Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
VaioletteZ
This is one of the most appallingly shallow movies I've ever seen.
It demonstrated literally none of the internal conflict surrounding the craft of playing music, all the conflict are external, the main character has less personality than dried gum on the sidewalk.
Apparently all we need to make moving music is to have PASSION. Has this movie said ANYTHING about music beyond that it's "intense" and "cool"?
I'm convinced this author has no CLUE how to play any instrument, and is just commandeering jazz as an aesthetic when he actually wanted to just write yet another generic sports anime.
AI could've written a story with more depth. Because the author didn't even realize that he wrote one of the most inconsistent, selfish protagonists. What kind of person, the literal day after your…
Read at the sourceOlorin666
A young man who plays the saxophone arrives in Tokyo to conquer the jazz scene. He has neither experience nor money, but he has great talent and a desire to move forward. He meets a pianist and a drummer, each with their own background and sad story. In spite of everything, they start moving forward to their dream fame.
We have seen such stories dozens of times before, but still, such a simple plot always resonates with the audience, because music unites all people, regardless of their nationality, age or language. It's nothing special, just a well-told story. If you love music in general, or jazz in particular, you'll really enjoy this. Especially if you're a musician yourself. The characters’ motivation and their passion for playing are portrayed beautifully. It feels like a high-quality…
Read at the sourceJeiGundam
I loved this movie. My dad is from New Orleans so I’ve always had a love for jazz. I guess appreciation is more accurate of à word. Because I can’t name all the jazz greats and etc. But this film has an energy about it especially when the music gets going. Think of Food Wars minus the nudity but 10 times better. Even the scenes in between are good. You see each characters determination and inner musician. There was a part of the movie where I was like the movie should be over soon and there was still another 30 mins. But that extra 30 mins was very necessary actually. I think this is a masterpiece. Even though there are some “mistakes”. It’s a movie about jazz, so I’m not gonna complain about the CGI with thr dynamic scenes. Animation in this movie is a solid A in my opinion though. Defini…
Read at the sourceSkyBlue1012
I love music and I love anime, so when I saw good reviews for this, I was instantly interested—and honestly, they weren’t wrong.
The art style is beautiful, and the music is amazing. That final song before the band disbanded gave me actual goosebumps. I also didn’t expect the story to take such an emotional turn—there’s a tragedy in the middle of the show. The story really kept me engaged.
Now, my only real issue was with the animation. I’m not a fan of mixing 2D with CGI or 3D—it just doesn’t look right to me. Either go full 2D or full 3D. The blending made some of the character movements feel awkward, and the finger movements when playing instruments were especially off. It pulled me out of the moment a few times.
That said, the characters were great. They felt realistic and had natur…
Read at the sourceLegoC97
60-SECOND REVIEWS
It's a shame there's an over-reliance on CGI for some key scenes, because otherwise the musical performances were absolutely enthralling, each one practically a 10/10 in their own right, wrapped around a solid, though not exceptional, story.
It's impressive how naturally this one movie managed to trim down 10 volumes of manga into a 2 hour film, though there are, I'm sure, plenty of B-plots and development that I would have loved to have seen adapted that would have filled out the story and characters. But for one film needing to give all three main characters a bit of spotlight and development, they do an impressive job.
What you're really here for are the performances, perhaps--CGI aside--setting a new benchmark for musical performances in anime. If you enjoyed the j…
Read at the sourceSoulwarfare
Blue Giant is an incredible film about passion and Jazz!
The animation is superb with amazing use of clashing colours and vivid imagery during their performances. The music is spectacular and even if you're not big on Jazz like me, the soundtrack will captivate you! The story is incredibly engaging, which is interesting as the director decided to cut out the entire first arc and some backstories that were present in the source material. However, you will barely notice this as what the director focuses is on the emotions and values of the character which works just as well.
My only gripe with this film is the use of CG which is a bit jarring. It can go from amazing 2D animation of our characters to 3D which is not that great and mildly distracting.
