Blue Period

This is nothing but a complete waste of what could have been a fantastic anime. I’m not kidding when I say that at its core Blue Period has some of the best characters, themes, and ideas you’ll find in recent anime. But for everything it does right it also does something wrong. The series is completely devoid of life and personality, and to call the finished product disappointing would be an understatement. Blue Period is about passion. It’s about identity. It’s about the differences between hard work and talent. And of course, above all else, it’s about art. Putting the actual presentation aside for a second, the anime does a fine job at exploring a variety of themes and concepts. Similar character-driven anime will fall into a habit of forcing too much drama out of characters, detracting from the realism and relatability of the show. Blue Period, in comparison, is incredibly down to earth and consistent. Try and remember that this is an anime about art, so I went into it expecting a lot of extended metaphors that achieve nothing in the overall narrative besides sounding clever. To the credit of the author though this was not the case. There are still some moments that came across as excessive but at least they managed to relate back to the main themes and ideas of the show. But despite all these strengths it turned out to be one of the dullest shows of the season. You’ll probably see plenty of people making jokes about how the series about art has terrible art and animation, and they aren’t wrong. It’s not insultingly bad, and I genuinely believe that animation means very little in the overall quality of an anime. Good directing can save even the most awful-looking shows, and most faults seen in Blue Period can’t be blamed on the art quality alone. Hell, some parts of the show don’t even look that bad. The actual artwork looks fine, and it’s easy to pick the values out of them as though they were a real painting. So, where exactly did it go wrong? In a number of places, but to simplify things most of the issues stem from a complete lack of care put into the anime. Or if you wanted to sound smart you could say that the series ironically lacks passion, the very thing it tries to express the importance of. As a result of this the show feels incomplete. Entire scenes will go by without any background music, and this wasn’t deliberately done to increase tension, it was done out of pure laziness and lack of a solid production. And when they do finally decide to play a soundtrack, it ends up sounding mediocre at best and adding no value to scenes whatsoever. This completely undermines the importance of major moments in the series and fails to guide the viewer through scenes the way that it should. Instead of having incredibly impactful scenes with beautiful directing and music you get to listen to the sounds of brushes awkwardly hitting canvases while characters randomly cry as they deliver meaningful lines in the most monotone voices imaginable. Dialogue and character interactions become an absolute mess due to this and id present throughout all twelve episodes. What a joy. This isn’t the fault of voice actors or animators though; it’s the result of a product being rushed out before it is properly polished and refined. The characters of Blue Period are amazing, and this still holds true despite the lack of production quality. Some major character moments aren’t as meaningful as they could have been, but the fundamental ideas behind the characters and their development are always there. Yaguchi, the main character, aims for his goals through hard work rather than natural talent. Of course, it isn’t the most original idea, but the way he is explored through his dedication and passion for art is simple but well-executed. He truly becomes his own unique character throughout the series rather than a simple copy-paste of any typical drama or sports protagonist. The side characters are equally as great. Each one gives a unique insight into the varying minds behind art, all with their own motives and values. Some people might enjoy art as a way to express themselves, others might pursue it due to a lack of other options. All kinds of people are presented in the side characters, and they’re all equally engaging to watch. My favourite character is by far Ryuugi though. He’s probably not the first time a crossdressing character has been written with such seriousness, by very rarely do you see a genuine crossdresser written with this much depth, particularly in anime. The series gives such a down-to-earth view of his character and manages to do this while tying it all back to the main topic of art. All of the character writing in Blue Period is great, but again it ends up losing a lot of its significance due to the lackluster directing, art, and sound. Fundamentally, Blue Period should not be a bad series. It has a solid base with great characters and plot elements that allow it to convey its messages relating to art and passion. Unfortunately, it lacks just about everything else. Animation is the bare minimum, background music is almost nonexistent for entire episodes, and the pacing is all over the place. I’m sure all these things are a lot better in the manga, but this is about the anime, and frankly the anime is a lifeless slideshow with way too many glaring issues to be considered a good production in any way.

First off, let me just say I am not a huge fan of art. I currently live in a city full of great art exhibits and have visited one in my entire life. Honestly, why should I go out of my way to get out of my house and stare at paintings? I thought people knew NFTs were the new wave. With that said, Blue Period is one of the more down-to-earth shows I have seen in a while. This show is about following what you want to be and how you will make your dreams come true. Yes, I know it sounds like a generic shounen trope but hear me out. This show is more serious and dramatic than other shows you’ll find nowadays. You might not cry but you will see how everyone tries to overcome obstacles in the real world. Pros: The story and characters are by far the greatest strength of Blue Period. We are introduced to Yatori as the main character. He is a bookworm that has been following whatever the norm is in society and hangs out with some rockhead friends. He sounds kind of boring, doesn't he? But trust me, things start to get more interesting when he starts to question what he wants to be. As the story progresses more, we see Yatori face his dreams head-on through constant thoughts of failure, self-doubt, and passion. For the supporting cast, they are not copy and paste characters that are easily forgettable. Most of the time there isn't one problem targeted towards one character. Take Ayukawa for example, a non-binary friend of Yatori. We don’t feel terrible for Ayukawa just for their gender. His concerns for the future and the family situation were executed masterfully. I'd argue that his story was presented better than Yatori, but that's just the author being brilliant having an in-depth story. The other secondary characters also affect the overall tone of the story as we also get to see how they confront their goals. Even Yatori’s unmotivated friends keep the story interesting as well as if we should root for every single one of them to succeed. Cons: Some anime studios manage to confuse me, not because of what they do, but because of what they don’t do. Who would have thought a show about art would be the lowest point of the show? Well, I will present to you Seven Arcs. Their studio gives a poor impression considering other notable works they have is Tonikaku Kawaii which isn’t too spectacular animation-wise. If you are familiar with art in general, you might recognize some pieces throughout the story which do not look too bad in anime form. There are moments where the animation is supposed to stand out. But most of the time the characters like to make stiff and uncomfortable movements to the point where it kills the whole vibe of enjoying this story. The directing just follow the source material from panel to panel which is why most of the characters make herky-jerky movements. Overall: Is Blue Period worth watching? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you couldn’t tell from my disgust for the visuals, this is a flawed adaptation. However, it manages to pull through adversity by keeping the story and characters interesting from start to finish. A great manga does not always translate to a great anime. I'd recommend the manga instead if its premise gave you any interest.

