Blue Giant

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Creating a manga about music is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for any artist. After all, mangas are seen, not heard. Which is why the music itself is often downplayed, while the appeal of these types of mangas is to see how music can affect people and their life.

With all that said, blue giant still does a terrific job at depicting jazz music, it often spends pages or even an entire chapter depicting a performance. With thick line works emphasizing the intensity. And a great focus on both the performer and the audience's face and body parts to show us the power ... of music. Although we can't hear anything, we can imagine it.

The main character, Dai Miyamoto is very simple. He fell in love with jazz and aim to be the greatest jazz musician in the world. Simplicity, however, doesn't mean bad. Although he can come across as being naive for how optimistic he is, it's that same quality that I think a lot of people can sympathize with. People probably wouldn't know the magic of jazz and the point of playing saxophone for hours in the snow, but people will understand his drive and his love for the art.

If I have to be honest, throwing away the topic of jazz, this manga is not really special. The art is above average, the character designs are non-inspiring, and the story is just a cliche came-of-age tale. So why did I give it a 10?

Whenever I see Dai practicing beside the river, I always think back to myself. How I once had a wild dream and worked hard for it. Just like many others, I had to give up due to reality. Yet here's a person who picks himself up no matter how many times he falls. A boy who's persistent about his goals. That drive that is communicated to me is perhaps the reason I fell so in love with this manga.

If you are as lost as I am, not knowing what the goal of your life is and living the same minimal routine. Then blue giant might be the manga that reminds you what putting your blood, sweat, and tears into something was like.

Edit: I read the manga in madarin, which is fully translated. The English version is not.

After reading the first volume of this manga, I remember telling myself of the mistake I made. Enter the One-dimensional character who only cares about Jazz and basketball and has literally nothing else to him. Every chapter after that was remarkable and "Blue Giant" has become one of my favourite manga.

Story 9.5/10
The story isn't groundbreaking or anything new. A guy falls in love with jazz, decides to start playing the tenor and ends up being a god at it. What makes the story so good is both witnessing Miyamoto's ironclad passion for jazz and seeing how the characters around him react.
Dai also goes through some ... beautiful development as he transforms from a boy to a man in both heartwarming and heartbreaking fashion.

Art 8.8/10
This manga's art isn't anything groundbreaking. The character designs are well-drawn and the environment gives off a life like ambiance. If I had to compare it to anything I guess I would recite the works of Asano Inio (Oyasumi Pun pun guy). Despite that, this manga has the most memorable panels and is well-drawn in the most important moments.

Characters 9.9/10
God, I love these characters. All of them seem like real people with normal lives and normal experiences. The only flaw I had was the minor inconsistencies of certain characters that kind
of confused me. Dai's friends and mentors keep him down to earth and are just as important to the story as he is (not Individually but to the supporting cast as a whole).

Overall 9.45
tl:dr This is a must-read for all of mankind. Even if you hate jazz.

"Blue Giant" is a love story about a small dreamer who fell in love. This love gave Dai a way to express himself, which he did in a unique and brilliant way. But not only that, love also gave him a purpose, one he pursued steadily, without looking back, like a beautiful blue shooting star. Along this path, various obstacles arose, which in the end only served to increase his brightness. He met himself and others. He cried, but also laughed. He fell, yet always got back up. He loved. He dreamed. He continues his journey. He grows. A giant. A blue giant. Jazz.

Like most coming of age mangas, this story starts with a highschool student. His name is Miyamoto Dai. Dai plays basketball sincerely and for fun, but he knows that this cannot be his future. He knows this is not the passion of his life. One day Dai listens to a Jazz concert and realises, this is what he wants to do. And his brother buys him a saxophone and Dai goes to the riverside and starts playing. With this beginning, I was already hooked, and as the story progressed so did my love for it.

Story:
Simple story, boy falls in love with Jazz, and keeps playing ... though rain, heat, snow, fear, criticism and self doubt. He loves his saxophone.

Art:
The art is good, especially the intricate sketches of the shiny instruments.

Characters:
Dai is the main character and he is well crafted. He has a stable head, is kind, and wildly ambitions as far as his Jazz if concerned. Other characters like his friends, brother, etc are also well crafted.

Enjoyment:
Highly enjoyable! I read the entire 20 chapters scanlated online in one sitting. Can't wait for more chapters.

I was shocked to see such a great manga with no reviews, then I realized that only a few chapters have been scanlated. It does not matter, just read it. You'll love it.

"Blue Giant" is a symphony on paper, and it's really rare to find a manga that just, like, takes you straight into the soulful world of jazz the way this one does. Every time I flipped through the pages, I felt this soft, tender vibe, kinda like the deep emotions you get when you're really into jazz music.

