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Blue
If those adornments of our youth held any color, it would have been deep blue. Kayako Kirishima and Masami End(tm) are about to discover that their recent friendship is turning into obsessive love. But when today's hopes and yesterday's dreams meet tomorrow's problems, will they be able to continue? Kiriko Nananan reaches inside feminine sexuality to explore these intimate torments.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
January 12, 2016
FULL REVIEW NOW AVAILABLE
As enjoyable and exciting as I find shounen ai/yaoi no matter how ridiculous the lack of real character development or plot are just to make way of what I deem 'sexy times' between pretty boys, my views are a lot more critical when it comes to its counterpart, shoujo ai/yuri. I think it stems from the fact that I have been in relationships with women, both romantic and sexual. In fact, it was only two years ago that I came out as bisexual (and it's been grueling to even admit it). For the longest time, I've identified as a lesbian but my sexual preference for partners is not something I consider as a social or political statement. I'm also not easily offended.
That being said, I'm slightly uncomfortable with how pop culture in shows (and porn, but then again, it is porn) tend to 'fetishize' sexual/romantic relationships between women, mostly when it's geared towards the male gaze. Shoujo ai/yuri's readership and demographic are mostly men too, as much as the demographic for yaoi is female. That is why I avoided reading yuri for some time because I feel that it provides either a somewhat idealized or false concept and depiction of lesbian relationships.
Every time I read yaoi, I already have a good amount of suspension of belief because know I'm only indulging in some fantasy scenario, and some circumstances in yaoi are not necessarily something I would expect in how gay relationships with men really work. Shounen ai, on the other hand, at least shows believable development and characterization in the context of romance. The same thing goes for shoujo ai. So I want to balance my BL reads with GL so I ventured on and researched the most popular yuri as well as the most recent, preferably with ones that portray lesbian relationships in a positive light, if not always accurately. I found at least ten or so, and the first one I chose is a Kiriko Nananan piece. From the looks of the reviews of her works, her shoujo ai seemed well-written so I was interested and after finishing , I wasn't disappointed. This is an impressive work but not without its flaws.
BLUE is a story about two high school girls and their friendship. This friendship is at times natural and at times uneasy, punctuated by unspoken words and meaningful gestures. Kayako Kirishima is inexplicably drawn to the confident and outgoing Masako Endo and this magnetic attraction is borne out of romantic interest as well. She was self-aware about it which in turn made her guilty enough to attempt having casual sex with a boy from another school. To Kirishima, losing her virginity was also a way to feel intrinsically closer to Endo. The latter was kicked out of her previous school for having an abortion. Kirishima's desire to be intimate with Endo is so confusing especially when she has no emotional maturity to help her understand it fully so she makes rash decisions all in hopes to earn Endo's attention and affection. And Endo gave her all these things plenty but she was also always unobtainable to Kirishima. Blue has a leisurely pace as writer Nananan unfolds this aching story about the consequences and unknowable truths about young love, regardless if it's queer and probably more so that it's queer at the same time. Kirishima wants Endo and punishes herself for wanting someone of her own sex while Endo is more or less heterosexual but allows a more than platonic closeness with Kirishima because she doesn't have the strength or foresight to break the other girl's heart.
Ultimately, Endo breaks Kirishima's heart but not because she has directly rejected a real committed relationship with her. In fact, Endo is more than okay encouraging Kirishima's girlish fantasies of moving in together in Tokyo after graduation. It's not like that. Endo breaks Kirishima's heart by denying her friendship which was what I think these two girls struggled to maintain with each other. Kirishima wants to be understood and accepted and Endo provides that easily because of her giving, sweet-tempered nature, but she's also closed off when it came to private matters, most especially about her ex-boyfriend who impregnated her. Kirishima had to find out about it through another classmate and this was a betrayal to her because she wanted Endo to be straightforward with her, to tell her all her secrets as much as return her desires. Blue is riveting this way. Its meaninglessness about character motivations and actions are so attuned with what happens in real-life scenarios and the people that perpetuate them that I can't help but contemplate about my own experiences in high school about a girl I had such an intense feeling of anguish and desire for.
When I read and finished Blue within two hours last week, I sat down in front of my laptop and began typing the first part of this review then I put it off for a couple of days. I just came back from a reunion with high school friends last night where the girl I spoke of was also there, and I was able to clear up any lingering misunderstandings between us from years ago. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about Kirishima and Endo, and all the emotions they never got to properly say and those that never really needed words to begin with. Blue has made me realize strong emotions often need to be felt more than spoken aloud and it's a great testament to her skill as a writer of immense depth and experience that Nananan was able to capture this within such a simple, minimalistic yet agonizingly accurate story about teenage girls and their struggles with identity and sexual attraction; shame and jealousy; and growing up too soon and having to deal with that as it comes.