I urge you to read until the end. So it was exactly 9 am in the morning today when I felt this urge gushing upwards from my lower back all over my intestines into my head. It was a familiar feeling. Something I've, and everybody else, experienced dozens of times over and over again. It was natural yet private and discreet. Then this brilliant idea struck my thoughts like lightning hits an old, rotten tree: What if I share this moment of my life with a greater audience. Surely I will get the acknowledgment worthy of my deed. So I stood up from my work desk made my way through the hallway of offices all the way to the most sacred place that building I'm in has to offer. The men’s bathroom on the 3rd floor, the last cabin in the line. A divine haven for all the people seeking the heavenly relief of taking their morning dumb. Pushed down the guts by whopping 2 liters of coffee. As I lowered my pants, gently descending my buttocks onto the bowl, the urge from before transformed into an unstoppable reality. What was about to come out of my purely formed cervix was the result of 2 straight days of dining at chipotles. Pushing out my well prepared gift of mother nature felt like a fight with the devil himself but in the end, an absolutely astonishing result made its way out eventually plopping into the bowl. I immediately jumped off in cherished excitement. And my wildest expectations were truly met. She was a queen under the great sun of human feces. It had the pure form of a rod much like the one my father used to beat me with for watching terrible anime. Its slight bend gave it the personality worthy of its might. The color was brilliant brown like the leather belt dad also frequently used. It had the density of my comfy Asuna dakimura. It maintained a distinguishable composition of chipotle fuel. I could have gazed upon its beauty for an eternity. The distinct stench of rooting eggs and molding cheese it emits was the cherry on top of this exquisite achievement. Now you are probably wondering why you just read this stupid shit story (pun intended). Well, I just wanted to give you the feeling that is watching Blue Period. It’s so much, so much, empty talk. Imagine the extend of how dissipated you can talk about art considering I just used 356 words on describing taking a dumb. The story, if you can call the shallow narrative that way, is hyper lame and serves no greater purpose other than building a really basic narrative. The main character basically is Kirito as a painter. The most accurate way of describing him. There are some side characters whose backstories and development are actually pretty decent. These give the show at least a bit of depth and meaning. Animation is way too mediocre, I expected something better in an anime that is about art. I liked the music out of context. However, I felt that the tunes they used weren’t befitting to the scenes they were in. Blue Period definitely is a waste of time. Cheers.

Tl;Dr: "Blue Period" explores what it means to express yourself. Our protagonist's journey of self-discovery and self-expression makes for one of the most compelling character dramas around this season. Mangaka Yamaguchi's personal touches offer a nuanced landscape of both the struggles artists face today and their resilient love for their craft. Sketchy production impairs the anime's ability to draw viewers in, yet the show still manages to paint a rather convincing picture. BP's biggest fault lies in its inability to cater to the existing manga fanbase, but its earnest passion still rings through for newcomers. 7/10~ *** Beauty lies in the eye of the Beholder, and the way us beholders perceive beauty will vary from person-to-person. It's this subjectivity in tastes that gives art its special meaning. So it's kinda poetic that a story all about art would turn out so divisive among those who watched it. The anime adaptation "Blue Period" (BP) has had people talking for less-than-ideal reasons. Extreme reactions between fans and skeptics can make it difficult for newcomers to decide if this anime is for them. This is because the anime commits specific faults that largely alienate those who have already enjoyed the original manga, and studio Seven Arcs' deserves plenty of criticism for how this material was handled. But let's resist the urge to paint with broad strokes here; despite its weaknesses, BP still manages to retain the core strengths of its source, and offers a valuable gateway experience for the uninitiated to appreciate. To anyone struggling with mixed feedback surrounding BP, I hope to offer an open-minded second opinion on whether or not to give this show a shot. This article will feature a usual breakdown of the story, as well as my honest thoughts on Seven Arcs' efforts when compared with its source material. I'm not here to endorse one medium over the other. My only goal is to endorse a story well-told in either form. And if there's one thing both manga enthusiasts and anime-only fans can agree on, it's this: BP is beautiful. Let's paint a holistic, spoiler-free picture of why BP deserves your time. The arts can't be perceived in black and white. Well, unless it's in monochrome, of course. It's common to generalize this field as one where stoner artists get praised by rich people for putting together silly sculptures and drawings devoid of meaning. Hyperbole aside, the stigma surrounding the arts is very real. Some revere the arts as a cultural necessity, others see it as a means of exploring themselves creatively. But people typically look down on the arts as a pointless career path, and this is a perspective shared by the main character of this tale. Yatora Yaguchi is a teen who has got it all figured out. He's quite the enigma when we first get to know him: a second-year with a delinquent's demeanor and a star student's grades. As it turns out, his crooked smile is part of a carefully-crafted prodigious persona that masks his hard work and effort. The driven Yaguchi takes pride in meeting the expectations of those around him and finding success in "real life." With an academic record on-track to securing placements in the country's top universities, there's no room for the illogical distractions that art presents. But damn, if that angelic portrait isn't the most captivating thing he's ever seen. Stumbling upon a beautiful piece in the Arts Clubroom, Yaguchi confronts what it means to create art. As his teacher Saeki-sensei puts it, the visual arts is spoken in a language without words, communicating truths unique to each artist. All his life, Yaguchi had convinced himself to seek success in school and social circles, but only because the world told him these things held value. Rather than fit in the "real" world, art offers Yaguchi the opportunity to create his own world. To tell his truth, to have his creations touch the lives of other people, to paint a Shibuya skyline, drenched in blue. Art is more than the physical pieces contained inside museum walls; it's passion, something that's been sorely missing from Yaguchi's joyless life. Yaguchi's initial apprehension towards the arts comes from the overwhelming uncertainty of what lies ahead. Occupation in the arts is undervalued, and career prospects are dim. Artists fight tooth-and-nail in a competitive landscape to keep on doing what they love. Yaguchi is about to jump right in the thick of it, with his eyes set on his only viable path: the Tokyo University of the Arts, a public school with a 0.5% acceptance rate. Experiences in the Arts Club and prep school reveal a frightening catch-up game between our "prodigy" and his peers. He may have mastered what it means to be a conformist, but the arts is a place where individualism matters above all else. Instead of meeting expectations set by others, Yaguchi is now tasked with creating those expectations for himself. For the first time in his life, he perceives himself as a Salieri to the Mozarts of the art world ‒ a talentless amateur when compared against creative geniuses. There's little easygoing with such a tremendous challenge, but Yaguchi has never felt more alive. BP exudes love for the arts, and that same passion rubs off on its audience. This engaging effect is all thanks to mangaka Tsubasa Yamaguchi's laborious attention to detail. Stemming from both real-life interviews and Yamaguchi's time in Tokyo University of the Arts, Yaguchi's struggle as an upcoming artist feels earnest and intensely personal. His creative process, concerns, and insecurities are laid intimately bare. BP all but drags us into Yaguchi's headspace, which offers an interesting blank canvas for exploring what it means to grow as an artist. His sporadic spurts of self-confidence and artistic output can feel like he's regressing at times, but these flaws rarely come across as contrived. Rather, his struggles and encounters with dead ends make Yaguchi feel human. BP's character drama does have some corny moments, but otherwise depicts this crucial period in Yaguchi's life with a gripping air of maturity. Alongside a compelling protagonist are other inclusions that aid in connecting with this artistic journey. BP is remarkable in how it makes most viewers GET art, even without prior knowledge on the subject. "Art within art" is key to the series' success. In-universe artworks derived from both fiction and real history act as markers for Yaguchi's progress, by communicating the qualities associated with good and bad art respectively. Each painting contains observable details in composition and quickly condenses important information ‒ a picture is worth a thousand words, after all. These artworks in BP brings the audience up to speed on topics Yaguchi studies; such as lighting, form, texture and perspective. And despite the textbook jargon, BP's "lessons" rarely feel dry or difficult, but rather come across as intuitive observations from a real person who was once in our uninitiated shoes. Through learning the technicalities and approaches involved with the production of art, viewers cultivate a deeper appreciation for the creations and struggles Yaguchi endures. The arts homage doesn't end there; BP is brimming with frequent factoids about art and references to famous pieces from the past. Now, there is a small downside when factoring in BP's side characters; the spotlight on Yaguchi often means that many often take a backseat. Still, I believe the series does a fantastic job at contextualizing the journeys of other artists. For instance, the talented Kuwana is in constant fear of failure, with her tenacity wearing thin under the weight of extreme expectations and the guilt of seeing the end of fellow artists' dreams. Probably the strongest showings from this secondary cast goes to Ryuuji. After an introduction which seemed to have got off the wrong foot, Ryuuji quickly came to steal the show through their earnest search for self-identity. As someo…

