Blue Period, Vol. 14

ブルーピリオド [Blue Period] #14

by Tsubasa Yamaguchi

GOING PRO

For their second summer at TUA, Yatora and his art school friends stay at Momoyo's family temple. There, Yatora enters an art contest with hopes for the cash prize and a professional debut. However, as he works on his piece, he learns of Yakumo's friend Machiko-a remarkable young artist whose flame was extinguished too early.

Genres: Manga, Drama, Contemporary, Seinen, Coming Of Age, Comics, Slice Of Life

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2023

About the author

Tsubasa Yamaguchi (山口つばさ, Yamaguchi Tsubasa) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

as I've seen others say, this series is still enjoyable to read but just doesn't feel the same as it did in the beginning volumes. so many interesting side characters disappear at random, and it feels like the mangaka doesn't have a general purpose in where the plot is going. it's just a bunch of mini experiences of the mc enjoying art. hope it all ties together somehow but i doubt it

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

As summer break continues, the spectre of Sanada, a fellow artist who died three years ago, looms over the freewheeling art students. Hopefully you like that storyline, because it’s all you’re getting.

Let me preface by saying that I still quite enjoy Blue Period, I really do, but it has been absolutely unmoored since Yatora got into TUA. It just seems to drift from plot to plot with very little connective tissue. And, since a lot of the side cast end up being as disposable as Kleenex, they show up and then fall away to never be seen again, that makes a certain amount of sense.

There are some really strong parts to this volume, but it makes one particularly massive mistake by spending several chapters on a long flashback to Yakumo’s story of getting into TUA and his relationship with Sanada without making me care a whole lot. Explains, yes, engages, no.

Sanada is a cipher. Her art moves Yakumo, she’s favoured by her teachers, but her impact feels outsized for how she’s portrayed here. The details of her death remain so nebulous (seriously, I just stared at that spread for ages trying to figure out what they were implying) that it all lands kind of ‘meh’.

There are great things about Yakumo’s story, that being said. The older artist he ends up living with briefly is way interesting - she uses Yakumo as a boy toy when her relationships blow up and has pretty obvious mental health issues - and I wish it had been more on that because she’s the type of interesting mess the series needs more of.

Being about five seconds from a literal starving artist also puts Yakumo in a unique position to quietly remind Yatora of his own incredible privilege in being able to do what he does without skyrocketing levels of debt.

Oh, right, Yatora. Did you know this was his story? You’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, as most of the volume is given up to this tale of Yakumo. Which would be fine, if I had any confidence we would see him again with any frequency after all this. The pattern suggests otherwise.

It adds in a desperately punchable museum jerk, some fun interplay with all the students, and there’s a big competition coming that I would have loved to see more preparation for as Yatora deals with his inadequacies and realizing that to do this for a living it might have to pay out at some point.

Which makes it a shame that the bulk is invested in something I could not care less about. And it’s not that it’s completely bad, but my tolerance for flashbacks is really low and this doesn’t justify itself nearly enough. Telling me that everybody cared about Sanada is not the same as showing it and I feel the mangaka faltered in that respect.

3 stars - as good as some recent volumes have been, this just reminds me how much stronger the series was when it was focused on the high school era. I often complain when manga stays stuck in that groove, so at least I get some irony out of it, I guess.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yakumo’s past before TUA is heartbreaking and inspiring. I love that crazy fool. Probably one of my favorite characters within the Blue Period cast!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAKUMO TE ADORO

[Alex2739 · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars…
Hmm Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) … I have no idea where the story’s going…

In this volume we got Yakumo’s backstory which was interesting to see because it explains some of his personality traits and the way he acts. We also, learn a little bit more about the trio’s friendship and momo-chan’s relationship with art.

But as I have seen online the next volume still revolves around the ‘summer break’ arc (idk if it’s even called that but I’ll refer to it like this) so it’ll probably contain the process of making the art pieces of the 3 who have participated and the results.

But after that?? What..? 3rd year again…? Isn’t it going to be repetitive? I’m debating if I should drop the series. I guess I’ll decide that when there’s new chapters to read.

[Zermeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

really glad i have been consistent with this as the art progression has been great

[lee! · Rating 4 out of 5]

my commitment to this series is the only thing i still have in college

[nCarinae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que tomo tan duro. Parece que el segundo año de Yatora habla mucho no solo sobre la experiencia de verse mejor no peor que los demás, algo continuo en este manga, si no que estos últimos tomos parecen criticar (aún más) duramente como el tener dinero abre más puertas que el talento en el arte. Sí, pueden darse excepciones, pero la mayoría de estas se ha tenido apoyo o recursos. Igualmente, no es un mensaje pesimista, si no realista. Algunos no podrán soportar esa presión injusta y otros buscarán nuevos caminos, tal como en la vida real.

Todo el asunto de Sanada me ha dado mucha pena y creo que reflexionaré bastante sobre ello, ya que no sé si ahora mismo he logrado entender todo lo que quería contar a través de su historia, pero definitivamente no lo olvidaré, así como espero que Yatora no lo haga en el próximo tomo.

[Ady Weasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yatora está con sus compañeros en Hiroshima y conocemos la historia de Yakumo y la que parece ser su rival Sanada

[Ben Canfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning feels a little repetitive at times compared to other arcs in the series. I feel like the beginning of Blue Period was such a breath of fresh air and I was constantly thinking about and revisiting moments in my own life where I opted for security over dreams and desire. This volume introduces another interesting arc via Yakumo’s backstory, but I want more variety with the internal conflicts Yatora faces. Regardless, I still really enjoy my time spent in the world this manga brings me into.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

pre-review: my girl Momo is on the cover 💕💖this will be a fun volume!!

post-review:


what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck
AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!

[marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vol. 9 ★★☆☆☆
Vol. 10 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 11 ★★★★☆
Vol. 12 ★★☆☆☆
Vol. 13 ★★☆☆☆

If this volume is supposed to paint a picture of what Sanada is like, it has failed spectacularly. She remains an enigma; I still don't know anything about her or her relationships with other people. While I enjoyed Yakumo's backstory, it's not really building up to anything. Just another detour in a series that's been dragged out for too long and should've ended much earlier.

[Hugo M.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que mantiene la esencia de hablar sobre lo que causa el arte en las personas, y me pareció buena la historia que se nos contó en este viaje, pero me parece que los personajes y la historia se están quedando atascados, y no hay un punto visible al que este llendo todo.

[alloro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Yakumo's story, but honestly I don't know where the main story is going. And I genuinely miss both yuka and Hashida:(
I know they're in the "past", but i'd like to know what They're doing, especially yuka

[qiya sitali-thirkield alandia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blue Period written by Yamaguchi Tsubasa is a passionate story following Yatora Yaguchi's experiences being a late bloomer in the exciting world of oil painting. The manga covers many topics that young artists today face, both good and bad. I've been reading this series for the last 4 years and it has a very special place in my heart, which is why it hurts me so much to say it's beginning to go downhill! This volume focuses on Yatora’s trip with his new oil painting classmates. The majority of it covers Yakumo Murai, a cocky but extremely talented and unique painter and his very mysterious backstory. As always, Tsubasa touches on some really important and underrepresented issues in the art community in this volume, mainly the exploitation of artist's work after they die. It is all too common in the art world where after an artist dies, their work shoots up in value because now there is a limited amount of their pieces available; they can’t create any more. Business-wise, it makes sense, but ethically it is a huge problem as many dealers will take advantage of vulnerable families and friends, which Tsubasa covers phenomenally and with so much care. This aspect of her work, the ability to use characters so effectively to represent an issue important to her is something that has always stuck out to me with her work. Unfortunately, particularly with this volume, it feels like the writing has become a bit more lazy. The way the story moved and conflicts arose used to feel much more natural and fitting to the story as a whole, but recently it all feels very forced! It’s almost like she’s not writing anymore to explore the story and characters’ growth, but just to address a new issue or crisis in the art community. The way she brings up important topics doesn’t feel as fluid and relevant as it once did. Despite that, I still did really enjoy this volume. I really did love Yakumo’s backstory, and it brought a lot more depth and context to him as a whole. The reason why he’s so cheap, why he is so drawn to scale in his paintings, why he and Momo are so close, and just his personality as a whole. I thought Tsubasa did a phenomenal job giving him a story that felt real. Writing characters that came from impoverished neglective backgrounds is so difficult, but I actually thought Tsubasa did a really good job with him. As always, I also really enjoyed the interactions between Yakumo, Momo, and Kenji. I think their dynamic is really silly and I truly am a sucker for a found family trope.

