Blue Period

This is nothing but a complete waste of what could have been a fantastic anime. I’m not kidding when I say that at its core Blue Period has some of the best characters, themes, and ideas you’ll find in recent anime. But for everything it does right it also does something wrong. The series is completely devoid of life and personality, and to call the finished product disappointing would be an understatement.

Blue Period is about passion. It’s about identity. It’s about the differences between hard work and talent. And of course, above all else, it’s about art. Putting the actual presentation aside for a ... second, the anime does a fine job at exploring a variety of themes and concepts. Similar character-driven anime will fall into a habit of forcing too much drama out of characters, detracting from the realism and relatability of the show. Blue Period, in comparison, is incredibly down to earth and consistent. Try and remember that this is an anime about art, so I went into it expecting a lot of extended metaphors that achieve nothing in the overall narrative besides sounding clever. To the credit of the author though this was not the case. There are still some moments that came across as excessive but at least they managed to relate back to the main themes and ideas of the show.

But despite all these strengths it turned out to be one of the dullest shows of the season. You’ll probably see plenty of people making jokes about how the series about art has terrible art and animation, and they aren’t wrong. It’s not insultingly bad, and I genuinely believe that animation means very little in the overall quality of an anime. Good directing can save even the most awful-looking shows, and most faults seen in Blue Period can’t be blamed on the art quality alone. Hell, some parts of the show don’t even look that bad. The actual artwork looks fine, and it’s easy to pick the values out of them as though they were a real painting.

So, where exactly did it go wrong? In a number of places, but to simplify things most of the issues stem from a complete lack of care put into the anime. Or if you wanted to sound smart you could say that the series ironically lacks passion, the very thing it tries to express the importance of. As a result of this the show feels incomplete. Entire scenes will go by without any background music, and this wasn’t deliberately done to increase tension, it was done out of pure laziness and lack of a solid production. And when they do finally decide to play a soundtrack, it ends up sounding mediocre at best and adding no value to scenes whatsoever. This completely undermines the importance of major moments in the series and fails to guide the viewer through scenes the way that it should. Instead of having incredibly impactful scenes with beautiful directing and music you get to listen to the sounds of brushes awkwardly hitting canvases while characters randomly cry as they deliver meaningful lines in the most monotone voices imaginable. Dialogue and character interactions become an absolute mess due to this and id present throughout all twelve episodes. What a joy. This isn’t the fault of voice actors or animators though; it’s the result of a product being rushed out before it is properly polished and refined.

The characters of Blue Period are amazing, and this still holds true despite the lack of production quality. Some major character moments aren’t as meaningful as they could have been, but the fundamental ideas behind the characters and their development are always there. Yaguchi, the main character, aims for his goals through hard work rather than natural talent. Of course, it isn’t the most original idea, but the way he is explored through his dedication and passion for art is simple but well-executed. He truly becomes his own unique character throughout the series rather than a simple copy-paste of any typical drama or sports protagonist. The side characters are equally as great. Each one gives a unique insight into the varying minds behind art, all with their own motives and values. Some people might enjoy art as a way to express themselves, others might pursue it due to a lack of other options. All kinds of people are presented in the side characters, and they’re all equally engaging to watch. My favourite character is by far Ryuugi though. He’s probably not the first time a crossdressing character has been written with such seriousness, by very rarely do you see a genuine crossdresser written with this much depth, particularly in anime. The series gives such a down-to-earth view of his character and manages to do this while tying it all back to the main topic of art. All of the character writing in Blue Period is great, but again it ends up losing a lot of its significance due to the lackluster directing, art, and sound.

Fundamentally, Blue Period should not be a bad series. It has a solid base with great characters and plot elements that allow it to convey its messages relating to art and passion. Unfortunately, it lacks just about everything else. Animation is the bare minimum, background music is almost nonexistent for entire episodes, and the pacing is all over the place. I’m sure all these things are a lot better in the manga, but this is about the anime, and frankly the anime is a lifeless slideshow with way too many glaring issues to be considered a good production in any way.

As a concept artist, I was quickly intrigued with the premise, well of course, I’d love to watch a story about artists, art itself and the process of art making, but after watching the anime and also reading the manga, i think it’s just not very good at anything.

For an anime that’s supposed to be about art, the art itself is surprisingly lacking, in part bc of the mangaka's artstyle, which is pretty amateurish and they’re able to make it even worse with the damn awful animation, a lot of jerky movement, heads moving in unnatural ways, faces going off-model constantly, how on earth ... did they think this was okay, for a story about getting better at art, i feel like it should have been much much better.

MC is very very plain, in a self-insert kind of way, has no personality whatsoever, feels like a isekai protagonist that just reincarnated, shows some doubt early on about following the career, but gets over it pretty fast, doesn’t even want to keep some back-up choices, in case he can’t make it.
I could understand the choice to make him like that, if the story is going to actually showcase the characters around him, and the MC is just a vehicle in which we see that happening, being the eyes of the audience, but that's not the case at all.

He gets 90% of the whole screen time of the series, only thinks about art and nothing more, is 150% focused, does nothing outside of art, leaves all friends behind, stops having fun, changes his life completely without a second thought just bc he saw a huge ass painting, being an artist becomes his entire personality, goes in a month, from not knowing anything about drawing, can’t even draw a stick figure, to intermediate level art, drawing complex shapes, shadows, values, actually painting, color theory, complex composition, design, not just drawing simple objects as they are, not just simple pencil/charcoal drawings.
For some reason he’s learned all these different things in a month or so, not years.

The only saving grace is Ayukawa, but her character won’t amount to much in the long run and only sporadically shows up here or there going long stretches without appearing.
The other side characters have even less screen time, and with the little time they have to develop, we don't even get to actually know close to nothing, making them not amount to much, we only see them as these one dimensional characters with one quirk characteristic each, it's also not like there are tons of side characters in the story.
From the ones that actually have some recurrence, we've got the school teacher, that later gets swapped for the prep school art teacher, and the three stooges(Miss Perfect/Edgy Boy/Art Buff) that get most of the time that was reserved for Ayukawa, before their introduction.
That makes it 4 side characters at most, at any time and they still can't develop them.

There is too much focus on the boring self-insert MC’s story, maybe this is for teens with no self-confidence, that were interested in art at some point but thought it was too hard and just gave up, and this is your chance to live in the shoes of a very good artist that could do everything you could not.

I do kind of like the very brief snippets of the behind scenes some of the art techniques, the life of an art student that goes to school/college for it, since i didn't go to art school or anything like that, and i mostly work digitally, plus also how very different people approach the same problem, all of the interesting things are weirdly usually scarce though, bc we’re stuck with the boring main character, which does things in a very straightforward, bland and simplistic way and hogs the focus all for himself, from the less boring characters that irregularly show up.

This is a badly directed power fantasy anime, but for drawing.

