By Levana Jane Chester-Londt
The best artistic Anime to watch while waiting for more Blue Period episodes
Most art fans have finished the first season of Blue Period and find themselves craving more. With no hint of a second season in sight, why not take a look at some alternative artistic anime? Yatora Yaguchi is a relatable character from Blue Period who discovers late in life that he would like to improve his artistic skills. With only a few months left, Yaguchi buckles down in preparation for the art exams that will determine his enrollment in the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Viewers witness his progress as the youngster practices daily, learning valuable lessons from his fellow members of the Art Club and Cram School. He nearly crumbles under all the pressure, but with the support of his friends, Yaguchi accomplishes his dreams - although there is still much left to accomplish as this is only the beginning. Blue Period gives detailed insights into the strain that creative souls face regularly, and several other Anime explore similar themes successfully.
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Bakuman
Much like Yaguchi, Moritaka Mashiro feels like he is lacking in purpose in life until his friend Akito Takagi suggests he joins him in attempting to become a mangaka. Initially not convinced, the youngster continues aimlessly until he realizes that Manga could help him score with the ladies. Mashiro's crush, the beautiful Miho Azuki, aspires to become a voice actress - and so the two make a wager.
If he is able to become a successful mangaka, Azuki will receive a lead role in the anime adaptation of Mashiro's work and, to spice things up, a marriage proposal is put on the line. Now adequately motivated, Mashiro sacrifices everything into honing his artistic skills for the sake of love. The Bakuman Manga was created by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the same team responsible for the beloved Death Note.
Shirobako
Five young ladies from Kaminoyama High School all have a passion for anime and each wish to succeed in different avenues of the industry one day. They form an Animation Club to encourage one another and Ema Yasuhara, Shizuka Sakaki, Misa Tōdō, and Midori Imai create their first anime together for the Culture Festival.
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The story takes a leap into the future, so viewers can see how the girls have adapted their talents in the real world, outside high school. Aoi manages to land a job at Musashino Animation, but sadly not all her friends were that lucky, although not yet ready to throw in the towel. Shirobako does not only explore the drawing element of art, but the creative fields of 3D modeling, voice acting, and writing are also covered, providing a broader range than most other artistic Anime.
Sketchbook: Full Color’s
Sora Kajiwara is rarely seen without her sketchbook and pencil at the ready, taking inspiration from everything she encounters. Living a relatively isolated life, Sora has become quite shy and introverted, so she joins her school's art club to force herself to socialize more.
Surrounded by like-minded individuals, the young artist is able to break out of her shell by making new friends (and one or two enemies), and subsequently exploring more creative avenues with her art. With a distinct feline element, Sketchbook: Full Color’s is cute, beautifully illustrated, tackling issues of social anxiety in the process. The Sketchbook Manga by Totan Kobako ran for an impressive 17 years, giving fans plenty of content to go through after the Anime.
Sarusuberi (Miss Hokusai)
As an Edo-era period piece, Sarusuberi is set in 1814, Tokyo, following the story of Katsushika O-Ei, Master Hokusai's daughter, as she assists her father in reaching the pinnacle of his success. Her skills are on par with, if not surpassing, her father's talents, so she can paint alongside, or instead of, Master Hokusai's.
Regularly receiving no acknowledgment for her work, O-Ei goes along with painting in Tetsuzo's place whenever she is needed, building resentment as time passes. Best known for painting The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Tetsuzo revels in his fame as he takes advantage of his daughter's generous nature, and things soon spiral out of control. This creative Anime movie focuses on Japanese Fine Art and was directed by Keiichi Hara and based on Hinako Sugiura's Manga of the same name.
Forest of Piano
Off track from tangible art, but creative nonetheless, Forest of Piano focuses on musical talents, comparing two young boys with contrasting backgrounds who find friendship amidst their differences. Kai Ichinose has a natural knack for instruments, and can perfectly replicate a song after only hearing it once. Kai comes from a troubled home, born to an alcoholic prostitute, and learns to escape his woes by playing the mysteriously magical piano, left in the middle of the forest where he lives. The more privileged Shūhei Amamiya, on the other hand, works tirelessly to hone his skills and live up to his famed father's name. He often forsakes a fun and adventurous childhood for fear of somehow damaging his hands - he had never even climbed a tree until he met Kai. With the help of Sosuke Ajino, the pair find a way to encourage each other amidst competition as they follow their passion for music.
As different as these artistic Anime may be, they all possess a common theme - success takes hard work and dedication. All too often, an artwork, admired as it may be, is brushed off as a mere act of talent as if, by pure luck, the final product is created. Even the proficient Kai from Forest of Paino quickly learns that he cannot simply rely on his natural-born skills to accomplish his dreams. Shirobako's Aoi lands her ideal job and also realizes that there is way more work involved in animation than she initially expected. The best artists are the ones who never stop learning, are constantly practicing, and aren't afraid of putting in the hours. Yatora Yaguchi is the perfect example of how dedication to one's craft can eventually transform a person's stick figure drawings into masterpiece artworks.
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