藍色時期 3

ブルーピリオド [Blue Period] #3

by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, 山口飛翔, Niva (Translator)

迷上繪畫的樂趣，並立志考進美術大學的高中生．矢口八虎。考期將至，卻遇上新的瓶頸！目標是考上美術大學，燃燒青春並充滿熱血與毅力的藝術題材應考故事！

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

196 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2018

About the author

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

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i like you, yotasuke-kun, but i also hate you so much that it makes me sick” no bc what is gayer then this????

[literarylesbian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m flying through these so fast I’m forgetting to log them

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this series balances Yatora's growth as an artist with the truism that in any creative school (art, writing, etc.) there will always be someone whose work makes you feel like dirt.

[Igel :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is this series so good? It's so relatable , I feel like someone stalked me

[二六 侯 · Rating 4 out of 5]

翻譯一直很尷尬，竇加的舞蹈教室就直接假名擺在那裡，而專有名詞「炭筆素描」譯成木炭素描（炭筆成分是木炭，但可是特製的啊。去買一袋木炭或自燒木炭來畫畫看不是不行，但畫起來應該很累）。「畫材」就直接拿日文漢字來用，但臺灣多半是說「畫具」或「媒材」。

本集提到日本美大搞怪的入學試題。臺灣的美術科系獨招不多，就算獨招也沒啥怪招好出，真的要碰到什麼怪題可能要等考研究所了。臺灣考生也很少用吐司擦碳粉，一般是用軟橡皮、手、紙筆或衛生紙。話說現在術科考試改良很多，當年我們考試的時候可選擇的媒材不多，碳筆素描與水彩偏偏都是本人弱項（倒）。

[🌜Elliot🌛 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue period takes all the thoughts I’ve had about art and making things and puts them into a form that is really relatable and comforting to me as an artist. Also I love all the characters!!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gayest fucking volume fino ad adesso (e siamo solo al 3 amic3)

[Anna Boklys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Нагадаю, що це історія про старшокласника Ятору Ямаґучі, який лише за рік до вступу вирішує, що буде вступати у Токійський університет мистецтв, навіть ніколи до того не малювавши. І вся історія побудована на тому, що Ятора вчиться, перемагає самого себе та безперестанку покращує свої вміння, щоб досягнути своєї мети.

Це манґа перш за все про те, що досягнення мети - це важка та планомірна робота. Ця історія також надихає творити та пробувати щось нове.

Перший том мені сподобався дуже сильно, а от 2 був посереднім. А 3-й том десь по середині. Мені подобається спостерігати за сюжетом та розвитком персонажів. А понад усе мені подобається як це намальовано. І тут не тільки чудовий власний авторський стиль манґаки, а й чудові алюзії до відомих витворів мистецтва.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yatora is doing okay, but he’s not doing as well as he wants to be. He certainly has technical skills, but translating that into actual art eludes him. Yatora’s got a secret weapon in the form of his hardheadedness, but is that enough to realize an artist’s dreams?

You can have the passion, but if you don’t have the spark, is their anything that you can do with art? That’s basically where Yatora’s falling down throughout this volume as he realizes that he’s doing great work when it comes to drawing something, but making an actual creative work drawn from his thoughts is really rather difficult.

Which is fine, Rome wasn’t sketched in a day, except he’s got a very real deadline looming for his art school application and if he doesn’t find his voice sooner rather than later he’ll be stuck screaming into the void for a bit longer than he might like.

Still, you can’t keep Yatora down and he may not pull this off but you can’t say he doesn’t try his damnedest. It’s easy to root for him the whole way - he’s definitely having a hard time seeing the forest for the trees, but he has no qualms putting himself through the wringer to get what he wants (the expression on his teacher’s face after winter break is wonderful).

Which is why the blows to his progress land as hard as they do - you can’t help but feel bad when he falls into an obvious trap (or two or three) later on with his own way of thinking and seeing him struggle with actually letting his emotions out onto a canvas is really compelling stuff.

And there’s lots of great work with the rest of the cast. Yatora’s frenemy made a shocking choice last volume and to see the two of them keeping in touch and coming closer in a realistic, if prickly, fashion was really nice. The book’s quite good at keeping everything moving and smoothly told.

I think this book’s biggest downfall is that it is part of the journey and not a lot of destination. We do see Yatora’s amazing large-scale piece, which is very well done (shout-out to the way this series showcases actual artists as stand-in for the characters’ creations), but this volume is certainly about the grind of creation rather than those ‘wow’ moments (except for one glorious opening chapter spread that I loved, but it’s totally unconnected to the story).

Also there isn’t enough Ryuji. A side character who threatens to run away with the book is nothing new, but I really wish we explored more of Ryuji’s circumstances (the glimpse of their home life says a lot). Again, if this turned into a romance between our lead and Ryuji, which I doubt will happen, I wouldn’t complain much.

I was going to give this 3 stars, just because it doesn’t have the flash of the previous volumes, but thinking about it, this story is actually really solid. It always has been, and it shouldn’t (and on reflection, doesn’t) need big splashy sequences each time. It’s an interesting contrast with Animeta, which is also about art, but a whole other ballgame compared to this.

[Kendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my first review for Blue Period, I appreciated Yamaguchi’s nuance between talent and hard work. Yatora, the main character, is clearly a hard worker. For many who start late(r) in life as an artist, imposter syndrome is hard to shake. The feeling of inadequacy is magnified when one pursues art to be recognised. Yamaguchi highlights the high bar that institutions set for applicants – to develop a recognisable eye and outlook, as well as demonstrate a strong grasp of artistic techniques. The latter is easily trained. The former is all too easy to recognise in others but hard to nurture in oneself. This is especially true for Yatora, who started as a greenhorn and is desperately trying to improve.

In this volume, Yatora is presented with the question of why a painting is created the way it is. And that’s a question that can be asked easily in every creative medium. Why does a writer choose to write in a particular genre? Why does a poet choose to write in free or formal verse? It is a question that occupies him through the whole volume, and it was interesting to see how Yamaguchi uses her art to direct our attention towards this larger question. In this volume, plot-heavy exposition is presented with expressive but simplified character models. Recollections that serve as reminders are likewise drawn with a more cartoonish style. But when the chapter needs to slow down, the panels are lovingly detailed. These small refinements reflect Yamaguchi’s growing confidence in exploring her themes across longer narrative arcs.

A standout moment in this volume employs a nighttime setting, reminiscent of the late football and drinking sessions that Yatora used to join in volume 1. Taking place over the New Year, Yatora is invited out by Yotasuke, a fellow painter Yatora admires greatly, to pray for good luck for their upcoming university exams. Yotasuke and Yatora have been presented as foils for each other – the former a talented painter who has difficulty relating to others, and the latter a hard worker who is too aware of those around him. Their conversations are often tense and prickly, but also grudgingly envious about what they see as the other party’s best qualities. Yamaguchi draws Yatora and Yotazuke surrounded by crowds of festival-goers in the dark, bodies limned by light. It is a chapter where little is said, but also a lot is revealed.

At this point, I am invested in the characters of Blue Period. While I’m not sure if I will review future volumes in great detail, Yamaguchi has impressed me with her characterization and illustrations. I look forward to seeing volume 4 release in English soon.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love seeing Yatora getting more into his art, and learning new skills, as well as coming to realizations about techniques and rules only taking him so far. I also love how supportive his family and friends are, and the developing friendship between him and Yotasuke is a well done frienimie based on respect for the others talent. Haruka and Yuka also have great relationships with him, and I enjoyed the few glimpses we got of how close he and Yuka are.
Unlike the first two volumes, the lessons on art did not seem so forced in this one, and I enjoy seeing the art that assistants have produced for the pieces the students make.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

An art student continues to take one step forward and two steps back as he trains to get into a prestigious college art program. The heavy-handed educational aspects are toned down quite a bit, revealing that there really isn't much to the story or the characters. It's not bad, and I keep thinking I could like it with maybe the next chapter, but it keeps hovering just a fraction of an inch under the level of interesting.

[Nea Poulain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo tenía empezado desde hace tiempo, pero hoy por fin me senté a terminar el pedazo qué me quedaba. Me resulta muy interesante y me gusta. Ya les contaré como sigue.

[n22talka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jak na razie najlepsza. Podejrzewam jedna typiare że coś odwali i nie lubię Yoty...

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

This manga feels very mature in the way it handles going after your dreams and I love that. It’s very inspiring!

[Sherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve noticed I have liked more volumes more than others but still each volume is a 5 star for it’s own reason and they individually stand out. I would totally annotate this series if it was possible

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist continues in his own personal art journey as he opens several doors to awaken his talent.

This series continues to be ridiculously good, in both story and art.

[Sean Cavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only three volumes in and this is already shaping up to be one of my favorite manga series.

[oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

this manga always yells at me "be consistent with your art 😡" and "practice !!!!!" and i Listen

[Lai Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bộ này hay cực ý. Hội thoại và nội tâm đều truyền tải thông điệp nhất định hay khơi gợi cảm xúc. Ai đam mê hội thoại vẽ vời nghía thử nha

[nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

YATOYOTA CANON

[Palmer Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best panels of the whole series so far. I love the detailed darkness and scenes paralleling the first volume. The beginnings of the depressed yet obsessed artist. All of these characters are so lonely and driven. Captivating social dynamics with so many envious queer undertones. Really beautiful. Some great humor as well.

[Littlerhymes]

Yatora continues to study for the upcoming exams for art school and finds his limitations, then tries to overcome them. Such relatable ways of talking about art and creativity. There's a scene where he's going through a lot of doubt and he thinks to himself: "doing something you like... doesn't always mean it will be fun". YEAH I felt that.

[Kacper ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banger

[Martie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Più si prosegue nella storia, più non si può fare a meno di amare l'evoluzione dei personaggi! Mi auguro che questa serie continui così fino alla fine

[sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i devoured this. its my favourite in the series at the moment!

[Alfit0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

El progreso, la inevitable comparación es parte del crecimiento dentro de cualquier actividad, Blue period intenta por el énfasis en que no se trata tanto del talento o del estudio, eso ayuda pero hay que creer, hay que tener pasión y eso a Yatora le cuesta muchas veces al estar ovnibulado por sus inseguridades

[Amna ༊࿐ ͎. ｡˚ ° ⊹ ˚. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just because I'm doing what I love, doesn't mean it's always going to be fun." it's a sad fact but true

[tef ✧]

fjekmfeormgwijad yotasuke sos re lindo i love u

[peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is starting to depress me