Adaptations are growing in number more and more these days in entertainment. If there’s not a cinematic version of a book, show, or comic, there’s a television one. Often times, these tales involve beings of incredible strength or speed, of awesome might, and inconceivable battles. Initially released for two-nights in October 2023, Yuzuru Tachikawa’s (Mob Psycho 100) BLUE GIANT is the one adaptation that doesn’t fit into the expectation. Inspired by author Shin’ichi Ishizuka’s graphic novel, BLUE GIANT is the story of one young man’s desire to become the greatest jazz musician in the world, telling the story of his origin and the two friends who were with him for an important 18-month period. The tale, like the lead, is unassuming and the use of jazz won’t entice a large section of movie-watchers, but like the audiences that come to see the trio perform, anyone who watches is sure to be blown away. Now, via GKIDS Films and Shout! Studios, a Blu-ray and digital edition is coming available so audiences who feel the flow and excitement can do so anytime they like.
To learn about the film in a spoiler-free context, head over to the initial theatrical release review. Moving forward, we won’t hesitate to discuss narrative-specific details.
L-R: Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada) and Yukinori Sawabe (voiced by Shotaro Mamiya) in BLUE GIANT. ©2023 BLUE GIANT Movie Project. ©2013 Shin’ichi Ishizuka, Shogakukan.
Determined to become the greatest saxophone player, Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada) moves from his small village to Tokyo with little more than a dream. Surprising his old friend Shunji Tamada (voiced by Amane Okayama) on his doorstep, Dai crashes there for an unexpectedly long time, working during the day and practicing at night. One evening, during a stop in at a jazz bar, Dai comes across pianist Yukinori Sawabe (voiced by Shotaro Mamiya), whom Dai convinces to start a band (called JASS) with Shunji as the drummer. Regardless of the fact that Shunji doesn’t know how to play the drums, the trio get started practicing, recognizing that there’s something palatable between them, thereby setting a goal within a specific time frame to get good enough together to be able to play the main stage at premier jazz club So Blue. However, between the differences in their respective collective talent, the aspirations of each musician, and that extra ingredient, luck, can they make their goal a reality?
L-R: Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada), Yukinori Sawabe (voiced by Shotaro Mamiya), and Shunji Tamada (voiced by Amane Okayama) in BLUE GIANT. ©2023 BLUE GIANT Movie Project. ©2013 Shin’ichi Ishizuka, Shogakukan.
When it comes to home releases, there are two things that most home-viewers are looking for: the quality of reproduction and bonus materials. They want to ensure that the funds they dispense to own something is worth the effort spent to earn those funds, especially if there’s hype, excitement, or any other emotional connection to the film in question. JASS lovers, no need to fear — the video and audio experience is rock solid, affording the multi-sensory experience that Tachikawa achieved so beautifully before. Though 1080p only, there are three Japanese audio tracks for Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and Linear PCM 2.0. The Atmos track doesn’t specify 7.1, but it feels like a safe presumption given the three scaling options. Lacking Atmos, the TrueHD 5.1 track was tested and, while this tale of personal aspiration may not seem (to outsiders) as being in need of enveloping sound, when the members of JASS hit their solos, it’s like being wrapped in composer Hiromi’s work. All the joy, the sorrow, the frustration, and the euphoria surrounds you, compelling you to tap your toes, your fingers, and anything else that can feel the groove. There is a certain amount of sadness that BLUE GIANT doesn’t currently have a 4K UHD option as the colors are so specific and integral to both composing the look of the world as well as the way said world transforms under the influence of jazz, yet one can’t argue with the results as presented on-disc. Keep in mind that this was viewed on a 63 in 4K UHD Sony television using a 4K UHD Panasonic player, so there’s a little bit of upconverting going on; however, there’s no denying the results of the presentation which capture the way in which Tachikawa’s film incorporates the original hand-drawn aspects of Ishizuka’s work — things that seem like small character quirks, but really help tie the animation style between the full-motion of animation and still art of a manga.
This, of course, brings us to the bonus features themselves, which range from sad to teasing.
Yukinori Sawabe (voiced by Shotaro Mamiya) in BLUE GIANT. ©2023 BLUE GIANT Movie Project. ©2013 Shin’ichi Ishizuka, Shogakukan.
