Blue Giant

Last year, I reviewed three Japanese films that were only shown in theaters for two nights. Now, I have another one to discuss. Blue Giant, the anime adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka's jazz manga, had its theatrical run last October. It was released on home media last month and it takes the spotlight on my stage this month.

It's ostensibly about Dai Miyamoto (Yuki Yamada), a college-age dude who wants to make it in the jazz world. He takes himself and his tenor sax to Tokyo, where he moves in with a high school buddy, Shunji Tamada (Amane Okayama). He works a few odd jobs, plays the sax by the river and even attends a few jazz bars. One night, Dai meets pianist Yukinori Sawabe (Shotaro Mamiya) and suggests they form a band together. Yukinori accepts the proposal, though he's more reluctant when Dai brings Shunji along as the drummer. Together, the guys are JASS, and they aim to play at the coolest jazz bar ever, So Blue. But will they be ready for prime time in no time?

In actuality, the film is really about all three guys. Dai is introduced playing by a snowy river as he declares he'll be the best. As Yukinori later observes, Dai is already a prodigy after four years of training (as opposed to Yukinori's fourteen). Consequently, Dai's character arc hits a note flatter than his bandmates. Yukinori, at least, is thrown into an existential crisis when he observes Dai's talent. Mr. Taira (Hiroki Tochi), So Blue's manager, doesn't help when he brutally assesses Yukinori's play style. We're all for Yukinori, then, when Taira comes around and lets him fill in for a sick pianist. I personally gravitated towards Shunji, whom Yukinori initially dismisses as a clueless novice, which he is. But his journey to drumming pro is the most compelling one of the three.

This is a showcase for lengthy jazz numbers composed by Japanese jazz icon Hiromi Uehara. They all sound great, though their visual presentation may take some getting used to. The animators emphasize the guys' awesomeness with trippy visual effects during these extended numbers. Imagine a jazzier Fantasia and you might get what I mean. The guys are even played by actual jazz musicians in motion capture - Uehara herself is Yukinori - during these numbers. The performances maybe realistic but it doesn't mesh well with the film's usual 2D animation style. Surprisingly, I got used to it considering I've seen a few musical anime use CGI for its numbers. Maybe it's a quirk of the medium.

What else can I say about the story? The screenplay, whose writer is only listed as "Number 8," includes a few scenes where characters are being filmed for a documentary. These scenes seem to imply something happened to Dai, but it's actually Yukinori that meets a crippling accident. It's a shocking swerve, naturally, but it does flatten Dai's prominence a bit. However, it's that last half-hour where I connected with the film the most. Despite that setback, Dai and Shunji carry on with a double-act, while Yukinori joins them for an encore. All their hard work pays off once you see how enraptured the crowd is. How can you not join them in that moment? The finale truly is the best moment of the film.

Anyone curious for an anime jazz concert will be satisfied here. Actually, once the finale hits, I think they'll be amazed. Blue Giant's performances will easily carry you throughout its nearly two-hours. I may have been critical of its "main character," but at least he's still likable. In fact, all three leads are likable. I think it's worth a watch or two on your favorite streaming service. See it soon to hear what I mean.