If you are looking for some heartwarming, inspirational anime like blue period that can encourage you to follow your dreams and passion, you’ve come to the right place. Blue Period is an anime based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. The series is about art and has only 12 episodes.
Seven Arcs Studio beautifully animates it. Interestingly, a week before the TV premiere, it made an advanced streaming debut on Netflix.
The plot revolves around Yatora Yaguchi, a delinquent boy who performs well academically but lacks direction in his life. However, the painting stimulates Yatora to immerse himself in the marvelous world of art.
The series captivates the eye of every art lover by featuring well-known paintings such as The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and The Dance Class by Edgar Degas.
Moreover, the powerful dialogues are the frosting on the cake.
Maybe I’m not talented, but I’m risking everything for now
Yatora Yaguchi.
11 Similar Anime like Blue Period
1. March Comes In Like a Lion
- GENRE: SEINEN, DRAMA, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 22 (SEASON 1) + 22 (SEASON 2) + 1 (SPECIAL EPISODE)
- AIRED: OCTOBER 8, 2016 – MARCH 18, 2017 (SEASON 1)
March Comes In Like a Lion (Sangatsu no Lion in Japanese) is an anime based on Chica Umino’s manga of the same title. It is animated by Shaft under the direction of Kenjirou Okada and Akiyuki Shinbou.
Synopsis:
The plot revolves around the main character Rei Kiriyama, an elite shogi player who struggles with peer pressure and loneliness.
However, after meeting with three sisters, Akari Kawamoto, Hinata Kawamoto, and Momo Kawamoto, his life gradually shifts to the brighter side.
The series is identical to the blue period in almost all aspects, as the main characters show the same passion for their dream while dealing with many complex emotions throughout the series.
Furthermore, some scenes of this anime blend depressing and heartwarming sentiments somewhat similar to blue period episodes.
If you loved the blue period for its relatability with yourself, then this anime is a perfect watch for you!
Where to watch: The series is available on multiple platforms, like Netflix, Funimation, Crunchyroll, VRV, AppleTV, etc., in the US. However, for global viewers, it is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
2. Baby Steps
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, ROMANCE, SPORTS
- NO. OF EPISODES: 25 (SEASON 1) + 25 (SEASON 2)
- AIRED: APRIL 6, 2014 – SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 (SEASON 1)
Baby Steps is a series animated by Studio Pierrot, and Hikaru Katsuki authors the manga. It was serialised in Weekly Shounen Magazine from October 2007 to November 2017 by Kodansha.
Synopsis:
The story follows Eiichirou Marou, a diligent high schooler who lacks physical strength, joins a tennis club, and develops a new passion for tennis after encountering Natsu Takasaki, another student who aims to play tennis professionally.
Unlike Blue Period, Baby Steps is more of a sports anime, yet both the anime flawlessly convey that practice makes a man perfect.
Despite lacking natural talent, the protagonists work hard to improve themselves and become a perfectionist in their respective skills.
Where to watch: Baby Steps is accessible on Crunchyroll in many countries. You can also find it on Amazon Prime Video.
3. Chihayafuru
- GENRE: DRAMA, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 25 (SEASON 1) + 25 (SEASON 2) + 24 (SEASON 3) + 1 (SPECIAL EPISODE) + 1 (OVA)
- AIRED: OCTOBER 5, 2011 – MARCH 28, 2012 (SEASON 1)
Chihayafuru is produced by the studio Madhouse. It is an anime adaptation of the manga with the same name, written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu.
It has been serialized in the magazine Be Love and published by Kodansha.
Synopsis:
The story is about Chihaya Ayasa, who joins the world of competitive karuta (a Japanese card game) and strives to become the top female player.
During her elementary school days, Chihaya enjoys playing karuta with her close friends, Arata Wataya and Taichi Mashima, but unfortunately, they all parted ways after graduation.
Later, she establishes a competitive Karuta club in high school to hone her skills.
Due to its striking characters and dynamic characterization of the karuta world, anime has earned great popularity among anime fans.
Similar to blue period anime, Chihayafuru is an anime that narrates how the protagonist is passionate about becoming the Queen of karuta and sticks to her goal till the end.
Where to watch: Chihayafuru is available on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and HIDIVE for viewers worldwide and the US audience. The anime is also available on VRV and AppleTV.
4. Welcome to the Ballroom
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, COMEDY, ROMANCE, DRAMA
- NO. OF EPISODES: 24
- AIRED ON: JULY 9, 2017 – DECEMBER 17, 2017
“Welcome to the Ballroom” (Ballroom e Yokoso in Japanese) is a popular anime under the Production I.G., based on a manga authored and illustrated by Tomo Takeuchi.
The visuals and character designs are attractive, as expected from Production I.G.
Synopsis:
The narrative centres on a junior high schooler, Tatara Fujita, who has no dreams or plans for his future and has always been an easy target for bullies.
