It’s very rare for a story to resonate with me on a molecular level, but every once in a blue moon, a story comes along that’s so relatable, that it hits too close to home.

That’s how I feel about Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. With gut-wrenching vulnerability, Yamaguchi manages to perfectly encapsulate the struggles of being an artist—all the self-doubt, comparing yourself to others, and wondering if what you’re doing is a waste of time or worth anything at all.

However, the manga also shows the joys of being an artist as well.

The main character, Yatora, finally finds himself able to pour his heart out through his art and he’s able to appreciate the world around him more deeply, see it in a whole new light. For instance, Shibuya in the early dawn isn’t just quiet, it’s blue.

In the manga, there are these surreal, beautiful moments where Yatora imagines himself interacting with his surroundings. We see him floating in a cityscape as he tries to sketch it or we see a painting playfully wink at him. This manga brings art to life in a way I rarely seen done in manga.

As a fair warning, the first volume is very exposition heavy (breaking down artistic theory and techniques). However, this helps the story in two ways. Not only does this make the manga more accessible to non-artists, but it also serves to hammer in the point that art doesn’t just require raw talent. It’s the accumulation of countless hours of study, practice, and hard work as well.

My one nitpicky gripe though isn’t about the story itself, it’s about the font selection. For broadcast voices, the font is extremely narrow. 1) This is more difficult to read. 2) It feels stylistically counterintuitive to have a booming broadcaster voice written in skinny font, so in future volumes, I hope a more weighted font is considered. Maybe even make the font squiggly to indicate sound/radio waves.

Overall though, Blue Period is an ode to art and those who create it. It’s a poignant coming-of-age story about high schoolers pursuing their dreams that artists and non-artists alike can take something away from.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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3*
A lot like a sports manga but for art. Centred around art classes, learning all the different techniques, mediums and tools. Interesting main character. Beautiful cover, full of color. LGBT+ representation. However, poorly-drawn female characters and lackluster competitions.

The cover is beyond gorgeous and the art inside is beautiful as well. The main character was convincing, and I’m pretty sure he will achieve great things thanks to his willpower, but I would have loved to learn more about his classmates. Hopefully in the following instalments. Overall, it was enjoyable.

Listen... sometimes you read the synopsis of a book and completely misunderstand it. That was me with this manga lol. When it said the main character sees a painting and “dives in headfirst” and “is about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be” I thought it literally meant the main character goes in to a painting like a quest straight out of Oblivion and fights some painting creatures... In reality, this is actually a slice of life manga about a boy wanting to apply to art school.

I’m not giving this super low marks because I guess it’s my bad that I misunderstood the blurb, but I was honestly so bored reading this. I’m normally fine with a good slice of life manga, but this felt like a bunch of random art tips incorporated into a thin storyline. By the end I was definitely skimming.

This manga wasn’t for me at all, but I think people that are super into art might enjoy it. I seem to be the only one who didn’t like this one, so definitely give it a try if it sounds like your kind of thing.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

"Art is fun, you know. And those who are true to themselves make truly great art. Because art is a language without words."

What a fascinating read!!

I waited so long to read this because I started to question if I would enjoy it as someone who is not a "serious" artist, but it was incredibly inspiring! Yatora was very relatable in feeling like a "regular person" in his art because he was surrounded by so many who were artistically better than him. I LOVED seeing his journey from a "regular person" who doesn't get art to working hard and infusing his work with passion and blooming into an awesome artist.

And that is what spoke to me the most as an aspiring kawaii artist. That just by me being ME and drawing with passion of what reflects my heart, then people viewing it can enjoy it too. That was so inspiring and encouraging and just motivated me to want to not be as timid to draw in my sketchbook.

I was quite surprised how much detail is brought to light about art! Yes, this manga is all about art, but there are almost like mini art lessons given and I was not prepared for that. I admit that at times it sort of slowed down the story and almost wanted to skim because I REALLY wanted to read about Yatora's art journey instead. He is such a compelling character and seeing his discovery of "getting" art from a person who didn't get it once either, made me intrigued and very interested.

Despite some of the language, I would be curious to know what happens next. It is an inspiring and motivating manga for any artist!

*(I received an e-copy from NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*

"Art is quite fun. Especially for those who are honest with themselves. It's a language without words."

This first volume is a nice introduction to a coming-to-age manga that tells the story of Tora, a young man that recently found out that art was his passion. His main goal is to go to an art college that only allows a couple of new students each year; therefore, he’ll have to practice every single day with different methods, materials and overall, he’ll have to overcome several things every artist experiences along the way.

Now, as you may know, I don’t consider myself an artist but I always gravitate towards these stories because I believe art (in any shape or form) is what truly makes us feel alive. There is passion in in and perhaps, it’s the only way we can express what we feel within us. So it was fun to see how this manga talks about working with different mediums as well as teaching the basics of drawing.

Ironically the art style is not quite my favorite but the story and the characters are interesting enough for me to continue with the series. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a well-paced coming-to-age manga.

