‘Blue Period’ live-action release date, cast, plot, and more

Live-action adaptations can be hit or miss, with more often than not leaning towards the latter. This time, Blue Period is the manga scheduled for a live-action adaptation, and whether it does justice to Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s story remains to be seen.

American live-action adaptations play in a category of their own. Despite typically having higher budgets, they frequently miss the mark in incredibly unexpected ways. Character personalities, story arcs, and even designs often lack depth or fidelity. On the other hand, Japanese live-action adaptations tend to operate on lower budgets but often succeed in conveying the essence of the story better. Where America falls short, Japan steps in. With that said, Blue Period will be receiving a Japanese live-action adaptation, and if you’re as curious as I am, read on.

When is the Blue Period live-action released?

For better or for worse, the Blue Period live-action film will be hitting theaters across Japan on Aug. 9, 2024. The film will be directed by Kentaro Hagiwara, known for directing the 2017 film adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul, and written by Reiko Yoshida. Warner Bros. will distribute the film, though there are currently no plans for a release in the Western market.

If you’re unfamiliar with the manga, Blue Period is a seinen story serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine since 2017. The story spans 15 volumes thus far and, in addition to the upcoming live-action adaptation, has also been adapted into an anime that premiered in 2021. Essentially, it tells the realistic tale of Yatora Yaguchi, a student who chooses to deviate from Japan’s high expectations for the workforce and instead dedicates his life to art and painting.

The cast for the Blue Period live-action film is as follows:

In the meantime, the Blue Period manga is still available to read on Kodansha USA, and the anime’s first season is available on Netflix.