Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
FIRST TRY

Tokyo University of the Arts is now Yatora's campus, where each new encounter with colleagues, professors, and assignments challenges everything he's ever known! Self-doubt and life's hardships still lurk around every corner, but running into an old friend may just turn things around.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2020

58 people are currently reading
1024 people want to read

About the author

Tsubasa Yamaguchi

32 books420 followers
Tsubasa Yamaguchi (山口つばさ, Yamaguchi Tsubasa) is a Japanese mangaka.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,684 (58%)
4 stars
956 (33%)
3 stars
226 (7%)
2 stars
18 (<1%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
Profile Image for D E N Z.
365 reviews16 followers
February 28, 2021
I wanna write a great comprehensive review about this volume because honestly the dialogue here really hurts. It genuinely hurts because it's soooo real. I don't draw or do anything art related but Yatora's passion and how hard he's working and trying just really hits hard. I love this volume I really do. As what I've said before, this series continues to really hit me hard. Thank you Yamaguchi-sensei
Profile Image for Drew.
60 reviews
May 21, 2020
Too realistic for comfort... Come on, Yaguchi, we can fail school together!
Profile Image for parto.
57 reviews3 followers
May 2, 2024
This shit was so real.
نمیدونم ایده خوبی بود که از حیطه کاری خودم چیزی انقدر نزدیک به واقعیت و سختی های موجودش بخونم اما واقعا طوری با یاتورا احساس نزدیکی میکنم که این جلد تمومش برام قابل لمس و درک بود و با هربار شکستن یاتورا من هم باهاش شکستم.
Profile Image for 二六 侯.
607 reviews33 followers
October 24, 2021
高二才學畫,只會應考模式的主角進入美術系後的震撼及迷惘。作為沒有遠大志向的過來人真想拍拍他,雖然不才大學是唸美術系,但跟他不同國,也不是藝大,而且當年沒有分科分組,所以畫風不太一樣(另外臺灣術科考的應考繪畫本來就不能算是像樣的作品)。

p.49 談到藝大的畢業學分數很少,想到當年我們美術系的術科學分都是折半的(每週1小時的課程1學期只值0.5學分),所以課表排滿滿也沒幾個學分,有時候覺得自己做得完作品便翹課。某次我跟室友乖乖去上課,教室根本沒人!我們就被老師當作品搬運工、陪老師聊天(菸)。

p.52 八虎媽媽去看的展覽是野獸派畫家杜菲的展,可惜日漫內頁是黑白,野獸派的特色要彩色才能突顯。

p.131 作者在左下角畫的「裝置藝術」代表作「小便斗」是杜象1917年的現成物作品「噴泉」,所以對話框中的說明「(裝置藝術)是從1970年代起逐漸增加的手法」並不準確,應該是1910年代才對!大姊,差了整整一甲子到底是您的錯還是翻譯的錯……八虎確實沒弄懂裝置藝術(Installation art)是啥,他去買PVC板來畫,然後疊在紅紙上,這種方式叫做複合媒材(Mixed Media),而不是裝置藝術。裝置藝術是指拿現成的東西擺上去,貼個塑膠花跟報紙弄一弄一起貼在展板上就可以說是裝置藝術,擺人體模型也算。

記得大一最大的震撼就是藝術概論期中考,考題出一堆當代藝術理論,因為平時對當代藝術的認識只是私下看展,西美史又才教到中世紀,竟然沒有一題會寫的……作品方面大一時仍偏重技巧(素描課也有畫過自畫像,但真的就純對開素描),很少直接教創作,真的有主角這樣的感受,大概是大二、大三準備進入分組的階段了,那時研究該修什麼課程、選什麼組,以及未來的出路,真的一個頭兩個大。某些老師也開始找外審來看作品,演演殘酷舞臺,打擊就更不一般。現在好像很多美術系入學時就分組招生,應該就不會像我那樣迷途,而有主角這樣的專業訓練吧(而且當年術科的老師常常教得很隨興,基本功之外的招數很多都要同學自學或互相研究;學科的話,每個老師授課認真程度也差異很大)。

