After an unimpressive effort, was Blue Period Episode 4 able to bounce back from the doldrums to deliver an episode of a higher quality? I guess there’s only one way to find out. Let’s get on with the review!
Blue Period Episode 4 Overview
Blue Period is a slice of life drama anime brought to our screens by anime studio Seven Arcs, known for its slice of life and comedy shows such as Dog Days and Tonikaku Kawaii. The series is based upon a highly acclaimed manga penned by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. It is one of the most anticipated shows of the Fall 2021 season and an adaptation that has been highly waited upon for four years.
Koji Masunari and Katsuya Asano are directing the show, with Masunari serving as the chief director. He is a veteran of the industry, having been around for more than two decades and directing shows like Kamichu and Magi: The Kingdom of Magic. Katsuya Asano is known for directing episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains, among other things. You can read our review of the third episode here!
– Blue Period Episode 4 Review does not contain spoilers –
Blue Period Episode 4 Review- The Plot
Since the last review was so unflinchingly negative, let’s start this one on a positive note. I believe that Blue Period Episode 4 was the best episode of the show so far and the first to make good upon the promises of the show’s tremendous concept and source material. I thought that this episode was able to accomplish everything that it wanted to do very well, and despite still being very fast in pace, it was able to deliver a fantastic product.
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This episode revolved around Yatora figuring out his art style and looking at various directions to do so. It featured some of the same teachings of Episode 3, executed much better this time. A lot of passion and pain exuded from Yatora when his sincerity was questioned by someone he respected, and the show was able to convey a multitude of feelings in less than five lines of dialogue. It was exactly the kind of brilliance I was expecting from the show, and I’m glad I finally got it four episodes in.
Blue Period Episode 4 also addressed a question I’ve had since the first episode alongside a million others because I don’t understand art. The show talks a lot about university entrances and such while conveying how art is subjective, and there is no right or wrong answer when it is about art. How do the universities judge which candidate to admit if what they submitted was no more or less than what someone else did? Even worse, what if they’re completely different styles of paintings?
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Rest assured, the show addressed this topic very well. For the first time, was I able to understand and question how something would work in an art context, and if nothing else, Blue Period will succeed in making many of us more familiar with paintings and how much effort it takes to produce them. To be able to influence dunces like me into understanding and even liking art is no mean feat.
Blue Period Episode 4 Review- The Characters
I mentioned Takahashi and Hashida in passing the last episode since I had so much else to talk about. This time, they’re the subjects of our attention. They are both very different personalities, and I interpret them as different ways to look at art. Takahashi is a prodigy who only wants to focus on his material without paying anyone else’s any mind. Hashida is very observant and relies on what he sees and interprets it in his way. They both teach something valuable to Yatora, and he’ll be a better character and artist for having met them.
Yatora has always had some great teachers to guide him through the extremely hard path he has set for himself. His new cram school teacher, Ms Ooba, is one such character who is a glowing ball of light, and her presence and direction help him find out what he has wanted all this time. Kuwana seems like a fascinating character so far, but we’ll know more once we get to know her better, as she wasn’t a big presence in Blue Period Episode 4.
Blue Period Episode 4 Review- Art and Music
The animation of Blue Period Episode 4 is fine when movement is limited, but cracks start to show in the foundation when any character starts walking. The motion looks very unnatural and robotic, which breaks the immersion of the show. The art style maintains its charm and distinct feel, however. The art pieces still look good despite my not understanding what makes something good or terrible, and I’m sure that’s the same for most people.
The music, on the other hand, is fantastic. I have already sung enough praise for the opening track, but the ending theme is fantastic in its own right. The background scores of some scenes are enough to raise goosebumps on the skins of many, and I wish Blue Period Episode 4 looked as good as it sounds.
Verdict
Blue Period Episode 4 was a huge improvement over the previous episodes. Everything you can name worked better here than in the previous episode, and I hope the show keeps putting its good foot forward like this.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!