.

Megyn Kelly is known for her outspoken views and commentary on her talk shows after a long stint working for news networks. She was also the subject of the 2019 movie Bombshell, starring Charlize Theron as a fictionalized version of herself. However, that did not stop Kelly from feuding with Theron online regarding one incident.

Megyn Kelly is known for her outspoken views (Credit: Megyn Kelly Today | NBC).

Meanwhile, Kelly has now taken shots at the 2024 mystery thriller Conclave and its cast, including Ralph Fiennes. On social media, she took down the movie for its anti-Catholic depiction and other themes that did not sit right with her viewpoint. She used some strong words to criticize the film and here is what Kelly had to say about the Oscar contender.

Megyn Kelly rips apart Ralph Fiennes’ Oscar contender movie Conclave on social media

Megyn Kelly currently hosts The Megyn Kelly Show on Sirius Xm,...

Hideo Kojima reveals his favorite movies and shows of 2024. The legendary Japanese video game designer, inspired by both film and literature, is regarded as one of the first video game auteurs. He joined Konami in 1986, creating Metal Gear (1987), which established the stealth genre. Kojima also produced Zone of the Enders and designed cinematic adventure games like Snatcher (1988) and Policenauts (1994). After founding Kojima Productions in 2005 and leaving Konami in 2015, he independently released Death Stranding in 2019.

Now, a day after the Golden Globes honored the best in film and television from 2024, Hideo Kojima has revealed his favorite films and shows of the past year. For the best movies of 2024, Kojima selected Past Lives, The Teachers' Lounge, Dune: Part Two, All of Us Strangers, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, La Chimera, Hit Man, Gondola, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, The Substance, The Holdovers, and Juror #2. For the best Japanese movies of the year,...

Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back began as a simple one-shot manga but ended up being a hit movie that moved audiences both in Japan and overseas. The film received rave reviews and huge positive responses. The emotional weight carried by the story touched souls.

But why exactly was Look Back such a hard-hitting work? Apart from its exploration of friendship, artistic sentiments, and personal growth, it is also a nuanced story that has captured subtle emotions. The visual storytelling has left an impact on its audiences. The film’s success has exceeded the manga’s and the one to take all the credit is the movie’s director.

Look Back‘s director delved deep into Tatsuki Fujimoto’s life to breathe life into the movie Look Back written by Tatsuki Fujimoto | Credits: Studio Durian

Kiyotaka Oshiyama is a veteran animator and the director of the Look Back anime movie. The...

The creator of Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch, Tatsuki Fujimoto, also achieved great success with Look Back, a highly emotive one-shot manga that struck a deep chord with readers all across the world. The story received a lot of praise for its exploration of friendship, tragedy, and artistic growth. However, what really makes Look Back unique is not just the touching story but also the unorthodox strategy Fujimoto relied on for the anime adaptation.

Look Back | Credit: Studio Durian

During production, Fujimoto granted director Kiyotaka Oshiyama a great deal of creative freedom. One of the greatest anime films ever made, this unconventional decision enabled the adaptation to include a unique perspective without sacrificing the integrity of the original manga. The industry norm, where creators often exercise strict control on adaptations, differs greatly from this cooperative approach.

Tatsuki Fujimoto and Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s collaborative vision Fujino and Kyomoto from Look Back...

While he is celebrated for his slasher-style series Chainsaw Man, Tatsuki Fujimoto is multifarious. The mangaka has worked on several notable projects that deserve their due recognition.

The year 2024 is precisely a boon for all the creators including Fujimoto. This is especially true for his film which is making the rounds on the Internet. But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Fujino and Kyomoto in a still from Look Back | Credit: Studio Durian

Based on the one-shot manga of the same name, Look Back is soaring heights in more ways than one. The film has garnered a positive reception along with accolades. Not only that, Kaiju No. 8 and the film’s success cemented the Japanese animation industry’s glory.

But most of all, it exemplifies the splendid and stellar nature of the studios in reviving manga. Both film and the anime are markers of brilliance and finesse.

Look Back is one of the best anime films of 2024 with its emotional take on building friendships through rivalry and the creative process behind drawing. Fujino and Kyomoto compete against each other but end up realizing they inspire each other and it blooms into a beautiful partnership.

The film encapsulated such an emotional message, both about friendship and the wonders of art, within just 58 minutes. So, imagine the surprise when Kiyotaka Oshiyama, the director of Look Back, didn’t believe it would be successful worldwide.

