Review: ‘Blue Period’ is a Stunning Manga About Discovery and Passion

NEW MANGA ALERT, Y’ALL. I was rereading the fantastic memoir on the life of mangaka Akiko Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish), titled Blank Canvas, My So-Called Artist’s Journey which told the tale of her unorthodox art school upbringing that she underwent as a high school student. It included being trained as a painter and eventually majoring in college with a fine art degree. It was certainly enlightening to read about the many tools used and the hardship experienced by the author in getting down those fundamental skills. And then you know what happened? I stumbled upon news about a new manga being released this October from Kodansha titled, Blue Period about a high school kid who stumbles upon a new passion: painting. I was not prepared for the amazing story I would lose myself in. STILL LIFE Yatora is a high school student in his second year with superb grades. He’s moderately popular even with his pierced ears and circle of friends that often get labeled as delinquents. Sure, he stays out to all hours of the night and morning, but he manages to pull off some of the best grades and keep his parents off his back. Putting in the time to study, knowing the correct answers to the teachers when asked questions in his classes, and saying all the right things to his friends when they’re out and about is easy. Effortless, really. He even likens it to grinding to level up in a video game. This is his life. It is all…dull. predictable. But, it is his life. Wandering into the art cl…