I really love Blue Period with all my heart. It’s a story that showed me just how much art means to me and how important it is to myself that I pursue a career in it. The story could stay just as unfinished and messy as it’s becoming and I would still love it, but it does break my heart that it’s beginning to lose its spark! Despite all that, and all the negatives I addressed, I really do recommend everybody at least reads the first few volumes. The issues within the art community are so real and so underrepresented, and I think Blue Period still does such a fabulous job of discussing them. As a warning, the story does cover a few sensitive topics like transphobia, abuse, sexual assault, and a couple other heavy topics!

[Tachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alors que j’aurais pu décrocher avec ce tome justement un peu à part dans la série, c’est justement ce pas de côté que j’ai trouvé intéressant et bien mené.

Depuis le début, nous suivons un récit assez linéaire qui conduit Yatora de la découverte de sa passion, à son étude et à son entrée dans une école spécialisée pour se perfectionner. C’est très scolaire tout ça, or l’art est tout sauf scolaire pour moi. Je suis donc ravie de sortir de ce cadre, une nouvelle fois, pour aller à la rencontre de ces artistes indépendants et de l’histoire de leur groupe.

Pour autant, ce ne fut pas une lecture enthousiasmante, dans le sens où je l’ai trouvé assez sombre et plombante. Yakumo est au centre de l’histoire et celui qu’on a toujours perçu comme un feu follet révèle une âme bien plus sombre et torturée. J’ai aimé cette âpreté où l’autrice nous plonge en nous montrant que l’art est bien trop souvent l’affaire d’une élite et que ceux qui n’en font pas partie galère, mais galère ! Le portrait fait de Yakumo et de celle qu’il a perdu est édifiant. On découvre avec lui un gamin livré à lui-même qui s’est fait tout seul, ce qui explique si bien sa si grande liberté et son caractère terriblement fort, mais cela cache une grande fragilité que l’on retrouve dans son art, un art de la représentation, en mode « regardez-moi, aidez-moi », lui l’enfant laissé seul. C’était déchirant. Je ne l’imaginais pas ainsi.

Après l’intrigue principale avance aussi vite qu’un escargot asthmatique. Il y a juste Yatoru qui découvre l’univers des concours d’art et qui s’inscrit à l’un d’eux, bossant pour le préparer avec ce groupe atypique aux sacrées personnalités. C’est un peu hors du temps car ils se retrouvent dans la maison à l’écart de l’une d’eux. Mais c’est aussi ce qui fait son charme, ce retrait de la vie tout en étant en groupe. Alors oui, Yatora ne fait pas grand- chose, on ne voit pas d’oeuvre marquante ou de fulgurance de sa part. Il apprend juste à connaître ceux qui l’entourent et à se défaire encore de certains préjugés, se rapprochant peut-être un peu de l’authenticité qu’il recherche au fond.

Ce fut donc une lecture âpre et ardue qui m’a attendue ici et que j’ai pris plaisir à découvrir aux côtés de Yatora qui nous sert de témoin dans ce milieu si terriblement ambivalent et rude. Les portraits de l’autrice bien qu’exagérés sonnent étrangement juste et nous prennent aux tripes. Une plongée dans le monde de l’art qu’on n’est pas prêt d’oublier et tant pis si l'intrigue avance peu.

Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....