Look Back. [Credit: Studio Durian]

He believed only people in Japan would’ve gone for a film that’s this short in length. However, he possibly didn’t consider the fame of Chainsaw Man would factor into how many people wanted to explore Tatsuki Fujimoto’s other works, especially when Look Back is so different from the previously mentioned one.

Look Back was a guaranteed success from the premise itself Look Back.

The year 2024 was revolutionary for the anime industry. Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is no exception to this, especially with the film Look Back. It is a one-shot wonder in more ways than one.

The film spotlights the mangaka through the Oscar nomination. Apart from Hayao Miyazaki, Fujimoto’s movie is boosting the Japanese anime industry on the whole. But there’s a movie yet to be credited for the mangaka’s inspiration.

Denji in a still from the anime | Credit: Mappa

In an interview, Fujimoto revealed a cult classic Charlize Theron film to be the inspiration behind his characters. His Oscar-nominated film is nothing short of a masterpiece in most aspects.

From complexities and conflicts to creativity, the film lives up to its masterpiece status through its impeccable animation. But it has more to do with the mangaka’s exploration of the central theme of dreams and aspirations in the manga.

I think it’s been a great year for cinema. Maybe even better than last year. According to my Letterboxd I didn’t give any film that came out in 2023 the heralded five stars but this year I’ve given that score twice, and a lot of four and a halves to go with. Scores are, of course, arbitrary, but it’s interesting to look back and see how things have played out on a macro level. It’s been a great year for cinema visits too, with lots of screenings locally as well as a day trip to the Prince Charles Cinema in London to watch David Lynch’s Inland Empire. What a wonderful, baffling fever dream (nightmare?) of a film. Watching it on the big screen with a loyal, and slightly stoned, audience was one of those experiences that just got me hyped about cinema again. Will definitely...

An hour-long finale was recently announced for the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 anime, with two back-to-back episodes to close things out for The Conflict on December 28. Ahead of the premiere of episodes 39 and 40, a new "Lookback" trailer debuted during Jump Festa 2025 to zip through the latest events and drum up some more hype. The Lookback trailer traces "all the stunning and shocking moments from episodes 25-38." Naturally, expect spoilers if you're not all caught up on the anime.  Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 Lookback Trailer Related: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 Anime Announces Hour-Long Finale, New Cast The 13-episode first part of  Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War , which adapts the concluding arc of Tite Kubo's  Bleach  manga series, was streamed on Disney+ and Hulu around the world from October to December 2022. The second part premiered in July 2023 and ran until September. Part 3, subtitled  The Conflict , premiered in October 2024. Hulu...

The nominees are in for the 52nd Annual Annie Awards, which celebrates the world of animation across 37 categories. Among the many nominees are Look Back —the adaptation of the one-shot by Chainsaw Man author Tatsuki Fujimoto—and Ultraman: Rising . Look Back was nominated in the Best Feature - Independent category. Ultraman: Rising was nominated for Best Feature, as well as Best FX - Feature, Best Production Design - Feature and Best Editorial - Feature. Last year saw Takeshi Honda win Best Character Animation - Feature for The Boy and the Heron , which also netted a Best Storyboarding - Feature award for Hayao Miyazaki. We'll find out who this year's winners are when the Annie Awards take place on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. Related: Look Back Anime Film Gets Worldwide Streaming Release on November 7 Kiyotaka Oshiyama ( Flip Flappers ) directs Look Back at Studio Durian.

DreamWorks Animation leads the 2025 Annie Awards feature competition with 10 nominations, including for best feature, best FX and best character animation, it was announced on Friday.

The top feature category saw nominations also handed out by the International Animated Film Society Asifa-Hollywood to DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, Pixar Animation Studios’ Inside Out 2, Locksmith Animation and Netflix’s That Christmas, Tsuburaya Productions/Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, from Aardman and Netflix.

Based on Peter Brown’s bestselling middle-grade novel, Wild Robot from director Chris Sanders centers on Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), a robot marooned on a jungle-y island, as she meets an assortment of colorful anthropomorphic animals. They include a wry mama opossum (Catherine O’Hara), a mischievous fox (Pedro Pascal) and a small orphaned goose, voiced by Kit Connor.

The best indie animation feature category has entries for Chicken for Linda!, Flow,...

It’s been almost two years since Chainsaw Man first premiered as the series took the anime scene by storm and continues to impact the genre. The slasher anime is nothing short of legendary in most aspects.

With Mappa’s creative brilliance, the series spotlights Tatsuki Fujimoto’s excellence as a mangaka. The blood, violence, and gore coupled with fantasy is what makes it stand out. However, fans are not happy with the studio’s latest development.

