Blue Giant Omnibus Vols. 1-2

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A wonderful ambassador of jazz, Blue Giant is a great success in Japan and France, where the first volume has been published in 2018 by Glénat. Jazz musicians, however, seem unanimous, even down to the use of performance capture from well-known players – the saxophone pieces in the film were all based off recordings from professional musician Tomoaki Baba, who claimed the hardest part for him was investing his music with the character of Dai, as he knew him from the manga, rather than his own musical personality. The main character, Dai, is always strong and straightforward,” Namba told Ryo Takayama in Tokion magazine. Despite that, this manga has the most memorable panels and is well-drawn in the most important moments. Blue Giant Supreme won the Mandō Kobayashi Manga Grand Prix 2018, created by comedian and manga enthusiast Kendo Kobayashi.

Blue Giant (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese jazz-themed manga series written and illustrated by Shinichi Ishizuka [ ja]. A mi me enganchó desde la primera página y tuve que leerlo del tirón; instantáneamente me sentí identificado con los personajes, y me ha hecho conectar con recuerdos y sentimientos de una manera que no esperaba que un manga fuera capaz de hacer. On the other hand, Yukinori, a pianist, appears to be strong, but inside, he has a lot of pain that he does not show to others.

A third series, titled Blue Giant Explorer, was serialized in Big Comic from May 25, 2020, [14] [15] to May 10, 2023. I also like that we aren’t told what the main character is rehearsing because it gives the reader a sense of freedom and lets you imagine his sound, because if you were to pull out a recording of Coltrane or Armstrong you wouldn’t hear the real him. After having written about mountaineering with the Vertical series (awarded many times for its very realistic and informed aspect), the author Shinichi Ishizuka released in 2013 a manga about his other passion: music. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic from May 2013 to August 2016, with its chapters compiled in ten tankōbon volumes. The series was published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment as 2-in-1 omnibus volumes from November 10, 2020 to March 22, 2022.

After that, as he continues his daily practice, the master of the jazz bar where Dai has appeared introduces Yui, a music class instructor. It’s this that throws him into the company of Yukinori (Shotaro Mamiya) a former piano prodigy old before his time, prickly with those less talented or privileged than himself, and almost ready to give up the jazz game entirely. It ranked 41st on the 2018 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine, and ranked 45th on the 2019 list. The teenager quickly confronts his own limits and his determination is put to the test throughout his apprenticeship.

It doesn't give too much detail in music theory (mainly because the focus is Dai's experience) but you'll still appreciate this manga!