ブルーピリオド 1 [Blue Period 1]

ブルーピリオド [Blue Period] #1

by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, 山口つばさ

成績優秀かつスクールカースト上位の充実した毎日を送りつつ、どこか空虚な焦燥感を感じて生きる高校生・矢口八虎(やぐち やとら)は、ある日、一枚の絵に心奪われる。その衝撃は八虎を駆り立て、美しくも厳しい美術の世界へ身を投じていく。美術のノウハウうんちく満載、美大を目指して青春を燃やすスポ根受験物語、八虎と仲間たちは「好きなこと」を支えに未来を目指す!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Young Adult, Art, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2017

About the author

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

Reviews

[ash ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

crazy how they’re all gay

[Kelsey (munnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen I am an art teacher so I may have a bias when reviewing a manga centered around art, but this was pretty good and brought back fun memories of how wildly stress-inducing having your art critiqued and picked apart by your professors is. Good times.

[-ˏˋclaraˊˎ- · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Art is interesting because you can't understand everything just from reading a book. Our senses lead the way, and logic will follow."

I'm giving this 5 stars but I want to give it 10. Or 10.000. This is, no doubt, my new favourite manga.

I wouldn't consider myself an "artist", but I love drawing. It's my biggest hobby apart from books. I requested this precisely because I knew it was art related, but I didn't expect this jewel. The rush of inspiration I felt as I read this is too complex to put into words. It made me happy and excited and eager to grab my own supplies and sketchbook and just enjoy the process of creating.

The feelings that the main character experienced in the story were ones I know all too well, so I found myself incredibly engrossed in his growth, his thoughts, his self-discovery. I simply loved every single part of it. I particularly ADORED the art tips and commentary on studying and pursuing art as a career. The theme of art in general was enough to make me obsessed, but then the characters and the beautiful messages were also flawless and endearing and I just fell in love. I want to buy myself all the volumes now and I cannot recommend this enough.

And in case you were wondering, the art style is GORGEOUS. There's no reason not to pick up this manga.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a basic art curriculum wrapped into a standard coming of age manga story. Lots of information about how artists learn to paint and draw and I liked how the artist changed up their style (and got other artists to contribute drawings) to make it possible to see the differences between the different levels of the artists as they were progressing. And I loved the focus on passion and how the creative process makes you feel. Unlink other mangas, this one also got a lot of its character color from unexplained Japanese cultural signifiers (the main character is easily identified as a "delinquent" because he has bleached hair and cartilage piercings? Why?). Overall, sneakily educational fun.

**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a different protagonist for YA manga: a boy who works hard and plays hard, both sort of... strategically. Goal-oriented but not conformist. He drinks and stays out all night but doesn't get into trouble, and gets good grades but doesn't know what he wants to do other than be successful as per his parents' instructions.

Then he discovers art and feels passion for a subject for the first time.


Also, introductory art tips included!

[nastia · Rating 5 out of 5]

❝ Writing off the thing you love like it's just a hobby? Sounds like something only grown-ups would do, don't you think? ❞

First of all, I loved this. Second of all, I LOVED THIS! This manga is truly fantastic, I cannot recommend it enough.

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

I'm not sure if someone with no relation to art can truly enjoy it, but then again I refuse to believe that art doesn't exist around each and every one of us. The story focuses on drawing/painting, but it can offer inspiration for any form of art.

❝ Here are a few tips to ensure smooth relationships: Tell people what they want to hear. Don't focus on yourself— Make sure they're having fun in the conversation. At least, that's the only way I know how to communicate. ❞

Personally I related to the protagonist a lot, because many of his thoughts were extremely similar to mine. I really liked the other characters as well and I can't wait to get to know them more!

❝ Art is interesting because you can't understand everything just from reading a book. Our senses lead the way, and logic will follow. ❞

Something I particularly loved was how the creator had several artists draw paintings for the manga and had also credited all of them!! It was so interesting to see in a better way the fact that every student sees things differently.