Nevertheless, this is a truly phenome…
Read at the sourcePpsoysauce
"I'll keep this short and sweet. The movie was amazing. The music and visuals during the performances were stunning, and the characters and story were compelling. The only thing keeping me from giving it a 10 was the CGI segments. I'm not the biggest animation critic, but the CG took me out of some scenes completely—though there were moments where it blended well. I’m not sure if they used it for accuracy or to save money, but I’d much prefer slightly inaccurate playing over a distracting CGI presence. Even if accuracy was the goal, I feel they could have taken a 'Kids on the Slope' approach and used rotoscoping instead.
Read at the sourcevanillaine
How tf you make three relatable musician characters holy shit.
Inserting Dai with the "There will always be a child prodigy leagues better than you" while also putting Yukinori in a "There will always be a raw talent spitting at your years of hardwork" is CRAZY WORK. And don't get me started with Tamada because holy shit you rarely see drummer character depicted like Tamada. It's a common stereotype in anime and manga for a drummer to be energetic, very outgoing, and skillful. I mean, sure, Tamada was introduced being goofy, but the rest of the film? As a struggling rhythm player it's so fucking tear-jerking and relatable af to see him lost like ACTUALLY LOST IT mid performance, regretting his life choices afterward, then proceed locking himself out, practicing just cause of a passive-agg…
Read at the sourceBaconReviews
This movie spoils you even when it doesn’t seem able to afford to. I never want to be that guy who complains about cgi in anime, most of the times I think these claims are pretty unfounded and I understand the necessity in cutting corners here and there, but this is a little different. Blue Giant will give you chills, it’s music will take you on a journey and some dynamic colorful visual will make you forget about everything else for a moment, but then it cuts to some passable cgi characters that seem uncanny. Maybe KyoAni’s Sound! Euphonium has spoiled me in this area, but I truly think a version of this movie without cgi could have elevated this to the next level. Alas I know enough about the industry to know that the hard working animators probably wanted that too.
Overall it’s a great…
Read at the sourcemellio1238
I thought that Blue Giant was very good. As someone who does not have a lot of experience with jazz music, Blue Giant does a great job of welcoming non fans. The use of color and animation was very evocative, and while some aspects of the story line were very predictable, Blue Giant made up for it by having charming characters that know what they want, and put those characters in humorous and harrowing situations. Go now, while life lasts, and watch Blue Giant.
I thought it was funny when the two main characters met in the bathroom and one complemented the other on the size of his penis.
Read at the sourceEverySportsAnime
This anime resonated with me on a profound level. Having grown up surrounded by music, I began playing saxophone at a young age and have spent more than two thirds of my life performing and studying jazz at a conservatory. Because of that, this story struck every emotional chord within me. I laughed, I cried and I shared in the characters’ pain, sorrow and triumphs. The narrative is raw and deeply human and as the protagonist describes it, “intense and rough.”
From a technical perspective the artistry and animation are extraordinary. The colors burst with vibrancy and create a visual experience that feels almost symphonic. Each scene flows seamlessly into the next, capturing both the energy and fragility of musical expression. It is clear that every frame was crafted with immense care and…
Read at the sourceToxicTodo
The very first notes of "Blue Giant" just clicked with me in terms of melody. This anime masterfully weaves a story, music, and emotions like a virtuoso improviser to create a unique symphony that no jazz lover can ignore.
The protagonist, Dai Miyamoto, is not just your normal teenager who is into music. He's fanatic about it, driven by a passion for the saxophone and jazz. His path to the top is hard, but he never gives up, inspired by rhythms and melodies that ring in his soul.
This anime doesn't only tell the story; it submerges you into the world of jazz—a place where every note matters, each musician a creator. Jazz here isn't only a background; it is a living character, playing with the heroes and uncovering their inner selves.
The soundtrack is stunning, dragging you not only int…
Read at the sourceMiharuRawr
Im certainyly felt this is maybe the best thing that iv just watched, im not a fan of jazz music but this spesific movie made me fell in love at first sight, the animation was awesome and the music made me cry everytime i heard it. This is my first ever writing a review and maybe it was the last time, because spending time on presious thing like this one maybe only happend once a lifetime. Blue Giant maybe will be a bigger Giant in the future with this kind of masterpiece, first time watching this movie will easily be my best memories ever in my life.
