Blue Giant Omnibus Vols. 9-10

Blue Giant Omnibus #5

by Shinichi Ishizuka

KIND OF BLUE

Dai, Tamada, and Yukinori have taken their jazz trio to the next level as the opening act for a famous, established group. In front of their biggest audience yet, they face down a tepid crowd and condescending band by unleashing everything they’ve got. But even that victory isn’t enough for Yukinori. He’s always had his sights on the big time: So Blue, Tokyo’s hottest jazz club. His first attempt to get the band on that stage ended in humiliation, but fate has an unexpected opportunity in store, not to mention unexpected challenges…

Genres: Manga, Music, Seinen, Comics

404 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2022

About the author

Shin'ichi Ishizuka (Jap: 石塚真一, Ishizuka Shin'ichi) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Brandt Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just brutal. All that set up. All those moments. The growth. And then the author decides to pull the rug out from under you and rip your guts out. Love this series. So much that reading it online for free wasn't cutting it anymore and I just had to have it on my bookshelf.

[Andy Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. What an amazing series. I had no idea where it was going to go with this last volume, but it blew me away. Completely unexpected twists and turns, and surprisingly brutal. The stark realism that the entire series has really gives it this edge that elevates it. Had some idea where it could end up, but the road there surprised me, and the destination was a bit different than I expected. I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t end up staying one of my favorite manga series for a while. Cannot recommend it enough.

[Nicholas Palmieri]

My god, what a story. One of my favorite manga now. I'm so glad I tried the second volume after hating the first so much. I don't think I've ever done such a complete 180 on a series like this.

[Raquel Casals Bolsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estic molt contenta que canviessin el final del Sawabe a la pel·lícula. Que no fos capaç de tocar al So Blue amb els Jass al manga és un error i un drama innecessari! Per sort, a la pel·lícula el final és menys amarg i apareix per tocar una cançó amb la mà esquerra... No m'esperava que fossin diferents, quin mal!

[Aaron Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real review 10/10

This is the first manga I’ve read full through and it was an amazing experience. I stand by everything I’ve said in previous updates and reviews that this series really does capture something beautiful in the way people discover and realize their passion for music.

I think I’ll always look back on this series at all stages of my career and after. It really did have an affect on me so major that I started piano lessons because of it and now I’m determined to play gigs in Chicago lol. I will play gigs in Chicago, and I owe that to Blue Giant.

Thank you.

[Jisu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the movie before reading the manga and I think I like how the final jazz performance of the movie played out vs the manga but both are very good and very moving! I think overall the manga is def worth the read!

[Bee (BacchusVines) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I crying? Hell yes. I did not expect Jass to end that way, but...it feels right for Dai's character. I really hope the sequel series gets published next.

[Jorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. I can’t believe it’s done. I need a minute or two. Wow.

[Daniel Macal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this series. As a musician it definitely hit home in many ways. Did not expect it to end the way it did. This will be one I reread for years to come. Can’t recommend it enough.

[Talha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been saying it since the start, and I'm still saying it now—louder than ever: this is a phenomenal series! I had an absolute blast reading it, and while it’s relatively short (80 chapters total), it never pulls its punches. This final volume takes everything great from the previous ones and raises it to a whole new level.

The character arcs were all absolutely top-tier (Sawabe's especially caught me off guard), the climactic performance was breathtaking, and the resolution of the individual storylines was deeply satisfying. Just a fantastic manga all around.

To conclude this review, I’d like to highlight my favourite aspect of the series: Ishizuka’s decision to dedicate pages entirely without text. As a reader, I obviously couldn’t hear the music, but Ishizuka masterfully conveyed the emotions, thrill, and tension of performances, as well as the stress of the characters’ lives, purely through visuals. It’s something I don’t think I’ve ever seen executed this well in any other manga.

All in all, this series deserves every bit of praise, and I can’t recommend it enough!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final thoughts: I’m not really sure what more I can say, this was a phenomenal manga. The art was beautiful, emotive and drawn in a way that made you feel like there was music playing even if there wasn’t. The characters all felt like actual human beings and I thought that they progressed naturally along with the plot. If you’re a fan of manga you should read this, if you’re a fan of jazz you definitely should read this. Also there’s a movie based on the series, watch that it’s pretty good from what I remember

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow hits so hard easiest 5 stars I can’t wait for supreme to get translated

Listened to pat metheny some Wes and half of jaco self titled

Portraits of Tracy came on as soon as I flipped onto the last photo of yukinori

[Loz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series! Made me want to start over from the beginning right away!

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to include this in my “Top Manga” list. The last two volumes are incredible and now I have to wait for omnibus editions of “Blue Giant Supreme.”

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTF WTFFFFFF I NEED MORE, THIS ENDING!!!! SEVEN SEAS SAVE ME!!!

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I Got on stage at So Blue I thought “this might be the last time” That’s what I was thinking as I played. Dai,
I bet you were thinking this would be the first time of many …

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journey that starts alone ends alone 🎷

[Grg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this slower and slower because I knew it was the last volume and I didn't want it to end.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck

[Irwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bittersweet ending. I like it. So different than the anime :)

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This last collection was a nice cherry on top of the series. The build-up to the final performance of this series was well-paced, and the character development arcs of Dai and Yukinori were particularly strong. I was so involved with the Trio's dreams and troubles that the splash of melodrama thrown in during the second act didn't make me roll my eyes; I may have shed a tear.

I think an easy criticism of this story (especially from musicians) is that Dai has a worldview too naive and childish about the competitive music world. Although I agree, I find myself gravitating towards fictional stories with idealistic and wholesome themes. Dai's optimism and fervor for the "emotional truth" of music being the most important thing about its creation was the primary reason I enjoyed the series so much.

Blue Giant was my introduction into the "slice-of-life" manga genre, and despite a slow start, it hooked me. I hope the the spinoff series get translated into english sometime. Check it out if you want a feel good and inspiring series (and don't forget to play some Sonny Rollins or Hiromi in the background when you read).

[gerb · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating the entire series, has some pace issues, but this last set of volumes is really quite excellent