Look Back: parents' guide
Best for ages 12 and up. Not formally rated.
A short, deeply moving anime about two girls who bond over drawing manga, best for about 12 and up because of a sudden act of violence and the grief that follows. For most of its hour it is a warm, funny story of rivalry and friendship. Then news breaks of a deadly attack at an art college, and a major character is among those killed. A what-if sequence shows a man swinging a pickaxe at a young woman, with some blood. There is no swearing, sex or substance use, but the sadness is intense and stays unresolved.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateNews reports describe a mass killing at an art college; that attack is not shown. In a what-if sequence a man attacks with a pickaxe and a young woman kicks him down and is hurt. A comic strip the girls draw shows a cartoon couple bleeding heavily after a car crash.
Language
NoneNone reported by reviewers. Even when the two girls argue and fall out, their insults stay clean and there is no swearing.
Sex and nudity
MildA drawing-practice montage includes sketches of nude figures, and characters in a comic strip kiss. No romance between the leads.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
NoneNone. Reviewers report no drinking, smoking or drug use by the teens or the adults around them.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateAn ominous scene of an agitated stranger approaching with a weapon, and raw grief at a funeral and afterward. One girl's fear of leaving her room is portrayed with sympathy.
Sensitive topics
- School violence
Worth talking about
Fujino blames herself for a tragedy she could not control. Talk about guilt after a loss, and how creative work can help people grieve and keep going.
On our lists
Similar picks around 12+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, bbfc.co.uk, Wikipedia, gkids.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.