💙✨ I had high hopes for this show, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The first episode showed promise, but the excitement quickly fizzled out. The plot was as dull as a rainy day, and the characters were about as interesting as a plain bowl of oatmeal. Especially the main character - he was as bland as plain white rice! The blonde girl was much more intriguing. 💙✨ The story didn't have anything new or exciting. It felt like watching paint dry. I wouldn't recommend this show if you're looking for something thrilling. It's like eating the same boring cereal every day. Boring/10

LISTEN BEFORE YOU BARK AT ME! THIS IS A NETFLIX ANIME, FIRST AND FOREMOST! That said, you must take the anime with a grain of salt. Like, it could be better, yes, but the story is beautiful. I loved this anime, and I typically hate Netflix animes besides Kakeguri. Honestly, this anime is genuinely beautiful, whether the art design or the story. I love the characters and the growth of their personalities. They are fleshed out, and the story is something that anyone within the art community can relate to. It depicts the desire to do better and the inner conflicts one may have. I do not care what anyone says, this is a good anime to watch if you want to watch an anime that makes you feel good while also feeling inner dread about your life. Somehow, that is what makes it beautiful. Having mixed feelings about everything makes it so unique.

SPOILER-FREE! Do you remember the moment when an artistic “something” hit you on a level you weren’t expecting? If I could best describe it, it’s as though things such as time, space, and even conscious thought leave one’s mind. You’re left to swim in an ocean of sensation that you don’t quite understand, but you recognize that it’s important. And what’s more, the initial experience isn’t enough; you also feel the urge to learn as much as you can about this “something” you encountered, as you allow yourself to be delightfully consumed by an enveloping curiosity. Everybody has their own moment for that, and there’s nothing quite like becoming enraptured with a new thing such that it takes over your entire imagination. "Blue Period" is a series about that very thing. The most-notable challenge about writing such a story is that the inherent emotional connection needs to be expressed in such a way that the audience can relate or sympathize, regardless of one’s own exposure to art or art studies. In that sense, the show has a massive hill to climb, as any potential shortcutting risks toppling the delicate emotional balance that it needs to succeed. That being said, I was fascinated by the premise given my own history of teaching at university. Yaguchi Yatora is a popular and academically-successful high school student, but doesn’t find any particular satisfaction in his life, be it through friends or direction. One day, he chances upon a painting in his school that he finds himself captivated by, and decides to try his own hand at art. With a striking piece of blue against a cityscape that gains some attention from his friends and others, he later becomes inspired by Ayukawa Ryuji to join the school’s art club, learning more about art as an idea, a means of expression, and devotes his studies to getting into the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. As the main character, Yatora manages to leave a great first impression. His jadedness with things is apparent from the beginning, but because at his core he’s not portrayed with an unlikeable personality, he does not repel. He’s afflicted with ennui more than anything else, simply going through the motions of friendship and school while not gaining anything special from the experiences. "Blue Period" wastes no time setting him on his journey, showing just enough of his former life to get a hint of his character before it transforms through his inspiration. Yatora seeks to grow as much as possible as an artist, and the show’s strong initial draw stems from seeing his old self countered by his unbridled enthusiasm with feverish intensity. Part of Yatora’s growth is his becoming exposed to various artistic concepts and techniques, all while trying to figure out what makes them work or not. Exploring these ideas has lots of potential, but "Blue Period" doesn’t give them enough time to germinate. A few minutes might be spent vaguely discussing why a concept matters, yet when it comes time to watch Yatora put that concept into practice, the show often cuts to his work already being finished and evaluated by his teachers or peers. Learning is not simply taking information in; that’s part of it, but the gradual process of applying that information is arguably the most-vital step. "Blue Period" far too often glosses over this step, so it’s difficult to gain a sense of what was accomplished if we don’t see deeper contemplation over the minute details play out in real-time with brush in hand. As Stephen Sondheim wrote in his lyrics for the Sunday in the Park with George song “Putting it Together,” “Every minor detail is a major decision.” The glossing also spills into the other characters’ developments and relations to Yatora as well. The show moves through situations and conversations so quickly that I never got the sense that I “knew” who many of these side characters were, or understood them in the way the material felt like it was intending. This problem ties into the way episodes tend to be structured, as the content within comes across as a series of loosely-connected vignettes – while there is nothing wrong with that form of storytelling, it unfortunately does not do well enough to flesh out an ensemble of this size. Especially given when Yatora begins cram school and we see the same characters several times over, I find myself struggling to talk about these characters aside from a few details apiece, if any. "Blue Period’s" twelve episodes are too intimately bound to Yatora to cultivate new perspectives or takes about art and character beyond surface-level glimpses. Other characters are almost completely dropped beyond the first two episodes, or they don’t contribute