Initially a rather successful and multi awarded manga which eventually became an anime that is currently screening on Netflix, “Blue Period” then took the expected step and was adapted into a live action movie. The film is to premiere this August in Japan, but before that, it is screening at Japan Cuts in International Premiere
Blue Period is screening at Japan Cuts 2024
Second-year high school student Yatora Yaguchi is fairly popular among his peers, and also a rather good student, holding the 4th position among all students of the class. He is also not ‘afraid’ of spending the whole night out with his friends, having fun until the morning. At the same time though, he feels a constant sense of emptiness, since he does not seem to enjoy anything in his life. However, after one more night out, he sees the morning scene of Shibuya in a shade of blue that touches him in ways he never expected.
Following the example of one of his classmates and friends, crossdresser Ryuji “Yuka” Ayukawa, he eventually decides to join the art club, where an art work by his senior, Mori, who perceives art as a spiritual activity, inspires him even more. Soon, and after receiving praise for his first work, Yaguchi decides to pursue admission to the Tokyo University of Arts (TUA) and thus join a cram school. His interactions with his fellow students and his teacher change him even more, but his path towards the art world is not exactly smooth, as his family’s financial issues create a number of problems, and the competition is fierce.
If you like Blue Period, check also the anime review
That the quality of anime/manga adaptations has increased significantly over the latest year is a fact, which owes, however, a lot in the technological progress in terms of SFX, which has allowed the ‘extremity’ of the original to be properly transferred on the big screen. In the case of “Blue Period” though, this is not the case since the original is utterly grounded in reality. This has not prevented Kentaro Hagiwara from coming up with a truly great adaptation which manages to present the bulk of the original in the 115 minutes of the movie, headed by the prowess in context.
In that fashion, the comments presented through the narrative are many and varying. The concept of art as professional orientation, and the way it is still looked down by many, particularly of the previous generation who consider it a hobby, is a central one here, with the protagonist having to face this attitude throughout. In the same path, Hagiwara could have presented the parents as the villains here, but he opts for the more realistic approach, having particularly his mother as a truly benevolent presence who does not complain about constantly sacrificing for her son. As such, the way she perceives art and his chosen path is excused by both the reasons behind her attitude and the way she reacts when she realizes her son’s dreams. Marie Yaguchi in the role gives an excellent performance.
At the same time, the importance of having proper mentors in life is also highlighted intensely, with Yaguchi’s teachers in both the art club and the cram school providing much needed guidance, both encouraging and grounding in reality. Also of note here is his relationship with Ayukawa, who suffers with issues with their own family, in an element that suggests some underlying homosexuality but never actually crosses in that path, even in the naked scene. Fumiya Takahashi is also quite good in the role.
Lastly, the movie deals with the way schools function in Japan, with the various ‘tribes’ found in schools, nerds, jocks, delinquents, pariahs etc and the rather intense system that has students competing for their rank within the classroom. In the same direction, the presentation of the entrance exams to one of the most prestigious schools in the country is presented as a dog-eat-dog fight, a survival of the fittest that actually leaves victims (even if in psychological terms) in its path.
Gordon Maeda, who is rather appealing to the eye and actually looks like an athlete, is great in the role of Yaguchi, embodying all the aforementioned concepts in impressive fashion, in an anchoring performance that carries the movie from beginning to end.
The visuals of “Blue Period” are equally excellent. The depiction of the various paintings and artworks is a treat to watch, additionally because the students are presented in having completely different approaches in their art. Particularly the various ‘blues’ and ‘greens’ will definitely stay on mind of any viewer.
Although it rushes in moments here and there, in an effort to include as much of the original as possible, “Blue Period” manages to be something more than a great adaptation, an actual great movie.