I am not creative or artistic so I Won’t be pretentious enough to act like I understand art , So I will rate this anime just like I would anyway

But still, I can proudly state that Blue period does what most shounen anime want to but fail to do
Inspire

Blue period is great it starts of slow and you may wonder “I ain’t artistic I probably won’t like this show” , well most of us don’t do volleyball either, and boy didn’t haikyuu change our minds :3.

So what makes a good shounen anime?

Self insertable Main character:- Yaguchi is a very perfect MC, A ... MC who played in safe waters most of his life ignoring what he truly wanted to do, Now this stands true for Pretty much ALL OF US So it is easy to start rooting for him since the start and want to follow his story.

The rival who is equally or more interesting than MC:-well since it doesn’t impact the main plot ill go ahead and say this RYUUJI IS A GUY AND I SAVED YOU FROM THE TRAP, anyway I thought they will make it just a running meme which I do not mind but no, they take this subject very seriously ryuuji dresses as a girl since he wants to not to crave attention and it was a very mature perspective that the show took and I am happy and satisfied with this too.

Journeys:- Every literal “shounen” dreams of his own journey karasuno’s rise to success after hard years, tanjiro’s journey to make his sister human again, Deku’s journey to becoming the strongest hero. It adds a sense of fulfillment and makes us more invested in the how and the why of the same journey.The journey of yaguchi to achieve his dream school will be interesting to follow as well.

So far these are the only shounen elements that have been explored in the anime and by the looks of it there will also be competitors and obstacles stuff (talent, struggle , improving, etc) the type that pumps you up like a good sports anime.

The voice acting is great many notable seiyuus not my type of OP or ED , and obviously, in an art anime The ART HAS TO BE DOWNRIGHT GORGEOUS The animation ar could have been better Bt the art we SEE on the CANVAS IS REAL ART and icant imagine the cost it would have incurred , I am really happy with that ,Story there isnt much to crave about it we should all know at this point that it will follow yaguchi and ryuuji’s personal and artistic journey and nothing more so dont go looking in for plot twists or any of that

Overall a pretty solid anime and a must-watch for this season.

Honestly speaking, I am really loving the anime so far and I really hope they nail the adaptation. I heard a lot of nice things about the manga though I haven't read it yet so fingers crossed on this anime. I agree this not a unique story but it never fails to amuse me.

Firstly the art is no doubt exquisite. Although I'm not an artist myself but I've been always fascinated by it and I have the understanding of the struggles being an artist. So seeing the fundamentals of art, art style, and passion provided brilliantly by the show makes me a happy man. So ... its highly unlikely that the show will sway away from its main focus.

The animation and sound design is pretty good I would say. Nice osts and art style so I guess no one should have any problem with that section.

The characters are really lovable and the mc is one of the better shounen protagonists(in relatable sense) out there. His way of interacting with every other side characters are really heartwarming and relatable. The senpai kouhai relationship and how they motivated each other was great, how his mother reacted on seeing those drawings and many more such moments were beautifully depicted and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful depiction of a struggling high school student.

The thought process of Yaguchi hits so close to home that he became my one of my most likeable and relatable mc in all the anime I've seen in recent times. Everyone goes through the thought that which line one should choose to be successful, should one go for money or passion etc. Though this ideology has been revolving around for many years, it still doesn't fail to motivate an individual. His daily struggle to become a better version of its past and learning from his surroundings and competing with his peers in a subtle manner makes up a perfect protagonist.

So I would like to conclude my review of my first impressions for this series and I would urge everyone who is reading my review to give this show a shot and hype up this anime up to the level its manga has reached.

And finally love for all transgenders <3. Ayukawa Ryuuji is still a kawaii and intimidating character and I look forward to see more of her. Kudos to Yamaguchi Tsubasa for having such a big heart and spreading love to all genders out there.

I want to start of by saying that you don't have to be interested in Art to enjoy Blue period. (i am just going to lay out my feelings and thoughts and not make a technical review talking about animation or sound etc)

I personally draw as a hobby so i was instantly interested in the anime. But the story and the characters are interesting enough to grab your attention even if you are not interested in art at all. Perhaps like the MC you will discover a hidden passion for art. It is still pretty early to talk about character development ... and all that but most characters seem to have a fair amount of depth and unique personalities. all characters are likeable (IMO) and have good chemistry. I personally related to everything the MC thought and experienced so i might be a bit biased, but i cant imagine someone thinking this anime is waste of time after watching it, so i think you should give it a chance.

If you liked the first episodes i strongly advise that you check out the manga, because the anime really lacks in comparison, i only started reading the manga after the first 4 episodes of the anime, but it feels like its a totally different experience.

Tl;Dr:

"Blue Period" explores what it means to express yourself. Our protagonist's journey of self-discovery and self-expression makes for one of the most compelling character dramas around this season. Mangaka Yamaguchi's personal touches offer a nuanced landscape of both the struggles artists face today and their resilient love for their craft. Sketchy production impairs the anime's ability to draw viewers in, yet the show still manages to paint a rather convincing picture. BP's biggest fault lies in its inability to cater to the existing manga fanbase, but its earnest passion still rings through for newcomers. 7/10~

***

Beauty lies in the eye of the Beholder, and the way ... us beholders perceive beauty will vary from person-to-person. It's this subjectivity in tastes that gives art its special meaning. So it's kinda poetic that a story all about art would turn out so divisive among those who watched it. The anime adaptation "Blue Period" (BP) has had people talking for less-than-ideal reasons. Extreme reactions between fans and skeptics can make it difficult for newcomers to decide if this anime is for them. This is because the anime commits specific faults that largely alienate those who have already enjoyed the original manga, and studio Seven Arcs' deserves plenty of criticism for how this material was handled. But let's resist the urge to paint with broad strokes here; despite its weaknesses, BP still manages to retain the core strengths of its source, and offers a valuable gateway experience for the uninitiated to appreciate. To anyone struggling with mixed feedback surrounding BP, I hope to offer an open-minded second opinion on whether or not to give this show a shot. This article will feature a usual breakdown of the story, as well as my honest thoughts on Seven Arcs' efforts when compared with its source material. I'm not here to endorse one medium over the other. My only goal is to endorse a story well-told in either form. And if there's one thing both manga enthusiasts and anime-only fans can agree on, it's this: BP is beautiful. Let's paint a holistic, spoiler-free picture of why BP deserves your time.