In the end, it occurred to Endo and Kirishima that they're both at fault for a idealizing whatever connection they have for one another, and this was why Kirishima's resentment over Endo's reticence, and Endo's lackadaisical neglect of Kirishima's attachment to her almost threatened to end their friendship for good. What I like about Nananan's writing in exploring such a delicate story and the portrayal of these characters are the ambiguous moments. There is no definitive way of describing or labeling Endo's feelings for Kirishima. We know she's heterosexual because she was devastatingly in love with a man who only wounded her in a way she was almost unable to recover, but she may be bisexual too because she didn't mind being affectionate with Kirishima and passionately kissing her. We know Kirishima might possibly be coming to terms of her homosexuality and is terrified, so she is projecting all her self-hate and dreams on Endo because she was the only person who knew of her inner conflict and never judged her for it. But as for the nature of their relationship in a romantic context, it's not something absolute. Maybe they really were in love or maybe they weren't. Maybe Endo was flattered and liked Kirishima enough and was afraid that rejecting her advances would cause her to abandon her. And maybe Kirishima was just looking for a true friend as oppose to a lover as she undergoes the painful transition of coming out of the closet.
Maybe we're not supposed to know completely because in real life, a lot of people in our lives do remain hidden from us, putting on masks and costumes and we do encourage this masquerade because it feels safe. It makes us feel connected. We expose ourselves more by hiding in plain sight and Blue captures that poignancy and that need to be concealed until we are ready to make ourselves known to the rest of the world; to create homes out of people we feel such a kinship for even with the dangerous risk of co-dependence and a refusal to grow up and learn. For Kirishima, it's not easy to love someone whom she feels society will reject her for, most likely starting with her family and friends. For Endo, it's all to easy to allow people in her life to expect things from her, and blame only herself when she feels she has failed to meet them all.
In any case, Nananan does these girls a justice in her writing for Blue. Her insights regarding these two girls are so honest in a very searing, unforgettable way that often it's not something one can enjoy for casual reading. I wanted to give this an 8 out of 10 rating but settled for a 7, objectively speaking. I related so powerfully to the story and the situations of the girls since I have something in my high school years I can contextualized it with. But, at the same time, I think this story is not something anyone can read and find beautiful and moving. Its ambiguity and lack of a complete resolution at the last chapter may prove disappointing to most readers. It's also such a slow burn of a narrative where character interactions are limited and often open to interpretation.
In that way, Blue is not a crowd pleaser which is the enchantment of it. And I liked it a lot. It made me nostalgic. It made me hurt. I'm going to read more of Kiriko Nananan's works after this one. So far, her depiction of romantic/sexual relationships between girls intrigue me. Suddenly, I didn't feel so alone anymore about my own inadequate expression of feelings from long ago with a girl I should have been better friends with especially when I knew deep in my soul that I used to be in love with her, and perhaps for the wrong reasons all this time.
RECOMMENDED: 7/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT
As enjoyable and exciting as I find shounen ai/yaoi no matter how ridiculous the lack of real character development or plot are just to make way of what I deem 'sexy times' between pretty boys, my views are a lot more critical when it comes to its counterpart, shoujo ai/yuri. I think it stems from the fact that I have been in relationships with women, both romantic and sexual. In fact, it was only two years ago that I came out as bisexual (and it's been grueling to even admit it). For the longest time, I've identified as a lesbian but my sexual preference for partners is not something I consider as a social or political statement. I'm also not easily offended.
That being said, I'm slightly uncomfortable with how pop culture in shows (and porn, but then again, it is porn) tend to 'fetishize' sexual/romantic relationships between women, mostly when it's geared towards the male gaze. Shoujo ai/yuri's readership and demographic are mostly men too, as much as the demographic for yaoi is female. That is why I avoided reading yuri for some time because I feel that it provides either a somewhat idealized or false concept and depiction of lesbian relationships.
Every time I read yaoi, I already have a good amount of suspension of belief because know I'm only indulging in some fantasy scenario, and some circumstances in yaoi are not necessarily something I would expect in how gay relationships with men really work. Shounen ai, on the other hand, at least shows believable development and characterization in the context of romance. The same thing goes for shoujo ai. So I want to balance my BL reads with GL so I ventured on and researched the most popular yuri as well as the most recent, preferably with ones that portray lesbian relationships in a positive light, if not always accurately. I found at least ten or so, and the first one I chose is a Kiriko Nananan piece. From the looks of the reviews of her works, her shoujo ai seemed well-written so I was interested and after finishing , I wasn't disappointed. This is an impressive work but not without its flaws.