much to the story when they do return later on. With not enough time to explore the ensemble, their presence feels bloodless. Ayukawa is the only character who feels like they’ve been sufficiently developed with and without Yatora’s presence, as we get a more-thorough exploration of the character’s background and reasoning for why they are involved in art. I enjoyed Ayukawa such that, while I may not agree or like what they would sometimes do in the plot, the drama succeeded more often than it didn’t. The show appears to breathe more easily, even in tenser moments. When "Blue Period" actually does take the time to slow down and catch its breath, both the level of introspection and art creation unfold wonderfully. The commentary Yatora has with himself or with his work takes on a marked increase in all of its various emotional facets, from frustration to elation. In this sense, the last third of the show is markedly the strongest of the run; if the first two-thirds were meant to be Yatora becoming familiarized to the numerous aspects of art, the last third shows him attempting to employ everything that he learned into his new drawings and paintings. I was happy to see the show finally bolster its heart with this attention to soliloquy, but was also upset that a similar approach was so underutilized earlier in the run. Taking the time to really show Yatora in the heat of creating, grappling with ideas that he has only just come to apply, was sorely missed. Also missing is some good animation. Actual frames and movements from characters comes across as clunky, and the color palette utilized is stunningly limited. It seemed like "Blue Period" cared more about neutral colors, which for a series about art and expression, doesn’t read as inviting. If anything, it reads as conventional. While one could argue that the conventionality is what keeps true to the slice-of-life elements of the series, I don’t find that it did the series any favors for the kernels of character wisdom it sought. The series keeps wanting to dip its toe into the deeper realms of artistic life and meaning, but shirks away from expressing that visually. The potential for going abstract, or breaking beyond reality’s boundary with intense stylization, happens too rarely. That’s not to say that the conventionality never works, because there are times that it does. When Yatora truly gets into the thick of it, when his introspection works at its most-effective, the mundane movements of drawing and painting can carry more weight. Each brushstroke on the canvas, each scrape of the pencil on the sketchbook, shoulders the burden of Yatora’s future, both in terms of his attempted acceptance into Tokyo University or his own perspective on himself and his work. Helping this element is the sound mixing, which emphasizes the incidental noises and places us within Yatora’s headspace effectively. Though we may not see much of the actual toiling away for their creation, the actual finished art pieces are, generally speaking, quite lovely. "Blue Period" restlessly blasts through its material so quickly that both the human and artistic connections suffer, leaving much of the drama falling far short of its aspirations. The consequence is that both the characters and the art themselves a…

This is a great anime, all though some people have mixed feelings about this anime. I felt like it was one of my top ten anime. This anime is just plain beautiful, one of the best Netflix Animes out there, since most of them are kinda meh. The anime is about a kid who wants to go to art school, but he is somewhat poor. So he practices and joins training classes so he can win a free spot to art school. Why it's so good: The setting, the feel good vibe, it's so perfect. They also perfectly depict good art, and I love the way how everything seems well done. The reason why people would hate it is because it kinda feels like that a lot of the anime, is just waiting for him to finally get out of training school. Which makes it somewhat slow, but it's not like your waiting over 100 episodes for something to happen... There's only 12eps anyway! Art: Pretty decent, not the best I've ever seen. But it's about art so... Of course its gonna have some great animation. Enjoyment: I really enjoyed watching this anime, and even though sometimes it seemed to take a long time, I didn't really mind it because all of the episodes were interesting. Great anime, highly recommend!

The thing I hate most about myself is this: I cannot finish what I start. My stories lie broken in the middle like paths swallowed by fog. I write until the pulse fades. Then silence. Then the quiet whisper that perhaps none of it was worth beginning. Then I watched Blue Period. For the first time in three months I opened Notion. I wrote nearly twenty pages. I cannot name what the anime did to me. Some feelings have no vocabulary. Only aftermath. My top ten anime have not changed in seven years. I have seen beautiful shows in that time. Brilliant ones. Shows that moved me. Yet none left a mark deep enough to rewrite that list. Blue Period broke the curse. I have never watched anything where the reach for art felt so personal. So sincere. So thoughtful. Many anime follow a talentless protagonist. But almost always there is a secret weapon. A hidden quirk. A shortcut dressed as destiny. Yaguchi has none of this. He only has hunger. He must outrun his own limits each morning. He learns through sweat and failure and the slow terror of seeing others soar. No superpower. No easy revelation. Just a boy falling in love with making things and breaking himself open to grow. The show also holds a character with genderqueer identity. The honesty stunned me. At no point does the story sell that gravity for fanservice. You know how often anime does that. How easily sincerity drowns in a cheap frame. Blue Period never flinches. There may be hundreds of anime more polished than this one. More clever. More artistically profound. But the sincerity in every scene, every line, every silence between words is something I will carry like a bruise that heals into a new color.