The arts can't be perceived in black and white. Well, unless it's in monochrome, of course. It's common to generalize this field as one where stoner artists get praised by rich people for putting together silly sculptures and drawings devoid of meaning. Hyperbole aside, the stigma surrounding the arts is very real. Some revere the arts as a cultural necessity, others see it as a means of exploring themselves creatively. But people typically look down on the arts as a pointless career path, and this is a perspective shared by the main character of this tale. Yatora Yaguchi is a teen who has got it all figured out. He's quite the enigma when we first get to know him: a second-year with a delinquent's demeanor and a star student's grades. As it turns out, his crooked smile is part of a carefully-crafted prodigious persona that masks his hard work and effort. The driven Yaguchi takes pride in meeting the expectations of those around him and finding success in "real life." With an academic record on-track to securing placements in the country's top universities, there's no room for the illogical distractions that art presents.

But damn, if that angelic portrait isn't the most captivating thing he's ever seen.

Stumbling upon a beautiful piece in the Arts Clubroom, Yaguchi confronts what it means to create art. As his teacher Saeki-sensei puts it, the visual arts is spoken in a language without words, communicating truths unique to each artist. All his life, Yaguchi had convinced himself to seek success in school and social circles, but only because the world told him these things held value. Rather than fit in the "real" world, art offers Yaguchi the opportunity to create his own world. To tell his truth, to have his creations touch the lives of other people, to paint a Shibuya skyline, drenched in blue. Art is more than the physical pieces contained inside museum walls; it's passion, something that's been sorely missing from Yaguchi's joyless life.

Yaguchi's initial apprehension towards the arts comes from the overwhelming uncertainty of what lies ahead. Occupation in the arts is undervalued, and career prospects are dim. Artists fight tooth-and-nail in a competitive landscape to keep on doing what they love. Yaguchi is about to jump right in the thick of it, with his eyes set on his only viable path: the Tokyo University of the Arts, a public school with a 0.5% acceptance rate. Experiences in the Arts Club and prep school reveal a frightening catch-up game between our "prodigy" and his peers. He may have mastered what it means to be a conformist, but the arts is a place where individualism matters above all else. Instead of meeting expectations set by others, Yaguchi is now tasked with creating those expectations for himself. For the first time in his life, he perceives himself as a Salieri to the Mozarts of the art world ‒ a talentless amateur when compared against creative geniuses. There's little easygoing with such a tremendous challenge, but Yaguchi has never felt more alive.

BP exudes love for the arts, and that same passion rubs off on its audience. This engaging effect is all thanks to mangaka Tsubasa Yamaguchi's laborious attention to detail. Stemming from both real-life interviews and Yamaguchi's time in Tokyo University of the Arts, Yaguchi's struggle as an upcoming artist feels earnest and intensely personal. His creative process, concerns, and insecurities are laid intimately bare. BP all but drags us into Yaguchi's headspace, which offers an interesting blank canvas for exploring what it means to grow as an artist. His sporadic spurts of self-confidence and artistic output can feel like he's regressing at times, but these flaws rarely come across as contrived. Rather, his struggles and encounters with dead ends make Yaguchi feel human. BP's character drama does have some corny moments, but otherwise depicts this crucial period in Yaguchi's life with a gripping air of maturity. Alongside a compelling protagonist are other inclusions that aid in connecting with this artistic journey. BP is remarkable in how it makes most viewers GET art, even without prior knowledge on the subject. "Art within art" is key to the series' success. In-universe artworks derived from both fiction and real history act as markers for Yaguchi's progress, by communicating the qualities associated with good and bad art respectively. Each painting contains observable details in composition and quickly condenses important information ‒ a picture is worth a thousand words, after all. These artworks in BP brings the audience up to speed on topics Yaguchi studies; such as lighting, form, texture and perspective. And despite the textbook jargon, BP's "lessons" rarely feel dry or difficult, but rather come across as intuitive observations from a real person who was once in our uninitiated shoes. Through learning the technicalities and approaches involved with the production of art, viewers cultivate a deeper appreciation for the creations and struggles Yaguchi endures. The arts homage doesn't end there; BP is brimming with frequent factoids about art and references to famous pieces from the past. Now, there is a small downside when factoring in BP's side characters; the spotlight on Yaguchi often means that many often take a backseat. Still, I believe the series does a fantastic job at contextualizing the journeys of other artists. For instance, the talented Kuwana is in constant fear of failure, with her tenacity wearing thin under the weight of extreme expectations and the guilt of seeing the end of fellow artists' dreams. Probably the strongest showings from this secondary cast goes to Ryuuji. After an introduction which seemed to have got off the wrong foot, Ryuuji quickly came to steal the show through their earnest search for self-identity.

As someone who has recently done some mild studies in the arts, I have nothing but glowing praise for how BP tackles such niche talking points in an inclusive way. With the exception of last season's sleeper "Kageki Shoujo", I haven't encountered any other anime that portrays such an infectious passion for the arts. Unfortunately, this appeal is far from universal, with regards to this anime adaptation at least. This is often the case with many adaptations, but more so with BP. The significant overlap between detractors of this TV series and those who have enjoyed the manga beforehand is worrisome and deserves a closer look. So without further ado, it's time to ask the age old question:

"Is the manga bett-" Yes. 100%.

I don't think there's any dispute over the notion that the manga is built different. One of the first differences you'd notice between manga and anime are the different stylistic approaches. The manga uses shading, linework and framing in a distinct way. BP's anime unfaithful visuals feel far flatter and bland by comparison, and its attempts at emulating the source's inspired use of imaginative sequences feel like phoned-in visual gimmicks. Another issue worth pointing out involves what was left on the cutting-room floor. BP's anime is paced really quickly, and starts out adapting ~100 pages per episode. The abridged result can feel more repetitive at times, and Yaguchi's huge screentime sometimes feels tiresome. Furthermore, the anime is at a disadvantage when it comes to explaining art concepts. From what I've discovered, audiences tend to have a better time keeping up with the manga, which has more room to present infographics and visual representations of this technical material. Finally, the observation that hurts the most is the claim that the anime is "emotionless." Manga readers do have a point; Yamaguchi's superb panels are more emotive and intense than what the anime can provide. And we've yet to mention BP's mediocre production quality, which often results in clunky frames and skewed facial expressions. So yes, manga is better… but that goes without saying for countless adaptations. So what's the problem? Well, word around the community is that BP is a bad anime, and this is a stance I wholly disagree with. Yes, BP's visuals are certainly conventional, but this is an approach that complements the more down-to-earth character drama the series is strong for. Yes, the anime starts out with very fast pacing, but Yaguchi's development in these first chapters is surprisingly on-par with the "rushed'' character changes in BP's first episodes. Yes, there is cut content involving artistic processes and Yaguchi's high school classmates (who show up as afterthoughts,) but the core of the story remains intact; Yaguchi's growth as an artist still takes centerstage to compelling effect. Yes, the anime could be seen as "emotionless," but mostly in comparison to the manga. Shift the playing field, and you just might realize that despite the average-at-best visuals and abridged content, Yamaguchi's unmistakable passion for the arts still resonates to a greater degree than most SoLs out there. If you're a seasonal binger who confuses "Blue Period" with "Blue Lock", what this adaptation offers aesthetically shouldn't be foreign to you. Aside from some scenes in the first episode (and that's me being generous,) there's nothing particularly eye-catching, but there isn't anything offensively bad either. While not particularly pretty, BP makes up for those deficiencies through function; the show is still very good at educating audiences about the arts visually. Lastly, the solid voice acting performances, the interesting OST (+ a banger OP by Omionotake,) and the unstoppable strengths of the source material are all well-worth the SoL price of admission.