❝ But when I expressed myself to others through painting... It was like the first time I ever really talked with people. ❞

And with that I want to add some thoughts of mine after having read it all. As far as I am concerned, I love drawing and photography. They're different forms of art, and I only realized this now, but they both allow people to see the world as I see it. The way I imagine things, the way I think of things, art is a media with which people can know that. And it's kind of scary to realize that, but at the same time very exciting.

❝ If there's no guarantee that you can make a living through art... Why go to art school? ❞

All in all, I am now really motivated to draw again, to take more pictures, to write more often. I want to do art— I want to do art more and more and more because I love it.

❝ Frustrated? Then you've still got some fight left in you. ❞

If I didn't convince you to read Blue Period, I hope the quotes I cited helped. The art style is amazing as well, and so is the cover!! What are you waiting for? I promise it will make you think, it will inspire you. At least that's what happened with me.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A high school student realizes he has been hiding his true self as he strives to please others and fit in. He discovers he can more truly express himself through art and jumps into it wholeheartedly, determined to be the best.

While the first chapter is a quite emo, the middle chapters become strictly educational, giving dry lessons by way of a high school art instructor's lectures on college admissions and art techniques like color wheels, perspective, and practice through repetition. The final chapter breaks free of that rut to introduce an artistic rival and focus on the main character' drive to succeed in a realm where he is a definite underdog.

This is almost a three-star book, but I wonder if it will continue to be clumsily educational or become more story driven in future volumes. Also, it dragged quite a bit, taking almost twice as long to read as other manga of the same page count. Finally, there is a side character who may or may not be transgender who gets bullied a bit and has vagueness around identity, pronouns, and name. I'm not sure what they are going for there. It might just be the boy-who-dresses-as-a-girl trope that you see in a lot of manga.

I have the second volume on hand and am hoping it improves on this rocky start.

[rain]

okay....wow. im not really an artist but i have a deep love for art that i can't really explain. seeing a protagonist who's working his way from the ground up because he has developed a passion for art is so inspiring that i want to draw again tomorrow. i also love how this manga elaborates on certain art techniques. it's like taking a peek into an actual art class that my STEM self has never been to. LOOKING FORWARD TO READING MORE IM LOVING THIS ALREADY.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 allowed 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 he 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.

[Ariana ⁺˚⋆｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm a little based because I'm an artist myself, but I truly believe that this manga perfectly captures the experiences of what it's like being an artist. I was so happy to see a manga accurately portray some of the things that I and many others go through as artists; the experiences of trying out different art techniques (even though you may be great at some areas and not so great with others), the insecurities you have when comparing your art to others, the consistent twinge of worry when someone reminds you that you "can't make a living off art", but you don't care. It's something you do because you love doing it. It was also super cool to see all the art techniques being explained cuz it reminds me a lot of my high school art class, having to learn all the different terms and forms in art.
Definitely will be picking up later volumes in the future

[Elsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

۱۴۰۰/۱۲/۱۸

"Blue Period"

این مانگا درباره پسری به نام یاتورا یاگوچی هستش. یاتورا که از جمله زرنگ‌ترین دانش آموزهای پایه دوم دبیرستانش به شمار میاد و همه مطمئناً که قراره آینده درخشانی داشته باشه، یکی از روزایی که فرصت کمی هم برای مهلت انتخاب دانشگاه مونده، اتفاقی تصمیم میگیره که نقاشی بکشه و اون زمانه که میفهمه که این کار چقدر لذت بخشه و با تمام وجود دوستش داره.

این مانگا دومین مانگای انگلیسیم بود(همیشه ترجمه خونده بودم) و با کمال تعجب تقریبا همه چیزش رو متوجه شدم و فقط چند بار از دیکشنری استفاده کردم. [تشویق حضار]
برشی از زندگی، ژانر مورد علاقه من!
فضای داستانش خیلی خیلی لذت بخشه و می‌ارزه که خونده بشه. فعلا نمیتونم کامل قضاوت کنم چون این هنوز اولین ولیوم بود و با اینکه شاید یجورایی مقدمه به نظر برسه، قشنگ بود. هم شخصیتاش، هم فضای داستان و...

