Review of Blue Period

Okay, here we go for the fifty-sixth time: Characters: -Main characters: Yatora is the only protagonist in this anime, and he is developed in such a way that his learning process is believable. He is an emotional boy who manages to understand himself through art, and the relationships he has formed along his artistic journey have supported him and taught him lessons, or rather, he has gained something from these relationships. I didn't expect to say this, but he is the protagonist this work needed to succeed. (7/7) -Secondary: All the characters are quite likable, but if we talk about support and usefulness to the plot, there areonly about 3 or 4 that are really important in this anime compared to the rest, even though they are all good secondary characters. (2/3)

Logic:
Even from Yatora's point of view, there's nothing to complain about. (10/10)

Entertainment (Personal):
I didn't fully enjoy the second episode because of its pace, but the rest of the episodes kept me engaged from start to finish. (8/10)

The basics in an anime:
-Animation: I don't know anything about the manga, but I did feel that it was a little lacking, as it only shines at specific moments and doesn't maintain a consistently high standard as it should, or so I think. (1/2)
-Music: The OP is catchy, the ED is powerful, and the OSTs are good, meaning it works. (2/2)
-Addictiveness: An anime to take your time with, although, as always, the last episodes are the ones that leave you wanting more. (1/2)
-Development of tags (genres, themes, etc.): Several anime in this genre are overrated, but this anime is definitely “Visual Arts,” and I have nothing more to say that explains this well and the experience of different characters with this passion, besides the fact that the protagonist learns many life lessons related to these artistic abilities that he has to learn on his own. (3/2)
-Ending: Totally satisfied with what I saw, but looking forward to a second season with the start of the next arc. (2/2)

Plot development + personal reflective impact (The objective and subjective aspects of this anime, in my opinion): SPOILER:
Yatora is a young sophomore in high school, and the story begins with him wondering, as usual, whether he should study art after seeing a painting by a student in the art club. But after hearing the words of his art teacher, he decides to follow his passion and joins the Art Club. He spends about a year in this club improving his technique and then, at the end of the year, on the recommendation of his teacher, he and his classmate Ayukawa decide to take the preparatory course. We are introduced to several characters, such as the genius Yotasuke, the lively instructor Oba, and more. But the story chooses to show us a little of all the problems Ayukawa goes through, such as being rejected romantically for being a cross-dresser, which hurts him like any human being. Leaving that aside, events continue, such as Yatora's visit to the university he aspires to attend, where, due to some comments made by Yotasuke, the two fight and begin a rivalry that will continue in the future.
The first evaluation arrives and, thanks to Oba's advice, Mori's art, and Yatora himself, he manages to find the answer he needed to create one of his best paintings to date, thus maintaining a good streak where he is only praised. However, when the next evaluation arrives, Yatora creates a painting quite similar to the one that had previously been successful, so he is punished with a low grade that affects him by depressing him deep down, and he cries alone in his room at home while reproaching his mother's words on the phone in another room, responding, “Mom, doing what I like doesn't mean I always enjoy it,” since it is true that what we like does not necessarily mean we are good at it, and discovering this for the first time hurts. And the anime continues like this, with the preparatory course and the challenges it leaves for the students, where Yatora discovers things such as that his classmate Kuwana somehow feels the pressure of always being in her sister's shadow when it comes to art, which is what she likes best. We also have students stressed out by the arrival of the first exam, where Kuwana's words (I think) that “our responsibility is not to allow ourselves to break down” hit hard because, as they say, everyone is betting on their dreams, and if nothing seriously prevents them, their duty is not to give up. The day of the first exam arrives, and Yatora draws a self-portrait divided into several parts to express the many facets he can have, as he sees himself that way, and it works for him, because when the results come in, Yatora passes along with Kuwana and Hashida, who is a friend of both of them from class. Things happen in the preparatory course as they prepare for the second and final exam to decide whether they will enter the UAT, such as Kuwana saying, “Sometimes it's hard to choose the easy path,” referring to a friend of hers who left the course to teach painting workshops because she couldn't stand being competitive. But the curious thing is that Yatora later discovers that Ayukawa left the preparatory course, which he would have accepted if he hadn't known that Ayukawa drew an “X” on the canvas during the exam and left. Yatora can't stop worrying about his friend, but he doesn't know how to respond to what Ayukawa said the last time they spoke, which was that Yatora is the kind of person who only wants to do the right thing, explaining that “if someone were drowning, you would look for a lifeguard instead of jumping into the sea.” Even so, Yatora calls him on the subway, and after seeing each other and Ayukawa saying depressing words, Yatora responds with, “I would jump into the sea if no one came to save you... I wouldn't drown with you because I would swim with all my strength to the surface,” showing himself to be a friend who doesn't abandon others in trouble. They both get on the subway and go to a cheap lodging place in front of the beach. Here, interesting things happen, such as Ayukawa's revelation of his problems with his family regarding why he decided to study Japanese art, and more problems related to his identity. Meanwhile, at Ayukawa's suggestion, they are each painting a nude self-portrait, which is the first time Yatora discovers many things about himself through painting.
After this experience, Ayukawa decides to move away and work in something related to fashion, and then thanks Yatora with a gift for accompanying him to say goodbye. Yatora arrives late to the preparatory course but still manages to paint a good picture and tells his instructor about his experience with his friend at the beach. She responds with, “Seeing yourself naked and showing it to people is accepting yourself as you are” and “There are many people who stay dressed their whole lives,” which not only refer to clothing, but also to taking risks if it means feeling complete as a person.
The day of the second exam arrives, which will take place in three days in total, but on the first day, Yatora is very ill due to hives on one of his arms, which takes him by surprise and prevents him from making much progress that day. On the second day, “already more recovered,” Yatora begins to paint, but then discovers what he must do when he thinks, “My art must show the world through my eyes.” Since the subject to paint is a nude, Yatora decides to show his experience on the canvas by reflecting his feelings that he feels pathetic when naked, but feels more guilty when dressed for hiding his shameful body. On the last day, after hearing Yotasuke's words, Yatora cheers up and, in his sketchbook, reflects his idea that “Before making art, I was transparent,” because this experience with art did not make him more perfect, but made him visible, made his feelings visible to other people. The exam ends, the day of the exam results arrives, Yatora passes, he doesn't believe it until Yotasuke repeats it to him and they give him the form to enter university. Yatora has made it, and on the advice of his instructor, after saying goodbye to being a student in the preparatory course, he goes to celebrate with his friends who hug him. The anime ends with a scene where Mori contemplates and praises a painting by Yatora in surprise, which is shocking, since she was the source of Yatora's motivation and now she is witnessing the result.
Finally, the last frame of this anime is a canvas, but it is not blank, it has a blue brushstroke, because now is when the Blue Period begins. (20/20)

Comments:
The best and only art anime I've seen so far, but the progress has been the most satisfying thing along with all those likable characters. I hope they release a second season, and if it's better animated and adapts a good story, I'll probably give it a 10.

Final score: 9.6.

(Note: Since I am very tolerant of anime, my minimum score for all of them is currently 4).