What I think has happened here is that attributes deemed as core to the Blue Period experience ‒ the qualities that drew readers to the franchise in the first place ‒ are heavily obscured due to production and time constraints. BP has nothing to offer to existing fans of the IP, and that's a damn shame. Fans expecting BP's adaptation to be of a higher standard than other anime point towards the admirable outpouring of love for the source material, and it's painful to not see that love from readers being reciprocated by this show. That being said, I don't think discourse surrounding the anime should downplay its merits, especially when it still manages to surpass many of its contemporaries airing today. The production committee and Seven Arcs can be scrutinized pretty cynically for their choices here, but I can't really care when the newcomer experience turned out so strong. If you had to pick only one form to check out, go with the manga. But for those with more time on their hands, don't be deterred by the bad press BP has been getting. Don't take my nerd word for it either, go give it a watch; that way you just might be able to experience a great story twice (stonks.) If the show hasn't won you over by the third episode, maybe then consider switching to the manga. Much like how Yaguchi took a chance on the arts and didn't let go, I hope you'll join me in finding an unexpected love for this show.

***

Many thanks for joining me on this read. Living vicariously through Yaguchi's experiences did quell the arts nerd in me. I sure as hell am gonna miss this series. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other reviews for seasons past and present, peace~

Someone says it’s shit but someone says this is masterpiece then I say don’t trust any review and just see the anime . I read manga after that I saw Blue Period and I think it’s good .
the art was acceptable. for example at that scene which the main character smokes(ep1 8:52) the art and the image is an artwork and it’s artistic scene .
the story began good and story shows us most of our lives .
sound was not bad I can’t understand why some other people hate the sound.
at last I must say I enjoyed it and don’t be very difficult or strict .
You ... found this review helpful.

First off, let me just say I am not a huge fan of art. I currently live in a city full of great art exhibits and have visited one in my entire life. Honestly, why should I go out of my way to get out of my house and stare at paintings? I thought people knew NFTs were the new wave. With that said, Blue Period is one of the more down-to-earth shows I have seen in a while. This show is about following what you want to be and how you will make your dreams come true. Yes, I know it sounds like a ... generic shounen trope but hear me out. This show is more serious and dramatic than other shows you’ll find nowadays. You might not cry but you will see how everyone tries to overcome obstacles in the real world.

Pros:

The story and characters are by far the greatest strength of Blue Period. We are introduced to Yatori as the main character. He is a bookworm that has been following whatever the norm is in society and hangs out with some rockhead friends. He sounds kind of boring, doesn't he? But trust me, things start to get more interesting when he starts to question what he wants to be. As the story progresses more, we see Yatori face his dreams head-on through constant thoughts of failure, self-doubt, and passion.

For the supporting cast, they are not copy and paste characters that are easily forgettable. Most of the time there isn't one problem targeted towards one character. Take Ayukawa for example, a non-binary friend of Yatori. We don’t feel terrible for Ayukawa just for their gender. His concerns for the future and the family situation were executed masterfully. I'd argue that his story was presented better than Yatori, but that's just the author being brilliant having an in-depth story. The other secondary characters also affect the overall tone of the story as we also get to see how they confront their goals. Even Yatori’s unmotivated friends keep the story interesting as well as if we should root for every single one of them to succeed.

Cons:

Some anime studios manage to confuse me, not because of what they do, but because of what they don’t do. Who would have thought a show about art would be the lowest point of the show? Well, I will present to you Seven Arcs. Their studio gives a poor impression considering other notable works they have is Tonikaku Kawaii which isn’t too spectacular animation-wise. If you are familiar with art in general, you might recognize some pieces throughout the story which do not look too bad in anime form. There are moments where the animation is supposed to stand out. But most of the time the characters like to make stiff and uncomfortable movements to the point where it kills the whole vibe of enjoying this story. The directing just follow the source material from panel to panel which is why most of the characters make herky-jerky movements.

Overall:

Is Blue Period worth watching? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you couldn’t tell from my disgust for the visuals, this is a flawed adaptation. However, it manages to pull through adversity by keeping the story and characters interesting from start to finish. A great manga does not always translate to a great anime. I'd recommend the manga instead if its premise gave you any interest.

Blue Period is a breath of fresh air since it's one of the most unique anime out there. You know how many like battle anime and isekais we've had this year? Well, a lot. That's why it's like a breath of fresh air.
Well for music anime, we already got Vivy and Takt and stuff. This time, we uncover the arts. It's like going through all components of "MAPEH" aka Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health.
This anime is literally art. No. I'm not kidding since Blue Period focuses itself on "art" as in paintings and sculptures and stuff related to art and NOT the art ... you think of like "quality animation" and stuff.

Even if you're an artist or not, you'll find yourself indulging on this anime since it's another anime that will let you learn more about specific components of art AND also get yourself entertained with the beauty of the paintings.

Although the only issue I see right now is the pacing. The pacing on this adaptation of Blue Period feels kind of fast. But other than that, I don't see any noticeable flaws since I don't have a very keen eye.

I'm looking forward to this, Seven Arcs. You're holding a quality source here and I hope you guys don't mess this up badly. This anime is recommended to watch and who knows? You might actually be a well-known artist someday after watching this with all those techniques and stuff.

This is a great anime, all though some people have mixed feelings about this anime. I felt like it was one of my top ten anime. This anime is just plain beautiful, one of the best Netflix Animes out there, since most of them are kinda meh. The anime is about a kid who wants to go to art school, but he is somewhat poor. So he practices and joins training classes so he can win a free spot to art school.

Why it's so good:
The setting, the feel good vibe, it's so perfect. They also perfectly depict good art, and I ... love the way how everything seems well done. The reason why people would hate it is because it kinda feels like that a lot of the anime, is just waiting for him to finally get out of training school. Which makes it somewhat slow, but it's not like your waiting over 100 episodes for something to happen... There's only 12eps anyway!

Art:
Pretty decent, not the best I've ever seen. But it's about art so... Of course its gonna have some great animation.

Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed watching this anime, and even though sometimes it seemed to take a long time, I didn't really mind it because all of the episodes were interesting.

Great anime, highly recommend!

It's just very boring.

I was excited for this show. But it was just a letdown. I'll admit, the first episode was good. But the show drops off. There is nothing interesting about the plot, and the characters are boring. First and foremost, the main character has not personality whatsoever. He is not eccentric or special in any way. He is just too regular. The characters surrounding him are slightly more interesting, but it's a shame that 80% of the show is just him.

