Blue Giant – Review

I’m often fascinated by music-related films, anime shows or anime movies, and this Christmas I treated myself to a Blu-ray copy of Blue Giant. I was drawn in by its dynamic, vibrant animation, and its main story focus on the thrill of a live performance. Whilst there are parallels to Whiplash, the percussion-themed Rocky, this jazz-centric feature-length is less gritty, but equally uplifting.

Blue Giant is a 2023 anime movie adapted from a graphic novel of the same name from a decade earlier. It follows the musical journey of three main characters who form JASS, a jazz trio of alto sax, piano, and drums. Dai is our lead, an 18-year-old self-taught protege who plays his alto sax loudly, bombastically, and with 100% of his emotions into every note. He teams up with the reluctant pianist Yukinori, who is amazingly talented but lacks humility for his craft or other performers. Whilst both are naturally gifted, Tamada, a newbie on the drums, is not. Tamada is starting at base camp. He is learning his craft over the course of the year that the film tracks our trio. As Tamada works hard to become a professional and be taken seriously, Dai and Yukinori are potentially at odds with each other. The music business isn’t interested in jazz bands but solo stars. Yukinori makes no bones about using Dai as a stepping stone to bigger success. It seems as if JASS is on rocky ground…

When JASS take to the stage, Blue Giant shines. The music, whilst emphasising the concept of “staying within the framework” of a chord or time signature, lets each instrument shine with complex solos and fast-paced riffs. As JASS plays, the animation and CGI collide to show sparks of energy and emotion that explode out of the instruments and their performance. It triggers past memories and psychedelic moments that try to convey the electricity and potency of performing live. It is an adrenaline rush that sets the stage alight, and Blue Giant does this incredibly well.

Outside of the extensive live performances, the story has a few moments of note, but it often makes the trio’s journey a little too easy. Dai only knows full blast, and could do with some subtlety in his performances on and off stage. Tamada gains confidence once he has had his wobble of not being good enough. Yukinori has a few big knocks and surprises across the movie. The problem is that they don’t fundamentally make him more considerate or humble. Instead, the movie drops a few breadcrumb trails to suggest there’s character progression coming post-credits. I wanted a little more character progression beyond a “you did good” comment to show mental growth. Is it a letdown? No. It is just that Blue Giant introduces backstories and motivations, but doesn’t focus much on their resolutions. This is more about the on-stage vibe and the practice of the craft than anything else.

If you love jazz, it’ll make watching Blue Giant easier. A good 40 minutes of the film is live music in some form. If you want to get an insight into the visceral emotions that live performance can bring, then Blue Giant is an easy recommendation. The story and main characters are completely fine, if a little well-trodden in places, but the music and visuals are a feast for the senses. The release is in Japanese with subtitles, with excellent voice acting throughout. Enjoyable.

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Blue Giant

7

7.0/10

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