This anime always made me think that probably in another universe, I continue pursuing art and got into an Art University. It's because this anime just has this inspirational vibe going about it that makes me wanna do things that I deemed as impossible. This is this anime's biggest charm and reason as to why you should watch it. Well, if that didn't hooked you yet about watching this for yourself, then let's get to the technicalities. First the story. It started off pretty much steady and shown a completely linear direction about it's plot. There's progression in each episode which tells how great the pacing is. The plot itself isn't unique by any means, but the concept is pretty original (pretty sure there's not much anime about painting). And the execution of generic plot elements here are exceptional and came off as natural course of events. I didn't rate this category higher because we're at the earlier stages of the story. There's a complete journey in this 12 episodes, but this is pretty much the first step. Then the characters. The mc is a good character. He feels like a human being who has emotions and personality. The story portrays his struggles and emotion very well which in turn, makes the audience understand his perspective and thus like him as the main focus of the story. The main cast of characters are also quite likable. Even the side characters has layers to their personalities that doesn't make them fall into generic archetypes. I don't really have much to say to them. I talked about the good things, now let's go to the harsher side of my review. First, the animation. It's a shame how the studio couldn't live up to the exceptional art that the manga has produced. It's not just how off-model the characters are, but also how the anime art isn't really that impactful as the manga. Though I like their composition and how they direct a scene (like the blue Shibuya for example). They do a great job... sometimes. But well, the animation itself is pretty janky and stiff, which lowers down my score quite a bit. Then there's the music where it's just... there. The ost doesn't really amplify the greatness of the scenes nor does it make it memorable. It's just playing on the background. I legit don't remember any tracks from this anime. But the opening and ending grew on me and I found them catchy enough. Overall, it's a very good, inspirational anime that will probably awaken your inner art within yourself. If you haven't watch it, I suggest you give it a watch. Or if you want the better experience, go read the manga. (6.8/10)

Firstly i want to state that i don't care about any other reviews written on this platform. ı think its about the expectation. for someone who didn't read the manga i can't see that why this anime was so bad. My thoughts will probably change after i read the manga but please understand that i didn't. So why i liked this anime so much? Iasked to myself and thought a lot.. It gave me so much inspiration. I was always so afraid to make art. I had the talent, but because of the percentage of getting a job by doing art was so low i was afraid. I was afraid to spend so much time on it and it will look like shit.. But after watching this anime i saw that if you really work hard on something, it will pay off. I knew this, even though i knew this i was still afraid. I waited every week to watch the new episodes. It was really exciting for me. While waiting i draw, draw, draw and draw again. It was like i found my reason to live. Without art my life was so dull to the point that i thought that there was no reason for me to live if all i was going to do is getting a job, being a mom etc. I'm still in highschool so i gave a lot thought about my future. ı still don't know if i still want to make art for living but most of my time exists of drawing something. I always thought that people make art from a young age, i can't compare with them so i didn't do anything? But i think that is absolutely wrong. yaguchi tought me that. Why couldn't i compare with them? With enough hardwork i could do anything i wanted. It didn't matter that i started late. I could catch up with them. So i think why i liked this anime so much is that. It helped me to calm down my thoughts and think rationally. Even if my job won't contain art i could still do it. It didn't matter that others was so much better. It was about me not them.

Entertainment: 2/10 I found many episodes boring, or bland. There are some good moments but no comedy, so it's clear the main focus here is art and nothing else. That's why I think this anime is catered to a very specific audience. If you are passionate about art, or are someone who is interested on the meaning or themes of stories, you might like this anime. However, if you're just looking for another anime to watch, I highly discourage Blue Period. Themes: 8/10 I think the themes were well done, but the biggest problem here is Yatora, the main character. It's like the right message but wrong messenger. He constantly says that he has no talent and has to rely on his effort instead, while everyone else doesn't. Yet, this is his first time enrolling to take the exam to go into the art school while many people that he's competing with have taken it more than once already. Also, considering the timeline, Yatora has only done art for ~1.5 years and is already on par with people who have done it since their childhood. Even more, in general everyone taking the art exam and most people who do art aren't naturally talented, it's all through effort, which makes this theme highly contradictory. One last thing to add but the theme of hard work and talent are already very prominent in many shonen animes, so it didn't stand out. Characters: 6/10 *spoilers! My favorite character was definitely Ryuji here. You don't get to see much representation for crossdressers in anime, and I think they gave him the most depth out of everyone. I loved his backstory and how it was revealed he wanted to pursue a fashion career instead of a art career, however, I do think that Ryuji's development was rushed. There wasn't a scene in the end showing how his career played out, how his family reacted to him leaving, or if he got into a new relationship, and it was a waste because he had so much depth compared to everyone else. There are other characters that I liked as well like Hashida and Kuwana, but we didn't see too much of their own stories. Story: 2/10 *spoilers! The story was very rushed, even for a 12-episode anime. Having more episodes or a timeskip at the end would've been very nice to see and make the anime feel much more complete, but there wasn't any, and we didn't even really get to see the university that Yatora got in. Also, it would have really helped fulfill the supporting characters' stories too, specifically the ones who didn't get in the university. Another thing to point out was it was disappointing that Yatora didn't get to see Mori again in person besides the start of the anime when she left to the university, so to have at least have him meet her again would've made it more complete (especially because they mentioned her a lot throughout the anime).

This anime's premise hooked me as in potrayed an unusual theme. but after finished the series, it felt like waste of time. The story and characters were solid but execution were horrible. There were absolutely no sense of time within the plot that confused the viewers. In early episodes, when the MC required to pass the try out after finding art, there were absolutely no context related to time pass. Multiplle episodes can be a few weeks within the show timeline, but instantly in 1 episodes they skipped over summer break completely. The cross-dresser friends arc have nothing to do with the plot whatsoever and just being there. It tried to capture a struggle an aspiring artist faced, but honestly there were no urgency or stakes whatsoever that make us rooting for an actually very well-written and likable MC.