The plot has nothing interesting or new. It is hard to make this type of show interesting. But for the first episodes all ... he is doing is learning. Nothing actually interesting.

I wouldn't recommend you waste your time and watch this show. It brings nothing new to the table.

Boring/10

Edit: K so this is me from the future and this review is very bad and extremely biased. I read the manga after watching a bit of the anime and when I realized how good it was, I started really hating the anime for its average production values, and so gave it a very unfair score just because the production did not do this manga justice. I still think that this adaptation should've gotten much better treatment but that is beside the point. The production itself is average, it is not bad. It shows the manga's story well and so as an adaptation, it is ... okay. It's just a shame that the anime didn't get a high budget or a great studio as this anime could've been something really special. The reason I'm editing the review and not just deleting it is that I think it's important to have this review up to remind me about my mistakes and to think about things objectively and not just give an anime a bad score cause the production is not as great as I expected. The best way to experience this work is in manga form ofc but the anime is a solid choice if you don't want to have to read the manga to experience this story. That's it from future me. If you want to read my cringe review, then by all means go ahead.

Original review:

Extremely dissapointed with this adaptation... I thought the art and animation were pretty bad but okay, y'know? And although this adaptation intrigued me enough as to make me read the source material, after actually reading it I can 100% say that this adaptation does not do the original manga justice. At all.

It's not extremely bad, don't get me wrong, and it will at least give you a feel for what the series is about if you don't particularly enjoy reading manga and want to check the story out. It's just, when actually compared to the source material, this adaptation is lackluster, and just looks bad. It's like if they adapted something like Fullmetal Alchemist into a run of the mill, mediocre anime about an OP guy who gets all the girls, and defeats the bad guys and stuff. Well, it doesn't really change the actual story, but the art and the actual feel of the anime just gives it a really cheap look and vibe, and with an anime that's all about art, and the manga itself having wonderful artwork, this anime just ends up being a dissapointment.

So yeah, not horrible, not a 3 or a 2, but for a manga this good, it is really dissapointing to see such a mediocre adaptation.

This anime always made me think that probably in another universe, I continue pursuing art and got into an Art University. It's because this anime just has this inspirational vibe going about it that makes me wanna do things that I deemed as impossible.
This is this anime's biggest charm and reason as to why you should watch it.

Well, if that didn't hooked you yet about watching this for yourself, then let's get to the technicalities. First the story. It started off pretty much steady and shown a completely linear direction about it's plot. There's progression in each episode which tells how great the pacing ... is. The plot itself isn't unique by any means, but the concept is pretty original (pretty sure there's not much anime about painting). And the execution of generic plot elements here are exceptional and came off as natural course of events.
I didn't rate this category higher because we're at the earlier stages of the story. There's a complete journey in this 12 episodes, but this is pretty much the first step.

Then the characters. The mc is a good character. He feels like a human being who has emotions and personality. The story portrays his struggles and emotion very well which in turn, makes the audience understand his perspective and thus like him as the main focus of the story.
The main cast of characters are also quite likable. Even the side characters has layers to their personalities that doesn't make them fall into generic archetypes. I don't really have much to say to them.

I talked about the good things, now let's go to the harsher side of my review. First, the animation. It's a shame how the studio couldn't live up to the exceptional art that the manga has produced. It's not just how off-model the characters are, but also how the anime art isn't really that impactful as the manga.
Though I like their composition and how they direct a scene (like the blue Shibuya for example). They do a great job... sometimes. But well, the animation itself is pretty janky and stiff, which lowers down my score quite a bit.
Then there's the music where it's just... there. The ost doesn't really amplify the greatness of the scenes nor does it make it memorable. It's just playing on the background. I legit don't remember any tracks from this anime. But the opening and ending grew on me and I found them catchy enough.

Overall, it's a very good, inspirational anime that will probably awaken your inner art within yourself. If you haven't watch it, I suggest you give it a watch. Or if you want the better experience, go read the manga.
(6.8/10)

The best way I can describe Blue Period is it is real. As someone who relates to the situations and emotions of the characters in the story, I feel the show portrays its message incredibly well. For someone who yet hasn't or is in the process of finding their own passion, this show will stick with you.

The art of the show is naturally amazing; the show is about art.
Many of the side characters are fleshed out and feel realistic, which is a great feat considering that its only 4 episodes in.

Overall, I think this show can be something genuinely special for many.

Blue Period feels like a battle shonen in disguise, with a lot of yaoi-bait. Sort of. We have Yatora, the generic main character, who's an underdog, badass, sexy, edgy boy who is also wicked smaht at the top of his class, but doesn't have any passions, until he discovers art and instantly devotes his entire life to it without a second thought. He then accumulates a ragtag team of other fighter-AHEM artists, each with their own set of abilities, and starts levelling up his art and competing in competitions.

I think why Blue Period feels so unengaging to me, and why the battle shonen format ... feels so inappropriate here, is that "Art" as a concept is presented so arbitrarily. We don't see Yatora making clear progress, as he goes from stick figures, to crappy cartoons, all the way to advanced-looking art. He just leaps immediately to seemingly professional-level art and just tells us that the composition is apparently bad or something. As someone with zero knowledge of art, it feels totally arbitrary and I'm not convinced at all by any of it. A lot of the 'progress' of each episode is just a character waxing philosophically about how everyone has to find their own path and determination, and that somehow renews their motivation and we're supposed to feel like meaningful progress has been made.

Yatora paints some photorealistic-looking still life, and then is sent into shock when he sees his classmate's equally great-looking still life, because apparently it's just better? Maybe an actual art student would appreciate this more, but personally it feels like they might as well have replaced the paintings with numbers, and whoever paints the highest number is the best artist, because that's how simultaneously vague and objective this show treats the quality of art. It also doesn't help that the show itself is pretty ugly. I can understand a low budget, but the show just looks drab and depressing 90% of the time. They're always in blank gray rooms with dim, cold lighting, depressed faces, and this quiet, boring music.

The cast of characters are essentially just the usual, tired anime girl tropes (tsundere, kuudere, etc.) but pasted onto boys. The drama usually stems from a character being completely unreasonable, behaving exactly as you would expect their female counterpart in a usual trashy shonen would, and then it's resolved after Yatoro stares at them and says something dramatic and they all blush and romantic feelings are HEAVILY IMPLIED BUT NOTHING HAPPENS.

Next complaint: just let them kiss already. We know you want to. We want you to. Just do it. I haven't read the manga so I don't know if that's what's supposed to happen, but the show is constantly baiting romance between virtually every male character, without ever really crossing the line into explicitly implying attraction. They just blush, a lot, every time they talk to each other, and do typical tsundere stuff. It feels cowardly, like they want to attract the audience who's interested in that type of romance, without scaring away the people who dislike it. Stop being a coward, Blue Period.