BLUE is a story about two high school girls and their friendship. This friendship is at times natural and at times uneasy, punctuated by unspoken words and meaningful gestures. Kayako Kirishima is inexplicably drawn to the confident and outgoing Masako Endo and this magnetic attraction is borne out of romantic interest as well. She was self-aware about it which in turn made her guilty enough to attempt having casual sex with a boy from another school. To Kirishima, losing her virginity was also a way to feel intrinsically closer to Endo. The latter was kicked out of her previous school for having an abortion. Kirishima's desire to be intimate with Endo is so confusing especially when she has no emotional maturity to help her understand it fully so she makes rash decisions all in hopes to earn Endo's attention and affection. And Endo gave her all these things plenty but she was also always unobtainable to Kirishima. Blue has a leisurely pace as writer Nananan unfolds this aching story about the consequences and unknowable truths about young love, regardless if it's queer and probably more so that it's queer at the same time. Kirishima wants Endo and punishes herself for wanting someone of her own sex while Endo is more or less heterosexual but allows a more than platonic closeness with Kirishima because she doesn't have the strength or foresight to break the other girl's heart.
Ultimately, Endo breaks Kirishima's heart but not because she has directly rejected a real committed relationship with her. In fact, Endo is more than okay encouraging Kirishima's girlish fantasies of moving in together in Tokyo after graduation. It's not like that. Endo breaks Kirishima's heart by denying her friendship which was what I think these two girls struggled to maintain with each other. Kirishima wants to be understood and accepted and Endo provides that easily because of her giving, sweet-tempered nature, but she's also closed off when it came to private matters, most especially about her ex-boyfriend who impregnated her. Kirishima had to find out about it through another classmate and this was a betrayal to her because she wanted Endo to be straightforward with her, to tell her all her secrets as much as return her desires. Blue is riveting this way. Its meaninglessness about character motivations and actions are so attuned with what happens in real-life scenarios and the people that perpetuate them that I can't help but contemplate about my own experiences in high school about a girl I had such an intense feeling of anguish and desire for.
When I read and finished Blue within two hours last week, I sat down in front of my laptop and began typing the first part of this review then I put it off for a couple of days. I just came back from a reunion with high school friends last night where the girl I spoke of was also there, and I was able to clear up any lingering misunderstandings between us from years ago. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about Kirishima and Endo, and all the emotions they never got to properly say and those that never really needed words to begin with. Blue has made me realize strong emotions often need to be felt more than spoken aloud and it's a great testament to her skill as a writer of immense depth and experience that Nananan was able to capture this within such a simple, minimalistic yet agonizingly accurate story about teenage girls and their struggles with identity and sexual attraction; shame and jealousy; and growing up too soon and having to deal with that as it comes.
In the end, it occurred to Endo and Kirishima that they're both at fault for a idealizing whatever connection they have for one another, and this was why Kirishima's resentment over Endo's reticence, and Endo's lackadaisical neglect of Kirishima's attachment to her almost threatened to end their friendship for good. What I like about Nananan's writing in exploring such a delicate story and the portrayal of these characters are the ambiguous moments. There is no definitive way of describing or labeling Endo's feelings for Kirishima. We know she's heterosexual because she was devastatingly in love with a man who only wounded her in a way she was almost unable to recover, but she may be bisexual too because she didn't mind being affectionate with Kirishima and passionately kissing her. We know Kirishima might possibly be coming to terms of her homosexuality and is terrified, so she is projecting all her self-hate and dreams on Endo because she was the only person who knew of her inner conflict and never judged her for it. But as for the nature of their relationship in a romantic context, it's not something absolute. Maybe they really were in love or maybe they weren't. Maybe Endo was flattered and liked Kirishima enough and was afraid that rejecting her advances would cause her to abandon her. And maybe Kirishima was just looking for a true friend as oppose to a lover as she undergoes the painful transition of coming out of the closet.
Maybe we're not supposed to know completely because in real life, a lot of people in our lives do remain hidden from us, putting on masks and costumes and we do encourage this masquerade because it feels safe. It makes us feel connected. We expose ourselves more by hiding in plain sight and Blue captures that poignancy and that need to be concealed until we are ready to make ourselves known to the rest of the world; to create homes out of people we feel such a kinship for even with the dangerous risk of co-dependence and a refusal to grow up and learn. For Kirishima, it's not easy to love someone whom she feels society will reject her for, most likely starting with her family and friends. For Endo, it's all to easy to allow people in her life to expect things from her, and blame only herself when she feels she has failed to meet them all.
In any case, Nananan does these girls a justice in her writing for Blue. Her insights regarding these two girls are so honest in a very searing, unforgettable way that often it's not something one can enjoy for casual reading. I wanted to give this an 8 out of 10 rating but settled for a 7, objectively speaking. I related so powerfully to the story and the situations of the girls since I have something in my high school years I can contextualized it with. But, at the same time, I think this story is not something anyone can read and find beautiful and moving. Its ambiguity and lack of a complete resolution at the last chapter may prove disappointing to most readers. It's also such a slow burn of a narrative where character interactions are limited and often open to interpretation.
