As many of you know, there isn’t a type of media that I don’t enjoy reviewing. Sure, my film reviews are most numerous, but I have also dabbled in books, video games, and music when it comes to critiquing. Music is really fun, because I’m one of the few people I know that will literally dissect every song whether it is a hit or a throwaway. Needless to say, I almost never hold back. So imagine my excitement when I come upon a new anime that blends an interesting story with the amazing style of jazz music. I honestly don’t even listen to jazz, but the chance to expand my musical repertoire is something I crave to do. Let’s take a look at Blue Giant.
A cold wind is blowing, and somewhere a saxophone is playing. A car whooshes by; Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada) tries to play, but the weather is so frigid that he is having a lot of trouble. He keeps trying, because one day he will be a famous musician. A black cat slinks by and rests beside him. Dai gasps after playing a difficult note, and the pain is too much to bear, so he takes time out to have a chat with the feline. However, the cat soon leaves him, and he goes back to his playing.
Sendai Station. With only three years of experience under his belt, Dai is leaving the comforts of his small town for a music career in Tokyo. He wishes his big brother and little sister goodbye, and the two siblings are split on whether he will ever come back. Thankfully, Dai’s mom has provided him with some rice balls for the trip as the train speeds off towards the big city. As he munches, it’s time to listen to a little music. Cue Impressions by Hiromi, and let’s hit those credits.
Dai Miyamoto is in Tokyo looking for Shinjuku 3-Chrome. This is probably about the time we should expect a getting acquainted with Tokyo montage. Eventually, Dai finds a bridge, gets out the saxophone, and starts to play. This will have to do for the night. The next morning, he goes to his friend, Shunji Tamada (voiced by Amane Okayama), who is attending college in Tokyo and has a flat. Dai asks to stay a few days, and Tamada agrees.
Two weeks later, and this arrangement is perhaps not going so well. Tamada wants to have women over and needs to work on his college education. The only thing at this point that Dai can bring to the table is being able to cook omurice well. But finding work is difficult and finding inexpensive lodging is even harder. After finding some work to do on the side, the saxophone player is able to slide a little bit of money to Tamada for rent so they can continue living together.
Dai still needs to find an avenue for his jazz appreciation. He stumbles upon a small club called Jazz Takes Two and goes inside. He asks the club owner Akiko (voiced by Sayaka Kinoshita) if there is any jazz being played tonight. Unfortunately Akiko can’t afford to play live musicians. She can, however, afford to play a record, as she unveils a very large collection behind her. The owner selects Low Flame by Sonny Stitt and puts it on the turntable. Dai falls in love with the tune instantly. Akiko watches Dai’s reactions to the record and writes down a place for him that has live music. He eagerly leaves for the other club but promises to come back to Jazz Takes Two.
At the second club, he meets a piano player named Yukinori Sawabe (voiced by Shotaro Mamiya). Eventually the two strike up a conversation and form a jazz duo. Tamada, upon hearing the two play, decides that more than anything he wants to play drums (despite not having any drum experience at all). They form a band called Jass and practice every day at the Jazz Takes Two. The rest is, as you say, history.
Blue Giant is actually a rather famous piece of manga. It has sold nearly 6 million copies and even received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2017. It was ripe for an anime film, and it’s an excellent one, one that I did not think I would enjoy so much. It really succeeds, not because of the lead character Dai Miyamoto, but rather the secondary stories of the other musicians, Sawabe and Tamada. For Sawabe, it’s about him reaching that superstar level in his piano playing, and for Tamada, it’s about his amazing development from being an absolute beginner on drums. We come to learn that Dai is already an amazing sax player, but through his playing he creates a gravitating energy that makes those around him play that much better.
It’s a beautiful film, and one that by the third act is sure to bring several tears to your eye because of the journey of all three of these band members. It also helps that the score which was created by Hiromi and is nothing short of fantastic. The energy of the film is undeniable, and whether you like jazz or not, you’ll be quickly brought to the edge of your seat by each performance. If I did have one primary criticism of the film, it is of the little interludes they have with some of the characters’ future selves. It takes away from the film and lessens the impact of the climax of the film, which becomes predictable. It’s still an highly emotional climax, but the fact that you can see it coming in some respects was a miscue in my opinion.
Video
The video is in 1.78:1 widescreen. The animation style from the outset seems to be fairly typical, but there are such wonderful subtle little details in the shading of the characters that it makes it stand out. It’s akin to the actual graphic novels that this film is based upon and is a wonderful touch. I also enjoy how the performances were animated and their use of a blue flame at key moments in the solos, which enhances the look of the film. It’s a very good-looking anime, and I really wish it would have gotten a 4K. However, since not many people outside of Japan are probably even aware of this film, it’s one that will probably have to wait for an ultra HD release (and probably won’t be done stateside at all).
Audio
The audio for this one is DTS-HD 7.1 ATMOS (also 5.1 and 2.0 tracks) in Japanese. Subtitles are provided in English (for original language), English SDH and Spanish. For once, we get a worthy use of ATMOS, because I was honestly expecting only a 5.1 track. If you have even a passing interest in jazz, this score should quite literally blow you away. Turn it up, because neighbors might want to complain, but honestly won’t in fear of good taste. Seriously, though, the ATMOS works every speaker, and it isn’t only the music. Sound effects such as cars, rain, heck the opening of a club door, and many more all receive a boost in definition and quality. Dialog is on point, and there seemed to be no obvious issues with the subtitles. It’s a film that masquerades as a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience and flat out has the best audio I have listened to this year so far.
Special Features
- Interview with Hiromi 15:51: This interview with Hiromi Uehara is in English (no subtitles) and looks like it was held at the Japanese Society (more information about that organization can be found at https://japansociety.org/join-support/). This was done at the premiere in New York, October 2023. This was a pleasure to listen to as they go over how energetic her soundtrack was and her inspirations among other topics. It’s done in a very casual way, and it’s a shame that it didn’t go even longer.
- Trailers & Teasers 5:14: Two trailers, two teasers, and two TV spots.
- NOTE: This set does not come with a DVD (as many previous GKids releases did), but it does have a beautiful slipcover. There is also some gorgeous inside cover art, perfect to slip into a clear case if you have one available.
- NOTE: Shout & Gkids did not opt to include a soundtrack CD with this release (which they certainly should have). The Japanese special edition Blu-rays by Toho do have this, and you can also buy the soundtrack on vinyl and CD through your favorite online retailers.
Final Thoughts
Blue Giant did manage to get a nomination at the Awards of the Japanese Academy for Animated Film and won Best Music Score (honestly, how could it not?). It also was nominated for an Anime Award at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Seriously, it should have won an Oscar for that score, and I’m not even kidding. It’s a wonderful film that has great performances from all three band members and is a moving story. It is one of those films that will bring new fans to the music stylings of jazz, and those who might not have listened to their favorite records in a while will prompt them to turn on one of those albums.
The disc is technically one of the best you will find on B-ray. The video is excellent, and the audio is second to none. I do wish it had more special features or a soundtrack CD included, but these kind of films don’t get enough love on this side of the pond. This is a different type of anime, and while I always say animation is a medium, not a genre, it’s nice for a film to come along that embraces that sentiment. Heavily recommended and not just for music enthusiasts. Enjoy.
