Every person has either struggled from a lack of purpose or with the feeling that they do not have the ability to reach their goal at some time or another. In this way, everyone shares something in common withBlue Period’s protagonist Yaguchi, who struggles with both throughout this story. Ultimately his efforts do result in the goal that he wanted, but at a fairly high cost, and seeminglywith little personal growth. But how does the way that Yaguchi handles these struggles help teach viewers what they themselves can do when they find themselves in this situation? And, given the results of Yaguchi’s struggle, should viewers strive to emulate Yaguchi at all?
Blue Periodfollows the story of Yatora Yaguchi, a high schooler who feels as though he is drifting through a boring and predictable life until a half-finished painting changes his life. Once he meets Maru and learns about her artistic process, Yaguchi finds a new passion within himself and goes on to study as an artist. The show follows him through his six-month journey leading up to art school entrance exams.
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Before Art
Viewers are only treated to one episode, almost, of Yaguchi before he decides to become an artist, but through flashbacks and references, a much clearerpicture of himself is paintedthroughout the season. He comes from a poor background which means that despite his good grades his family will likely not be able to send him to an elite university. Due to this, he tends to live a more delinquent lifestyle, as evidenced by his friends who rarely study and spend quite a lot of time drinking and goofing around.
In his first introduction to the world of painting,he is mildly scornful. Despite having no direction in his own life he lectures the art students about their limited prospects and difficult goals. While nothing he says is false, the art teacher easily sees through his lashing out and he is invited into the Art Club later.
While Painting
Maru, an older student painter with a massive painting in progress talks to Yaguchi and convinces him that art has its own intrinsic value and that with proper technique anyone can make it. Compelled Yaguchi createsa simple blue painting. Later when his classmates are able to tell what he was trying to convey he breaks down in tears and decides to make art his driving goal in life.
However, just because Yaguchi has decided what he wants to be and what he wants to do doesn’t mean that he is fully able to shake off all of his struggles. Yaguchistruggles greatly with confidenceand self-worth for the duration of the show. Even the finale episode he can’t quite shake his insecurities, instead to an extent embracing and displaying them.
How Yaguchi Handles his Insecurities
Yaguchi never believes that he is a good painter, but he never once doubts that he is a hard worker. Whenever he feels like he is inferior or that he is not a good artist he simplythrows himself into practice. This is commented on by more than one of his friends, that he doesn’t know how to relax or have fun. Obviously, in this regard, Yaguchi lives on one end of the spectrum. Throwing yourself into bettering oneself instead of just wallowing in a lack of self-esteem is certainly the better option. However, he teeters too far along that spectrum back into potentially unhealthy ranges, going so far as to give himself migraine and hives from the self-imposed stress.
His (slightly) more healthy coping mechanism is how he always looks to others for support with his struggles. He relies heavily on his teacher for support, guidance, and judgment for sure, but also on his friends. Whenever he is struggling he turns to those around him for inspiration, motivation, and reassurance. Whilehaving a support networkis definitely important, and certainly better than simply working himself to death, if Yaguchi were to only rely on outside support and not take any credit or blame for himself then he still wouldn’t be dealing with his problems. Thankfully in his episode with Ryuji viewers get to see that while he leans on those around him he still takes full credit, and full blame for his success and failures.
Summary
Overall Yaguchi does a fine job of dealing with his struggles, both by focusing his stress productively and by leaning on his support group. Of course, they both help himto ultimately achieve his goalin the end. Both strategies can be useful for others going through something similar, although perhaps one shouldn’t go quite to the extremes that Yaguchi displays.
It is also important to remember that while these strategies did help him to get into university, they didn’t solve his self-esteem issues. Even at the very last moments of the anime Yaguchi still believed that he was not a good artist despite all the evidence to the contrary. He will have to work even harder in college to help himself overcome the underlying problems that he still faces.
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