In that way, Blue is not a crowd pleaser which is the enchantment of it. And I liked it a lot. It made me nostalgic. It made me hurt. I'm going to read more of Kiriko Nananan's works after this one. So far, her depiction of romantic/sexual relationships between girls intrigue me. Suddenly, I didn't feel so alone anymore about my own inadequate expression of feelings from long ago with a girl I should have been better friends with especially when I knew deep in my soul that I used to be in love with her, and perhaps for the wrong reasons all this time.
RECOMMENDED: 7/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT
March 19, 2021
It felt so real that it hurt...
(But, honestly the movie was so much better than the manga)
(But, honestly the movie was so much better than the manga)
October 9, 2022
2.25 ✨
A bleakish tale with work of subtlety. Everything, including the characters and the art, was kept simple. I occasionally found it challenging to tell Endo Kirishima apart. I just finished watching the movie adaptation, and while they changed the setting for many scenes, they also left out a lot of important details. However, if you watch and read it simultaneously, you will fully understand the plot and it will help you fill in the gaps.
A bleakish tale with work of subtlety. Everything, including the characters and the art, was kept simple. I occasionally found it challenging to tell Endo Kirishima apart. I just finished watching the movie adaptation, and while they changed the setting for many scenes, they also left out a lot of important details. However, if you watch and read it simultaneously, you will fully understand the plot and it will help you fill in the gaps.
February 9, 2018
Un des plus vieux yuri que vous pourrez trouver en France. Blue dessine les échanges de deux lycéennes qui apprennent à s’aimer et luttent pour accepter leur sentiments. Au bord de la mer elles s’imaginent un avenir sans oser y mettre un pied.
Cette histoire est aussi celle des pressions sociale et de la culpabilité qui pèse sur les jeunes filles pour chaque petit choix ou non-choix qu’elles feront.
Ligne clair, noir et blanc, pas de gris. Des yeux noirs profonds et rieurs. Des cadrages étranges. On le lis vite mais on le regarde longuement.
Cette histoire est aussi celle des pressions sociale et de la culpabilité qui pèse sur les jeunes filles pour chaque petit choix ou non-choix qu’elles feront.
Ligne clair, noir et blanc, pas de gris. Des yeux noirs profonds et rieurs. Des cadrages étranges. On le lis vite mais on le regarde longuement.
October 15, 2021
C’è molto non detto in Blue: forse un po’ troppo per quel che mi aspettavo. Ma le tavole sono ipnotizzanti! Ritagli e inquadrature che censurano quasi sempre il quadro completo, come se stessimo “spiando” la storia.
July 19, 2017
In the past, I've read a couple "light" novels, a type of sparse novella that commuters in japan could theoretically read on their phones*. Specifically, I've read some of those that inspired the manga, anime and probably other stuff, called Strawberry Panic!. Which occupy a nebulous area of romantic fantasy about a barely physical relationship, a platonic, fiercely romantic friendship between (frequently) two high-school girls a year or two apart*. In hearts and minds they are a sort of 'starter' relationship, a test-run and a safe space for emotions run rampant**. These relationships may lead to kissing or even groping, but rarely last long, typically never past graduation.** I wonder how that might feel to a girl more like myself.
I think this is where Blue comes in. Though at first the relationship seems sparse, as the artwork is, you feel the connection between the girls as something that might last a long time, you can imagine them moving to Tokyo and starting a life together, as in the Korean tv-movie Daughters of Bilitis Club, or the Japanese manga Girlfriends by Milk Morinaga (no review as yet).
Eventually, a couple moments after I'd closed the volume, a single relationship told in just over 200 illustrated pages, I was reminded of Strawberry Panic! and the patina of temporary circumstance. Though I believe both girls cared for each other very much, and that the feelings were real, and that the sentiments that pushed them apart were sincere, I ultimately think that one of the girls saw the relationship as more tangible and able to last longer than the other did. In my mind this raises the single volume story above the glittering anthology omnibus of SP! to something more literary, cruel and beautiful in its honesty. But I probably shouldn't believe everything fiction tells me about society.
Add.: Reading about Kiriko Nananan on wikipedia leads to learning about la nouvelle manga movement, which is also interesting reading.
*Barely researched supposition.
**I'm speculating.
Pages: 232
Year: January 1, 2010
Publisher: Ponent Mon S.L.
Read: 23 January 2017
Stars: 4 (really liked it)
I think this is where Blue comes in. Though at first the relationship seems sparse, as the artwork is, you feel the connection between the girls as something that might last a long time, you can imagine them moving to Tokyo and starting a life together, as in the Korean tv-movie Daughters of Bilitis Club, or the Japanese manga Girlfriends by Milk Morinaga (no review as yet).
Eventually, a couple moments after I'd closed the volume, a single relationship told in just over 200 illustrated pages, I was reminded of Strawberry Panic! and the patina of temporary circumstance. Though I believe both girls cared for each other very much, and that the feelings were real, and that the sentiments that pushed them apart were sincere, I ultimately think that one of the girls saw the relationship as more tangible and able to last longer than the other did. In my mind this raises the single volume story above the glittering anthology omnibus of SP! to something more literary, cruel and beautiful in its honesty. But I probably shouldn't believe everything fiction tells me about society.