I'm being too harsh, honestly. The show is not bad it just fails to really grip me anywhere. The first episode I was excited because I've never seen something like this. I wanted to learn more about the characters, see what it's like to become an artist, possibly see some romantic development. But nope, the show has its blinders on and only cares about art, but treats art like it's some kind of Bleach superpower where Yatora has to complete a study mission to level up his Composition Ability from lvl 3 to lvl 4. All of the characters fit neatly into character tropes that were tired 20 years ago, the only difference is they're boys instead of girls I guess. And Yatoro just goes through the same cycle of getting discouraged, inspired, then making a dramatic proclamation to get better. Again, it's not bad, it's just mediocre all around. Let's hope it proves me wrong in the second half

Ah one of my favorites is getting an anime, wow! I am super hyped. I mean who wouldn't be? I watch the first episode and then say "WTF is this, bad pacing, animation and voice acting." This is not only disappointing but one of the worst anime this year. Let me tell you something, if you didn't like the anime or didn't watch it yet, then please read the manga.

Story is about a guy who doesn't find joy in anything but then my dude discovers drawing, he really loves it and then boom! The start of an inspiring story. You will love it, especially ... those who draw, paint or are interested in that type of stuff. Its extremely inspiring and wants you to really start and try, I just love everything about it.

Art is what? What art? Those poorly drawn faces done by some lazy people not even passionate about what they do? Disappointing Art, the manga art was actually pretty good but this anime is just horrendous in terms of Art, like bro wtf The facial expressions are just poorly drawn, the animation is mediocre. I am not saying that I need some sort of Monogatari level animation but common bro this is not allowed, how can you ruin such a great manga like this???? Horrendous Art and animation no doubt. Stupid people make shit stuff. 30% of the problems come from the art and animation. How can someone mess up the art of an anime that is about art?? Ridiculously Trash.

Sound is something I wasn't sure of but it turned out to be good, at least the opening and ending theme songs. The voice acting isn't good, not good in the least. Feels pretty bad, not really the worst but common they could have made the entire anime much better if the voice acting was good but nah they were like, its going to make money anyways so lets just be lazy and fuck the fans. Please bring better voice acting for the next season. Haha thanks for ruining this too. 20% problems come from the voice acting.

The pacing is horrendous, not even mediocre just horrendous. Its extremely fast and just literally is poor. Some episodes have better pacing than the others but still trash pacing nonetheless. I loved how slow paced the manga actually was, but seeing this fast paced mess makes me puke. One of the worst pacing ever seen. No Doubt. Its where half of the problems come from, unforgivable.

Characters could have been just top-notch but once again the shitty pacing ruined it, an emotional and goated manga gets ruined even in the char part! WOAH! The studio either went on drugs or was a bunch of untalented retards who don't care about the fan. Straight up ruined bad characters, this mediocrity is unbearable, makes my blood boil. Though some scenes for anime only were pretty good but for me it was just horrendous.

Enjoyment is nothing. Who enjoys a shit adaptation of an inspiring, top notch manga? NO ONE! They really ruined it, bad art, mediocre voice acting, char ruined by pacing, enjoyment is then nothing due to all the other factors. I am disappointed, not disappointed in the sense of thinking it might be good but in the sense of expecting a masterpiece since the manga was great. My fall has been ruined, and until next season of trashy isekai this is a goodbye from the reviews. Hopefully they change the studios who make it good or get better animation, pacing, art, voice acting, and lastly follow the manga.

I have yet to see the final and last episode but since the rest of it was already this disappointing I don't think it will get any better in all those areas. Once again new fans shouldn't watch this trash but instead should definitely without a doubt read the masterpiece manga. You may watch the anime but its just inferior to manga. The manga is just much more better. Its emotional, inspiring and very solid in all areas.

The anime industry's default approach to beloved manga adaptations is to drain them dry of personality, rip their hearts out, and factory-produce them for a market that rewards quantity over quality. Blue Period comes out of the machine an uneven but worthwhile experience regardless of all this.

Yatora Yaguchi is a condescending high school student who prides himself on hard work, rather than relying on natural talent. At the very beginning, he sees a Picasso painting and says to himself smugly, "I could paint that." If you've never picked up a paintbrush, that's an understandable conclusion to reach. After all, people who are good at art ... are just talented, right? Blue Period strives to destroy this misconception at every chance it gets. The author wanted passionately to convey that art takes time, effort, and a strong work ethic. An unfortunate side effect of condensing a lengthy manga into a measly adaptation is cut content at the expense of this one crucial theme. Despite Blue Period's technical faults, and there are many, its character writing rises to the occasion. Like Yatora, each of their lives is well detailed: We know what motivates them, their concerns about getting into art school, how their family feels about their decisions and all of the turmoil that comes from pursuing their dreams. The show's most compelling theme is talent versus hard work.

In a show about art, there's not enough screentime devoted to the process of creating art. And for an anime about artists, it's about as creatively vacuous as manga adaptations come. Even the untrained eye will notice this anime's an eyesore at times. Nothing is captivating about the visual language. There are no inventive directing choices; every background is drab, unimaginative storyboards, and the editing is lifeless. The character designs aren't very detailed yet they're inconsistently animated. They move like stiff cardboard. The close-ups fail to convey the script's intense emotions because they're flat. Unmoving. Likely they copied shots directly from the source material without considering how color and animation would affect the scene's impact. Having never read the manga, I can only assume poor adaptation choices. The same can't be said for the background music, which isn't haphazardly edited at all. Taiko drums and piano work well here to give seemingly mundane moments an air of melancholy and anxiety.

Drab though it may appear, Blue Period's engrossing story creates tension very well. Yaguchi and his fellow aspiring artists hone their drawing skills in preparation for the competitive Tokyo Art Institute exam. Only a select few are accepted every year-you're never sure if the main characters will fail or succeed. They face constant negative emotions caused by stress, overwork, and self-doubt. Aside from training, the conflict the characters face and problems at home propel the drama and make it consistently engaging to watch.

Yaguchi is a flawed protagonist and a newcomer to art, which makes him the ideal focus for a show about chasing your dream. He said the wrong thing, praising someone when they are comparatively not impressive to other student artists. Yaguchi's mother disapproves of art school at home because his family has a tight budget. But she is supportive upon realizing the effort he puts into his work. His character arc consists of defying his deeply held belief that "People who are true to themselves can't survive." That's the harsh truth for artists, making a living doing what you love is no easy task. The person who originally drew him into the fantastical world of art, Yuka, plays a key role in his development.