The anime industry's default approach to beloved manga adaptations is to drain them dry of personality, rip their hearts out, and factory-produce them for a market that rewards quantity over quality. Blue Period comes out of the machine an uneven but worthwhile experience regardless of all this. Yatora Yaguchi is a condescending high school student who prides himself on hard work, rather than relying on natural talent. At the very beginning, he sees a Picasso painting and says to himself smugly, "I could paint that." If you've never picked up a paintbrush, that's an understandable conclusion to reach. After all, people who are good at art are just talented, right? Blue Period strives to destroy this misconception at every chance it gets. The author wanted passionately to convey that art takes time, effort, and a strong work ethic. An unfortunate side effect of condensing a lengthy manga into a measly adaptation is cut content at the expense of this one crucial theme. Despite Blue Period's technical faults, and there are many, its character writing rises to the occasion. Like Yatora, each of their lives is well detailed: We know what motivates them, their concerns about getting into art school, how their family feels about their decisions and all of the turmoil that comes from pursuing their dreams. The show's most compelling theme is talent versus hard work. In a show about art, there's not enough screentime devoted to the process of creating art. And for an anime about artists, it's about as creatively vacuous as manga adaptations come. Even the untrained eye will notice this anime's an eyesore at times. Nothing is captivating about the visual language. There are no inventive directing choices; every background is drab, unimaginative storyboards, and the editing is lifeless. The character designs aren't very detailed yet they're inconsistently animated. They move like stiff cardboard. The close-ups fail to convey the script's intense emotions because they're flat. Unmoving. Likely they copied shots directly from the source material without considering how color and animation would affect the scene's impact. Having never read the manga, I can only assume poor adaptation choices. The same can't be said for the background music, which isn't haphazardly edited at all. Taiko drums and piano work well here to give seemingly mundane moments an air of melancholy and anxiety. Drab though it may appear, Blue Period's engrossing story creates tension very well. Yaguchi and his fellow aspiring artists hone their drawing skills in preparation for the competitive Tokyo Art Institute exam. Only a select few are accepted every year-you're never sure if the main characters will fail or succeed. They face constant negative emotions caused by stress, overwork, and self-doubt. Aside from training, the conflict the characters face and problems at home propel the drama and make it consistently engaging to watch. Yaguchi is a flawed protagonist and a newcomer to art, which makes him the ideal focus for a show about chasing your dream. He said the wrong thing, praising someone when they are comparatively not impressive to other student artists. Yaguchi's mother disapproves of art school at home because his family has a tight budget. But she is supportive upon realizing the effort he puts into his work. His character arc consists of defying his deeply held belief that "People who are true to themselves can't survive." That's the harsh truth for artists, making a living doing what you love is no easy task. The person who originally drew him into the fantastical world of art, Yuka, plays a key role in his development. Yuka nearly shares the role of the protagonist with Yaguchi-they also want to get into Tokyo Art University. They live with their grandmother, who has high hopes, and parents who disapprove of their lifestyle and choices. Yuka's gender is ambiguous, but they present femininely and don't want to be treated with masculine gender roles. Their gender is a significant detail incorporated into their backstory with sensitivity: they face bigotry, rejection, and insecurities that dig beneath their elegant and confident exterior. Although they hardly get time for character progression due to the disastrous pacing, they are one of the better characters in the show. Though Yuka is a sympathetic character, the show tries to have its cake and eat it too. Yaguchi constantly refers to them as a man with masculine pronouns and by their deadname, Ryuji. No one questions why he uses improper pronouns-the show blames other people in their life who reject their gender identity. We're told Yaguchi feels compassion for them, then his actions make him seem like an asshole. It's detrimental to his character development, and their relationship progression. Pacing is the most irritating problem with this anime. Originating from the second episode, which rushes past necessary development: Yaguchi struggled to become a better artist, so we're told, but he simply became great in a series of time skips. Skipping his growth goes directly against the story's themes: not everyone has natural talent, and it takes hard work to achieve your aspirations. The studio responsible for this adaptation, Seven Arcs, selected specific story beats but skipped over what they deemed as less important. Rushing through Yaguchi's art training also leaves non-artists in the dark about his processes to create his drawings and paintings. This issue is persistent throughout most of the show. It's not until the last third of the season that we delve deeply into his step-by-step creative method. If the show had put as much emphasis on creating art as its character drama, it'd be great, but significantly longer than 12 episodes. Blue Period makes a convincing argument for why you should read the manga-and that's ultimately the only reason this anime was made. It doesn't take advantage of the visual medium, but it's a watchable 7/10 anime that could've been a 9/10 anime. In spite of insurmountable odds, its stellar character writing, script, music, and themes make it a success. Shining through a thick layer of grime covering this diamond in the rough is a beautifully relatable story about passionate artists striving for their dreams.

I started Blue Period out of sheer curiosity, and with finals season coming up at my university, I wanted a simple and short show to watch. I am a student of science and wouldn't change it for the world, yet it wasn't my original plan when applying to schools. I am a failed art student, dropping out of my university's graphical design program after just one semester. I was greatly discouraged and stressed in all my classes, and even though I had the technical skills, there was something others had within them that was not in me. Since I switched to biology, I had not drawn anything or gone near any of my abandoned art supplies. Until I watched the first 2 episodes of this show. Sure, the art may be a bit janky at times, and the soundtrack isn't anything special. But watching Yatora struggle, cry, and celebrate his growth as an artist made me resonate with him greatly, because I also struggled and cried, yet I was not successful in the end. Yatora had that passion and motivation to keep going, regardless that he started late and had no prior knowledge. I felt myself always cheering him on and sharing his nervousness. I also felt a little jealous, and even sad that I couldn't push myself forward in the same way. The characters that surround him, from the effortlessly talented Yotasuke to the determined yet pressured Kuwana, were people I also had around me during my time as an art student. Comparing yourself to others blinds you of your own potential and development, and Blue Period touched on this subject well. The support Yatora's friend group gave him was so very sweet, and it shows the importance of having people believe in you, even if they don't fully grasp what you are doing. Because of this encouragement, Yatora had his initial push which then set him off to create wonderful pieces of art. This in turn inspired his friend to pursue a career in patisserie making, which is a nice little detail that demonstrates the cycle of inspiration people can have on one another. This review may very well be one guided by my personal emotions and experiences, but everyone has shows that they relate to in this way, Blue Period just happened to become one of mine. I've drawn two things since watching this anime: a still- life of some bananas I had laying around and a tapestry study. I felt at peace while doing both, and the time passed me by gently. I am once again getting invested in making art, but now with a fresh mindset. This anime gave me a reason to give art another chance, and while I may never make anything special, the work I put into a piece is good enough for me.

