Summary

• Blue Period is a mature story about professional development and inner strength.
• Yamaguchi portrays the struggles of university students and the uncertainty of their professional futures.
• Yatora's journey in the manga reflects universal themes of self-identity and dedication in pursuing success.

Often, anime series are filled with fun tropes and exciting fights, but not seinen manga. Although it’s been over five years since it began serializing, the story’s premise only becomes more relevant as time es, reflecting a widespread problem today’s youth faces.

The author, Tsubasa Yamaguchi, has poured a lot of her own experiences into the story. In an interview for Spanish news site Ramen Para Dos, she stated that, besides creating a story about art, even going into extreme technical details at given times, she also felt the need to expose the general panorama that university students face regarding the uncertainty of their professional futures.

The protagonist, Yatora Yaguchi, and the rest of the cast each have their own personal barriers to overcome, and they align with the current generation’s particular ones.

Blue Period Is a Story About Inner Strength and Professional Development

Yamaguchi Doesn’t Hold back When Depicting Hard Work and Frustration

Being young and hopeful is a universal experience. Both in real life and in anime and manga series, the desire to be successful is almost always present. In Blue Period, Yatora struggles with his art career. “Why am I doing this?” or “am I good enough?” are thoughts that invade the protagonist’s head occasionally, even if he’s seemingly making no major mistakes. Seeing this kind of behavior in a manga or anime is reassuring, and it might alleviate one’s own struggles.

"Every thing has got its time to thrive, and society keeps evolving with every new field. Studying art may seem counterproductive, but it might not be the case at all."

“Not having a future secured despite obtaining a university degree is a very real phenomenon happening now,” Yamaguchi comments on Japan’s students’ current situation, but it might as well apply to the whole world. Deciding to dedicate one’s life to art in the current state of the world is a bold decision that will shake even the strongest souls. Even if Blue Period focuses on visual art specifically, the struggles that Yatora experiences and his mental development can be translated into any discipline.

A lot of young people face difficulties with pursuing a successful career and then finding a job that aligns with it. Like Yatora, the important thing to not lose focus on is who you are, and where your heart is set on going. Yamaguchi has done an incredibly insightful job while creating this story about dedication, and the discovery of identity and self-worth. “I believe there are things that can only be achieved through effort and dedication” she mentions, referring to mastering an art technique, but in the end, it extends to most areas in life as well.

Regardless of one’s current situation and interests, taking a peek at Blue Period’s story is highly recommended. Themes of improvement and hard work are always inspiring, and the current state of the world often calls for validation and reassurance of one’s own endeavors. Blue Period can be read on Kodansha’s K Manga app, and its anime adaptation is available on Netflix.