Blab Music
Kenshi Yonezu, Toko Miura, and Yoko Kuno Join Hirokazu Kore-edas Live-Action Look Back as Special Guest Staff
The forthcoming live‑action film adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 2021 one‑shot manga Look Back just received a creative power‑up. On Thursday, the project’s official website announced that three seasoned artists—musician Kenshi Yonezu, actress‑singer Tōko Miura, and animator‑director Yōko Kuno—will serve as special guest staff.
Yonezu will lend his guitar to the film under the name “Shark Kick Guitar.” The credit nods to an in‑story manga titled Shark Kick, a playful reference to Fujimoto’s own Fire Punch. Miura will contribute vocals to an insert song, while Kuno will direct a rotoscoped animation sequence that brings the musical performance to life. Shinei Animation will handle the production of the animated portion.
The trio’s pedigree fits the project’s pedigree. Yonezu has previously collaborated with Fujimoto on the Chainsaw Man anime and its feature film, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Miura’s voice work on RADWIMPS’ soundtrack for Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You demonstrates her crossover appeal between music and visual media. Kuno, who served as animation director on Shunji Iwai’s The Case of Hana & Alice and directed the 2024 rotoscoped feature Ghost Cat Anzu, brings a strong background in blending live action with animation.
The live‑action Look Back is slated to open in Japan on September 11, 2026. GKIDS has secured theatrical distribution in 2026 for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The film was screened at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival on May 15 and will appear at the London Film Festival in October.
Hirokazu Kore‑eda, whose previous works include Shoplifters, Our Little Sister, and Air Doll, will direct, write, and edit the feature. Composer Yūta Bandō (also known as Taku Matsushiba) will craft the score. The core crew also includes cinematographer Senzo Ueno, lighting designer Masachio Nishida, sound designer Kazuhiko Tomita, art director Shinsuke Kojima, costume designer Sachiko Ito, hair and makeup supervisor Katsuhiko Yūmi, assistant director Kensei Nakayama, scripter Ryōko Taguchi, casting directors Toshie Tabata and Yōko Yamashita, VFX supervisor Rinto Ueda, and line producer Shinichi Muraoka.
Fujimoto’s original Look Back one‑shot debuted on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ in July 2021, drawing more than 2.5 million views on its first day. Viz Media and MANGA Plus released the manga digitally in English, and Viz Media published a print edition in September 2022.
The 2024 anime film adaptation opened in Japan in June and ranked second in overall ticket sales and first in weekend earnings during its opening weekend. It sold 135,000 tickets and earned 227 million yen (about US$1.4 million) in its first three days. GKIDS screened the anime film in North America in October 2024, where it earned US$688,253 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend.
Fujimoto, who launched the Chainsaw Man manga in Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2018, concluded the first part of the series in December 2020. The second part, titled Gakkō‑hen, began on Shonen Jump+ in July 2022 and wrapped up on March 24, 2023.
Described by festival programmers as a tender coming‑of‑age tale, the live‑action Look Back follows two girls who bond over their shared dream of becoming manga artists. The story probes the creative process and the obstacles that surface when their work gains public attention.
By adding Yonezu, Miura, and Kuno, the film unites creators who have previously worked on Fujimoto‑related projects and on other high‑profile anime and live‑action works. Their involvement is expected to enrich the film’s musical and visual dimensions and broaden its appeal to domestic and international audiences.
The release schedule remains unchanged: a Japanese theatrical premiere on September 11, 2026, followed by a 2026 GKIDS theatrical run in North America, the U.K., Ireland, and Canada. Festival screenings at Cannes and London are slated for May 15 and October, respectively. No further updates have been announced regarding additional cast, distribution partners, or marketing plans.
The project continues to generate interest among fans of Fujimoto’s work, Kore‑eda’s filmmaking, and the broader Japanese manga‑to‑film adaptation trend, with particular attention to the integration of music and animation through the contributions of Yonezu, Miura, and Kuno.
Yonezu will lend his guitar to the film under the name “Shark Kick Guitar.” The credit nods to an in‑story manga titled Shark Kick, a playful reference to Fujimoto’s own Fire Punch. Miura will contribute vocals to an insert song, while Kuno will direct a rotoscoped animation sequence that brings the musical performance to life. Shinei Animation will handle the production of the animated portion.
The trio’s pedigree fits the project’s pedigree. Yonezu has previously collaborated with Fujimoto on the Chainsaw Man anime and its feature film, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Miura’s voice work on RADWIMPS’ soundtrack for Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You demonstrates her crossover appeal between music and visual media. Kuno, who served as animation director on Shunji Iwai’s The Case of Hana & Alice and directed the 2024 rotoscoped feature Ghost Cat Anzu, brings a strong background in blending live action with animation.
The live‑action Look Back is slated to open in Japan on September 11, 2026. GKIDS has secured theatrical distribution in 2026 for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The film was screened at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival on May 15 and will appear at the London Film Festival in October.
Hirokazu Kore‑eda, whose previous works include Shoplifters, Our Little Sister, and Air Doll, will direct, write, and edit the feature. Composer Yūta Bandō (also known as Taku Matsushiba) will craft the score. The core crew also includes cinematographer Senzo Ueno, lighting designer Masachio Nishida, sound designer Kazuhiko Tomita, art director Shinsuke Kojima, costume designer Sachiko Ito, hair and makeup supervisor Katsuhiko Yūmi, assistant director Kensei Nakayama, scripter Ryōko Taguchi, casting directors Toshie Tabata and Yōko Yamashita, VFX supervisor Rinto Ueda, and line producer Shinichi Muraoka.
Fujimoto’s original Look Back one‑shot debuted on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ in July 2021, drawing more than 2.5 million views on its first day. Viz Media and MANGA Plus released the manga digitally in English, and Viz Media published a print edition in September 2022.
The 2024 anime film adaptation opened in Japan in June and ranked second in overall ticket sales and first in weekend earnings during its opening weekend. It sold 135,000 tickets and earned 227 million yen (about US$1.4 million) in its first three days. GKIDS screened the anime film in North America in October 2024, where it earned US$688,253 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend.
Fujimoto, who launched the Chainsaw Man manga in Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2018, concluded the first part of the series in December 2020. The second part, titled Gakkō‑hen, began on Shonen Jump+ in July 2022 and wrapped up on March 24, 2023.
Described by festival programmers as a tender coming‑of‑age tale, the live‑action Look Back follows two girls who bond over their shared dream of becoming manga artists. The story probes the creative process and the obstacles that surface when their work gains public attention.
By adding Yonezu, Miura, and Kuno, the film unites creators who have previously worked on Fujimoto‑related projects and on other high‑profile anime and live‑action works. Their involvement is expected to enrich the film’s musical and visual dimensions and broaden its appeal to domestic and international audiences.
The release schedule remains unchanged: a Japanese theatrical premiere on September 11, 2026, followed by a 2026 GKIDS theatrical run in North America, the U.K., Ireland, and Canada. Festival screenings at Cannes and London are slated for May 15 and October, respectively. No further updates have been announced regarding additional cast, distribution partners, or marketing plans.
The project continues to generate interest among fans of Fujimoto’s work, Kore‑eda’s filmmaking, and the broader Japanese manga‑to‑film adaptation trend, with particular attention to the integration of music and animation through the contributions of Yonezu, Miura, and Kuno.