[Luci.starsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yatora sigue de vacaciones con Yakumo, Hachiro, Momoyo y Yotasuke, cosa que le hace reflexionar de nuevo sobre los artistas y como son, ya que su idea de artista es bastante diferente a la de sus amigos. La figura de Yakumo es muy importante para esta parte de la historia porque le abre los ojos a Yatora con sus palabras, ya que este está empeñado en una visión de si mismo como artista muy dura y conocer la versión y la historia de otros personajes le hace ver que no debe pensar así.
A raíz de esto, conocemos la historia de Yakumo, la cual es muy interesante e impactante. En esta parte conocemos como Yakumo quiso dedicarse a la pintura, como conoció a sus amigos. Además, en esta parte se nos introduce en detalle un personaje que se mencionó en el tomo 13 de una forma muy impactante y nos cuentan que sucedió con dicho personaje.
Me ha parecido un tomo increíble, esta obra al contrario de empeorar, solo mejora con cada tomo que pasa. Sin duda, es una obra que merece mucho la pena leer y que tiene una enseñanza en sus palabras, ya que muchas de las frases te hacen reflexionar.
En cuanto a la portada de este tomo, creo que es mi favorita hasta el momento de todas las portadas que hay en Blue Period, ya que los colores y los dibujitos del fondo me parecen adorables.

[Mindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has taken a bit of turn that I didn't anticipate.

I really love this volume. I love how we get Sanada's story as told by Murai to Yatora. The entire volume is Murai telling the story, and it's so interesting to see Yatora's new friends before they started TUA and how their friendship started. We also get Murai's story, since he begins the tale at his childhood. I really like Murai and find him fascinating, and seeing how much he has had to struggle all of his life really helps to flesh out who he is and why he lives the way he does. When he first appears in the story he comes off as just an eccentric artist, but there is way more to him than just being childish and quirky.

Sanada's story is so sad. I'm wondering if Yatora will be inspired by it while he creates his piece for the competition, or even if Sanada and her lost potential will inspire his art going forward. And now I'm caught up and have to wait for volume 15.

[kimmy j · Rating 5 out of 5]

this yamaguchi fellow.... he's a proper genius i tell ya. what the fuck, blue period is so good and i've literally never met a single person who talks about it lol. yamaguchisenseis cover art game keeps getting stepped up, (look at this one what the fuh he's poppin off) and he's fleshing out all the characters in a way that doesn't feel forced, le "sad backstories" do not feel wedged in or trite, and i'm so fond of this summer arc. the no marks era was interesting and every panel just goes enscribes itself in my bone marrow. it's the closest i've felt to a non-fanfiction piece of writing in years. I LOVE BLUE PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOP SELF CONTAINED MANGA OF ALL TIME (sbr and jojolion.... don't count!!!!!!!!!!! b-because they're parts ok!?)

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lloré con cada capítulo de este tomo, fue hermoso, de los mejores de todo el manga. Conocer todo este dolor que lleva por dentro Yakumo y ver cómo ha decidido continuar su vida con Sanada dentro de su memoria y corazón me conmovió. La familia de momo-chan es un amor, fue un tomo muy encantador, muy nostálgico también. Yakumo se merecía ese millón de yenes y estoy orgullosisima de Yaguchi por su debut, me encanta que incluso entonces se toma el tiempo de sentirse inseguro por ser el último lugar del concurso, es parte de él, de quién es, cuestionarse si merece estar allí, pero lo merece y lo amo mucho.

[Lorenzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume che fa cominciare la vera sfida delle vacanze estive di Yatora: il concorso. Qui viene fuori la backstory di Yakumo, finalmente, che è molto efficace e mi ha fatto abbastanza empatizzare con lui, miracolosamente direi, dato che non mi piaceva affatto prima. C'è una riflessione molto interessante sul privilegio in termini di classe, Yatora infatti si confronta con Yakumo e scopre di avere molti privilegi in termini di soldi che altri non hanno, sentendosi conseguentemente anche abbastanza inadeguato nel partecipare al concorso. I disegni sono come al solito splendidi, nulla da dire al riguardo. Questa serie fortunatamente mi sta continuando a piacere e ne sono contento.