Read at the sourceHalcyon13
Shinichi Ishizuka's jazz-themed manga series genuinely loves music and the emotional production of it. Jazz as a genre is just pure soul with roots in blues and characterized by swing, which no other discipline can mimic because jazz can also be undisciplined. Blue Giant's adaptation for the big screen translates the passion well, and actually hearing music helps. The lead character, Dai Miyamoto, is a former high school basketball player turned saxophone player. As a self-trained musician, his theoretical understanding is lacking, which he compensates for with an uncontrollable devotion to honing his skills. It's Dai that holds the writing together in its highs and lows, consistently remaining a symbol of unchanging motivation to be the best. Whether or not that's in his near future isn't…
Read at the sourceEmpireDeLuna
This feels like the ultimate, personal attack for those "Did they animate the music right?" videos.
While clearly suffering from too much content cramped into a movie duration, Blue Giant never losses the driving force to propel you and them further! Even more, the presence of animation fills and perfecting the obvious gap left by the manga. You will never see passion, hustle and youthful transcending a medium this beautiful!
The kind of music that makes you jump out of your seat out of reflexes! The kind of music that drives you crazy! Blue Giant is the epitome of musical animation, and you'll have to fight me for it if you dare to say otherwise!
Read at the sourceDDGG
"It really is a lonely process."
Music, by nature, is a unique and subjective experience, and Blue Giant is no different. To me, it was an exceptional movie with passion at its core and flair in its execution. And for a movie in the music genre, with how straightforward themes in said genre usually ends up being, the extremely grounded manner in its telling impressed me. This movie was clearly made with musicians in mind, and for everyone to enjoy.
Anyone who’s performed jazz, or just music, in any capacity will be able to appreciate the amount of detail that went into the scenes, and I’m not just talking about the soundtrack. The characters in Blue Giant reflect a personality or feeling you’ve likely felt before. The experienced and jaded. The talented and confident. The amateur and fi…
Read at the sourceonespankman
Blue Giant had an impossible task set before it: adapting 10 volumes of music manga into a single film, including multiple climactic performances.
The foundation of that had to be good music, and Blue Giant’s is universally fantastic. The players here had a uniquely difficult job, they didn’t just have to play well, they had to act with their instruments. Their performances wonderfully capture the emotions of the characters, and their level of experience. The drummer did a particularly good job, replicating the play of a developing amateur. You can feel the characters’ passion in their instruments; even as they struggle to articulate their feelings towards jazz, the audience understands completely.
It had to take some shortcuts. Its visuals are an uneven mixture of good 2D animation, awk…
Read at the sourceoposdeo
This is a stunning anime that will make you fall in love with Jazz! The performances are jaw dropping and the characters will pull you in with their emotions. This movie positively radiates passion for Jazz and music, and it tugs on the heart-strings too. Unfortunately, there is heavy use of CGI for animating crowds and performances, however I don't think it gets in the way of conveying the message and the power of the music, and there is plenty of amazing Sakuga throughout the performances that make the music feel electric. Please, do yourself a favor, get your best headphones or audio set up available, and get jazzed!
Read at the sourceBassistUnited0
From the perspective of a professional jazz musician,
Jazz has been a part of my life for the better part of 8 years now and no piece of media, art or animation has ever captured the passion nor love that I have for jazz more than this movie. I watched it on the plane ride to Japan …. AND the plane ride back. This was because on the way there I didn't have an adapter for my nicer headphones so I had to use the provided one. Thus, to me, nothing was more logical than watching the movie properly again on the way back. It's that good.
This isn't a review from someone who watches anime often. I'm sure there are multiple plot holes, also after reading the manga, this is comparatively rushed, the use of CGI in some of the scenes felt off BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
The best part of this movie is…
Read at the sourceHaiKaneDesu
Blue Giant has just set the standard for music Anime.
Post high-school, a lot of us feel lost in life, not knowing what to work on or aim for in the future. Many keep studying at Uni even when it's dull and boring because people assure you that 'you'll have a good future'. BG blows this fear and uncertainty away and illustrates an amazing adventure the band JASS advances through to reach for their ultimate goal.
Protagonist Dai in particular is very ambitious and commits himself to become a musician, leaving his hometown Sendai to walk down a treacherous path to make it big at the capital of Japan. Because of the fact that it is set after high-school, its always frightening to think that one mistake could end their careers with nothing else as a back-up - a harsh reality of being a musi…
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