[Moon_child31 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Palmer Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who doesn’t practice or do art as a hobby I found this captivating. Being taught the techniques, materials, and mindsets required to begin multiple forms is a wonderful way to learn. I read a few posts on Reddit from art teachers who require the manga in their curriculum. Which is genius because it provides a fun way to learn, the manga itself is breathtaking, and has subtle queer representation.

I cannot wait to read more. May even give art a try.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Period takes you on a journey through art along with the protagonist Yaguchi Yatora, a delinquent and honor student, as he experienced an awakening in art.

This manga is beautifully illustrated, and not just the mangaka. There's a tremendous amount of art research thrown into this work. For starters, the still life pieces are based on actual art by real artists. It's not just random cut and paste from stock resources. The featured art themselves take an active role in the storytelling. The reader can actually tell that Yaguchi is improving with every piece he completes.

The art is topnotch and the story is intriguing. I may find myself going along with this story for a long ride.

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoro
4.5

[♔ Kalon ♔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting off with thanking Aria for this wonderful recommendation, The manga really hit its mark, I felt strangely connected and it instilled a new urge for me to draw and paint.

The graphics of the manga were amazing, going over few basic art techniques added a cherry on the top. The theme tells us that even hard work can triumph over talent if it doesn't work hard...true...I have seen it happen to myself. The growth of the protagonist is quite engaging. The book gives the reader a new perspective of art and pursuing it as a career.

Currently a final year college student in a very reputable institute with good grades, I can easily secure a reasonable job somewhere, but there is the same emptiness I feel like the protagonist. The manga rekindled a light hope that maybe I can work hard, leave whatever I have been doing, and try art once again.

Would recommend this manga to any artist who is facing a dilemma of whether to choose an easy-going life, low risks, build a career in some time tested profession with no satisfaction for yourself OR work hard, take risks, build a career in arts which helps you fill-up the emptiness within.

[Giulia (la.perfa_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primo volume di un manga dedicato interamente all'arte. Ho adorato il protagonista, un ragazzo molto popolare a scuola e bravissimo in tutte le materie, ma che non ha ancora trovato un vero e proprio interesse, Tutto cambia quando entra, quasi per caso, nell'aula del club di arte.
Ho apprezzato le spiegazioni di alcuni concetti artistici, c'è anche la presenza di veri e propri disegni. In un solo volume ho notato la crescita del protagonista e la sua passione per questa nuova disciplina.
Davvero dolce.

[sofia ᝰ.ᐟ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

”At that moment, for the first time in my life.. I felt like I had a real conversation with people”

This manga evoked so many emotions from me, I was on the verge of tears the entire manga even though nothing sad was happening, I could so heavily relate to the protagonist. Yatora my beloved I love you so much you’re my son 💔

I am not at ALL versed in the arts but this manga made me want to pick up a paintbrush and just go wild so badly, which im partly confident I could do from the amount of art knowledge I gained from this singular volume— speaking of art, Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s art is so beautiful, everything about this story is just pure brilliance.

Am I partly biased because I was expecting to like it from the start.. perhaps. But trust me when I say this is a great story!! Also I’m pretty sure one of the main characters is trans? yeah.. please read blue period

[Sherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an art student, this gave me flashbacks to freshman year of college and I how I felt so I related to the character a lot and if there are people out there who don’t know much about art, they teach a bit of art too in this volume which I thought it was really cool! Makes me wanna get back to drawing again 🤗

[二六 侯 · Rating 4 out of 5]

比羽海野千花那個什麼幸運草好多了，描述美術科系比較寫實一點。

不太精細地補充：在臺灣，大多數有美術系科系的學校（師範院校：師大x3／教育大學x9、藝術大學x3）都是公立的，除了文化、東海等少數私校有美術系之外，其餘私校相關科系偏向實用的設計類居多。總之，在臺灣可能和日本不同，唸美術相對於其他科系來說，並沒有比較花錢。（材料費不花太兇的話，其實跟其他科系的書籍費差不多。愛用老荷蘭的顏料加上純麻畫布那種人例外。）
綜合大學偏向分組不分系，藝術大學也只有臺藝大將不同藝術門類分系，但還是沒有像日本分得那麼細。

十幾二十年前，除了美術班學生外，大多數應考美術科系的學生會額外去坊間畫室學習（和漫畫中的補習班類似）。有少部分美術系學生是高中才進入畫室學習，但多數還是從小學或國中開始學畫。

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yatora has a safe, easy life. Despite his delinquent ways, he works hard and does well in school and doesn’t make waves. He has no set plans beyond ‘succeed’ and getting the grades to implement this plan. Then art happens.