The story itself is crafted super well, pulling you into this journey full of passion and determination. But the real game-changer here are the characters. They're not just drawings; they feel alive, each bringing their own special touch to the overall story. And the music suggestions scattered through ... the pages? They just make the whole reading experience even better.

Personally, I've got to say Sawabe really hit a chord with me. The guy's all about passion, hard work, and raw talent – totally magnetic. Mitamoto, with his super catchy enthusiasm, kind of reignites that lost love for music, you know? Then there's Tamada, who's more like a chill presence. He's like the moon in the story, keeping an eye on everything and shining bright when it's his turn.

To wrap it up, "Blue Giant" is a total masterpiece. It's like a heartfelt note to jazz, a deep dive into what it's like chasing your passion, and a big shoutout to the power of music and friends. I'd give it a solid 10/10, no second thoughts. This manga's like a song that stays in your head, even long after you've finished reading.

Blue Giant is pretty outstanding. Dai's story is only a dream to most, finding a loving passion and take it to the extreme, to challenge the best of the best. Dai's passion for jazz is realistic and emotional that it keeps me invested even when he fails and makes his successes that much more intriguing.

Blue Giant's art is not the most breathtaking it does lack in certain departments sometimes the characters themselves. Although the author, Ishizuka Shinichi, does a fantastic job of expressing Dai's music with harsh lines, character reactions, and Dai's expressions and feelings. The characters especially the side characters are amazing. The ... best character has to be Yui, Dai's instructor, he's extremely blunt and rude but his intentions are goodwill to help Dai.


Overall I found Blue Giant to be similar in both story and enjoyment to the movie Whiplash. I have high hopes for this manga.

Blue Giant is a manga about three distinctively different characters whose journeys collide through the lens of jazz. As a jazz musician myself, you could call me a little biased for how much I enjoy this manga, but I don't think this is the case. You don't have to be a musician to relate to any of these characters. If you've ever had a strong passion for something, tried to substitute innate talent for hard work, or tried to be as good as those around you, this manga will strike a chord with you.

Story:
Relatively simple, but used very effectively. The classic "I'm going to be ... the best _______ in the world". What flips this generic story technique on its head is that there are interviews with other characters presented many years ahead of the story insinuating that he is already famous. So it's not a question of will he get there, it's a question of how. It's this given foresight that makes each roadblock and struggle much more intriguing.

Art:
The artist clearly knows their stuff. The instruments and environment are drawn in heavy detail, making the world feel much more alive. The way the artist sketches these characters performing is the closest you can get to actually hearing the performance. He makes it obvious whether they are playing slow, fast, loud, soft, ballad, or bebop without the need for dialogue.

Characters:
The three main characters are crafted very well, each with their own flaws and strengths. The story doesn't let you forget about the side characters either, cuz each one leaves a lasting impression on them.

I highly recommend you give this manga I try, tho I'm sure this isn't for everyone, I can understand not being able to enjoy a manga about music since you can't hear it. Even so, I encourage you to look past that and use your imagination to experiance this story.

Now you see, this is why this type of manga series would need an anime adaption is because I am not able to god damn hear what the main character Dai is playing like it felt in my head that he was only playing “epic sax guy” the whole time I’m seeing his performances. I mean the art and character development was decent. Dai does seem like an ambitious young man who has a goal to becoming a proper jazz musician and plays basketball in his free time. I really this type of character development in a coming of age story like this one. ... In the manga world, we almost ever see a high school kid performing a saxophone solo, so this is a refreshing change from the pile of mangas I usually read.

If you don't mind not hearing the music, read this manga; nevertheless, if seeing the characters play instruments with no sound bothers you, I suggest you search for anything else to read.

In the collective imagination, laminated by decades of advertising hype and musical washout, jazz is often perceived as snobbish music, sometimes as an elevator background, sometimes as a sterile and inaudible technical demonstration. Not so many, those to overcome these a priori, contradictory and yet both widely spread. Like Kids on the Slope, Blue Giant strives to restore somewhat the tarnished image of this illustrious musical genre.

First astonishment: jazz seems to be fossilized, and while KotS takes place in the post-war years, Blue Giant seems to invite the same unbreakable references (Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Art Blakey & tutti frutti). Either way, this is a ... first point that will not convince those who are resistant to a museum genre during his lifetime, even if Blue Giant still vaguely seeks to connect with certain nude jazz trends that are a little more contemporary. Whatever, the enthusiasm of the apprentice saxophonist we follow ends up sweeping away the hesitations.