Yuka nearly shares the role of the protagonist with Yaguchi-they also want to get into Tokyo Art University. They live with their grandmother, who has high hopes, and parents who disapprove of their lifestyle and choices. Yuka's gender is ambiguous, but they present femininely and don't want to be treated with masculine gender roles. Their gender is a significant detail incorporated into their backstory with sensitivity: they face bigotry, rejection, and insecurities that dig beneath their elegant and confident exterior. Although they hardly get time for character progression due to the disastrous pacing, they are one of the better characters in the show. Though Yuka is a sympathetic character, the show tries to have its cake and eat it too. Yaguchi constantly refers to them as a man with masculine pronouns and by their deadname, Ryuji. No one questions why he uses improper pronouns-the show blames other people in their life who reject their gender identity. We're told Yaguchi feels compassion for them, then his actions make him seem like an asshole. It's detrimental to his character development, and their relationship progression.

Pacing is the most irritating problem with this anime. Originating from the second episode, which rushes past necessary development: Yaguchi struggled to become a better artist, so we're told, but he simply became great in a series of time skips. Skipping his growth goes directly against the story's themes: not everyone has natural talent, and it takes hard work to achieve your aspirations. The studio responsible for this adaptation, Seven Arcs, selected specific story beats but skipped over what they deemed as less important. Rushing through Yaguchi's art training also leaves non-artists in the dark about his processes to create his drawings and paintings. This issue is persistent throughout most of the show. It's not until the last third of the season that we delve deeply into his step-by-step creative method. If the show had put as much emphasis on creating art as its character drama, it'd be great, but significantly longer than 12 episodes.

Blue Period makes a convincing argument for why you should read the manga-and that's ultimately the only reason this anime was made. It doesn't take advantage of the visual medium, but it's a watchable 7/10 anime that could've been a 9/10 anime. In spite of insurmountable odds, its stellar character writing, script, music, and themes make it a success. Shining through a thick layer of grime covering this diamond in the rough is a beautifully relatable story about passionate artists striving for their dreams.

"March Comes in Like a Lion is successful and no-one plays Shogi. So let's make a story about art, and who cares if we've never picked up a pencil? We can just google everything."

There is this one episode in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K where Saiki, Kaidou, and Nendou goes to an art museum in London. Nendou blankly stares at the works of art and makes these general and rather flat comments on all of the paintings and sculptures like, "This one is pretty good," and, "This looks cool." Even Saiki, the sigma genius, is on the exact same page of Nendou for the ... very first time; "...I cannot understand art, to be honest." And then, Kaidou walks up to it. Like the chuunibyou he is, he 'unravels' the mystery and meaning behind the works of art, treating every single shape and swiggle as if it has some abstract, convulted meaning behind it that no mere mortal can truly understand, and only once one starts seeing rather than looking they can truly gain a fundamental idea of the work. A circle among squares? Individuality takes many forms, and to call one a mere 'contrarian' is naught but supercilious. A cross in blood? Someone has been watching too much Evangelion. You get the idea.

In Blue Period's case, it's Kaidou and I'm Nendou. And, in more ways than simply making pretentious comments on drawings. Blue Period is the very essence of how Kaidou acted in that one episode; every single comment he made was if he just searched it up prior or ab-libbed it in the spur of the moment. For Blue Period, the former is much more likely. Let me explain.

Now, I'm not going to discard other shows/manga that may have done the exact same thing. God knows if they actually knew about the skill or hobby that they were writing about. But for Blue Period, it's so bluntly obvious that the writers are just googling shit and calling it a day. The story is tailored for profit and is completely uninspired; it's as if an amateur writer wanted to get into the trend of 'making a story about a hobby/skill' and decided to google everything, without ever picking up a pencil in the first place. And even if they have actual experience in the arts, they certainly have no experience in writing. For one thing, there is just so much dialogue about random bullshit about art. Who gives a shit about how if you mix white and green paint together it can make skin in paintings look light green? I certainly don't, and I don't expect you to either. Coming in, I was interested in the art aspect about Blue Period, and came out completely irritated and the lust for knowledge completely washed out. Every single thing they talk about feels so contrived and uninspired. They toss these random words around like 'dessin' to give the show some 'artistic flair' and hardly ever elaborate on what it actually means to the characters, merely using it to pretend that the writers know about art. And all of the comments about the drawings that the MC makes are so pretentious and completely exaggerated; who looks a picture of a statue and says, "Woah. This gives off an air of silence and elegance. Why do I feel so cold all of a sudden?" If it was a joke, as in Saiki-K, then it would be fine and pretty humorous. But they are completely 100% serious about everything they say, and it's completely ridiculous.

Utterly devoid of passion and uninspired, Blue Period is another attempt of joining the fray of the big-shot anime that are based around a hobby that becomes a way of life. Ping Pong the Animation? Made me interested in the sport's technical dynamics. Food Wars? Made me cut my sandwiches into triangles. Your Lie in April? Almost made me purchase a piano. And, Blue Period? Made me hate art. Blue Period is a total disgrace when it comes to the visual arts, and I don't even know to paint let alone draw anything. It's that obvious. Every single moment is just absolutely appalling and emotionless because absolutely nothing happens. The expository dialogue fills the majority of the show, and you can hardly ever take your eyes off of the subtitles just to look at the visuals, not that you ever would want to because of how bad it looks. And the humor? It's so forced. It's as if every single joke was written by a robot because it never connects with the audience. The comedic timing and joke in itself is absolutely terrible. I had to go back about 10 times while watching Blue Period simply because I realized that there was a joke, about a minute after it was said. And once I did, it's not even funny. Moving on, the drama as well is just absolutely stupid. Its as if the writers realized how long the show was dragging on so they decided to put in some random bullshit and call it a day. An example of this is the reveal that one of the characters is actually not female but a guy, which is never elaborated on because the writers don't give a shit. And, don't even get me started on the protagonist's major decision to do art for a living, and potentially for the rest of his life. He makes a single painting, which is more-or-less just a blue background and some scribbles. But it was so much fun! Which is why he devotes art for the rest of his life. His parents don't care for some absurd reason, and they don't even say anything about how he just picked it up and decided to make art for the rest of his life.

The art. No, calling it 'art' is too exaggerated. Power-point presentation makes much more sense. Whenever a character talks, the show lingers on that scene where they're just blinking and moving their mouth for way longer than it should be. It's almost hard to believe that this anime came out in 2021, the exact same year with Dragon Maid Season 2. And it's even harder to believe that this show is about art! The animation is so god damn bad. Only once or twice did they actually decide to exert some creativity into the animation, which is primarily making a 'chibi' version of a character or exaggerating a scene abruptly. The character design of most of the characters are so bad and forced. They are designed to be 'quirky' and 'artistic' when really it comes out like the animators are crying for help. It's just that bad. The only promising thing about the animation is the art (i.e paintings the characters make), which doesn't look that bad at all. But when you're spending the majority of the show looking at still images accompanied by random babbling, it's hard to notice it all.