This is at least the third ‘how the art sausage is art made’ manga I’ve read in recent years that I can recall. This one fits squarely between the lightweight romance of A Kiss, For Real and the “bleed for an unforgiving job you love that will likely destroy you” message of Animeta.

What this volume does really well is sell Yatora’s dive into the art world - there are some lovely shots of him tumbling through a painting or idea and I appreciate that the author includes art by actual artists to stand in for the students so it has a layer of verisimilitude when establishing its characters’ talents.

You can see Yatora’s passion slowly igniting in him throughout the story and that’s a real credit to the writing. I also really appreciate how Yatora has good colour sense and an unpolished eye for drawing, but he doesn’t have any crazy superhuman ability or any nonsense like that. What he achieves here is reflective of the time he puts in.

There’s a ton in the background I’m curious about too - Yatora’s home life is interesting and it’s clear he’s choosing a very difficult path to take right now, so that discussion could be something when it happens (although his dad is... not what I was expecting...).

And how does Yuka fit into this story? I don’t get what their deal is yet - Yuka is a guy named Ryuji who spends the entire volume dressed as a girl, but makes no secret about their gender. Clearly he and Yatora have history, but what that is I could not tell you.

Combined with Yatora’s respect for his art senpai, who is a different type of female character than I’d have expected - her speech about talent is an excellent treatise on not denigrating the benefit of hard work - and there’s certainly no traditional romance visible in this book.

I don’t even think that’s the point, honestly, since there isn’t the slightest hint of any, but IF they introduce it this could either be one hell of a non-traditional male/female pairing or one cracking good secret BL book.

There’s so much to parse here. I haven’t mentioned the art teacher, who is like the dream ideal of an encouraging educator, and Yotaro’s thug friends who are surprisingly deep for what first appear to be caricatures. These feel like unique characters, one and all, a far cry from a lot of the stereotypes that manga can lean on.

What I don’t like in this book is how parts of it feel very much like a how-to art lecture. No matter how you dress it up, there are reams of text coming at you about perspective, painting, and various pencils. It’s mostly interesting, but it could really stand to be spread out a smidge more.

4 stars, no question, possibly 4.5 even. If there’s one thing I would point out about this book it’s that it has a very likely destination for our hero but as for the journey there I couldn’t tell you and while the result is probable this book does not make it feel like fait acccompli.

Rarely do I get a manga where I’m not completely sure of where it’s going but am very excited to see how it will get there and what will happen on the way. If it can tamp down its art class lectures or integrate them more smoothly into the narrative this will probably hit five stars at the rate it’s going.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful drawn manga mixed with a okay story.

Our main character works real hard to achieve what he has. It is refreshing not to see a Genius main character again. But when he begins to express himself with art it opens up a new outlook in life. And while it is interesting to see, the heavy focus on telling us how art works instead of letting it naturally be shown doesn't work for me.

But saying that the art itself is great. Some really stunning shots. I also liked we had a character or is trans (Or so I believe) without making a huge deal of it, just natural storytelling. The dialogue too seems more natural than usual and more modern, using words like "True" and "Facts" Worked well to bring up the high school feel.

But the explanation of art is so heavy is exposition it feels TOO heavy to care about those moments instead of doing it, say like, Dr. Stone.

