Blue Period manga: Where to read, what to expect, and more

2021 had seen some outstanding animes come into light, and Blue Period is a brilliant example of it. A story about a boy’s journey to discover his artistic prowess all the while being an educational joyride to the world of classical art, the show was quick to catch the fancy of the anime community globally.

This coming-of-age manga, written by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, has been serializing since June 24, 2017, in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon. An ongoing work, it has been compiled into 13 tankobon volumes till date. Volume 14 will be releasing in Japan on July 21, 2023.

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Where can you read Blue Period manga?

Blue Period manga is available for purchase both digitally and in print format. The official website of Kodansha US, who currently holds the license of globally distributing the English version of the manga, provides detailed information on where all 13 volumes of the manga can be bought.

The digital version can be bought via the website itself and also platforms like Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Bookwalker, Kobo and Barnes & Nobles Nook, Books-a-Million, and Kinokuniya

Readers who wish to avail the print versions can get them through popular retailers like Penguin Random House, Walmart, Amazon, Hudson Booksellers, and more. However, it must be noted that some of these retailers do not ship to every region. Readers are advised to check the availability accordingly.

The manga has also been adapted into an anime series by Netflix, the first season of which was released for streaming on September 25, 2021, and was later aired on Japanese television networks like MBS and TBS, from October 2 to December 18, 2021. Created by the production studio Seven Arcs, the anime was directed by Katsuya Asano, with Koji Masunari as the chief director. Reiko Yoshida had provided the scripts and Tomoyuki Shitaya worked on the character designs.

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What is Blue Period all about, in brief

The fans who are acquainted with Picasso and his artistic career will immediately recognize the significance of the title Blue Period and how it perfectly encapsulates what the manga is going to be about. The title pays homage to the Blue Period phase of Picasso where he produced paintings in which blue color dominated the canvas, both visually and emotionally.

In the manga, protagonist Yatora is a clueless anti-social high schooler with no ambition and focus for his future. It is when he discoveres art that he is introduced to a world of beauty and sublime, which leads him to seek out a sense of purpose in his life.

Besides narrating the journey of Yatora’s development as an artist, the manga is also very informative and takes the reader on a tour of certain technical aspects of the craft, also featuring the works of some of the most significant names of the art world like Vermeer, Van Gogh, Manet, and more.

Here is how the story of Blue Period is described in the official website of Kodansha USA:

"Yatora is the perfect high school student, with good grades and lots of friends. It’s an effortless performance, and, ultimately…a dull one. But he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. Compelled and consumed, he dives in headfirst — and he’s about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be!"

The manga was a commercial and critical success, and had won the 13th Manga Taishō and the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the 'Best General Manga' category in 2020. Volume 14 of the manga will begin from Stroke 57, and is scheduled to be released in Japan on July 21, 2023.

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Stay tuned for more updates on Blue Period and other manga and anime shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Oshi no Ko and more.