This review will be spoiler free. Blue Period is an interesting anime to me, because on the surface it appears to be pretty formulaic, but actually has themes and messages that you don't typically see in the art/drama genre. Let's take this one at a time. The plot is about the main character Yatora discovering his love of painting and his efforts to make it into the Tokyo University of the Arts, which is apparently notorious for low acceptability rates. Simple and direct. However, that is more the 'setting' than the plot. The journey is used as a device to showcase a few other things, such as the paradox of the institutionalization of art, the effects of long periods of high stress, the tribulations of trans teens, the concept of personal responsibility for one's result, and other such. I find it very interesting, because the show goes to lengths to show that yes, art (specifically drawing and oil painting) has techniques, and patterns and things to do and things not to do, but art at the end of the day is subjective. It's not interchangable with, say, math or whatever else. It requires a lot of know-how and hard work, but there's a lot of personal opinions that play into it. So while there are are techniques and patterns, success or failure is not guaranteed. Inspiration can strike or flee. The best student can fail even though they did their best, because art is subjective and people can use vague concepts like 'expression' and 'feelings coming through' to judge a piece as good or not. To be clear, I'm glad they showed this. Additionally, I'm very pleasantly surprised at the show's portrayal of stress. It goes out of its way to show how unfair such high stress situations such as harsh college exam period are for essentially children, and shows people deal with stress differently. However, where most anime (and media in general) would have you believe that someone being stressed is everyone's fault and problem BUT their own, this show tells you that ultimately it's your own fault, and your own responsibility to deal with it. Becauce it's true. The harsh reality is that unfair or difficult circumstances are common, most everyone has to deal with stress, and knowing how to do so is an important skill. Knowing when something isn't good for you and giving up on it is also an important skill, as the show shows. At the end of the day, the person who cares most about you is yourself, and the person most responsible for your well-being is yourself. We can betide our circumstances and apply blame, but in the end fixing it can only come from us. One last note on the story that I'll make is that it wasn't very clear if Yatora and Ryuuji had known each other prior to the art club? The first few episodes would make it seem that they don't, but through the show they act like they've been friends for a very long time, which poses a lot of questions. With that out of the way, let's move on to art. Animation was good, though nothing groundbreaking. The art pieces, for the most part, got their point across, though they often failed to live up to the heaps of praise the plot demanded be thrown at them, which is forgiveable. They were serviceable. Sound design was almost nonexistent, but it wasn't actively bad or working against the show. The characters are interesting. Yatora is a good protagonist to follow. He's capable and driven, but also fearful and flawed, with things to overcome and goals to achieve. The supporting cast for this show is excellent throughout. All characters that appear have a very unique voice and role, are at least somewhat memorable and have a role to play in Yatora's journey. I will say that the focus on Ryuuji as the secondary protagonist seemed a bit out of place. Ryuuji's story would make an excellent show by itself, but in THIS one, the amount of time of the season spent on Ryuuji's troubles seemed disproportionate to how much it tied back to the main plot. An excellent plotline, but it seemed as if I was watching two separate shows that only vaguely connected. Overall I enjoyed watching Blue Period. Not likely to rewatch, but I watched it pleasantly and will check out a future season if one does come. 8/10 overall.

Blue Period the anime is good. Really good. However, this is an underwhelming adaptation that could have been executed so much better. Maybe underwhelming is not the right word to describe this adaptation. Because it is a solid portrayal of the source material. The characters stay true to form, the art looks fine, the story is the same and paced similarly. All-in-all, it is a good show with a decent adaptation. But, I could not help feeling anything but disappointed after finishing each episode of Blue Period. The manga is presented in a way that is miles above anything the anime did. The source material has this cold atmosphere that is created by the great tension that the story creates. The art is very sharp and striking to look at and conveys a very potent feeling. I feel like the anime does not capture the same atmosphere at all due to the rather disappointing art and direction that it took. For example, in the first episode, Yatora is seen smoking a cigarette outside as the sun rises in Shibuya after a night out with his friends. This panel in the manga just radiates this cool and somber atmosphere as Yatora seemingly reflects on the sunrise. However, this scene in the anime is almost robotic. The CGI(?) smoke and how this scene in the anime is presented is just drained of any character and feeling. How can a manga panel convey a better atmosphere than an anime with music, color, and animation? Speaking of music and art, why was it so underwhelming? I expected there to be a somber, jazzy soundtrack to convey this feeling of “blue” like the manga did. But, that is not what we got. This soundtrack was weak in most places. Many scenes lacked any music and general. I think that they tried to convey the feeling of “cold” by having a lack of music, but I think it was to the detriment of the show. Also, you’d think a show about art would have amazing art and animation. But unfortunately, that is not the case with Blue Period. The art and animation are drab and uninteresting. It failed to replicate the sharp and clean look of the manga. I wish this show was boundary-pushing. I wish this show was executed in a more artistic fashion that took advantage of the great source material. I wish that this show did not play it safe and adapted a better art style. I know I should just be happy that one of my favorite manga got a decent adaptation, but I cannot help to be disappointed in the execution. I expected and wanted more.