Still I might grab book 2 if I see it at my library. A 3 out of 5.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Curious Madra · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I heard that this is becoming an anime adaptation soon and I really thought it had promise at first because we get to see a delinquent student exploring himself with art. However reading it was a struggle at the same time as the pages were really long, it doesn’t focus on the others apart from the MC and I feel they just add the Yuka character for the sake of the usual old fashioned trope (boy wears dresses) rather than deep dive on their struggles being different. As well, I know I’m not into art but they could have at least explain the facts about art bit by bit for people who aren’t “art savvy “. I really wish I could continue with this manga but I feel it badly needs TLC in terms of slow pacing, not really showing the actual message it’s sending across in regards with art and develop better character among the main characters…

[Michael J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A manga about high school soul-searching dramatics that aims to educate while it entertains? I wasn’t expecting that and found the story to be both fresh and interesting, although maybe not satisfying enough for me to continue.
This series is ongoing, with Volume 13 released in May 2023.
Main character Yatora is a model high school student who does well in class, studies hard, has lots of friends (drinking must be legal in Japan at high school age!) but isn’t quite satisfied and questions his choices and directions in life. HIs bleached hair and “cartilage piercings” garner him plenty of attention. One day, he walks into an art class, and finds a new world of exploration in painting.
The story here is just as much about art as it is about coming-of-age and preparing for further education beyond high school. At times, it feels like a tutorial on various aspects of art (from still life in pencils and charcoal to oil paintings) as well as a recruitment pamphlet for art schools in Tokyo.
Yatora finds new friends, new competitors, and new challenges as the story proceeds. The art is interesting and much easier to follow visually compared to some other manga that I’ve read. There’s also an interesting subplot involving a transgender character who is often mistaken for female based on appearance.
While I appreciate the effort Yamaguchi is making here to give a basics class manga-style while telling the story of Yatora I started to become bored about mid-way through. At least the pace picked up in the final chapter.

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga follows a high school boy who's good at school, has a pack of friends, but no specific ambitions in life. A few comments by a charismatic art teacher challenge him to try and honestly express himself through art. A competitive streak pushes him to join the art club and begin actually applying himself. Along the way, the teacher and his fellow art club members explain many concrete basics of drawing from life, and how to apply to art colleges in Japan. These aspects of the story reminded me of the real-life manga creation information included in Bakuman. I like the idea of a manga series focused on fine art and the challenges and rewards of pursuing it. I did struggle with the fact that the drawing in this book is only okay. Some of the figure drawing of characters is downright bad, with bizarre pose choices. There are also some kind of confusing interactions between the characters early on- one member of the art club is either a cross-dresser or trans femme, and the way this character and the main character talked it felt like they were supposed to be childhood friends? I kept expecting a flashback to their earlier relationship that never came. So, we'll see if I end up reading more. Great concept, mid-level execution.

[nekko · Rating 5 out of 5]

manga, kurią rekomenduočiau bet kam.
jinai neturi jokių klišių, kurios automatiškai atbaido visokius low iq žmones, niekada neskaičiusius gerų mangų (klišės yra inevitable, bet šita manga jų nedaug teturi, tai dvigubas pliusas tau hehe).

ši manga yra apie moksleivį, kuris pasirenka menininko kelią savo priešpaskutiniuose vidurinės metuose. jo tikslas įstoti į vieną is prestižiškiausių viešų meno univerų japonijoje.

man labai patinka blue period kaip žmogui, kuris pats piešia. aš žiauriai lygiuojuosi su pagrindiniu veikėju yatora yaguchi, nes pati galvoju, ką daryti su savo ateitim (ar piešti ar studijuoti kokią chemiją), susiduriu su panašiomis problemomis ir jaučiu tai, ką jis pats jaučia. also, ši manga taip priverčia pačiam eiti piešti lol guilt trip’ina

be to, šioje serijoje yra daug gerų minčių. internete jau esu viską perskaičiusi, bet kai sugraibysiu fizines kopijas, čia tikriausiai irgi jas parašysiu.

man dar žiauriai patinka visas character design ir pačios iliustracijos. ir tas faktas, kad visi piešiniai mangoje buvo piešti tikrų menininkų.

nenoriu (nemoku) daug pliurpti, tai baigiu. 5 solidžios žvaigždutės

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning start to the series! I loved the twist on the classic shonen formula by making it about ART! And the art itself is indeed FABULOUS. Like turn the page and your jaw DROPS level gorgeous. And I am very invested. Time to binge!

[agajae · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm officially obsessed