WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 7 of Blue Period, "The Start of the First Exam," now streaming on Netflix.
Of all the challenges Yatora has faced in his journey as a new artist in Blue Period, he may have reached the hardest of all in Episode 7. Just days before his entrance exam for the Tokyo University of the Arts, Yatora sits down with his prep school teacher Mayu Ooba to discuss where he sits in terms of passing or failing. He's been working really hard, pushing himself to try new skills and techniques in order to ensure his acceptance in the only program his parents can afford.
But when he sits down with Ooba, his excitement and anticipation are crushed when she tells him he's lacking something essential all the successful people have - self-centeredness. While this may seem surprising and unexpected, it proves to be Yatora's biggest challenge yet in Blue Period.
Ooba claims this lack of self-centeredness could be the downfall of Yatora's artistic career. All the people who've been accepted into the Tokyo University of the Arts have this characteristic, and it's apparently what makes them good artists. Ooba thinks this trait goes hand-in-hand with adaptability, since making art is all about having fun and going with the flow. But she feels Yatora lacks this, especially since he's been trying to harness his skills and further his techniques.
Yatora is a hard-working academic student in Blue Period, characterized by his earnestness and genuine effort. This rigidness makes him highly successful in academia -- but, according to Ooba, it will bring about his downfall. Making art and doing mathematics are two very different things, and the approach to each should be different as well. The professor feels Yatora should have more fun with his work and practice flexibility and adaptability.
While Yatora may seem like a self-centered person at first glance, that's not totally accurate. He's always thinking about what others are thinking, especially now that he's trying to better his art. Other people's opinions mean an awful lot to him and have more of an effect than they realize. So to suddenly try and focus his energies inward proves to be a more challenging task than he thought. He had been trying to stay practical about his entrance exam, but now Ooba has thrown him a curveball he doesn't know how to dodge.
Yatora needs to re-learn how to have fun with his craft and create art that he not only likes, but enjoys making. His first step toward leaning into self-centeredness is to go out for noodles with a friend instead of going home and studying for his upcoming exam. While he seems a little uneasy -- knowing he should be studying -- his time out with his friend ultimately leaves him feeling satisfied, more understanding, and positive.
Though Ooba's words were harsh, they were exactly what Yatora needed to hear as Blue Period continues. He now knows exactly what his biggest obstacle is in becoming a successful candidate for TUA -- but he must learn how to address the necessary changes within himself. Even though he was surprised to hear his biggest flaw as an artist lies inward, Yatora is now ready to move forward and learn how to have fun with art again.
