by When we examine the animation industry in 2024, two characteristics are visible. First, there is the diversification of creators. Anyone, even AI, can become a creator now. The other is the diversification of the audience. Anime is a medium that is accessible to people of all ages worldwide. Especially today, when information spreads overwhelmingly, viewers worldwide have a confident presence.
The omnipresence of the Internet further accentuates these characteristics in every aspect of life, and above all, anime has become familiar. “SHIBUYA TSUTAYA,” renovated in April 2024, symbolizes this. Under such circumstances, what course will Japan’s animation industry take? Real Sound’s Film Division held a roundtable discussion with anime critic Fujitsu Ryota, film writer Sugimoto Hotaka, and critic and film history researcher Watanabe Daisuke, in which they looked back on the most talked-about films of 2024 and talked about trends in the animation industry.
The Global Reputation of “Look Back” and the Future of “Creator-Based Films”
When talking about animated films in 2024, I think “Look Back” is always a topic of discussion. First, I want to ask you about your impressions of this film. Hodaka Sugimoto (hereinafter, Sugimoto): “Look Back” was fantastic. It had its international premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and I heard that it was so well received that it was decided to distribute it overseas.
The number of people who saw it overseas was over 2.13 million, and the box office revenue was about 2.1 billion yen, higher than the domestic total. Ryota Fujitsu (hereinafter, Fujitsu): Looking back at the end of the year, “Look Back” is always mentioned. What was interesting about the story of overseas development was that in Japan, thanks to the spread of ODS (non-movie content), I realized that a sure fan base is getting used to the system of a special 60-minute length. Because 58 minutes is too short to be screened in China and the United States, about 15 minutes of interview footage was added, and the screened time was 75 minutes.
In that respect, Japanese movie theaters are flexible and can respond flexibly, which is good. Sugimoto: Japanese movie theaters are certainly entirely free in that respect. Japan may be the only country where a 58-minute movie can be screened without problems. Look Back appeals to the greatness of “manufacturing,” and I got the impression that the audience accepted it without hesitation. To put it bluntly, it seems like it could be seen as a “creator supremacy” view, but what do you think about this point? Fujitsu: The first issue is whether to see Look Back as a story about a writer.
There were parts where I watched it without thinking of it as a story about a writer, and instead, I felt that Look Back was a story about life and destiny. If you watch it as a story about a writer, it may not be easy to understand for people who have never been involved in creative work. Still, I took it to depict the “uncertainty” and “destiny” of life through the easy-to-understand existence of a writer. The further you go in life, the more you have to carry. I understood Look Back to be a story about someone who had to take that at a young age. In that sense, Look Back has universality. Sugimoto: Look Back is about manga artists, a work filled with Tatsuki Fujimoto’s real feelings. It was well-structured, with a good balance between the personal and universal aspects.
In addition, the film was created by director Kiyotaka Oshiyama, an animator and a professional who draws pictures. His passion was born from reflecting on his aspects while making it a work with universality. Such a happy combination is not often found in the industry. Watanabe Daisuke (hereinafter, Watanabe): I think I am somewhere between Sugimoto’s impressions and Fujitsu’s impressions. Look Back is not a story about a writer but rather a general story about life.
On the other hand, as Sugimoto said, some parts reflect Fujimoto’s aspects. Since the work is about “making things,” it could be said to be a kind of meta-analysis. This year’s works, including Look Back, were themed around creation and anime production. For example, “A Few Minutes of Cheers” and “First Line” depict the anime production process.
