Netflix’s ‘Blue Period,’ based on Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s manga, is a wholly Shounen TV anime. The novel becomes a coming-of-age tale showing the protagonist’s inner conflict and his family’s financial troubles up close.
As the story progresses, we learn more about the character of Yatora Yaguchi, a popular and capable high school student who is searching for meaning and purpose in his life.
Then he comes upon art and understands it’s the final piece of the puzzle he’s been searching for. Episode 1 of ‘Blue Period,’ which is currently airing on Netflix, ends with a bang. WARNING: This section contains plot spoilers.
Episode 1 of the Blue Period (Season 1) Review
Three new characters are introduced in the first episode: Urashima, Sumida, and Koigakubo (titled ‘Awakening to the Joy of Painting’).
They enjoy one other’s company while they eat, drink, and smoke while watching soccer. Yatra appears to be a highly outgoing person who spends little time learning.
As a result, when he achieves high exam scores, his peers believe he is gifted. He informs them that he is a diligent worker in reality.
However, he appears uninterested in everything. Yatra is lost in his thoughts. He engages in various activities, such as studying and socializing with his peers, because they all fit into a larger pattern.
A picture created by one of Yatora’s seniors is discovered while visiting the art class to retrieve a pack of cigarettes he had unintentionally left behind.
It has a tremendous effect on him. He makes friends with art club member Ryuuji Ayukawa. At first, their connection is tense, but things start to look up as they get to know one another.
In the last moments of Blue Period Episode 1, Yatra makes a career decision.
As for Yatora’s plans, she intends to pursue an art career. His family’s financial situation doesn’t allow him to attend a private school, however.
As a result, the only option left for him is a public school. Sadly, there is only one school that offers a painting degree: Tokyo University of the Arts. This school has Japan’s lowest acceptance rate.
It wasn’t an easy choice for him to make. Because he comes from a working-class background and is well aware of his predicament, he is initially dubious about pursuing a career in art.
Because it is rooted in reality, the starving artist is a common literary and cinematic cliche. Only a tiny percentage of artists go on to have a successful career. Furthermore, he even wonders if he has the talent to be a successful artist.
It’s not just Yatora who has concerns about financial stability; his painting instructor Masako Saeki teaches him about Picasso and how business-minded the genius painter was.
Maru Mori, the senior artist who created the stunning work of art that impacted him, teaches him the importance of experience and expertise over pure talent. All of this, as well as Yatora’s personal experience while painting his Shibuya vision, forces him to make a choice.
Yatra is filled with excitement as he brings the blue Shibuya to the drawing paper to convey his inner views. That painting has also helped him feel closer to his buddies than he has in the past.
For the first time, he believes he can communicate with them. Upon approaching Saeki with his plan, she encourages him while clearly outlining the difficulties he will face in achieving his goal, as any good teacher would.
She makes him know that from this point on, it’s going to be a tough road. What matters, however, is that Yatra has made this decision and taken this risk. When someone works hard at something they enjoy, they are unstoppable, as Saeki explains to him.