Warning! This review on Blue period Chapter two contains spoilers. If you haven't seen the episode yet, I recommend watching it and then going back to read the review.
"He's not tanned"
Blue period Chapter two begins with Yatora announcing her intention to study art, whatever Yuka hears. Without further delay, Yaguchi joins the art club and begins training to improve. While she's busy with summer assignments for the art association, she has to find a way to convince her mother to apply to college. Time goes by and Mori's graduation is just around the corner. By talking to her, Yatora believes she has a way to talk to her mother. With a portrait, Yatora finally expresses her feelings and gains recognition. After Mori's graduation, a new chapter begins for Yatora, which will now face the preparatory courses.
Effort and results
After making a decision, it is important not to be distracted by the next step, which is essentially about getting our choice off the ground. For Yatora, this means joining the art club and constantly trying to catch up with the rest of the group. Compared to the others, Yaguchi has an enormous time disadvantage, which he makes up for with his commitment. There is no rule that guarantees that the first starter will be the clear winner, despite the apparent lag, Yatora is still in the race struggling to improve by leaps and bounds. It is true that art requires a certain amount of talent, but effort can fill that void. It is known that hard work has never betrayed anyone.
What if you discover your calling later than the rest is you have to make a double effort. The summer chores are an example of this, it was a tiresome job and to some extent excessive, but doing them is an example of commitment. This is exactly what Yatora revealed after devoting his entire summer to the arts and being the only member of the club not to tan at all. His commitment kept him to his work, barely exposed to the sun and managed to complete 30 designs. Devoting all of her time to art has not been in vain, and as Professor Saeki earlier proclaimed, it led to an incredible advance in her art. The improvement was just an obvious consequence of his passionate commitment.
Effort doesn't betray, and it is this dedication and dedication that ultimately becomes Yatora's most powerful weapon. The enormous time difference between art and the rest of the world is too clear to him, so perhaps that is why his progress is not as spectacular as he would like it to be. Comparing yourself to others is never a good option, but in this situation it is the only thing that can fuel Yaguchi's growth. The results can also be seen in the comparisons, not only with his own work, but with those of other artists like him. That is why it is necessary for him to face more artists and broaden his horizons. Here, too, Saeki-sensei succeeds in hitting the mark with the propaedeutic course. It is not only the technique that Yatora must cultivate from now on, but also its artistic vision and originality.
Concerns and Consent
Apart from the advances in our protagonist's artistic skills. It is also necessary to talk about your choice and the consequences. You have to be clear about that first, the prejudices against art are very high, you will not find many people who support the decision to devote themselves to it. This is not necessarily due to a lack of trust in their talent, but simply to years of prejudice against art as the basis of life. The issue of pay is one of the many prejudices. Making a living from the arts is difficult because it is not a benefit and insurance job like an ordinary office job. In order to be able to make a living from art, you have to find a way and only a few make it.
Of all people who would oppose the choice of an artistic life, the family would have the greatest weight in the decision. Yatora is worried about her family's financial situation and can only think of Tokyo Art University. But it's not just about student finance, he also has to convince his mother that this is the path that makes him happy. Art is a path full of uncertainty, but at the heart of it is a certainty and it is the choice of passion. Dedicating one's life to what one is passionate about does not lead to misery, but to the extravagant bliss of a life worth living.
But you don't have to go that far, passion is much easier to convey. Yatora understood thanks to Mori, and so she tries to tell her mother. The decision to draw a picture for him was the best expression of his desires, his passion, his insecurity and his longing. In art, Yatora has found a new way of communicating. It was easier to put into words what he wanted to say because his feelings were already expressed in his drawing. More than the passionate speech, her mother could acknowledge her efforts and appreciate her sincerity in relying on her. Parents want the best for their children and art is a path few would recommend. Yet Yatora's mother chose to support her son's decision rather than her own desire to protect him from the uncertainties of the future.
Final comment
Blue period Chapter two was an episode with a much more emotional flair than its predecessor. This time they brought two important moments together to draw our emotions. On the one hand, we had a constant discovery about the honeys of exertion. On the other hand, we dive into how emotional it can be to convey our dreams. Personally, I loved the detail that I was so intimate about choosing Yatora and how I confront him with his family. Since Yatora is someone who has been preoccupied with being in the "ideal" form for so long, it was very enjoyable to see him express his sincerity towards the art and his love for his mother.
Before I close on this review, I want to emphasize that this adaptation plays its cards very well. Aside from having a slightly accelerated narrative pace, he did the script well to make up for this. As for the animation, the details have been kept and the colors are still in my range so personally I still like them pretty much. So I have to say that the opening enchanted me, artistically beautiful and musically really contagious. EVERBLUE by Omoinotake has become an integral part of my playlist.
So much for looking back, I leave you with the usual questions: What do you think of this chapter? Have you ever had to express your passion as a yatora? I did, and I think that's why this scene was so emotional for me.