Blue Period comes from mangaka Tsubasa Yamaguchi and is published in English by Kodansha Comics. I’ve been awaiting the publication of this manga since it won the 2020 Manga Taisho Grand Prize, an annual Japanese manga award given to outstanding series under eight volumes. If you haven’t heard about it, Blue Period is a manga about the struggles and rewards of a life dedicated to art. Popular guy Yatora realizes he’s just going through the motions to make other people happy and finds himself in a new passion: painting.

In Blue Period Volume 1 we meet Yatora. He is the perfect high school student, with good grades, lots of friends, and he’s good at sports. For lack of a better description, if this were a romance shojo he would be the guy the lead girl pines over but doesn’t think she’s good enough for. But quickly, readers see that while this is an effortless performance for Yatora, it is just that, a performance. The need to put on a show, while easy, leaves him feeling bored and empty. Then, he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. The passion that is awakened in him is instantaneous and he is both compelled and consumed. He dives in headfirst.

The shift in character that Yamaguchi writes is well executed and noticeable for people who can find themselves in Yatora. In the opening chapter Yatora explains that he is trying to fill a quota and while that offers some satisfaction, it is empty. In his words, “I put more into meeting those quotas than others do. And my efforts pay off. That’s all there is to it. But when people praise me for my efforts, I feel empty. Why’s it so hard for me to feel anything?”

In school, I was an overachiever. I hit top marks and with every award and recognition, it became more of a duty and became more hollow. Something I was supposed to do and something I could easily do because of how I worked. But it didn’t light a fire in me. Yatora realizing this in Blue Period Volume 1 is one of the most relatable moments in a manga this year for me. Yamaguchi captures Yatora’s apathy and emptiness well while still showcasing the ease with which he succeeds.

But Yamaguchi’s writing isn’t the only element that stands out in Blue Period Volume 1, but so does his art. The first time that Yatora sees Mori’s painting, readers see two conflicting art styles. Initially, the traditional manga art style against a traditional European painting seems off, but the more you look at it, the more it’s compelling.

Yamaguchi is skilled at transitioning panels from reality to the art world of Yatora’s mind as he draws and paints. Additionally, Yamaguchi effortlessly works in art concepts of color and technique in a way that adds depth to the story and not just exposition to understand a conversation.

Ultimately, Blue Period Volume 1 is a story that isn’t just about a boy finding art. No, this is a story about showing a character grow to making choices for himself and not those around him. Yatora’s journey is just beginning in this volume but the way Yamaguchi sets up the larger narrative theme of living for yourself and not others around you is one that I’m sure will pay off.

I really wanted to read this but it wouldn’t work as a download or on netgalley shelf at all. I reached out the netgalley to report it. I’ll update my feedback if I am able to get it to work.

"Blue Period" is a manga about a student named Yatora. Though he dresses and has delinquent behaviors, he's a top student and has a lot of friends. Over the course of the book he becomes really interested/passionate about art and decides he's going to go to an art college. In order to achieve this, though, he begins to put himself through rigorous study of art by taking supplemental classes. Along the way he meets new people and makes new friends.

I really enjoy manga that have a mix of story and learning. There are a lot of facts about art in this volume that I found interesting. I'm also excited to see where the story takes us in the next volume.

I was drawn to this manga because if the pretty cover and I still think it's really gorgeous, but the story itself wasn't really for me. It was interesting and unique, but couldn't really grip me.
If you're really interested in art, I think this will totally be the manga for you. It goes very in depth about the works of becoming a professional artist and getting into art school.
The art style is also very pretty, so if this topic is for you, definitely check this story out.

I’ve read quite a few manga that talk about the creative process. There are many that illustrate the manga artist’s life as a creative individual, but they were mostly about the pressures and reality of working in manga, like Bakuman and Kakushigoto. I haven’t seen many manga that generally focuses on the process of being an artist, so this seemed to break the mould.

I did art in school, so this was quite nostalgic for me. The art teacher in the manga giving the lessons was like I was being thrown back into the past, making me reminisce, and I started to remember the theory and experimental stages of our lessons. This brought back a lot of memories and I can definitely say it captures the spirit it was going for.

Not only does it give an insight into the creative world view, but it’s also a really heartwarming tale of a young boy discovering his passion, and finding out what makes him happy. I like how it talks about how difficult it is to make it as an artist, but it doesn’t it doesn’t take a stand for or against it. I loved how you can see our protagonist’s discovery, to growing fascination, onto full on love, and I liked how his rational side tried to talk himself out of pursuing art as a career, only to fall deeper in love with it. We also see how smart he is, but he’s subdued in his academic pursuits, but it’s only when he discovers art do we see his enthusiasm and his drive to become a better artist.

The only issue I had was that while it can be educational, it is a lot to take in and sometimes the story seems to halt at times, but it really shows that it takes a lot more skill and a very critical eye to develop a real talent and people tend to underestimate that, yet it also shows the reality that you can study as hard and as long as you like, sometimes you meet people who are better artists than you could ever be.

For any artists or art enthusiasts out there, this is definitely a must read. I can’t find anything that speaks more to the creative experience, and it’s a great story about finding your passion and how it can be what you need to find your direction.