What will surprise a Western reader all the more is to what extent the manga insists on ideas that are ultimately not very artistic or spiritual: jazz is above all a matter of technique, of breath, of velocity, in short, of training. . Here we master the saxophone as we learn to score three points or to boost his musculature. Admittedly, the technical dimension of a music so demanding from a rhythmic and harmonic point of view and requiring what more is great faculties of improvisations, is far from being null, but constitutes a means and not an end in itself. I caricature of course, Blue Giant, like a Kerouac seeking to find the "It" of a blower in full ecstasy of improv, does not deny the galvanizing pleasure to be carried away by the moment, at all give.

Rather scholarly in his approach, and avowed fan of Urasawa, the author here enjoys painstakingly sketching the portraits of three musicians getting to know each other and playing together in Tokyo, from their aysmetric rehearsals to a little more leaping springboards. Predictable trajectory, and not even hidden (each volume concludes with the interview of a second funny man who saw the tail of the comet pass), who will at least have the merit of giving substance to the passion, and of operating a commendable popularization of a music inadvertently attributed to the vulgate.



ORIGINAL REVIEW IN FRENCH

Dans l'imaginaire collectif, laminé par des décennies de matraquages publicitaires et de délavage musical, le jazz est souvent perçu comme une musique snob, parfois comme un fond sonore d'ascenseur, parfois comme une stérile et inaudible démonstration technique. Pas si nombreux, ceux à dépasser ces à priori, contradictoires et pourtant tous deux largement répandus. Comme Kids on the Slope, Blue Giant s'attache à redorer quelque peu le blason terni de cet illustre genre musical.

Premier étonnement : le jazz semble comme fossilisé, et alors que KotS se déroule dans les années d'après-guerre, Blue Giant semble convier les même références indéboulonnables (Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Art Blakey & tutti frutti). Soit, voilà un premier point qui ne convaincra pas les réfractaires à un genre muséifié de son vivant, même si Blue Giant cherche tout de même vaguement à se raccorder à certaines tendances nu jazz un peu plus contemporaines. Qu'importe, l'enthousiasme de l'apprenti saxophoniste qu'on suit finit par balayer les hésitations.

Ce qui étonnera d'autant plus un lecteur occidental, c'est à quel point le manga insiste sur des idées finalement assez peu artistiques ou spirituelles : le jazz est avant tout affaire de technique, de souffle, de vélocité, bref, d'entraînement. Ici on maîtrise le saxophone comme on apprend à marquer des trois points ou à doper sa musculature. Certes, la dimension technique d'une musique aussi exigeante d'un point de vue rythmique, harmonique et demandant qui plus est de grosses facultés d'improvisations, est loin d'être nulle, mais constitue un moyen et non une fin en soi. Je caricature bien sûr, Blue Giant, à l'instar d'un Kerouac cherchant à trouver le "It" d'un souffleur en pleine extase d'impro, ne nie pas le plaisir galvanisant à se laisser porter par le moment, à tout donner.

Plutôt scolaire dans son approche, et fan avoué d'Urasawa, l'auteur se plaît ici à dessiner minutieusement le portraits de trois musiciens apprenant à se connaître et jouer ensemble sur Tokyo, de leurs répétitions aysmétriques à des tremplins un peu plus bondissant. Trajectoire prévisible, et même pas cachée (chaque volume se conclut par l'interview d'un second drôle ayant vu passer la queue de la comète), qui aura au moins le mérite de donner corps à la passion, et d'opérer une louable vulgarisation d'une musique malencontreusement attribuée à la vulgate.

this manga is really good, the vibes, the tense, the atmosphere, can't wait for anime adaptation in 2023, with TOHO animation as studio, also this manga make me wanna hear john coltrane jazz so much right now, i heard there is 2 sequel looking forward to read all those sequel of blue giant manga hope the author can continue the works always every year, also this is the first manga i know that all about saxophonist MC and the way the MC become the true jazz player and famous one, the long journey await this MC, but man i wish i can hear the performance ... from the manga, but yeah let's wait the anime adaptation hope not dissapointed the fan at all

What does the word "dreamer" really mean? Reading this manga made me realize that it was insulting to the word to even insinuate that I have ever been a dreamer. This is a rare manga that has heart and conviction woven into every panel of every page. If there's anything in your life that makes you feel like you're living it lukewarm, read Blue Giant.

The art style is lined incredibly well, and while the character designs are not incredibly distinct, they have absolutely no reason to be more than what they are. The characters are nuanced and have very human struggles and realizations. People ... are written as people, and extremely consistent at that.
What does the word "dreamer" really mean? Reading this manga made me realize that it was insulting to the word to even insinuate that I have ever been a dreamer. This is a rare manga that has heart and conviction woven into every panel of every page. If there's anything in your life that makes you feel like you're living it lukewarm, read Blue Giant.

