Blue Giant

The very first notes of "Blue Giant" just clicked with me in terms of melody. This anime masterfully weaves a story, music, and emotions like a virtuoso improviser to create a unique symphony that no jazz lover can ignore.

The protagonist, Dai Miyamoto, is not just your normal teenager who is into music. He's fanatic about it, driven by a passion for the saxophone and jazz. His path to the top is hard, but he never gives up, inspired by rhythms and melodies that ring in his soul.

This anime doesn't only tell the story; it submerges you into the world of jazz—a place where every note ... matters, each musician a creator. Jazz here isn't only a background; it is a living character, playing with the heroes and uncovering their inner selves.

The soundtrack is stunning, dragging you not only into the plot but into a whole musical universe created by the genius of Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara. In 2011, she became a Grammy Award winner, skillfully interweaving her melodies with Tomoaki Baba on the saxophone and Shun Ishiwaka on the drums. Together, they represent music that accompanies the film, not only in ordinary terms, but more like enriching it with such a perfectly accompanying symphony of every instrument, telling a story on its own, creating an atmosphere that lingers far beyond the end credits.

The characters are much more than animations; they are real people with dreams, fears, and emotions. Dai Miyamoto is a charismatic music freak; you just can't help but watch him. His friends are even more interesting, adding more depth to this vivid story.

This animation is a visual feast. Detailed backgrounds, lifelike character movements, and emotional scenes create an unforgettable atmosphere.

This is truly an anime that no music lover should miss—exhilarating with its element of jazz, touching storyline, and unique vibes that promise an amazing experience. Without a doubt, "Blue Giant" is one of the best musical anime I've ever seen.

Im certainyly felt this is maybe the best thing that iv just watched, im not a fan of jazz music but this spesific movie made me fell in love at first sight, the animation was awesome and the music made me cry everytime i heard it. This is my first ever writing a review and maybe it was the last time, because spending time on presious thing like this one maybe only happend once a lifetime. Blue Giant maybe will be a bigger Giant in the future with this kind of masterpiece, first time watching this movie will easily be my best memories ever in ... my life.

Shinichi Ishizuka's jazz-themed manga series genuinely loves music and the emotional production of it. Jazz as a genre is just pure soul with roots in blues and characterized by swing, which no other discipline can mimic because jazz can also be undisciplined. Blue Giant's adaptation for the big screen translates the passion well, and actually hearing music helps. The lead character, Dai Miyamoto, is a former high school basketball player turned saxophone player. As a self-trained musician, his theoretical understanding is lacking, which he compensates for with an uncontrollable devotion to honing his skills. It's Dai that holds the writing together in its highs and lows, consistently ... remaining a symbol of unchanging motivation to be the best. Whether or not that's in his near future isn't important, although we do fast forward to a documentary being filmed with people he's interacted with in the past. They all admit to being floored by his intensity, personifying his music as sheer confidence and a loud demand for attention. Ishizuka isn't interested in the fundamentals or details of the artform and instead writes about a climb to the top using instinct and expression. 

There are equal upsides and downsides to the narrative structure, and the latter is mainly a case of being by-the-book dramatically. It's completely predictable, which leads to Blue Giant becoming less and less about stakes and more so about electric displays of jam sessions and performances. Prioritizing music in action isn't the worst creative choice if the writing isn't quite supportive of textured character writing. However, the story does still offer modest philosophies about living for a dream and devoting your all to the hardest part of success, practice. The trio—Dai, Shunji, and Yukinori—practice like hell. Their dynamic gives us slight light-hearted banter but also loosely experiments with talent, beginner's hard work, and unadulterated passion. It's difficult to fully immerse oneself in the literary mechanics Ishizuka uses to accumulate tension, especially if the viewer is familiar with the tenets of the medium. The same applies to me, although I'd argue a calculated process of hitting familiar high notes and giving the audience an uplifting feel-good rush is all a movie really needs to be a good time, which this is. An underdog journey of amateurs improvising what they lack in experience to the pinnacle of Japanese jazz venues.

Hiromi Uehara's score is phenomenal, committing to the originality of the pieces Yukinori writes for the band while simultaneously being inspired by the many jazz pioneers referenced here and there. A lot of the tracks are based on John Coltrane's later discography as well as new wave jazz. Uehara assembled more than 30 elite musicians to compose the soundtrack, beautifully reflecting the hearts of the instruments. There are numerous solos during the trio's performances, and we'll hear the drums or piano going off in their own world, dishing out joyous grooves to overwhelm the senses. The music accompanies an interesting visual arsenal from Studio NUT, and this is where I became slightly divided on animation effectiveness. Complex 2D sequences are nigh-impossible to pull off nowadays in a production time crunch, so studios will resort to CG models. The evolution of 3D integration over the years has been impressive, yet still, the reduced framerate and noticeable stiffness become an awkward moment when editing between close-ups and expressionless flailing. In the long run, it's up to the viewer to decide their stance on the visual product, which also has many standout cuts. 

The best scenes in Blue Giant sort of melt into the atmosphere, showing us nebulous keyframes blending into the audio. Director Yuzuru Tachikawa employs smears that we typically see in his work in TV animation. The film is shot almost entirely in blue, at least when it's establishing any particular location, and switches to gold when we're absorbed by Dai's powerful timbre. Satoru Hirayanagi's art direction is a remarkable aspect of the film's visual storytelling and language, including but not limited to constant glimmers or glints on the instruments, and subtle things like dented cymbals sell the satisfaction of a great performance. At the height of enlivening the animation, the rotoscoped character acting and attention to fingerwork all accumulate to a rush of freeform, often abstract transformative movement. This adaptation has integrity; even in its weaker elements, there is discernible effort to maximize the sound design's giant impact. Dai has a highly likeable personality that one wants to closely follow, and larger-than-life evocative feelings exist in his saxophone. Like jazz, Blue Giant is comfortable in its expression of freedom.