Sound doesn't even exist for the most part. At least 10-15 minutes of an episode has no soundtrack at all, and the only thing you can hear is the characters talking. I'm not even joking, I'm 100% serious. And the voice acting is not even good at all. All of the voice-actors are complete amateurs. Like the story and the art, there is simply NO emotion whatsoever in the sound. It's not even worth talking about because of how bad it is.

Like their designs, the characters are all 'quirky' and 'random.' However, despite this, they can all be summed up in a single word. Too little thought was put in the characters, and I can somewhat forgive them when it comes to the side-characters. They aren't supposed to be that important to the story, but they are way too boring and one-sided that it directs all of our attention onto the MC. And he, Yatora Yaguchi, is just as bad. As I mentioned earlier, he jumps onto the visual arts train after a single picture. Before this awkward and abrupt transition, he was even more boring. Just a mere delinquent who is also a hardcore smoker who watches football with his buddies, who are also boring as well. I'm talking about the 'I really want to get laid so I'm going to look hardcore as shit' kind of guy, except he lacks the charm and humor of The Inbetweeners. As soon as he paints a drawing, all of his 'personality' is completely washed out. There isn't even a single word that I can use to describe him.

As I mentioned Saiki-K earlier, let me bring that point up again. Sure, I might be Nendou and have no experience whatsoever when it comes to art and don't particularly understand it, but I know that there people who do. And after watching Blue Period, I can only feel sorry for them because of how it completely washes the paint out. There's no charm, wit or anything about Blue Period. It's nothing, and is simply tailored for profit, especially when you consider the campaign done to advertise it. That's the only reason why people have bothered to pick this awful show up in the first place, and they were completely scammed with the waste of their time. Leave this one alone.

Harem, isekai, and time travel. What do all of these have in common? Escapism. That's the current trend in anime. That's what seduces many anime fans. That's the fuel that anime industry is running on, and it's pressing the gas pedal all the way down. Why? Because everyone wants to take a break from the overwhelming stress real life has. The problem, is when that "break" turns into a subconscious addiction called escapism. Yes, it would be cool for you to live in a world where 5 beautiful women like you for no reason. It might not be that direct, but more in the lines ... of theme or moral that the anime is pushing (directly or indirectly). You made terrible decisions and led a very poor & passive life? Go back in time and fix your mistakes! Can't do that? Don't worry, when you die you will be reincarnated with better looks, better powers, and suddenly very good discipline and motivation! As if you aren't going to repeat the same mistakes. It would be nice if you can make so many irl friends that easily, wouldn't it! You get the idea. You might think that these "indirect" themes are so dumb that no one would entertain them. Yet, the irony resides in the fact that the anime itself has become the viewer's isekai. Like a momentarily self-insert fantasy.

So, when an anime finally comes along that isn't a reset-button anime trying to exploit escapism, people get upset, I guess. Yeah, Blue Period is about hard work, determination, discipline, and taking risk. The exact opposite of escapism. Oh no! An anime with actually a good moral? A theme that inspires you to get off your chair and actually do something productive? That's not what we want! It's so disgusting that Blue Period is being called a self insert anime when it's the exact opposite. Maybe it's self insert in a way that it's supposed to inspire or at least motivate many people at one time, but definitely not self insert in the way most isekai anime are. Although last season wasn't stellar by any means, it had one notable anime that used the pre-established concepts of escapism (changing worlds; isekai) as a way to combat that very escapism with realism. That anime was Sonny Boy, and that anime was swept under the rug as a hidden gem with such a sublime story work, almost too good for the people. I see the same exact trend happening to Blue Period, although on a smaller scale, and I refuse to site idly once again.

All of this is just the first problem. The second problem is one that is available in all forms of entertainment, and it's the fact that the average consumer cares neither for the quality of the writing nor for the depth of the characters. A simple turn-your-brain-off-and-tune-in kind of "thriller" with the occasional half assed plot twist and you got an audience! Consumers (anime fans in this case) have become so jaded that they cannot distinguish good from bad writing, and they don't even care either way. Blue Period is a plot-based anime that is character-driven, which doesn't appeal to the aforementioned phenomenon.

Finally, not every anime needs to have 3 main characters and 9 side characters. It's much harder to write one 8/10 character than ten 7/10 characters. It's so refreshing to see a story with a one-character focus. That's how you know an anime is real. It's not trying to copy-paste 10 different characters to have as many "relatable" and self-insert characters as possible. It only focuses on one, because relatability has nothing to do with objectively good writing. Even if you're a subjective viewer, the MC is very relatable anyways, as he's just dealing with his future decisions and the lifelong musing of passion and career, which most people go through. The constant focus on the MC can be seen as a metaphor in of itself. To succeed in life, or to be anything worthwhile, you must focus on yourself. You must be easily able to get rid of anything weighing you down, even if it's life long friends. The only objective of the sidecast, at least in anime like this, is to be realistic and consistent. No need to be anything more. I hope the anime focuses even more on the MC and less on the sidecast. My only problem with the character work is that Ryuuji's situation just came out of left field. Writing-wise, it just felt like unnecessary drivel that took too much screen time. I want more focus on Yatora and less focus on everyone else. I want to see more of his basic and smaller lifestyle. Good and well-written characters aren't those who shine during dramatic life-changing events. They shine in their everyday life and in small, simple decisions.

I will say the execution of the MC's transition from being passionless to passionate about art wasn't the best. The early period should have been more explored, the stagnation more suffocating, and the transition more realistic and smooth. I would have loved more emphasis on that aspect. Finally, I don't know much about art, but I'm not seeing enough explanation or even just raw emphasis on the art pieces. Although that isn't the entire point of the anime, I hope this will get better. Regardless, I'm excited to see how the MC and anime progress.

Every single person complaining about this anime is complaining about the wrong thing. It's not boring, it's not self-insert, it's not bad writing, it doesn't have terrible animation, and finally, it isn't a bad adaptation. I read some chapters from the manga, the adaptation is more than fine.

My Ratings (So far - 5 episodes):
Story - 8/10
Art & Sound - 7/10 - Nothing to write home about but not bad either
Characters - 8/10
Overall - ~8/10

This is my first review here so apologies for my dyslexic rambling. I only read the first few chapters of the manga and I'm not normally one of those people that say to just read the manga but in this case, you really should if you thought even the premises was ok. The story is amazing but that's only from the source material, not the anime. The animation is very much lacking despite having good art witch stands out more with the voice acting not meeting the animation. The voice acting is quite powerful but it's taken away with the animated characters that are hardly ... moving or doing anything to covey their emotions. Overall this anime is lacking and its best qualities are from the manga, with its sound design, and voice acting being the best part of this anime. I highly suggest reading the manga and not ruining the joys of this series with this poor addaptedation.