Blue Period - What We Know So Far
In the world of fine art, the term "Blue Period' refers to a specific creative point in Pablo Picasso's life. Per the Masterworks Fine Art Gallery, from 1901 to 1904, Picasso produced a creative output inspired by his own financial destitution and personal tragedies. Through a palette of blues and blue-greens, the artist depicted melancholy scenes that are regarded today by many as some of his most haunting yet beautiful work. Tsubasa Yamaguchi's manga, which is also called "Blue Period," doesn't directly center on Picasso, but it's still a stylish work rooted within the history and influence of art.
Yamaguchi's manga is a coming-of-age story about Yatora Yaguchi, a young Japanese high school student who becomes so moved by a piece of art that he becomes inspired to try his own hand at painting. "Blue Period" started publication under Kodansha in 2017 and has already become admired and awarded for its own unique art style and resonating yet informative story. In fact, per Anime News Network, the manga was awarded the 13th Manga Taisho Award as well as Kodansha's Best General Manga award in 2020.
With such high praise and accolades, it makes sense that "Blue Period" will be receiving an anime adaptation this year. Here's everything we know so far.
When's the release date for Blue Period?
Fans of the "Blue Period" manga have been excited about the anime adaption since it was first announced in January of this year. As the year went on, a few more details about the adaptation came out, along with an official release date. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long for the "Blue Period" anime, as an official trailer for it revealed that it will be coming in October 2021. However, there isn't a specific date for the premiere just yet.
The October date does place "Blue Period" in the current fall anime schedule for 2021, which is already stacked with a few other returning hit shows. For instance, "The Rising Of The Shield Hero Season 2" is also slated for an October 2021 release, and, via Anime Collective, so is Season 3 of "World Trigger." As we get closer to October, we can probably expect a specific premiere date announcement for "Blue Period," perhaps in the form of another official trailer or a tweet from the manga's official publisher Kodansha.
Who's in the cast for Blue Period?
The official Japanese voice cast for the main characters of "Blue Period" has been announced. Per Crunchyroll, the "Blue Period" anime will feature Hiromu Mineta as Yatora Yaguchi, Yumiri Hanamori as Ryuji Ayukawa, Daiki Yamashita as Yotasuke Takahashi, Kengo Kawanishi as Haruka Hashida, and Yume Miyamoto as Maki Kuwana. The voice actors have numerous credits behind their names, but fans of "My Hero Academia" with a sharp ear may also recognize Daiki Yamashita, as he also voices Izuku "Deku" Midoriya. An English voice cast hasn't been revealed, as it's currently unknown if and when "Blue Period" will receive an English dub and who will be the company behind it.
On the production side, Seven Arcs is the animation studio behind "Blue Period." The studio has also produced the film "Trinity Seven: Heavens Library & Crimson Lord" and anime series "Fly Me To The Moon" and "Arte." Kouji Masunari is directing "Blue Period" along with Katsuya Asano. Reiko Yoshida is the series composition/scenario writer, and Tomoyuki Shitaya is the character designer.
What's the plot of Blue Period?
The "Blue Period" anime should follow the story of the manga closely. In the manga (via Kodansha), Yatora Yaguchi is a top student with excellent grades and is fairly popular among his classmates. However, despite his grades and status, he feels empty inside. That all changes when he views an art piece by another student. Yatora becomes obsessed with colors and how they blend and eventually decides that he wants to communicate through his own artwork. The student also decides that he wants to make art for a living and eventually aims to go to the Tokyo University of the Arts.
We don't know how many episodes "Blue Period" will contain, but with ten volumes of the manga currently out, there's a lot of story for the anime to adapt. The anime could also be as educational as the manga. Per Polygon, the anime should also feature the manga's unique way of teaching its audience about real art techniques, which it does through Yatora. It should also continue to feature real historical art pieces.