The sad thing is that there are six videos — two trailers, two teasers, and two tv spots — and a single 16-minute Q&A with composer Hiromi from the October 2023 Japan Society-hosted North American premiere screening. The featurette doesn’t state the date or who is moderating, but because of the giant organization logo behind Hiromi and moderator, as well as context clues regarding who is in attendance, it seems easy to deduce. In prior Shout!/GKIDS home releases, this information would typically be included, so it’s a bit of an outlier that it’s not. That said, we learn through the brief featurette things like how Hiromi was a fan of BLUE GIANT before the film adaptation was conceived, the difficulty of composing within the strict time guidelines the smaller, narrative-based score needs, her response to seeing how the animators designed the characters to react as they played her music for the performance sequences, and how she adapted her own style to ensure sound or performance accuracy between the music played and the needs of the scene. If you’re like this reviewer and have been listening to the Hiromi-composed score since the theatrical release in Fall 2023, there’re some great tidbits in here that help those who love the music come to understand just what went into designing it.
Shunji Tamada (voiced by Amane Okayama) in BLUE GIANT. ©2023 BLUE GIANT Movie Project. ©2013 Shin’ichi Ishizuka, Shogakukan.
Where the special features get sad is that this is it. What we get is a fantastic tease, just enough information to know that we’ve learned something about the making of the film, but it only leaves us wanting more. For those who haven’t read the manga, it’s fascinating to learn from Hiromi that the final performance sequence was created just for the film. In the manga, Hiromi tells us, Yukinori doesn’t rejoin the band for a final performance after he’s injured. How great would it be to learn from either Tachikawa or first-time screenwriter NUMBER 8 (who is also the original editor of the manga) about this choice or from Ishizuka about their feelings regarding the adaptation at all. Given the specificity in the use of shifting animation styles to convey the musicians in a state of flow and the audience’s euphoric reception to it, it would’ve been lovely to have someone from the character design or animation team discuss the process for conceiving and creating these sequences. A favorite moment in the sequence when Yukinori is able to break out of his rut and play a solo that defines him is the artistic representation of the power coming from his fingers. It happens once, but it’s depicted in a similar style as when the central character of manga adaptation One-Punch Man, Saitama, throws one of his signature special move “Consecutive Normal Punches,” except it’s a singular finger growing larger, the air friction making his finger glow red as it blows through the air to slam down on the keys. Or how the characters, while playing, take on a slightly different movement style, becoming less rigid and structured, more fluid and agile, the flow of their music, their art, taking shape within them. With physical media becoming a thing that primarily boutiques like Shout! Studios are maintaining, cinephiles (and fans of JASS) have much to be grateful for regarding the commitment to offering a film like BLUE GIANT that went largely under the radar with GKIDS’s The Boy and the Heron (2023) also making the festival and awards rounds simultaneously. Yet, that doesn’t mean one can’t feel a bit of sadness at the missed opportunity to capsule lock the process that gifted us this art.
Dai Miyamoto (voiced by Yuki Yamada) playing the tenor saxophone in BLUE GIANT. ©2023 BLUE GIANT Movie Project. ©2013 Shin’ichi Ishizuka, Shogakukan.
For all the things that one wishes we could have within this home release, that doesn’t take away from any of the joy that resides within it and it’s something to be grateful for. Even on a rewatch, the emotional moments continue to slam right into your soul, an opening for such a reaction made through the composition of the songs and the performances that make them transcend the illusion of animation. There are no supervillains to slay, no major disasters to avert, and yet one does feel like they’ve seen something extraordinary in the conclusion of BLUE GIANT. And like a record that we keep spinning over and over, replaying songs that match our mood or the weather, so does BLUE GIANT offer an opportunity to inspire or connect on the 30th play as much as the first.
Blue Giant Special Features:
- Q&A with Hiromi (15:56)
- Two (2) Trailers
- Two (2) Teasers
- Two (2) TV Spots
Available on Blu-ray and digital April 30th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official GKIDS Films BLUE GIANT webpage.
To purchase, head to the official Shout! Studios BLUE GIANT webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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