This book was good,. I like that is wasnt just about the school and the students and more about art and the techniques.

I must start this review by prefacing with the fact that I consumed this all in one sitting right before bed. Making it very late when I write this so forgive me for the brief thoughts but trust me that it was amazing. I had a great time reading it. I liked all of the characters and I'm interested in spending more time with them. The story was so engrossing and I just want more. On a less relevant note but a thought that I must share is that for some bizarre reason this manga reminded me of another series called, if I can get this right, The Drops of God. I also really liked the message in this story and would recommend this book to others.

**I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This graphic novel is centered around a boy named Yatora. He's a student discovering what path he wants to take for his future career. Art was a path he'd never considered, but could it be the one for him?

Following Yatora's journey through this was highly enjoyable for me, and I find myself impatiently awaiting the next installment. Seeing Yatora grow in several different ways throughout this first installment was a refreshing change of pace from the other novels I've been reading lately, so I toroughly enjoyed this. The art style was gorgeous, every emotion clearly conveyed, and it is very clear that the author possesses a deep knowledge of art and its many theories. This was a great read, and I can't wait for more!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest oppinion**

This book was so much fun! I really liked the characters, and also really enjoyed the art aspect of this. Very different from Mangas I’ve read before. Will definitely continue with the series!

9.5 stars out of 10

Keywords: manga, slice of life, high school, art, art school

REVIEW
Blue Period is a manga about a high school boy who tried very hard to do what everyone expected of him. School works, grades, social life, he worked really hard to be the peak of those. Yet he did not feel happy about it. Until one day he tried to draw and finding out he had a passion in it. He decided to give it all to pursue art career that he's passionated at.

The book tells a lot about passion, about the ideals and enthusiasm that you tend to have when you're young. The mood is wavering between gloomy and inspirative, and that make reader can connect easier to character's struggle. Personally, the story touched me differently because I'm questioning my own passion lately. I also liked art in high school so the art club things and the joy of drawing is familiar. There are a lot of parts where I reflected in the protagonist and related to what he's thinking. The lines and dialogues hit me deeper than they should. There are parts that made me think "maybe, I should". And that most important, there are also parts that made me think think I shoul appreciate arts and artists a bit more. This manga remind me how much efforts and energy artists spend on a piece of art...

The artstyle of this book is nice to look at. The pacing is consistent, the panels conveyed feeling nicely. The dialogues are sharp and smooth. The translation itself is good, nothing feel awkward. They even put some translation notes about Japanese tidbits and reference mentioned in the manga. There also several art-related theories and tutorials as well, like how to draw perspective, color wheel, etc. I also like how author give us insight about art-schools in Japan and how competitive it is to get into one.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a digital arc of this manga. It was amazing.

Volume one of Blue Period was good. But honestly, I don’t think this story can keep me entertained. I do like Yaguchi but I just couldn’t get into this story. I’m slightly interested in what will happen next but I don’t think I’m going to run to the bookstore to get future volumes.

Now, if you’re into art, this story would be right up your alley. It was very educational when it came to the art club. You will definitely learn right along side Yaguchi.


I just reviewed Blue Period 1 by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. #BluePeriod1 #NetGalley

Yatora Yaguchi is floating through his life. He has friends, he gets good grades, and feels nothing. One day, he stumbles into the art club, and sees a beautiful oil painting done by another student. Yaguchi's world tilts on its axis at that moment.
He finally decides to give an art project some effort, and finds that he has a knack for it. He finds himself immersed in art before he knows it, and the feelings begin to pour out of him.
This series is going to be his journey with art, and doing what he wants, rather than what others expect him to do.
The art in this series is GORGEOUS! The cast of characters is an eclectic bunch, but they all have a care of our protagonist. The competitiveness of the art world is very present throughout the story as well. If you have a love for art, or are in need of inspiration, this is a beautiful series to try.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute coming of age story! This kinda felt like an art lesson in manga form and although it was a little info dumpy, I really enjoyed it!

I loved the art style and really like how this story is heading. I honestly didn't expect to like it this much! 100% going to continue with the series!

Despite the title and a theme of art, this book has nothing to do with Picasso, which is good since I tend to agree with Hannah Gadsby about him. What it does have is a story about a young man finding the place where he wants to belong - before discovering that he not only enjoys art but is <i>allowed</i> to enjoy it, study it, and engage in it, the overachieving (yet also deliberately delinquent) protagonist is floating, unsure what he wants. He knows what his parents (or at least his mother) want for him, and he knows what his friends think, but he's never stopped to ask himself what it is that <i>he</i> wants.

The book is also interesting for its treatment of Yuka, a nonbinary character about whom no one really makes a fuss. Some use female pronouns for them, some male, and Yuka doesn't seem annoyed that the protagonist uses their male name. It's worth noting this because Yuka is a non-gender conforming character who just exists - they aren't there to make a point or to inject diversity into the story, they just are who they are and also do art.

And all of the characters are going to learn the most basic truth of any creative class: you may be the best in one group, but there'll always be someone you think is better.