A still from the Chainsaw Man anime | Credit: Mappa

The most awaited movie outlining the Reze Arc was announced last year at Jump Festa 2024. Most fans couldn’t help but express their disinterest at the latest update regarding the movie.

It all makes sense with the upcoming Jump Festa 2025 on 21st December. With anime updates making rounds on the internet, the series’ future remains ambiguous for the most part.

Mappa’s delay with...

After a year of big changes, The A.V. Club’s roster of film critics has added a slew of new faces and brought back some old favorites. That state of flux—a net positive to be sure—means our final voting roster of regulars is a little smaller than in years past.

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It's the end of 2024 — if you think keeping track of all the new movies released this year was a challenge, try keeping your head on straight with new comics. Which of these funny books should you movie fans dive into? I'll offer the cream of the crop from my year-long reading experience, from monthly superhero books all the way to indie graphic novels.

In the interest of brevity, this list will only feature comics that debuted in 2024. Some honorable mentions for ongoing comics I loved this year but didn't meet that cut-off:

"Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees" by Patrick Horvath

"Chainsaw Man" by Tatsuki Fujimoto

"#Drcl midnight children" by Shin-ichi Sakamoto

"Detective Comics" by Ram V

"The Ribbon Queen" by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows

"The Sacrificers" by Rick Remender and Max Fiumara

"Transformers" by Daniel Warren Johnson and...

With each passing year, Japanese anime movies are becoming more recognized globally, captivating audiences with their unique blend of storytelling, art, and emotional depth. A Silent Voice stands as the greatest anime film of the 2010s and has garnered an immense fanbase over the years.

A still of Shoya Ishida. [Credit: Kyoto Animation]

The coming-of-age story following high schoolers Shoya and Shoko features elements of mental health, forgiveness, disability, maturation, and friendship in a highly moving, emotionally charged 130-minute runtime. Interestingly, A Silent Voice director Naoko Yamada has announced their upcoming project, promising to enchant anime fans with similar themes.

A Silent Voice Director Shares the Inspiration Behind Their Next Captivating Film

A Silent Voice explored themes relating to disability, bullying, and personal redemption. The anime film offers superb pacing, visual storytelling, and an excellent, sparse soundtrack, and has left a long-lasting impression on the audience.

Shoya and Shoko | Credit: Kyoto Animation

Like A Silent Voice,...

Volume #19 of Chainsaw Man has just been released in Japan, and with it, new artwork and an author comment from the series' artist, Tatsuki Fujimoto. The eccentric mangaka behind Fire Punch and the universally acclaimed one-shots, Look Back and Goodbye, Eri, begins each volume of Chainsaw Man by sharing a recommendation or simply something he enjoys. And this time, it is the critically acclaimed 2024 horror film, Late Night with the Devil.

Late Night with the Devil was initially shown in 2023 at the South by Southwest film festival, before finally releasing in March 2024 to theaters. The film follows a fictional 1970s late-night talk show host named Jack Delroy, who experiences supernatural phenomena during the filming of his show, Night Owls. If there is one thing Tatsuki Fujimoto isn't shy about, it's his love for movies, and Late Night with the Devil, now available to stream on Hulu, is far from the first the author has recommended.

Studio Durian's Look Back, based on the original manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, was 2024's best anime film. The coming-of-age story about two aspiring manga artists resonated with creatives throughout the anime community and beyond, garnering praise from audiences and critics alike. Following a successful international theatrical release, Look Back has been announced as eligible for the Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category. Fans of Fujimoto's work, however, know that the enigmatic mangaka has another story that might be even better suited for a movie adaptation.

Following the completion of the first part of the manga series that made Fujimoto famous, Chainsaw Man, the artist released two one-shots that made some noise in the manga reading community. The first being Look Back, a celebration of art and those who create it, and the second, which acts as the former's spiritual successor, titled Goodbye, Eri.

Tatsuki Fujimoto's stories are strange and outlandish,...

With each passing year, Japanese anime movies are becoming more recognized globally, captivating audiences with their unique blend of storytelling, art, and emotional depth. Several anime movies have shattered box office records, cementing their place as cinematic masterpieces. Look Back, a movie by Studio Durian and director Kiyotaka Oshiyama, which adapts Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit 2021 manga, is the latest hit in the recent wave of anime films.

Look Back Subway Scene | Credits: Studio Durian

Look Back explores the highs and lows of pursuing artistic excellence and the special bonds formed through creative collaboration. It is less than an hour long, much shorter than most movies currently playing in cinemas, but 58 minutes is enough to enrich anyone with its story and narrative. Amid the Oscar buzz around Look Back, anime fans shouldn’t overlook this hidden gem that truly deserves greater recognition.