Quick TLDR: Most peoples problems with the show stem from it being focused on the "art" aspect and less about the interactions and developments with the characters. (small spoilers) My views also somewhat fall into that category. I feel this show fell into the trap of introducing too many side characters. For me all the time spent on Yotasuke-kun was kind of wasted because he didn't provide that much insight but got the most screen time. He would say, "You got better" or some other random thing and Yatora was the one who did all the thinking and realizing. I still really enjoyed the build up in the beginning but I stopped really enjoying it when three, or so, episodes in a row were all focused on his cram school paintings and art progression. In my opinion they wanted too much and didn't have enough space for everything they wanted to get done. (slightly bigger but still small spoilers) They wanted to have this underlying moral to the story, have complications each character was going through, have the conflict with the MC, and focus lots of time on the "art" aspect. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want to focus on the "art" you shouldn't focus your beginning on building relationships with the characters that much because it's ultimately not going to be about them. The beginning should not have introduced Ryuuji-kun as much as it did, the development we expected to happen demanded more screen time and more interaction between Yatora and Ryuuji. The conflict didn't feel resolved when they went to the beach, instead it felt like it was magically fixed because they drew themselves naked. Yotasuke-kun's progression amounted to almost nothing in the end. After all that screen time he was still practically an emotionless, arrogant genius (in terms of drawing). I feel like, if they dropped quite a bit of the side characters screen time, they could have spent a bit more time focusing on the "art". For example, actually showing how he used the techniques instead of just showing some random snippets of the paintings progression. Or on the reverse side (which I think most people would have wanted). You spend less time on the "art" and more time on the characters. Spend more time on Yatora's relationship with Ryuuji and Mori-senpai. Have Yotasuke-kun actually show emotion near the end and maybe even smile. Round out the screen time with his actual friends, the delinquents. This would have become more of a "coming of age" story about how they learned about what type of subject they wanted to pursue and learning about themselves. No matter which direction they decided to go, I think it would have been more cohesive and satisfying to see either one of these. But instead we got a mix and I personally don't feel satisfied from the latter half of the series. Overall the parts we did get were good enough that I still want to give this a decent score but it could have been better.

That might not be the best adaptation the manga could get but I have to admit that I cried a bit when Yatora got accepted to Geidai. The voice acting was a bit weird at the beginning but in the end, it didn't bothered me at all and it might have just be a me problem. I really enjoyed the exam part and I could really relate to Yatora even though I am no art student. Honestly, I don't even know what I think about this anime but it definitely made me feel something and I really liked that. I planned to read the manga for a while, way before the anime got aired but now I know that I will read it very soon,. Blue Period definitely changed me and I'm excited to begin my art journey along with Yatora.

Ainda no embalo de "Animes Experimentais", decidi assistir a esse anime logo após terminar Prism Rondo, e este anime aborda uma nova perspectiva da arte. Blue Period mostra de maneira material e subjetiva as dificuldades que as pessoas do mundo artistico enfrentam, utilizando como ponto principal um protagonista tão bem construído que fez com que a minha identificação com ele me pudesse desfrutar ainda mais do anime. Yatora Yaguchi, um jovem colegial que conviveu boa parte da vida que conviveu com o sentimento de estar sendo superestimado pelas pessoas ao seu redor, se escondendo atrás de uma casca social, porém, que por dentro, o sentimento de vazio consumia seu corpo e alma, um conceito de personagem que eu achei simplesmente genial, em um mar de protagonistas "subestimados" ou protagonistas perfeitos, Yaguchi nada contra a maré, gerando um dos personagens mais humanos que eu já vi em qualquer anime. Ver ele em busca de um propósito, "enfrentando" artistas que, segundo o próprio, eram muito superiores a ele, me fez refletir sobre o que realmente é talento e como o trabalho árduo e continuo é capaz de fazer limites, impostos pelo próprio artista, serem superados. Analisando o trabalho audiovisual, é bonito à perspectiva de sua proposta, as pinturas, que são a alma do anime, são muito bem trabalhadas, e fazem com que o espectador consiga ter uma visão mais concreta de cada personagem, afinal, cada personagem possui sua própria característica, convicções e ideais para se expressarem através da pintura, e isso é um charme que entra bastante a favor do anime. A minha critica principal ao anime é, senti falta de polimento em desenvolvimentos dos personagens, fiquei com a sensação que muitos deles pareciam que estavam a beira de uma explosão sentimental, prestes a mostrarem ao mundo sua verdadeira essência de demonstrar o porquê de serem personagens bem construídos, mas que na hora do "vamos ver" o anime arrega te tentar fazer algo maior em ousado, a forma que foi abordada, por exemplo, as histórias de vida da Kuwana e principalmente do Ryuji, me deixaram incomodado por terem sido "conservadoras" demais Minha avaliação final para Blue Period é, com certeza vale a pena, para pessoas como eu, que tiveram que conviver com um peso similar ao que o Yatora conviveu, ver sua evolução ao decorrer da história, tanto artistica tanto pessoal, é algo que pode até tocar no interior, definitivamente um anime que foi fiel a todo momento ao que queria propor, e conseguiu executar de maneira satisfatória, infelizmente não há previsão para uma segunda temporada, entãoestou bem tentado a começar a ler o mangá nota: 8 **English translation so the review doesn't get deleted!!!** Still riding the wave of “experimental anime,” I decided to watch Blue Period right after finishing Prism Rondo, and this anime explores a new perspective on art. *Blue Period* portrays, in both a concrete and subjective way, the difficulties people in the art world face, with a protagonist so well constructed that my identification with him allowed me to enjoy the anime even more. Yatora Yaguchi is a high school student who spent much of his life feeling like he was being overestimated by the people around him, hiding behind a social shell while, internally, a sense of emptiness consumed his body and soul. I found this character concept simply brilliant. In a sea of “underrated” protagonists or perfect protagonists, Yaguchi swims against the current, creating one of the most human characters I’ve ever seen in any anime. Watching him search for a purpose, “facing” artists who, in his own words, were far superior to him, made me reflect on what talent really is and how hard, continuous work can overcome limits imposed by the artist themselves. Analyzing the audiovisual side, it is beautiful within the scope of its proposal. The paintings—which are the soul of the anime—are very well crafted and allow the viewer to gain a more concrete understanding of each character. After all, every character has their own traits, convictions, and ideals that they express through painting, and that is a charm that strongly works in the anime’s favor. My main criticism is that I felt a lack of polish in the characters’ development. I often had the impression that many of them were on the verge of an emotional explosion, ready to reveal their true essence and show why they were such well-constructed characters—but when the decisive moment came, the anime held back from attempting something bolder. The way certain backstories were handled—especially that of Ryuji Ayukawa—felt too “conservative” to me. My final evaluation of *Blue Period* is that it is definitely worth watching. For people like me, who have lived with a burden similar to what Yatora carries, seeing his evolution throughout the story—both artistically and personally—can truly be moving. It’s definitely an anime that stayed faithful at all times to what it set out to do and executed it in a satisfying way. Unfortunately, there’s no forecast for a second season, so I’m very tempted to start reading the manga. **Score: 8**