[Alma Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

La historia de Yakumo es increíble y triste, un reflejo del arte y la pobreza, ¿cómo luchan los artistas por sobresalir en mundo donde el dinero te abre la puerta? Madre joven que lo ignora, una soledad que se llena con los placeres de la adolescencia: sexo, dinero y una inquietud por dibujar.
Este adolescente perdido cae en manos de una mujer pintora, aunque no se menciona explícitamente, se da a entender que Yakumo vivía con ella y había un intercambio entre ellos, podría ser solo compañía o también sexo. Así, sin quererlo, lo lleva a una exposición a descubrir el arte, y el hueco de su corazón se llena, encuentra algo qué seguir.

[Dani Wladdimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quizá no me dejó deslumbrado, pero si era la historia que necesitaba. Justamente en la reseña del volumen anterior mencionaba que necesitaba una historia más desenfrenada, y aquí la dieron, quizá con demasiados componentes, pero no es tan alejado de lo que podría ser la vivencia temprana de artistas que están con las emociones a flor de piel. Y siento que manera en como fueron poco a poco explicando ese trasfondo, me gustó. Me encanta que pasa mucho tiempo desde la última vez que leí Blue Period, y aun así me sigue dando esas emociones y reflexiones que me gusta encontrar en este tipo de mangas.

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't really care less with other details and this summer trip feels lighter on the surface, but it actually digs really deep into Yakumo and the idea of class, opportunity, and legitimacy in art. And that's what I really liked here. Pretty messed up but absolutely real. While many characters here wrestle with talent, identity, or emotional expression, Yakumo's conflict is rooted in access.

May Sanada rest in peace, she was really something. I felt chills as much as Yakumo was moved in one of her scenes.

[Clodjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce quatorzième volume se concentre surtout sur le passé de Yakumo Murai et comment Yakumo, Momoyo et Kenji ont rencontré Sanada.

Malgré le style graphique plutôt moyen et le fait que le récit piétine un peu, ce manga reste une lecture intéressante et agréable qui traite des angoisses d’un jeune adulte qui cherche sa place dans le monde de l’art. Un manga plutôt moyen, à lire si le monde de l’art vous intéresse.

Lire mon commentaire sur http://clodjee-blog.com/2024/06/09/bl...

[Lori CucVig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avevo trovato il suo lavoro molto innovativo, ma dopo aver letto la raccolta di racconti brevi quella sensazione di disagio che provavo si è amplificata. Le sue storie toccano punti sensibili e a volte arrivano un po' al limite. Qui la storia non prosegue per il nostro protagonista ma ci viene raccontata una vicenda di un personaggio "secondario". Apprezzo comunque che si ritorni sempre ad una realtà che non deve per forza rispettare "la fiaba". Particolare come al solito.

[Yunebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

No importa si me tiro uno o dos años sin leer "Blue Period". Cada vez que leo un tomo se sigue posicionando como mi manga favorito.

En este tomo se habla del valor de una obra, de los artistas y su valor una vez muertos. También se trata más directamente la influencia que tiene la posición social y económica en el arte.

Siempre se abren melones sumamente interesantes que me emocionan y frustranm En este tomo también se habla del pasado de varios secundarios. Lo he disfrutado muchísimo.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5✨

Slightly confused towards the end there regarding Sanada’s death scene however the rest of this was pretty good in my opinion. Engaging and well executed. I really enjoyed the themes of the later books being darker as well as Yakumo’s backstory/flashback; it was a much needed change in pace. Yakumo is a funny and relatable character with very valid reasons to crash out.

[Carta Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le manga est monté en puissance. Même les petits arc se laissent dévorés. Toujours cette recherche d'une histoire mené par l'art, telle une autoréflexion de l'autrice sur elle-même. Nous passons de moments légers à ceux puissant avec une facilité déconcertante. Un manga atypique qui m'a percuté en pleine face.

[pilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo que tanto esperaba al fin ocurrió: Profundizar en los demás personajes. Me gustó mucho la perspectiva que se muestra a través de Yakumo; una donde es todo más complicado, no solo es cargar con las dificultades que el arte conlleva sino también todo el difícil camino para poder dedicarse a ello.