漫畫中的藝大,美術專業和音樂專業學生在同一校區,我母校也是如此。美術系常常跟音樂系一起上共同必修,但兩邊風格差很多,音樂系都是有反應的好學生,美術系就睡倒一片(雖然印象中美術系入學時採計學科比重較音樂系來得高),好聽點說美術人比較隨興自由,難聽地說就是美術人比較不守規則,不知道這和漫畫中呈現的美術系印象是否類似?(我也得承認自己就是從小在課堂上睡到大,難怪會進美術系,一直到轉行唸菸酒所才改掉壞習慣。)作者山口飛翔本人似乎是高中美術班一路唸到藝大的,在這種圈子混的時間就更長吧。
Profile Image for po's dad.
258 reviews
September 2, 2021
yes................ YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. i am enjoying the raised stakes. felt like she captured the 1st year experience very well
Profile Image for Blake the Book Eater.
1,272 reviews409 followers
September 26, 2024
I genuinely love this series. It’s a testament to how art that you make is hard fucking work and how overwhelmingly that can be. It’s a little too real at times, but in the best way. I wish there were more series like this!!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,308 reviews69 followers
August 28, 2022
Yatora's sense of being unworthy of his status at TUA is the highlight of this volume, because it's absolutely spot-on in terms of any creative field. That's true of the mix of deliberately eclectic people making up his cohort; I definitely encountered all of them in my MFA program, including the guy who's already had a major show (been published in my case) and makes you wonder why he's even there.

What drags this volume down for me, surprising no one I suspect, is Hanakage, the horrible doctorate student. She goes beyond "trashy" (as Yatora calls her) and hops right into "predatory;" I don't care how quirky your BFA program is, that woman would be out on her ass within seconds of taking underage students out drinking and groping another student. Also not fond of the prof with the snaky eyes, who certainly is a type of art professor that exists - the worst kind.

3.5. This is very well done, but I hate those two characters with the fire of a thousand suns.
Profile Image for Mark.
2,794 reviews268 followers
June 6, 2022
Now that he’s at TUA, Yaguchi’s got it made. He’s reached the school of his dreams and the thing he’s been striving for all this time. Like a dog chasing its tail, however, now that he’s caught it, Yaguchi is at a loss and, because he’s a human being with existential dread, this is a problem that’s going to take more than a bag of Kibbles ‘n Bits to fix.

You train hard. You practice. You hone your skills and your ability to the utmost. You scale to the top of Mount Everest, the pinnacle of the climbing world. At that precise moment of triumph, the clouds part and there is another, higher mountain right next to it and none of your equipment will avail you any more. That is the hell that is Yaguchi’s university experience.

For many, many people who think they’ve achieved a lot in life, arriving at university can be a harsh slap of reality that lets them know that other people have achieved things too and, in some cases, better things. Your accomplishments no longer exist in the small pond they once did and comparing them to others is the path of madness.

And the freedom that university offers, especially an art one like TUA, is a lot to reckon with, doubly so when the goal that drove all of the previous art that Yaguchi did is no longer in front of him, and his profs are telling the class that what they did to get here means essentially nothing.

There’s a very interesting celebration of failure in this volume, as the book makes a strong case that those who fail the entrance exams wind up better prepared for the shift to university courses and the argument is well presented. Many of us will fail at countless things in our lives and learning from that is just as important as the successes. Our hero has struggled, sure, but in the end he got what he wanted and where that leaves him is the crux of this.

Yaguchi’s problem in the moment is that he can’t actually recognize that his current failures are also part of this, entrance exam or not, and he winds up with one of the most uncomfortably realistic portrayals of imposter syndrome ever put forth in a manga.

