The fall anime season is almost here, which means it's time to take a look at what shows will be premiering soon. Blue Period will start its rolling release dates come Sept. 25, and this anime looks like it has a lot to offer. Here are five reasons why art anime Blue Period should be on the radar.
The Blue Period Manga Is A Huge Hit
Blue Period garnered a lot of attention when it began publication in 2017 and the kudos soon followed. The manga ranked three years in a row for best manga for male readers, was number 16 in the "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine, and was nominated in 2019 for not only the Manga Taisho but also the Kodansha Manga Award and Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The Young Adult Library Service Association also included Blue Period in their top 126 graphic novels for teens. The anime team clearly has some excellent material with which to work.
Koji Masunari Is Back to Direct
Koji Masunari is the primary director for Blue Period. He was also the director for Honey and Clover -- a 2005 anime about five students attending an arts university that covers disciplines from sculpture to sketching. Honey and Clover was very well received, and the fact Masunari is coming back to direct a new anime featuring the arts is a sign that the producers wanted an experienced team working on this show, including someone who not only knows anime, but the arts as well.
Reiko Yoshida Has The Script Covered
Reiko Yoshida could almost be called legendary when it comes to scripts and series composition. Some of her most notable works include K-On!, Liz and the Blue Bird and A Silent Voice. She not only has experience writing scripts for anime about the arts but is also for incredibly heart-wrenching and meaningful movies. Her involvement in Blue Period should result in something fantastic, as the manga is exactly the sort of material from which she writes titles such as A Silent Voice, with lots of personal introspection and a unique blend of characters.
The Voice Actors Are Fantastic
Blue Period's list of voice actors is nothing short of impressive. Alongside some relative newcomers being given the chance to show their stuff, plenty of industry veterans also involved are sure to give it their all -- or perhaps even go Plus Ultra, since Deku's voice actor Daiki Yamashita is part of the cast, along with Yumiri Hanamori, who has shown her versatility with Demon Slayer, Yuru Camp and Akudama Drive. Kengo Kawanishi, who recently worked on The Case Study of Vanitas and Tokyo Revengers, as well as Yume Miyamoto, Mayu Aoyagi and Fumi Harano, are among some of the other talented voice actors involved.
The Premise Promises Something Meaningful
Blue Period is all about finding sudden inspiration and choosing to follow it to a new sort of dream, even if that dream isn't considered realistic. Protagonist Yaguchi's dive into the artistic world is hindered by his limited knowledge and his lack of familial support. The cast is full of colorful characters, in both the good and bad sense, who will supplement Yaguchi's journey. For those viewers in the midst of pursuing a dream that doesn't always feel in reach, or those who wish they had the chance to break out of the norm and try something new, Blue Period might be just the show to inspire.
The success of the manga, the stellar team put together for the direction and script, and the talented voice actors all seem to promise a story that will leave a lasting impression. The love of the arts depicted in Honey and Clover combined with the script talent behind A Silent Voice has the potential to take an already well-acclaimed manga story and use the elements of animation to create something uniquely spectacular.
Blue Period will premiere on Netflix Japan on Sept. 25 and release globally on Oct. 9. A new episode will premiere each week on Netflix after that.
