the weight of passion

⭐ 8.75

[ IMDb— MyAnimeList— TMDB ]

depicting the harsh reality

every parent’s desire is for their child to succeed in life and not end up poor and miserable. most children are pushed into STEM or commerce fields because they are perceived as the most stable and lucrative career paths. but in doing so, these parents often overlook their child’s true passion and interests, killing their creativity and dreams in the process.

Yatora’s parents were no different, albeit less direct. his mother keeps reminding him that they don’t have the money to put him in a private school. his family’s financial situation is a central focus early on and plays a significant role in the way he approaches his future. “doing something fun would just be careless” is what he thought, and he asked himself, “why go to art school?” if there’s no guarantee you can make a living out of it.

between disappointing his parents and chasing a newfound passion, Yatora also discovered that art universities are incredibly hard and competitive, not to mention very expensive. however, we learn that the Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA) is both the most affordable and the most competitive option, with the lowest acceptance rate. but he doesn’t really have a choice, so he makes his resolve and decides to apply to TUA.

the invisible progress

talent is often seen as a natural gift — something that comes easily to some people while others have to work hard for it. for people who do work hard to achieve their goals, being called talented can be frustrating. it’s a word filled with the underlying implication of underestimating the effort required to reach that level of skill.

in Blue Period, we often see artists like Mori-senpai being called talented, attributing their hard work to talent alone, rather than the time and effort they invested. in all fairness to Yatora, he didn’t say it with malice or to undermine her effort. it was said in admiration, as a way to compliment her work. i know because i probably would’ve said the same thing, blissfully ignorant of the things outside my domain.

talent is usually associated with art and creativity, while genius is more commonly used in STEM fields. Yatora, being a genius delinquent, attributes his intelligence and good grades to hard work. his dismissal of being called a genius isn’t much different from Mori-senpai’s dismissal of being called talented. neither of them wants their effort to be disregarded as a natural gift.

Yatora’s hypocrisy is caused by his lack of experience and exposure. he mentions that “elective art is the type of class where you’ll get a decent grade even if you’re bad at it” — he’s not used to subjects where there’s no clear right or wrong answer. Blue Period does a fantastic job of showing the common perspective of people unfamiliar with art, and how they often see it as something anyone can do without much effort because they are gifted. it’s a common misconception many artists face, and i wouldn’t have had my eyes opened to it if it weren’t for this series.

impostor syndrome

Yatora, being the honor student on the outside, struggles with self-doubt and the fear of not being good enough. constantly feeling insecure about his abilities, he works much harder than everyone else and even mentions that he has to “work twice as hard” to prove himself and that he’s “too scared to stop working”.

often referred to as impostor syndrome, this is a common trait among high achievers. it’s the feeling that you don’t deserve your success, and that you’re just fooling everyone into thinking you’re competent.

i couldn’t help but reflect on myself multiple times while watching Yatora throughout the series. Blue Period feels like a mirror reflecting my own insecurities and self-doubt, and i saw myself in Yatora’s struggles.

that’s embarrassing

“if you’re still bothered by what other people will think of you, then you can’t die just yet.”

episode 10, minute 10. i didn’t expect to get philosophical with Blue Period, but damn — i absolutely contemplated my life and the choices i’ve made after reading that. oh, and i love that the show ties this moment directly into helping Yatora with his entrance exam too.

reflections

i like how it portrays the importance of pursuing one’s passion and the struggles that come with it. going against societal expectations and parental pressure is never easy, and the way Yatora goes through it is the realest thing i’ve seen in a while.

i mentioned in the main review that everything in and with Blue Period is why i love anime so much. this series is a perfect example of how anime (and the source material, of course) can tell a story that resonates with viewers on a personal level — even if the subject matter is something we might not initially be interested in.

a fun fact i stumbled upon while researching this: the mangaka of Blue Period graduated from TUA, which is why the story feels so authentic and relatable. i learned more about art from this series than i ever did in school or anywhere else, and it made me want to explore my own creative side.

Blue Period successfully made me appreciate the beauty of art and the creative process behind it. on top of that, rethinking and reflecting on my own life choices wasn’t on my bingo card when i started watching this series, but hey — it was a pleasant surprise.

next season, when?

honestly, the first season wraps up quite nicely, and i wouldn’t mind if it ended here. that said, it doesn’t mean i wouldn’t love to see more.

it’s been almost 4 years since the first season aired, and as far as my research goes, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll get a second season. the unfortunate reality for us anime-only viewers is that anime is mostly made to promote the source material — usually manga or light novels. Blue Period being released alongside Komi Can’t Communicate doesn’t help either. both being netflix series, it seems like Blue Period was overshadowed by the latter’s popularity. i hope i’m wrong about this, but i won’t hold my breath.

that being said, i did have some critiques about the anime. i’m not sure if it’s coincidental or fortunate, but the issues i had were exactly what would’ve elevated this adaptation — namely, the animation and sound design. this made me think i might actually have the same, or perhaps even better, experience reading the manga. not that i know anything about reading manga, but hey — this might just be the nudge i needed to finally start one.