Review of Blue Period

Spoiler Warning: Even something as simple as art can be turned into a unique story, and this anime has done a great job of animating that feeling. Blue Period came at a perfect time, not only because of how highly anticipated it was but as an art major myself, I can relate to this. Even though this anime was adapted nicely to the source material, there were still some issues that slightly bothered me, however, but didn't ruin the experience of watching it. From my perspective as an artist and anime reviewer, my feelings towards Blue Period are highly based on what I thought about theseries in general, so it'll almost be a thorough thought-based review.

The plot of Blue Period is not only just about art but also the complex emotions expressed in this anime. I've always found art to be easier to use than words at times, and this was a good portrayal of those expressions. While it focuses on character development, I wished the anime expanded more on some events from the manga. In terms of the anime's pacing, it wasn't too bad, but it could've been better. Some parts in the anime felt slightly rushed, barely giving time for the story to calm down. Despite that issue, the anime made up for it by portraying central moments of self-reflection, which is done well. Another theme this anime is relatable to is the concept of our desire for an almost impossible goal. Although it was hard to see some characters fail to achieve some of their goals, the portrayal of that aspect felt real, and I applaud the anime for doing a great job on that.

The story focuses on a student gaining a passion for art and developing a goal of going to an art school with a low acceptance rate. Although the idea itself is realistic, it still felt generic at times, but it made sense since it's based on real-life concepts that are relatable. Along the way, the main character gets to know many other students in the art field. Not only gets to know them but also learns about their struggles and understands their motives for doing art. As he improves on his art, he self-reflects on how he feels when painting or drawing. Doing so develops his character as an artist who can self-reflect even after the praise he receives for his work. Despite the simplicity, I liked this story since it further taught me how artists express themselves through art, it may have been my favorite part of the entire series. Despite the odd pacing, the anime did a great job portraying situations the characters got through that are similar to those in the real world.

The characters themselves brought the story to life. The character design was unique as it matches their personalities well. On a separate note, a specific character looked too similar to someone else from another anime, but I was surprised they got away with it. The main character, Yatora was relatable to me since I can understand the stress of applying to a university doing art combined with the timing of this anime's arrival during my university years. His character growth was intriguing because his art is the exact portrayal of how he's developing as an aspiring artist, which is done well in terms of similarity. The other characters were unique and yet ambitious in terms of who they were. However, they felt slightly bland since they all have a similar goal as Yatora. Their personalities and backstories showed us how they felt during their art sessions. Their personalities are shown in some of their works. One character, Mori-senpai, stood out to me the most as I saw her as a guiding light to Yatora, and she could technically be called the reason why the series even occurred. The portrayal of real-life scenarios, such as LGBTQ representation was well done. I liked them a lot, and I'm glad the series creator made them relatable in every way.

The animation felt stiff at times in terms of their movement, but it wasn't as bad as it looked at times. The artwork however, deserves more attention as it's the central part of Blue Period. The artwork created by each character each has a theme, and they use that theme combined with how they feel about it. At first, it started with simple items, such as what they see. Later on, it makes art complex for some viewers since it adds a deeper meaning to what they want to paint and how artists express themselves from their art. That said, every one of the paintings was breathtaking to see, and as an artist, I can somewhat tell what the themes are for each one of them.

The music was spectacular to hear as the opening and ending had a different vibe to other coming-of-age anime. The beginning song was catchy, yet has a vibe that keeps me listening to it whenever I feel stressed about my life. The notes in that song inspired me to keep going as it starts off calm but gives me hope to never give up on my goals in life. The ending was a peaceful refresher to hear, but I felt too quiet at times. However, the song was still beautiful to listen to as it recaps the events that occurred in the anime. The music overall felt peaceful and expressed what it feels like to be an artist and I can understand how it felt myself.

Overall, Blue Period was a good experience for me to watch. Not only were the characters intriguing, but the artwork created by each of the characters was the best way to show us what their personalities are like to us. This anime deserves more recognition for how realistic it was and how it inspires us to achieve our dreams. The pacing and animation could be better, but I felt like the anime tried its best to adapt the manga, but it could've been better. Whenever I'm struggling through my goals in life, I'll think of this anime and continue to self-reflect on my goals and work hard to be better in life.