This is easily the most depressing this series has ever been. It is a lot and it is a little too much, which is generally the point, but doesn’t make for the most enjoyable read (not that books should be buoyant joy constantly, but this one pours it on thick). It’s hard - this is great at conveying this feeling, but possibly too good at its job, which is heck of a thing to ding a story for, but this won’t be for everybody for that reason.

If anything, it feels like a soft reboot for the core concept right now as new students are introduced (the muscular girl who messed with Yaguchi by accident during his exam returns and she’s probably the best new character) and old ones slowly fade away. There’s zero Yuka in this volume and that’s a crying shame.

Still, we do get some tagalongs in the form of Takahashi, whose continued unintended attachment to Yaguchi is pretty funny, and the return of Maki (plus her sister showing up out of nowhere), who gets the most hopeful scene with Yaguchi and also uses it to push herself in a whole new direction.

It’s wrong to pick on a book for being too effective a portrait of despair, but this needs a lot more to leaven this to be more especially tolerable. For some this will be relatable, for others it could be full-on triggering. What comic relief is attempted happens to come from the worst character the series has introduced yet.

The “first-year” the guys meet winds up being the drunken prof trope from every other generic manga and while she has her moments, they also give her the ‘likes to grope the women’ trope at the same time. It’s just the biggest sour note since it introduces cliches into a series that had so far been refreshingly unreliant on them.

Her and many of the new characters being so intolerable or inscrutable just compounds poor Yaguchi’s misery. And the reader’s. Partially, this strikes excruciatingly close to home and this isn’t a period of my life I’m ever especially excited to ever revisit and that is completely affecting my reaction to what is, I assure you, a strong portrayal of what it’s going for.

4 actual stars, but, like life, this is complicated - for most of you, this is likely 4 stars and please be aware of that potentiality. For me, a storyline that just goes from unhappiness to unhappiness with nary a glimmer of hope and a really unwelcome turn to the cliché in its characters? Not my most enjoyable time with this story.
Profile Image for Selina.
102 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2022
I absolutely love this manga but this volume especially was outstanding. I may not be an art student myself but I still found Yatora and his struggles with adapting to university incredibly relatable.

The mangaka really managed to capture that first year experience. That sense of feeling lost and a little bit like an imposter, like everyone around you is much better than you. All that is something that quite a lot of people go through when they first attend university and it was portrayed perfectly in this volume. Yatora's struggles hit a little too close to home at times and I felt genuinely anxious while reading but at the same time I was absolutely amazed that a manga managed to evoke such emotions.

I'm speechless and absolutely in love with Blue Period and I can't wait to see how Yatora's story continues.
Profile Image for Olo.
76 reviews
March 14, 2025
tak bardzo kocham blue period bo mogę odnosić wszystkie przeżycia yatory do własnych. mimo, że cała seria jest o sztuce uważam że pewne sytuacje są uniwersalne i dosłownie czuję się jak yatora
Profile Image for Dai.
270 reviews3 followers
March 11, 2024
Quería leer esto por confort y escapismo, me siento estafada💔
Profile Image for Ady Weasley.
1,774 reviews45 followers
January 12, 2023
Ahh por fin !!!
Empezamos con las clases en la Gedai y honestamente sufrí con Yatora, entiendo por qué se siente tan perdido, e incluso otros lo comentan en el tomo, pero espero el logre encontrar la respuesta y seguir adelante.

Siempre que empieza uno algo nuevo es normal sentirse fuera de lugar
Profile Image for Met.
440 reviews33 followers
October 17, 2021
Ripartiamo dopo l’esame con un po’ di lentezza, ma Yaguchi è sempre adorabile… non riesco a staccargli gli occhi di dosso!
Profile Image for Rejina.
31 reviews2 followers
February 20, 2024
Das ist der erste Band, von dem ich noch nicht die Handlung kannte, weil diese noch nicht animiert wurde. Ich freue mich schon, es im Anime zu sehen, denn!