The art style is lined incredibly well, and while the character designs are not incredibly distinct, they have absolutely no reason to be more than what they are. The characters are nuanced and have very human struggles and realizations. People are written as people, and extremely consistent at that.What does the word "dreamer" really mean? Reading this manga made me realize that it was insulting to the word to even insinuate that I have ever been a dreamer. This is a rare manga that has heart and conviction woven into every panel of every page. If there's anything in your life that makes you feel like you're living it lukewarm, read Blue Giant.

The art style is lined incredibly well, and while the character designs are not incredibly distinct, they have absolutely no reason to be more than what they are. The characters are nuanced and have very human struggles and realizations. People are written as people, and extremely consistent at that.What does the word "dreamer" really mean? Reading this manga made me realize that it was insulting to the word to even insinuate that I have ever been a dreamer. This is a rare manga that has heart and conviction woven into every panel of every page. If there's anything in your life that makes you feel like you're living it lukewarm, read Blue Giant.

The art style is lined incredibly well, and while the character designs are not incredibly distinct, they have absolutely no reason to be more than what they are. The characters are nuanced and have very human struggles and realizations. People are written as people, and extremely consistent at that.

Blue Giant is the perfect example and should be considered a focal point for manga about music. This should be at the top of people's minds when they think about this genre as a whole. Miyamoto Dai is the average student, he isn't someone who really excels at anything nor does he seem to care about anything that much. His main pursuits and interests in life are basketball - a common hobby for boys in Japan - and Jazz - something on the complete other end of the spectrum - all he does is play his tenor sax. Playing, playing, playing all he can whenever ... he can. Dai is optimistic but fair, he knows basketball isn't in his future no matter how badly he wants it to be, which is fair. Dai also thinks he can go professional in the dying Jazz scene in Japan which is probably the most far fetched thing he's ever said or thought of but Dai isn't one to let up, he'll do anything to achieve his goals even if it involves going to Tokyo. I love how real this manga feels, the author has put so much effort into Jazz and the music industry, even music as a whole as we can see many, many, many different albums and references made by Dai and his friends. Dai even has a huge Jazz collection. The message I got from this is that nothing is certain in music, anything can happen at any point. You either make it big or you don't and you have to live with that feeling - this is made even more evident by the simple fact that they've chosen Jazz as the genre - or the fact that life is so unpredictable and can often times be cruel to people who don't deserve it. Blue Giant manages to open your mind to this fantasy, life isn't fair but we can't do anything about it. We have to work with what we've been given. The story is followed by extremely beautiful and gorgeous art that at times left me stunned with just how great it did look, you can even tell and envision what the music would be like without any noise whatsoever. Blue Giant is an impressive feat in a genre that doesn't actually get enough love from fans, I could probably write more analysis on this series but I just want people to read it if I'm being honest without saying too much. Add this to your list ASAP.

Althought the story itself isnt really anything special the way its executed is absolutely beautiful,its so engaging it sucks u right in.Every character introduced from the main cast is very charming in their own way and each one has an amazing journey(of development) and dont get me started about the mc,his seer determination to be the best, his courage,his unyielding spirit and his drive to work day by day, minute by minute all fueled by his genuine desire to improve as a musician and achieve his goal , plus his development as a character throughout the series is from the best i have ... ever seen.Definetily one of the best series i have ever read,im gonna check out the sequel,the movie and more of the authors works

If there is just one thing that i could point out about the series its gonna be the art which wasnt actually bad and delivered when it had to but it felt lacking in some points,still i believe the excitement and feelings of the characters were transferred to the reader through the art which mattered for me the most

Blue Giant is a story that serves as a celebration of hard work and resilience. Beyond this, It is a reminder that you can do it too. Whether your goal is as grand as Dai’s or not, Blue Giant tells you that you have the ability to do it. Why should you do it? Because what else is there? This is the order of questions that I found myself turning over while reading Blue Giant. It spoke to me specifically in my artistic journey. What does it mean to be the greatest in something? What does it mean to change the landscape of an art? ... What does it mean to be successful? For me, a great story can make me so sad I can’t stop myself from crying. An exceptional story on the other hand can fill me with such intense emotions enough to remind me that crying is not only an expression of sadness. Blue Giant is one of those stories for me. Never before have I cried because a character wanted something so bad. I realized that I wasn’t crying only for Dai, but I was crying for the part of me that craves more. Many stories make me feel for the characters, but very few stories can make me cry for myself while believing it is about the story.

Fantastic read. You can't go wrong with this one.
The story isn't anything unique but it is one of the few mangas that have made a huge positive impact on me and my life.
Every character in this story has taught me something. And one thing they all had in common is that regardless of what life throws at you, it's how you react to these situations that will shape your life.

The way the author presented the story and showed all sides of the main characters' life and other side character's life had a huge role in making this a great read for me.
I just hope ... this becomes a hit and gets animated because even without the music I can't believe how im able to feel his passion for jazz