Blue Giant

Blue Giant has just set the standard for music Anime. Post high-school, a lot of us feel lost in life, not knowing what to work on or aim for in the future. Many keep studying at Uni even when it's dull and boring because people assure you that 'you'll have a good future'. BG blows this fear and uncertainty away and illustrates an amazing adventure the band JASS advances through to reach for their ultimate goal. Protagonist Dai in particular is very ambitious and commits himself to become a musician, leaving his hometown Sendai to walk down a treacherous path to make it big at thecapital of Japan. Because of the fact that it is set after high-school, its always frightening to think that one mistake could end their careers with nothing else as a back-up - a harsh reality of being a musician. His bravery and willpower to keep moving forward is what made him incredibly inspirational, making every moment of Blue Giant so special. Their stories make you feel so attached like a fanboy - always reassuring to see the character's success and the band striving towards their dreams despite it being so gruelingly hard. This feeling and the dazzling passionate jazz combines to make an thrilling yet elegant performance that makes you be on the edge of your seat! Animation for the concerts were on par with demon slayer, ignoring the CGI. Never before was there a performance that makes you immersed within the blazing sparks of heated jazz along with the eloquent sakuga blooming the instruments to life. It truly was a magical experience. Five fantastic music gigs for ten dollars. 100% worth watching.

Blue Giant had an impossible task set before it: adapting 10 volumes of music manga into a single film, including multiple climactic performances. The foundation of that had to be good music, and Blue Giant’s is universally fantastic. The players here had a uniquely difficult job, they didn’t just have to play well, they had to act with their instruments. Their performances wonderfully capture the emotions of the characters, and their level of experience. The drummer did a particularly good job, replicating the play of a developing amateur. You can feel the characters’ passion in their instruments; even as they struggle to articulate their feelings towardsjazz, the audience understands completely. It had to take some shortcuts. Its visuals are an uneven mixture of good 2D animation, awkward CG, and sublime sakuga. Occasionally, its sound design falters. I can recall a few moments where the soundtrack overpowered the dialogue. Its plot is compressed, the entire history of a band in just two hours. Obtrusive interview clips are spliced in at random. There’s one plot point in particular that’s left field and disrupts the narrative. Its flaws are numerous, and obvious, but don’t hold back its infectious energy. Love of jazz drips from every second of Blue Giant, the feelings of its creators conveyed in every image and frantic sequence of cuts. Blue Giant is rough and uneven, its parts are dissonant, its animation rough, its narrative inconsistent. It rushes, gets ahead of itself, stops for a moment, and those dissonant parts suddenly collide in an explosion of emotion. Much like jazz, its flaws create interesting emotional intersections. That plot point I didn’t like pays off soon after. The CG animation just starts to work out of nowhere. Out of dissonance and imperfection emerges emotion. That's the soul of jazz, and of Blue Giant. To compile a list of Blue Giant’s faults would be to miss that soul. They may not resonate in that way for you, you wouldn’t be wrong for having that experience. But if you love jazz, or artistic passion, hear Blue Giant out.

This anime resonated with me on a profound level. Having grown up surrounded by music, I began playing saxophone at a young age and have spent more than two thirds of my life performing and studying jazz at a conservatory. Because of that, this story struck every emotional chord within me. I laughed, I cried and I shared in the characters’ pain, sorrow and triumphs. The narrative is raw and deeply human and as the protagonist describes it, “intense and rough.” From a technical perspective the artistry and animation are extraordinary. The colors burst with vibrancy and create a visual experience that feels almost symphonic. Eachscene flows seamlessly into the next, capturing both the energy and fragility of musical expression. It is clear that every frame was crafted with immense care and passion by the directors and animators alike. If there is one thing I long for it is simply more. A continuation, a prequel or a side story would be enough to revisit this world. After witnessing such beauty and emotional depth I fear that no other music anime will ever resonate with me quite the same way.

I really don’t usually watch this kind of stuff, and I think it’s not my thing at all. I tried to see if I’d like it. Unfortunately, I didn’t. What did I like about this anime? The quality of the animation is really high, especially for an anime that focuses on music. Some of the scenes are visually stunning and great to watch. What did I dislike about this anime? The music itself isn’t to my taste — unfortunately, jazz and I just don’t mix.The story pacing is too slow for me, and I’m not a fan of long dialogues. I’d rather read them. The conversations didn’t evoke any emotion in me.

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