Add.: Reading about Kiriko Nananan on wikipedia leads to learning about la nouvelle manga movement, which is also interesting reading.
*Barely researched supposition.
**I'm speculating.
Pages: 232
Year: January 1, 2010
Publisher: Ponent Mon S.L.
Read: 23 January 2017
Stars: 4 (really liked it)
April 20, 2021
je n'ai pas aimé autant que je l'aurai voulu;
mais en même temps j'aime le bleu, j'aime les filles et j'aime les histoires qui peuvent nous relater de près ou de loin. ça ne termine pas bien, ça ne termine pas mal. j'ai une sensation de temps suspendu (je saurais pas trop l'expliquer, j'ai l'impression qu'il manque trop de choses à l'histoire ?). c'est pas tellement une histoire de toute façon, plutôt une succession de moments, de rencontres, de baisers et d'actes manqués; en ça, ça relate très bien ma vision de l'adolescence. finalement, je crois que j'ai trouvé ça beau.
nb que si les illustrations avaient été bleues ça aurait été encore mieux.
je pense me pencher vers le film.
en tout cas, merci les lesbiennes.
mais en même temps j'aime le bleu, j'aime les filles et j'aime les histoires qui peuvent nous relater de près ou de loin. ça ne termine pas bien, ça ne termine pas mal. j'ai une sensation de temps suspendu (je saurais pas trop l'expliquer, j'ai l'impression qu'il manque trop de choses à l'histoire ?). c'est pas tellement une histoire de toute façon, plutôt une succession de moments, de rencontres, de baisers et d'actes manqués; en ça, ça relate très bien ma vision de l'adolescence. finalement, je crois que j'ai trouvé ça beau.
nb que si les illustrations avaient été bleues ça aurait été encore mieux.
je pense me pencher vers le film.
en tout cas, merci les lesbiennes.
November 23, 2022
La història és bonica, però m’hi han faltat coses. Em perdia una mica amb el dibuix minimalista, pel fet que alguns dels personatges tenien un disseny massa semblant i els confonia.
May 29, 2021
Assez simple mais j’ai pleuré à la fin donc plutôt efficace 🤩
Ce qui m’a le plus marqué est la façon dont le lesbianisme et une véritable relation amoureuse entre les deux adolescentes ne sont jamais évoqués comme des possibilités, ce qui donne une dimension tragique au récit mais en même temps le désir lesbien arrive tout de même à surgir, à exister au delà de cette impossibilité de l’exprimer.
Ce qui m’a le plus marqué est la façon dont le lesbianisme et une véritable relation amoureuse entre les deux adolescentes ne sont jamais évoqués comme des possibilités, ce qui donne une dimension tragique au récit mais en même temps le désir lesbien arrive tout de même à surgir, à exister au delà de cette impossibilité de l’exprimer.
March 8, 2022
triste
October 5, 2024
Pas très bien écrit (ou traduit, du moins) et fin nulle de ouf.
August 14, 2017
Es la segunda vez que lo leo (la primera vez fue un intento más que otra cosa porque no llegue ni a la mitad) y no consigo que me guste. Tiene cosas que si me han gustado, y el dibujo aunque al principio me ponia muy nerviosa, al final he acabado mirandolo de otra forma. Aún con todo, no ha habido nada que realmente me impacte o vaya a dejar huella en mí. Se lee muy rápido y ha sido entretenido pero nada más (para mí). Gracias a mi queridísima Marina por dejarmelo otra vez, pero, aunque sé que a ella le gusta mucho, no puedo ponerle más de 2'5 (claro que goodreads no me deja ponerlo asi que lo dejo en 2 xD).
Eso sí, la portada es preciosa.
Eso sí, la portada es preciosa.
September 19, 2021
j'ai arrêté après une centaine de pages parce que je ne comprenais rien du tout :( mais l'histoire a l'air très mignonne !
June 22, 2019
Los trabajos de Kiriko Nananan están plagados de momentos agridulces. Es algo que caracteriza sus historias, tal vez porque están ancladas en el realismo, de los finales felices no asegurados, del conformarse con un porcentaje de este y encontrar felicidad o agonía en ello.
Esta historia está situada en el periodo final de la escuela, por lo que también se le suma aquel ambiente monotono y protegido que es el colegio. Todo para poner un mayor énfasis en la importancia de las relaciones interpersonales de las protagonistas, las sutilezas de estas, a esto ayuda el dibujo de trazos simples de la autora. De contrastes negros sobre páginas blancas, desprovisto de matices grises, sincero, sin nada que ocultar, porque no tiene necesidad. Con una escritura minimalista, de frases cortas y diálogos a medias, nos muestra pasajes de la vida de dos adolescentes que desean encontrarse a si mismas mientras caminan por la delgada línea de la amistad, la atracción, y tal vez el amor, esto último siendo algo dejado a la interpretación de cada lector.
