Review of the 'Blue Giant' Anime Movie

Article Key Points

Yuzuru Tachikawa showcases his unique blend of stylish aesthetics and shonen-inspired direction in Blue Giant, shining a light on the Tokyo jazz scene.

The film chronicles the journey of Dai, a jazz saxophonist, and his band JASS as they delve into their dynamic interactions and musical evolution through captivating performances and an enchanting soundtrack.

Although the art direction effectively captures the essence of the music, the excessive implementation of CGI during the performances seems incongruous and hampers the overall integration with the film's aesthetic.

Yuzuru Tachikawa, known for his innovative blend of stylish aesthetics and shonen-inspired directing, has garnered acclaim for his work across various genres. Notable projects include The Lady Called Fujiko Mine, Death Parade, Bleach, and the recent hit, Mob Psycho 100. His latest film, Blue Giant, as previously discussed on our website, aims to shed light on the Tokyo jazz scene through a trio of musicians with unique perspectives and sounds.

Blue Giant centers around the journey of Dai, a jazz saxophonist who relocates to Tokyo and forms a jazz band called JASS (an amusing coincidence, as it was an early spelling of jazz). Teaming up with a disciplined pianist and an unconventional roommate-turned-drummer, Dai and JASS's performances are beautifully portrayed in the film, intertwining their development with captivating and artful musical scores.

Drawing immediate comparisons to Damien Chazelle's 2009 film "Whiplash," Blue Giant focuses on the dynamics of each member of JASS, unlike Whiplash which emphasized individual sacrifices and the all-consuming nature of jazz. The film's production is enhanced by the strong atmospheric mood created by the soundtrack featuring Japanese jazz virtuoso Hiromi Uehara. Director Tachikawa expertly captures the overall musical feel through fantasy-inspired psychological portraits of the musicians, reminiscent of his prior work on Mob Psycho 100. The film's performance sequences feature vibrant colors and dynamism that visually represent the performers' emotions, adding a surprising aesthetic touch to the film.

While the art direction effectively captures the musical essence of Blue Giant, the visuals are hindered by the heavy use of motion-captured CGI during the performances. The CGI itself is not inherently bad, but its omnipresence throughout the musical scenes is quite noticeable. It is understandable why these sequences are animated in CGI, as they aim to depict the physicality of performing such an intense style of music. However, since most of the film is presented in a 2D stylized format to mimic the bold and rugged linework of Ishizuka's manga, the abrupt transitions between the smoothly-rendered and illuminated CGI performances fail to fully harmonize with the rest of the film's aesthetic.

The 2D CGI performances in Blue Giant evoke a sense of longing for what could have been done visually. While a fully CGI film would have been impressive, recent productions such as Trigun: Stampede (2022) and Lupin III: The First (2019) have successfully captured the aesthetic essence of anime and manga in 3D. Blue Giant attempts to strike a balance between the two approaches, much like the plot's theme of musicians needing to harmonize their individual sounds. Interestingly, the updated Blu-Ray version of the film, currently being screened in Japanese theaters, features edits that refine the project, a common practice in the anime industry for premium physical releases. Already, the majority of the film captures the essence of its source material, making it a worthwhile choice for both anime and music fans.

GKIDS released Blue Giant in select theaters in North America on October 8th and 9th. The physical release of the film is scheduled for 2024.

Film: Blue Giant

Director: Yuzuru Tachikawa

Studio: NUT Co., Ltd.

Rating: 3/5

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about the anime movie "Blue Giant." On the one hand, I appreciate the film's stylish visuals and captivating storytelling. The way in which director Yuzuru Tachikawa brings the Tokyo jazz scene to life is truly remarkable, and the film's soundtrack is simply superb. On the other hand, I found the excessive use of CGI during the performance scenes to be distracting and somewhat jarring. It felt like the filmmakers were trying too hard to make the film look flashy and modern, and it ended up taking away from the emotional impact of the music.

Overall, I enjoyed "Blue Giant" and would recommend it to fans of jazz and anime. However, I do think that the film could have been even better if the CGI had been used more sparingly.