Es war wieder mal so tiefsinnig und authentisch. Ich habe oft mitfühlen können, als es um das Selbstwertgefühl bezogen auf das Können und Schaffen von Kunst ging.
Mir hat auch gefallen, dass die Hauptfiguren aus der Vorbereitungsschule wieder vorkommen und dass ihr Weg noch thematisiert wird :)

Ich freue mich auf den nächsten Band yuhuuu
Profile Image for Eressea.
1,901 reviews91 followers
October 16, 2024
20241015 2nd read
--
20211024 1st read
這集八虎成為大學新鮮人
卻陷入不知為何而戰的焦慮
藝術這種沒有標準答案的世界中
像八虎這樣的新手
撞進天才的思維裡
這恐懼感不禁讓我想起學測剛考完時
學校集中有面試資格的學生
請大學教授來模擬面試
不才排名靠前得要上台表演
然後就被教授洗臉下不了台了....
雖然這類比不倫不類
但總覺得心情應該是挺類似的吧

一進入大學篇從筋肉校長現場揮毫開始
新角色看起來都是放飛自我型的
同學們和三位負責大一的指導教授都非常有個人風格
大概除了小鬍子助教是例外吧XD
不過我很好奇的是藝大真的都是飄逸不羈的人嗎
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for sarah.
215 reviews88 followers
June 12, 2022
Kuwana is such a great character, I hope we will see more of her in the next volumes!
Profile Image for Kendrick.
113 reviews10 followers
August 7, 2022
This is the first volume of Blue Period that goes 'beyond' the anime adaptation available on Netflix. It is a painful book that looks at imposter syndrome in a university setting. Yatora, who passed the entrance examinations on his first try, is struggling. Unlike many of his other classmates who have failed multiple times -- Yatora has created art in a supportive and goal-directed environment. He has not yet found a clear point of view. When met by professors who are intending to give him a wide freedom to explore, he finds himself struggling with the impulse to find a 'perfect' approach to satisfy them.

Yamaguchi does an incredible job with her lining and shadowing to capture an overshadowed look to her characters. Yatora's feelings that he doesn't fit in would be relatable to many who have been to university: the adjustment process of becoming a self-directed artist isn't easy. But rather than confine Yatora's story within the university studio, Yamaguchi draws Yatora outside with friends and family -- meeting for drinks or having a chance encounter. This is a wise choice as it provides breathing space for readers, allowing us to reconnect with familiar characters we are already attached to. These lighthearted moments cut through an otherwise sombre volume.

It's a feat to have unique designs for every character and Yamaguchi does not disappoint here either. I like the three professors that are teaching the 1st years, they seem to each have a contrasting viewpoint. However, I am unhappy that one of the teaching assistants in Yatora's class was characterized like they came from a shonen manga. A minor character, their appearance blunted my enjoyment of an otherwise insightful and beautifully drawn manga. Still, I'm really looking forward to seeing more ways Yatora will approach his art and where his interests will lead.

3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Entintadas.
542 reviews22 followers
January 16, 2022
Aviso: esta reseña contiene spoilers de los 6 primeros tomos de este manga, ya reseñados. Recomendamos esta obra encarecidamente, merece mucho la pena acompañar a Yaguchi en su viaje de autodescubrimiento a través del arte.

Yaguchi ha aprobado el examen de ingreso de la Universidad Nacional de Bellas Artes y Música de Tokio. Lleno de inquietud y esperanza, en la ceremonia de ingreso le esperan nuevas amistades y retos.

En este tomo, Yaguchi comienza como un niño pequeño, lleno de ilusión y sin acabar de creerse todavía el haber aprobado el examen. Sin embargo, también afloran sus miedos e inseguridad, que tanto le lastran desde el inicio de la historia. Sin entrar en spoilers, esto se agravará cuando conozca a sus compañeros y descubra que no es especial, sino que es, posiblemente, el peor de su clase.

Es muy curioso cómo se introducen los nuevos personajes. En este primer momento, ninguno se presenta en profundidad, pero a través de sus obras es posible empezar a entrever su personalidad y sus gustos. Que la mangaka sea capaz de lograr esto demuestra un gran talento y te deja con muchas ganas de saber más de ellos.

