Review of Blue Period
The first thing it did beautifully was the essence of the story. A kid who has no direction in life discovers a passion for art and decides to pursue it. Blue Period conveys the feeling of trying to get better at art and having to adapt to it so well. Yaguchi doesn't pull out the Main Character Powers card and starts wowing everyone with his skill. He suffers what all of us artists have had to suffer through. Realizing that you're out of your depth, not knowing jack about the supplies you have to use, feeling inferior to anyone who might be a hair aboveyour level, the crippling insecurity that gets conformed during crit, and most of all, feeling like you try your hardest and having it still not be enough. Seeing it so easily conveyed felt like a slap in the face, yelling at me that I wasn't special in those feelings and to suck it up. But the fact that they were able to show it meant that others had experienced it and know what we've had to deal with. That even if we're stressed and anxious and insecure, we're still good. We're still okay.
The second thing done exceptionally was the art style and the sound design. The art style used for the characters and environments was so sharp and clean. All the colors belonged together. If you stared at the screen until you couldn't stare anymore, they would mesh into the most beautiful sea of bluish-grey that you'd ever seen. It's gorgeous. Colors simultaneously pop and harmonize. The sound is also gorgeous. The VA's did a wonderful job conveying emotions and making all the characters feel like real people. The opening and ending music are the best sounds I've ever heard. [I'm actually listening to Replica (the ending) while I write this.] It's the only anime where I've refused to skip the intro or outro, even while binging. I just love them too much.
The queer representation is also *deeply* appreciated. Yuka, a nonbinary/transfemme person, is one of the main characters. They're represented in such a human way within their queerness. So many times it nearly brought me to tears because of how much I related to them. Dealing with social negatives that seem like they're positives when they're not. Wishing it could be different so it would be simpler. Just that one chance for it to be simpler. The random bursts of confidence in it, using it to your advantage even if you don't like it, and the deep-rooted insecurities you hide behind a confident face felt so real that they hurt. It was bright out when I was watching this show. And as Yuka said, nothing sucks like having your heart broken on a sunny day. And their realness broke my heart in the best way possible.
Lastly, the characters were absolutely fantastic. Each one of them was dynamic and important and compelling and full of life. Even the ones that were shitty, or deadpan, or fit into a certain archetype. They were their own people. They were human. They had energy and relationships and insecurities and dreams. They're special and unique. And even though I struggle with names, I remember each one of them. The cast of characters was done wonderfully and made the anime that much better to watch. If one had any different personality, I don't know if I could've stuck around.
If you haven't watched this yet, please do. It's gorgeous and relatable and is one of my new favorite shows. I recommend it to anyone who wants to do art or has a dream they feel like they can't pursue. Do yourself a favor and watch this.