Tal vez aquella incertidumbre no sea del agrado de lectores que gusten de historias más directas, pero personalmente, es el tipo de historia que cae en el centro de lo que, ahora mismo, es muy de mi gusto. De ventanas a medio abrir que nos permiten internarnos en un momento específico en la vida de los protagonistas, como un testigo silente de sus experiencias, vernos reflejados o no en ellos, y luego seguir caminando, apreciando aquella viñeta sin principio ni final.
Compré este tomo por casualidad, ya que me recordaba a los trabajos de Ebine Yamaji, que leí hace mucho tiempo, pero en su momento fueron muy formativos para mí. Fue una grata sorpresa, disfruté mucho su lectura y la calidad de la edición. No conocía esta editorial, para ser sincera. Espero, más adelante, poder leer el resto de los trabajos de la autora que todavía no he podido pillar.
Esta historia está situada en el periodo final de la escuela, por lo que también se le suma aquel ambiente monotono y protegido que es el colegio. Todo para poner un mayor énfasis en la importancia de las relaciones interpersonales de las protagonistas, las sutilezas de estas, a esto ayuda el dibujo de trazos simples de la autora. De contrastes negros sobre páginas blancas, desprovisto de matices grises, sincero, sin nada que ocultar, porque no tiene necesidad. Con una escritura minimalista, de frases cortas y diálogos a medias, nos muestra pasajes de la vida de dos adolescentes que desean encontrarse a si mismas mientras caminan por la delgada línea de la amistad, la atracción, y tal vez el amor, esto último siendo algo dejado a la interpretación de cada lector.
Tal vez aquella incertidumbre no sea del agrado de lectores que gusten de historias más directas, pero personalmente, es el tipo de historia que cae en el centro de lo que, ahora mismo, es muy de mi gusto. De ventanas a medio abrir que nos permiten internarnos en un momento específico en la vida de los protagonistas, como un testigo silente de sus experiencias, vernos reflejados o no en ellos, y luego seguir caminando, apreciando aquella viñeta sin principio ni final.
Compré este tomo por casualidad, ya que me recordaba a los trabajos de Ebine Yamaji, que leí hace mucho tiempo, pero en su momento fueron muy formativos para mí. Fue una grata sorpresa, disfruté mucho su lectura y la calidad de la edición. No conocía esta editorial, para ser sincera. Espero, más adelante, poder leer el resto de los trabajos de la autora que todavía no he podido pillar.
June 28, 2021
"Creo que si todas aquellas cosas de entonces hubieran tenido un color, habría sido un azul muy profundo."
Las emociones que transmite Kiriko Nananan son una de mis cosas favoritas en la vida. Hace dos años leí El amor duele y se volvió una de mis novelas gráficas favoritas. La verdad es que tenía altas expectativas con Blue por lo mismo, pero no me gusto ni la mitad de lo que me gustó "El amor duele". Aun así, regresar a leer a Kiriko siempre es una delicia. La sensación melancólica y solitaria que me da siempre al terminar alguna de sus obras me hace querer llorar. Te quiero mucho Kiriko.
September 23, 2021
Interessant mais sans plus
Mots Clés: manga, shojo-ai, romance, lycée, fiction contemporaine
Je suis plutôt neutre face à ce manga. Je n’ai pas adoré mais je n’ai pas détesté non plus. A vrai dire, j’ai trouvé l’histoire et les personnages intéressants mais sans plus. J’avais un peu de mal a repérer et distinguer les différents personnages, surtout au début car les coupes de cheveux et les visages se ressemblaient pas mal. Cependant, j’ai apprécié les expressions de visages des différents personnages.
L’histoire se déroule assez doucement je dirai, et du coup, j’ai ressenti un peu une sorte d’ennui. Je n’ai pas réussi à entrer dans l’histoire. La relation qui se développe entre Endo et Kirishima est intéressante, on ressent que chacune manque de maturité et se cherche encore. On les observe traverser les moments clés d’une relation romantique et parfois, la façon dont elles se comportent est un peu frustrante.
Je recommande aux personnes qui aiment le travail de Kiriko Nananan, et à ceux qui recherche un classique du yuri.
2.5/5
Mots Clés: manga, shojo-ai, romance, lycée, fiction contemporaine
Je suis plutôt neutre face à ce manga. Je n’ai pas adoré mais je n’ai pas détesté non plus. A vrai dire, j’ai trouvé l’histoire et les personnages intéressants mais sans plus. J’avais un peu de mal a repérer et distinguer les différents personnages, surtout au début car les coupes de cheveux et les visages se ressemblaient pas mal. Cependant, j’ai apprécié les expressions de visages des différents personnages.