El final es estresante y te deja en vilo para continuar con el siguiente tomo. Esta historia que simplemente parece el slice-of-life de un estudiante de artes consigue atraparte a través de sus personajes tan bien construidos, de su interesante visión del mundo artístico y de un dibujo y composición que quita el aliento. Uno de mis mangas favoritos de los últimos años sin duda.

Irbis.
Profile Image for Herdis Marie.
483 reviews34 followers
December 19, 2022
3,5 stars

Yatora has, against all odds, gotten into TUA on his first try. Now, however, he must figure out how to actually be a university student. He must also, once more, deal with his own insecurities, as his initial encounter with his fellow students further convinces him that he is the poorest artist there. When the instructors proceed to tell them that they must all throw out everything they learned leading up to the exams, Yatora's fragile artistic confidence is shattered.

description

This was probably the best volume so far.

I found it difficult to come to grips with the idea that an artist as inexperienced as Yatora should get into TUA at all, but Yamaguchi handles that problem well in this instalment by making it clear just how little Yatora knows.

He is, once again, forced to face his artistic shortcomings, and he grapples intensely with his self confidence; this is portrayed very well.

I also really appreciate his circle of friends, and how Koi in particular handles Yatora's crisis and, without judgment, attempts to motivate him.

I am also growing to appreciate more and more of the supporting characters, and I'm excited to read on!
Profile Image for Milenrrama.
1,460 reviews16 followers
May 2, 2022
Empecé por este tras ver la primera temporada en Netflix y... lo disfruté más que el anime, sin duda alguna. Y el anime ya tenía un listón alto. Yaguchi puede parecer un penas en algunos fragmentos, pero es fácil identificarse con ciertos aspectos de su presión, síndrome de impostor y cómo está de perdido. Además, está rodeado de secundarios potentísimos y ambienta muy bien.

Lo mejor del tomo: Murai. QUE SE BESEN YA, digooo, me ha caído bien xDDDDD
Profile Image for Christina Gardner.
91 reviews1 follower
November 8, 2022
Oh boy, this series... I consistently struggle to read it because it is so dramatic and at the same time so relatable. It makes me think about, remember, and feel so many things. Yatora being such a ball of anxiety and self-doubt does not help, haha.
This volume is especially fun because Yatora has to move past the technical side of how to create art to pass exams and consider what it is he actually wants to create/say with his work. Hoo boy, 10/10.

P.S. This artist consistently designs such beautiful characters; thank you so much Tsubasa Yamaguchi!
Profile Image for Joanna.
175 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2023
5/5 ⭐️

First read of 2023, this shattered my soul tbh. Yatora practically having a mini relapse was so relatable bc of the amount of pressure he was under in both school work and art work. I relate to him in his fear of “not being enough” or being a “phony” was really touching bc I’ve felt that way recently :,)

Brb I’ll be crying 🤭😭
Profile Image for Graham Wilhauk.
650 reviews49 followers
November 28, 2022
Still setting things up since this is the first volume of a new arc. Very interesting so far but I can tell it might be a bumpy ride. Both for our protagonist, Yatora, and for readers. Next volume will be very telling.
Profile Image for Jenny Clark.
3,225 reviews126 followers
February 17, 2023
Yatora's first experience with university- this gives a good overview of the way classes are set up and also shows Yatora struggling with an artist rut, and his emotional struggles as well. I'm really enjoying this series so far, though I do feel like Yatora kinda gets stuck in the same ruts.
The art that the students create and the cityscapes are beautiful.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
Profile Image for andru santos.
23 reviews
November 11, 2024
The path of life is ever changing, once you think you start to understand what’s going on, the game’s rules change, and yeah… I love this, I stopped reading for a while, life got busy… and now I’m back here and this feels comforting in a: you are not alone, kind of way, thankyou 🩵
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.