Winning Work

< Translator’s Comments >No joke, Blue Period is a work of art. Tsubasa Yamaguchi effortlessly conquers the challenge of handling broad and subjective themes like it’s nothing. She doesn’t get caught up in fastidious pedagogy or superficial advocacy. On the contrary—passionately, kindly, and full of bright humor, this comic artist leads the reader into the world he created; the world of the unconventional characters he brought to life. This work is a hybrid work that uses art for comics, and comics for art.
What I had to pay close attention to when translating this series was how to recreate Yatora’s inner feelings while maintaining the rhythm and flow of the original Japanese text. When Yatora paints, he becomes a different person, exposing his weaknesses, but drawing into his strengh. Therefore, I needed to find the tone that was just right. The friends who surround Yatora don’t lose either. Yuka’s character was difficult for me, but I love her!

< Synposis >Yatora is a high school student with excellent grades and is good at getting along in the world. However, he has felt a sense of emptiness for a very long time. Until he became completely captivated by a painting he just happened to see, that is. Right away, Yatora discovered that painting pictures was his only means for expressing his own feelings and demonstrating his true value. This incident motivates Yatora to devote his whole body and soul to throwing himself into painting, and he takes on the most difficult art university entrance exam.