L’histoire se déroule assez doucement je dirai, et du coup, j’ai ressenti un peu une sorte d’ennui. Je n’ai pas réussi à entrer dans l’histoire. La relation qui se développe entre Endo et Kirishima est intéressante, on ressent que chacune manque de maturité et se cherche encore. On les observe traverser les moments clés d’une relation romantique et parfois, la façon dont elles se comportent est un peu frustrante.
Je recommande aux personnes qui aiment le travail de Kiriko Nananan, et à ceux qui recherche un classique du yuri.
2.5/5
April 23, 2022
3'75★
First time of mine giving that rating!
Although I started this manga with the feeling it was more praised than what it would actually should be, I did end up liking it. The characters were more complex than what I had expected, and their development and personalities were well drawn and defined. One thing that always worries me about mangas is the resolution. I find that sometimes is hard to actually see (and portray) the change and growth in the characters, as well as the resolution to the conflict, but with this manga I thought all that was perfectly executed. I loved the ending, how the characters encouraged each other to grow and pursue what they want; and that aspect alone is what's made me push the rating up.
First time of mine giving that rating!
Although I started this manga with the feeling it was more praised than what it would actually should be, I did end up liking it. The characters were more complex than what I had expected, and their development and personalities were well drawn and defined. One thing that always worries me about mangas is the resolution. I find that sometimes is hard to actually see (and portray) the change and growth in the characters, as well as the resolution to the conflict, but with this manga I thought all that was perfectly executed. I loved the ending, how the characters encouraged each other to grow and pursue what they want; and that aspect alone is what's made me push the rating up.
May 8, 2022
3,5
L'histoire est déroutante, triste, poétique. J'ai beaucoup aimé les dessins même si je me perdais un peu dans les personnages au début. Elle décrit les réalités des adolescentes de l'époque, qui sont assez dures. Certains deploreront le fait que c'est encore une histoire lesbienne qui finit mal, je pense étant donné le ton du livre, qu'il pouvait difficilement en être autrement. J'ai adoré comme j'ai eu des sentiments complexes à propos de cette lecture, qui est je pense bouleversante. À réserver à un public adulte.
L'histoire est déroutante, triste, poétique. J'ai beaucoup aimé les dessins même si je me perdais un peu dans les personnages au début. Elle décrit les réalités des adolescentes de l'époque, qui sont assez dures. Certains deploreront le fait que c'est encore une histoire lesbienne qui finit mal, je pense étant donné le ton du livre, qu'il pouvait difficilement en être autrement. J'ai adoré comme j'ai eu des sentiments complexes à propos de cette lecture, qui est je pense bouleversante. À réserver à un public adulte.
March 30, 2025
Dios bendiga a las mangakas japonesas que muestran esas realidades que aveces uno no quiere mirar directamente. Es difícil reconocer que no todo es puro y de buenas intenciones, como tampoco no todo es bajo nuestras propias desiciones.
El diseño de las viñetas me encantó, muy característico de la revista que se origina la mangaka. Sé que el dibujo tal vez no es de un agrado general, pero siento que le queda bien al tipo de obra que es. Solo hay que poner voluntad para reconocer a las chicas (?
El diseño de las viñetas me encantó, muy característico de la revista que se origina la mangaka. Sé que el dibujo tal vez no es de un agrado general, pero siento que le queda bien al tipo de obra que es. Solo hay que poner voluntad para reconocer a las chicas (?
December 8, 2020
Una historia de encuentro, de atracción, de un posible amor, de secretos que son tomados como pequeñas traiciones entre dos adolescentes, en un instituto femenino en Japón.
Brillante por su diseño, su dibujo de negro sobre blanco de una gran estilización y la disposición tan elegante como sobria de cada viñeta.
Brillante por su diseño, su dibujo de negro sobre blanco de una gran estilización y la disposición tan elegante como sobria de cada viñeta.
May 31, 2018
Un roman graphique simple avec des dessins aériens et fins. je reste cependant un peu sur la réserve quant au scénario. J'ai l'impression qu'il manque un petit quelque chose pour permettre à l'histoire d'un peu plus décoller. Même si finalement elle est en adéquation avec le calme des dessins.
December 30, 2022
Non so quanto darei per tornare indietro nel tempo e leggerlo per la prima volta a 17 anni.
Fatto sta che l'ho letto a 27 e, nonostante sia più disilluso e meno sognatore, mi ha aperto il cuore come poche altre storie hanno saputo fare.
Fatto sta che l'ho letto a 27 e, nonostante sia più disilluso e meno sognatore, mi ha aperto il cuore come poche altre storie hanno saputo fare.
April 17, 2024
Forgot to update hahah
Actually finished it on Sunday 14.04.24
The manga was okay, I thought better though. Maybe my expectations were too high.
This year I'm seriously struggling to find something I love.
Actually finished it on Sunday 14.04.24
The manga was okay, I thought better though. Maybe my expectations were too high.
This year I'm seriously struggling to find something I love.
