Warning! This review on Blue period Chapter one contains spoilers. If you haven't seen the episode yet, I recommend watching it and then going back to read the review.
"Wake up with the joy of painting"
Blue period Chapter one begins with Yatora and her group of friends spending their time watching a game. The story is about Yatora, who seems to have everything in her life under control, even if she has no passion for it. At least it was until Mori's art caught his attention and interest. Even with so much contradiction, Yatora's interest in art could not be erased, especially since he discovered the joy of expressing himself through art. With fiery determination, Yatora made the decision to follow her passion. The destination of our young protagonist is now the Tokyo University of the Arts, which has the lowest acceptance rate.
The beginning
Blue period is an adaptation of the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. It was hosted by Seven Arc Studio and is one of Netflix's bets to get anime out almost on par with Japan. So we can legally support this story every Saturday via a different platform than usual. I have to say it was a great bet on the part of the streaming service as a story about youth, dreams and exertion is usually a great recipe for success. Of course, without leaving aside all the drama of youth that this brings with it.
The history of Blue period it will shine because it is so far and so close at the same time. When we get to know their characters, it is impossible not to empathize with any of them. As so often in my reviews, I am aware of the original material but just want to talk about anime. With that in mind, we just need to focus on this beginning, both the anime and the journey that Yatora will begin. This first episode was a fair starting point, we knew the lack of interest in everyday life and were amazed at the awakening of a passion. And although the fear and expectation were brief, the sincere decision to follow a passion is captivating.
This was the beginning of this anime and this is exactly how our protagonist's journey begins, every journey begins with a first step. Having a conviction and arming yourself with determination is not all it takes, this is just the beginning. Life is full of momentous decisions and turning points, career choice is just one of them. There are hundreds of ways to choose from and the lack of certainty can be overwhelming, which is why the first step is so meaningful.
Dreams, expectations and reality
As I said, the possibilities for our future are endless, but that doesn't mean we should be so scared. Even if there are no certainties, there are drawer choices that want to secure a way for us. While there is nothing wrong with depending on these decisions, pursuing what we are passionate about will always be a better choice. It's a beautiful ideal, but it doesn't always match our reality. The path that Yatora has chosen is uphill, difficult and without any certainty. It seems like a stupid decision from an objective point of view, but it's still admirable from my point of view.
Art is a path that not everyone chooses, partly because it is subjective and partly because it is difficult to live financially, physically and emotionally. The artist's path is tiring, winding, confusing, and sweetly rewarding. Yatora sparked her passion because she tasted the latter's honeys. But he is not alone in that, Yatora's experience intensified as he put seriousness in his expression. He's not a naive brat, he knows his family's circumstances and knows his own abilities, his choice reflects that. The goal of the art college is not a joke and he is seriously betting on it.
However, this is just the beginning of your journey. From here on there will be a lot of things that you will have to work around if you are to achieve your goal. In addition, a new challenge is born with it, as while the university is the actual starting point, this will already be a topic for another occasion.
"If it's blue for you ..."
When we part a little from determination, future, passion and certainty, it seems to me something beautiful how inspiration is born in detail. From the beginning of the episode, we saw Yatora intersect with artistic innuendos like the Picasso exhibit, but what really piqued his interest was an entirely different work. But more than the work itself was the colors. In addition, Mori's words shaped him as they are words with which he has always identified. Talent is not necessarily something that is born, and hard work can also produce these results.
The inspiration didn't stop there because the sense of closeness Yatora felt for Mori led him to know colors and how they can be combined to create new ones. It was precisely this lightning bolt that made him paint Shibuya blue. An inspiration that was reinforced by Mori's words when she let him surrender to artistic subjectivity. The eyes with which an artist looks at the world should not always match those of the other. That's because "If it's blue for you, anything can be“Art is an expression that does not have to be bound by the norm.
In the future, Yatora will have many teachers and learn from many artists, but in my humble opinion, Mori will always be a pillar in her development as an artist.
Final comment
Blue period Chapter one was an episode with a somewhat accelerated but well-planned narrative. In general, it was a great start for this series, the animation was meticulous, the colors used do justice to the artistic project, and the script managed to bring out the basics. As I mentioned earlier, considering that Yatora's casting process was decided on this episode, the narrative was a bit rash, but the script makes up for it by giving us the right scenes for the catharsis of the moment.
I've already mentioned it above, but I'll repeat, as I'm a fanatical reader of the manga on which this adaptation is based, I couldn't help but miss some of the details. I won't go into that because this review isn't about it, I'm just saying that it would have been nice to have the art class Saeki Yatora offered in detail. But we can ignore this, as this adaptation does not purport to teach, but to entertain.
So much for looking back, I leave you with the usual questions: What do you think of this chapter? Do you think it was a good start to this story? What is your opinion on Yatora? Future-proof or pursue your passion, which would you have chosen?
