Blue Period by Yamaguchi Tsubasa is getting a Live-Action film adaptation. Warner Bros Japan announced the live-action of the manga Blue Period. It is also revealed that Gordon Maeda will play Yaguchi Yatora in this adaptation. Blue Period live-action is set to release on August 9, 2024. Warner Bros Japan also released the official Key Visual and First trailer for this live-action adaptation:
The trailer features the Main character Yatora Yaguchi, how he was delinquent, and why he wanted to learn art. We can also see various cuts about Yatora making painting pieces and even a scene where Yatora was floating in the blue world of Shibuya. This trailer also features the side characters Ayukawa Ryuji, Yotasuke Takahashi, and Mori Maru. The main cast of this film includes:
Yatora Yaguchi by Gordon Maeda
Ryuji Ayukawa by Fumiya Takahashi
Yotasuke Takahashi by Rihito Itagaki
Maru Mori by Hiyori Sakurada
The main staff members working on this movie are:
Director: Kentaro Hagiwara
Screenplay: Reiko Yoshida
Music: Hiroki Kojima “Yaffle”
Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures
Author Yamaguchi Tsubasa, all the main cast members, and Director Kentaro Hagiwara commented about this live-action adaptation of Blue Period
After Watching the complete movie, I expressed a lot of things that I couldn’t see in the manga, such as the scenery that I couldn’t see when I was writing it in manga, the facial expressions of the characters played by the actors, and the sense of the “pause” between words. I was honestly impressed by the live action movie version of “Blue Period”, which gave me a sense of reality in each scene.
Mangaka Yamaguchi Tsubasa
The cast members spent a lot of time practicing painting, and when I first saw them on set, I was amazed to see that everyone’s movements were similar to those of a painter. In particular when I met Maeda-san, I felt as if I was meeting “Yaguchi, my classmate,” and I even felt awkward like “From the planning stage, how would you make this work into a movie?” But I’m really glad that I was able to entrust this project to Director Hagiwara, who has a clear vision of his own and was always thinking about delivering the film to the audience.
I would be happy if everyone could feel the passion that people feel when they try to start something.
Every day is fun, but kind of shallow. I feel like I’m not grounded, like I’m looking down on myself. The hard times seem slow, and the fun times seem fast. It is a film that makes you feel as if you are walking with the eight tigers.
Gordon Maeda
The beauty of the line is, “Isn’t it normal to put the most weight in your life to what you love?” The fear and hardship behind it, the changing self and environment, and the accompanying human relationships. While having people feel this way, both those who are thinking about their future now, and those who have already stopped thinking about it, are asking themselves what they like to do and what makes them happy.
I hope this film will give you an opportunity to think about it a little more. I also hope that those who are already fighting the fight will see this film and gain some hope, so that they can continue to fight.
I was aware of Blue Period, but had never seen it, so I read the original story after hearing about it. Of course I was drawn to the work as a whole, but I was also drawn to the character of Ryuji Ayukawa, and I was worried about whether I would be able to play this character. But at the same time, I couldn’t stop feeling excited.
Fumiya Takahashi
I was truly honored to be entrusted with the role of Yuka-chan, who is such a wonderful character and the overwhelming charm of this work. I put my heart and soul into this role so that I could faithfully enhance Ryuji Ayukawa’s charm as much as possible. In terms of preparing for the role, I practiced Japanese painting, but I also pushed myself and Yuka-chan physically to the point where I didn’t feel any boundaries between them. Although it was difficult at times, it was really fun.
I would be happy if everyone could see Ryuji Ayukawa like that. I’ve packed everything I can do, what I need to do, and what I want to do into this work, just like Yuka-chan and Yatora. Everyone, please come to the theater.
When I heard about this story, it was even more relevant to me as someone who enjoys art, both as a hobby and as a means of input-output.
Rihito Itagaki
Also, the original manga was originally known as a stoic work with art as its theme, and I felt a lot of sympathy for the character of Yotasuke Takahashi, so I feel very fateful.
Pursuing what you love is never an escape or an easy thing to do, and along the way you will be hurt many times and face many layers of walls. I believe this work teaches everyone that there is a wide ocean waiting for everyone beyond that point. I would like all kinds of people to watch it, including those who are chasing their dreams and those who support them.
First of all, I felt the joy and anticipation of working with Director Hagiwara-san again, and at the same time, I was excited to play the key role of Mori Maru-Senpai, the person who triggered the change in Yatora’s life.
Hiyori Sakurada
I had never had much opportunity to experience the world of painting, so I had a lot to learn every time I practiced. It was a rare opportunity for me to experience something like this, so it was truly a valuable experience.
The movie is full of highlights, from the calmness of the school to the tense atmosphere of the cram school, so please look forward to it.
The most important thing in adapting Yamaguchi Tsubasa’s manga “Blue Period” into a live-action film was to challenge the question at the heart of the original work, “Is art a talent?”
Director Kentaro Hagiwara
Is it a waste of time to try something you love when you have no talent? Can passion be a weapon that surpasses talent?
This is a film that can be enjoyed not only by the generation like Yatora who is searching for his own path, but also by all generations who are passionate about and challenged by something they are passionate about. Please stay tuned.
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About Blue Period
Blue Period is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yamaguchi Tsubasa. This series was serialized in June 2017 in Kodansha’s seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon and is ongoing till now. As of November 2023, there are 15 Volumes in this manga. This manga was awarded the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category and the Grand Prize of the 13th Manga Taisho Award in 2020.
This manga later received an anime adaptation produced by Seven Arcs, released in October 2021. The live-action film adaptation of this manga is set to premiere in Japanese theaters in August 2024.
Kodansha USA licensed this manga in English and describes its plot as:
“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!“
Source: Official Website