June 14, 2021
"J'ai réalisé que mon idéal, c'était de mener une vie toute simple."
July 18, 2024
The understated art and its rigid paneling made for a very affecting read, even if the story is nothing out of the ordinary.
July 15, 2016
Kiriko Nananan is mostly known for her short-form works. She has been a staple of the avant-garde Garo magazine since her debut in 1993, and affiliates herself with the La Nouvelle Manga avant-garde Franco-Belgian and Japanese comic movement. Blue, released in Japan in 1997 and in English by Fanfare/Ponent Mon in 2006, is her first long-form work to be released in English. It was also popular enough to be adapted into a live-action film, which I haven’t seen. Blue is a simple story of first love between two high school girls, Kayako and Masami. To get it out of the way, this story is an example of a Class S story, similar to something like Maria Watches Over Us: the relationship between these young women is treated as a transient thing, a symbol of their youth and naivete that will inevitably end before graduation. For example, This is a problematic treatment of lesbianism that is unfortunately quite common in yuri manga. I had hoped to escape it in this more underground work, and was disappointed to find it here.
That said, I really enjoyed the manga overall. I like the focus on a relationship that isn’t about explosive drama and big emotions, but rather one with a soft start and a soft conclusion. Nananan’s beautiful minimalistic art perfectly portrays the fragile sweetness of a first relationship, as well as the gentle pain and melancholy of a relationship that must come to an end, but which neither character wants to break off. The bittersweet feeling of having to leave a loved one behind so you can move on to the next chapter of your life is something we all experience at some point in our lives, and it’s portrayed very realistically here. That Nananan can make such soft, small emotions feel meaningful and impactful, giving them a place in literature next to more bombastic emotions, is in itself worth praising in my opinion. As mentioned before, Nananan’s art is a major reason for the story’s success. Thin lines and sparse compositions convey the fragility of the young characters and the transience of adolescence, and the interweaving of prose and dialogue interspersed with completely empty panels adds a poetic lyricism to the comic that really works. Words float on the page like cherry blossoms fluttering through the chill spring air, the sky a gentle, melancholy overcast. Nananan has said she considers the negative spaces in her works to be characters in their own rights, and can spend up to four hours on a single panel to get the mood and composition just right. This attitude shines through in Blue, which has neither an action-packed plot nor heart-wrenching melodrama, but instead portrays life and youth as they truly are, a series of unextraordinary moments within which, taken together, we create meaning.
That said, I really enjoyed the manga overall. I like the focus on a relationship that isn’t about explosive drama and big emotions, but rather one with a soft start and a soft conclusion. Nananan’s beautiful minimalistic art perfectly portrays the fragile sweetness of a first relationship, as well as the gentle pain and melancholy of a relationship that must come to an end, but which neither character wants to break off. The bittersweet feeling of having to leave a loved one behind so you can move on to the next chapter of your life is something we all experience at some point in our lives, and it’s portrayed very realistically here. That Nananan can make such soft, small emotions feel meaningful and impactful, giving them a place in literature next to more bombastic emotions, is in itself worth praising in my opinion. As mentioned before, Nananan’s art is a major reason for the story’s success. Thin lines and sparse compositions convey the fragility of the young characters and the transience of adolescence, and the interweaving of prose and dialogue interspersed with completely empty panels adds a poetic lyricism to the comic that really works. Words float on the page like cherry blossoms fluttering through the chill spring air, the sky a gentle, melancholy overcast. Nananan has said she considers the negative spaces in her works to be characters in their own rights, and can spend up to four hours on a single panel to get the mood and composition just right. This attitude shines through in Blue, which has neither an action-packed plot nor heart-wrenching melodrama, but instead portrays life and youth as they truly are, a series of unextraordinary moments within which, taken together, we create meaning.
April 23, 2014
I've read Blue several times and it never ceases to amaze me. Although the content is quite similar to a great many other shoujo or yuri stories, it's actually written as josei and given a vividly stark deeply monotone art style. The characters and their emotions feel real, though they are drawn almost as silhouettes (ie. memories). I've never seen this particular style from any other writer and it's very awesome. Highly recommended.
April 12, 2016
Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. I think what I like best about Blue is the understated sorrow in the art style. There are moments when no one says anything and the image is of a desk or a window, or someone's hands. It's not the words that convey sadness, it's the lack of words. It's the longing that exists in the silence.
April 29, 2018
Rarement lu une bande dessinée parcourue d'autant de silences et pourtant si bien écrite. Le trait pur, rectiligne semble cacher autant de secrets que ce que les personnages taisent.
Tout est beau, tout se lit dans les espaces, les rapprochements, les mains dans les cheveux. D'une beauté adolescente, sans condescendance ni arrogance.
Tout est beau, tout se lit dans les espaces, les rapprochements, les mains dans les cheveux. D'une beauté adolescente, sans condescendance ni arrogance.
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