Uncover the 2024 Anime Movie Hit That Got Eclipsed by Look Back

Besides Look Back,...

Every few years, an anime film comes along that makes significant waves not only in the anime and manga community, but in the ever-changing landscape of popular culture as well. Look Back, the passion project movie by Studio Durian and director Kiyotaka Oshiyama, based on the original manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, is the latest to do just that. Following unexpected success in Japan, the film was released globally to widespread commercial and critical acclaim, and is now eligible for the Best Animated Feature Award at the Oscars.

Sporting a wildly impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% from critics, Look Back is a triumph both in the fields of animation and storytelling, boasting an impressively emotional narrative while offering some of the best visuals anime has seen in recent years. All packaged in a tightly paced, 58-minute runtime, there were questions surrounding the film's eligibility for any awards, given that the official U.

Working consistently since the 2010’s, manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto broke out with the release of his most influential series, the masterful Chainsaw Man. But while his high-profile work may deliver gore and laughs in gonzo fashion, the creative’s low-key works strip away the high-concept premises to show the beating heart and emotion that he consistently excels at. Among his smaller works, one of the best examples of this on the page and on-screen is Look Back.

Adapted from the 2021 one-shot manga, the story opens with a young girl sitting at her desk with her back to the viewer. The night is drawing on and she is getting tired, but what keeps her awake is a determination to finish her art. This is Fujino, a small-town girl who wishes to become a manga artist. She takes steps towards her dream by contributing to her school newspaper, with her contributions receiving praise from her classmates.

Tatsuki Fujimoto is one of the most talented mangakas of the current generation. Literally almost all of his one-shots received some sort of award or another and this is before he created his two biggest works, Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man. Though he’s known more for the latter, Fujimoto has produced and trained enough talented assistants that they themselves went on to create manga on their own, like Yukinobu Tatsu with Dandadan.

A still from Dandadan manga | Credits: Viz Media

One of Fujimoto’s one-shots, titled “Look Back” was recently adapted into an anime movie and was screened throughout the world. It grossed over ¥227 million (around US$1.47 million) in its opening weekend at the Japanese box office and had crossed the ¥1 billion mark after a mere 18 days of screening. A lot of fans would have watched the movie but what many won’t know is that it has a...

November is here, and with sunset falling sooner and sooner, what better way to spend your down time than snuggled up on the couch watching a great movie? A bevy of films are newly streaming in November and we’ve rounded up a curated list of the best ones added to Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock and beyond this month.

Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming in November 2024 below.

“Music by John Williams” “Music by John Williams” (Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Disney+ – Nov. 1

John Williams is the elder statesman of film music. His scores conjure memories and transport you to different times and places. Just think about what he’s contributed over the years, from “Jaws” to “Star Wars” to “Indiana Jones” to “Harry Potter” to “Jurassic Park” to “Home Alone.” Even lesser-known scores crackle with intensity, technical proficiency and creative flair (think Brian De Palma...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally released the list of movies that are eligible for Oscar nominations this season. The list contains 31 animated features, 169 documentary features, and 85 international features. Out of these 285 eligible films, five belong to the Japanese anime art form, and the one that fans are most excited about is Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back.

Look Back | Credit: Studio Durian

Known majorly for creating Chainsaw Man, Fujimoto shocked the entire manga community when he released Look Back in 2021. The story was so intriguing that Studio Durian decided to adapt it into an anime film that was released in June 2024. And as expected, the anime film was also appreciated a lot by the fans and the industry.

Tatsuki Fujimoto is one of the very few anime creators who have been eligible for an Oscar nomination. It looks like he might be following in the steps of Hayao Miyazaki,...

The Academy has unveiled the list of feature films that are eligible for consideration in the animated feature, documentary feature Film, and international feature at the 2025 Oscars.

In animation, 31 films will vie for one of the five spots, including “The Wild Robot,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Flow,” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.”

In documentary feature, 169 films are eligible. Among them are “No Other Land,” “Daughters,” “Martha,” “I Am: Celine Dion,” and “Dahomey,” which is Senegal’s submission for international feature.

In international feature, there are 85 hopefuls, including frontrunner “Emilia Pérez” (France), “I’m Still Here” (Brazil), “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany), “Kneecap” (Ireland), and “Flight 404” (Egypt).

The shortlists of 15 films for documentary and international features will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Oscar nominations will be announced on Friday, Jan. 17. The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will be held on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.