Blue Giant

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Animation based on manga from Japan about a college student who forms a three piece jazz band and wants nothing less to be number one, and this film is simply brilliant.

You don't have to like jazz, but the music is super, I'll be looking for the soundtrack to this. The colour use is very important in this film, as music and mood are one and the same, each character is dealt with care and fun and we do care about them as the writing is right on and the look works, intense music numbers come, smooth nightclubs and in general, nothing really wrong at all.

Director Yuzuru Tachikawa has done a really great job along with writers NUMBER 8 and Shin'ichi Ishizuka. I am familiar with the manga somewhat, but you don't need to be. It's a real joy of a film.

I very nearly didn't make the 30-mile schlep to my local Cineworld to watch this film but I'm really glad I did. It's not about a whale, no. It's about the aspirational saxophonist "Dai" who heads to Tokyo with dreams of taking over the world. He arrives, unannounced, on the doorstep of his friend "Tamada" looking for a bed for a few days. Needless to say, that few days turns out to be a bit longer and their friendship starts to strain a bit (the visitor snores!). "Dai" visits a small bar and meets the jazz-loving owner "Akiko" who sends him to a live venue where he encounters the pianist "Sawabe" whom he tries to convince to form a band. They are both eighteen but the latter man has been playing for about fourteen years longer than his new friend, so is a little sceptical! That doesn't last long once he hears him play and they soon decide they need a drummer to keep both from straying into the uncontrollable territory that can be improv jazz! Well, it turns out that his "landlord" isn't half bad at beating time with a stick on a Coke can - but can he up his game and turn this duo into a trio good enough to play at the city's most prestigious club - "So Blue"? The story itself is a bit predicable, with a few temper tantrums, frustrations and fallings out but it does illustrate well just how athletic these musicians must be to perform. Hands are covered in calluses and bruises, the sax takes quite a toll on the breathing and at times it's touch and go as to whether they can make it out of the starting block. There's nothing easy about the task they have set themselves nor the dedication and sacrifices it will take to achieve (or not) their goal. The animation itself it a little hit and miss, the CGI works much less well that the hand drawn scenes, but what really works here is the synchronisation with the musicians and that can be really immersive at times. If you are a fan of this genre of music, then you are in for a treat of Coltrane, Stitt et al. The saxophone (Tomoaki Baba), piano (Hiromi Uehara) and drums (Shun Ishiwaka) are unafraid to start off timidly and (especially the drummer) very rough around the edges, but as the story develops and they improve and become more confident, so do their performances until a tragedy tinged denouement that really does get the toes tapping. I'd have to say - there is no point in watching this is if this style of rambling, meandering and frankly rather musically self-indulgent performance doesn't appeal to you, but the powerful mix of frenetically syncopated animation and music I found really quite compelling. Sure, it's a bit long - but it's well worth a watch.

This film is amazing from start to finish, and it only gets better.

Not only is the story great, but the music, animation, and sound are all top-tier. I love when films show how sound looks, which this film does several times in very creative ways.

Yes, the CGI on the characters may look a little out of place, but I think they chose that approach to best show how the characters are playing the instruments. You can see all the details and movements that go into such an art.

The music in this is absolutely mind-changing, and you'll leave feeling inspired-not just musically. I really can't describe the music in words, so go listen and see it for yourself.

9.2/10 absolutely recommend this for any musician.

I usually don't write review. But after watching this film, I want to talk about it. For some people, this movie maybe good, average, or bad. I don't know that. But for me it's life changing. This film talks about passion in a art form, blending of incredible music, and lovable characters is most catchy thing about this film. I am also musician but I do not play jazz. Movie was soo beautifull too watch. In each frame there is something to talk about. Animators really put their sweats in it. Anyone who was passionate about anything in their life, must watch this film at once in their lifetime. Also loved the way they show, when our jass is gone into another world while playing music, they just jammed and feels the wind of emotions. It makes us as a audience more attentive. Reactions of the listeners also makes us attentive to the performance. Hope these types of films made more.

As a film featuring music and focusing on relatively niche genre, the performance and interpretation of jazz would naturally be the attention. Regarding this, the only I can say is impeccable. Every time the tenor saxophone is blowing fiercely with blue fire, I can feel the energy overflowing and penetrating through my skull until the backend so that my hair stands. Wild but sleek graphics, realistic depiction of life of artists, delicate storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings, and last but not the least, the powerful and passionate jass, all add up to not only the climax of the show, but also of the kind.