Anime with a musical theme are plentiful even in recent times, but has there ever been an anime that faced the genre of Jazz this seriously? Suddenly appearing as an anime movie in 2023, rather than as an anime series, Blue Giant captured the hearts of not just many jazz fans, but also general anime fans. It tells the story of Dai, an amateur high school student living in the countryside, who rapidly improves his saxophone skills driven by his overwhelming passion, and continues to perform not just in Tokyo but around the world. A new, great music anime has now begun.
Blue Giant originally started as a manga series in 2013 and was adapted into an anime movie by Studio NUT in February 2023. While Blue Giant has several sequels with different titles, this anime movie covers a large portion of the first part all at once.
So, which parts of the manga does this anime movie specifically cover? For those interested in continuing the story after watching the Blue Giant anime, this guide will explain from which volume of the manga you should start reading.
(Photo on top: ©2023 映画「BLUE GIANT」製作委員会 ©2013 石塚真一／小学館)
How many volumes does Blue Giant have?
Blue Giant, written by Shinichi Ishizuka, was serialized on Big Comic between 2013 and 2016, and the manga series consists of 10 volumes. The following series Blue Giant Supreme, serialized from 2016 to 2020, has 11 volumes. The third series Blue Giant Explorer started in 2020 and finishes in 2023 with its 9th volume. The fourth and latest series Blue Giant Momentum has been published since July, 2023.
Therefore, the whole series of the Blue Giant manga series has 21 volumes as of now (the latest Blue Giant Momentum Volume 1 released in February, 2024).
The English edition of Blue Giant has been published in a two-in-one omnibus edition by Seven Seas Entertainment since 2020.
What chapter does the Blue Giant anime end on?
The 2-hour anime movie Blue Giant, the first anime adaptation of this series, covers from around Chapter 30 of Volume 4 (about the middle of Volume 4) to Volume 10 (the conclusion of the first series) of the manga series.
This anime movie presents the story of Dai coming to Tokyo from Sendai after graduating high school, aiming to immerse himself in real Jazz. It follows his journey to find bandmates in Tokyo and seize the opportunity to perform at So Blue, the pinnacle of jazz clubs in Tokyo. In other words, to enjoy the continuation of the anime movie, you should start reading from Volume 1 of the second series titled Blue Giant Supreme, which shifts the stage overseas.
However, as of right now, immediately following the release of the anime movie, Blue Giant Supreme is not yet available to read in English. It has been translated into French and German, though.
Don’t worry. There’s still plenty of room to enjoy the story through the manga. It’s important not to forget that in the anime, almost everything from Volume 1 to the middle of Volume 4 of the manga is largely cut out. Yet, these sections are packed with the origins of Dai’s journey into JAZZ, his process of improvement, and other dramas. So, why not carefully read through Volumes 1 to 4 first?
When will Blue Giant Supreme (Part 2) come?
It remains uncertain whether the unanimated prequel of Dai’s high school days in Sendai will be covered, or if a sequel will be animated, setting the stage in Munich, Germany, as seen in Blue Giant Supreme. Unfortunately, there are no further updates yet.
However, judging by the quality of the current anime movie, the fan base for Blue Giant is sure to grow. Therefore, the possibility of a sequel being adapted into anime is well worth considering. For now, the best course of action is to read the remaining story in the manga and wait for the arrival of the continuation in anime form.
▽How about watching the passionate anime movie of Blue Giant once again?▽
For those who love anime and manga that stir the soul just like this anime, the following list is also recommended!
Anime, now a globally popular visual category, is not just about showcasing grand fantasy worlds or displaying flashy ba[…]
You sometimes want to be moved to tears at a heartwarming story of movies and novels, don't you? An anime, which is a ge[…]
There are visually stunning anime themed around each of the four seasons. In spring, there are beautiful depictions of c[…]
<<Recommended Articles>>
The one to watch right now is Mari Okada, who shines both as a female scriptwriter and an anime director. While she's pr[…]
If you like anime, do you know some Japanese anime studio that create the finest works? There are lots of long-establish[…]
Anime is now a globally popular content, but where do you think anime's history lies? It is widely recognized that an[…]
<<Editor’s Picks>>
Anime, which means Japanese animations, is one of the most famous Japanese pop cultures. It has got more popular as a ge[…]
Manga, which is known as Japanese comic books, has been one of the most famous and popular modern Japanese cultures worl[…]
Anime has been one of the most popular movie categories all over the globe lately. A great number of anime come to the b[…]