However, luckily one day, he gets saved by Kaname Sengoku, a professional dancer who invites him to his dance studio.
It turns out that Tatara gets fascinated by his dancing, and his journey to the world of competitive dance starts right there.
Welcome to the Ballroom is another anime like blue period. The main protagonist exists without purpose in his life before being pulled into the dancing world, just like the blue period’s lead role, who finds his objective after entering the painting realm.
Where to watch: In the U.S., one can watch the series on Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
5. Arte
- GENRE: SEINEN, DRAMA, HISTORICAL, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 12
- AIRED ON: APRIL 4, 2020 – JUNE 20, 2020
Arte is another inspiring anime produced by Seven Arcs and has spectacular visuals and smooth character designs.
The manga series is named after the main character “Arte” and is written and illustrated by Kei Ohkubo.
Synopsis:
The story setting is in the early 16th century, Firenze, Italy, in the renaissance era. A young woman from a noble family, Arte believes in her passion for art and desires to become an artist but faces discrimination and the harsh reality of the world.
Nonetheless, she keeps moving forward in her quest for a mentor. She luckily meets Leo, a famous craftsperson who accepts her as his apprentice and opens a path for her to become a master artisan.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, which fits perfectly well with the Arte series, as the protagonist accepts and withstands all the challenges with strong determination without giving up on her dream.
Arte and Blue Period incorporate visual arts. Furthermore, the animation is done by the same studio, and both anime depicts the struggles of achieving one’s dreams immaculately.
Where to watch: Arte can be found on streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube, and Funimation.
6. Haikyuu!!
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, SPORTS, COMEDY
- NO. OF EPISODES: 25 (SEASON 1) + 25 (SEASON 2) + 10 (SEASON 3) + 25 (SEASON 4) + 2 (OVA)
- AIRED ON: APRIL 6, 2014 – SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 (SEASON 1)
Haikyuu!! is a volleyball anime by Production I.G., animated from the manga, written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate.
Also, Do check our piece on anime to watch if you loved Haikyuu!!
Synopsis:
It follows Hinata Shouyou, a middle school student chasing his dream of becoming a volleyball player like his idol, the “Little Giant.”
Having watched the latter in action at a young age, Hinata naturally developed a passion for volleyball.
The problem is, though he possesses natural agility, he has received no guidance that would help him up his skills.
After enrolling in Karasuno High School, Hinata finally has a stage to shine. But before that, he must get along with his new teammate, Kageyama (who happens to be the polar opposite of him), and overcome his first hurdle, obstructing his new beginning.
Haikyuu!! is an anime you will instantly come to love, even if you have no clue how volleyball works. It is a great series to binge-watch with your friends who are sports anime fans (and those who are not).
Like Blue Period, Haikyuu!! traces the main character’s struggles due to lack of experience and how proper guidance chaperoning hard work can draw out one’s inherent talent to its maximum.
Where to watch: Due to its immense popularity, Haikyuu!! is accessible on various platforms like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.
7. Bakuman
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, COMEDY, ROMANCE, DRAMA
- NO. OF EPISODES: 25 (SEASON 1) + 25 (SEASON 2) + 25 (SEASON 3) + 3 SPECIAL EPISODES
- AIRED ON: OCTOBER 2, 2010 – APRIL 2, 2011 (SEASON 1)
Bakuman is the oldest anime on this list. It is animated by the studio J.C. Staff.
The source for the anime series is a manga of the same title, written by Tsugami Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Bakuman also has a light novel, which is adapted from the manga.
Synopsis:
The story focuses on a middle school student, Moritaka Mashiro, who aspires to become a great manga artist like his uncle, Tarou Kawaguchi, who dies from overworking, which affects Moritaka a lot that he starts aiming to become a salaryman instead.
Fortunately, his classmate Akito Takagi persuades him, and Moritaka gets convinced when he realizes that he might win his crush, Miho Azuki, who dreams of becoming a voice actress.
Thus, begins the journey of becoming a successful mangaka.
As you can notice, Bakuman and Blue Period share a similar storyline, particularly in how the protagonists must find their passion while confronting difficulties and hardships to achieve success through their art.
Where to watch: You can stream Bakuman on Netflix, Hulu, Tubi, Crunchyroll, etc.
8. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
- GENRE: DRAMA, HISTORICAL
- NO. OF EPISODES: 13 (SEASON 1) + 12 (SEASON 2) + 2 (OVA)
- AIRED ON: JANUARY 9, 2016 – APRIL 2, 2016 (SEASON 1)
“Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu” (Flourishing Shouwa- Rakugo Double Suicide) or “Shouwa and Genroku Era Lover’s Suicide Through Rakugo” is one of the best anime of Winter 2016. It was adapted by Studio Deen, which further boosted its popularity among anime fans.
The manga is penned and illustrated by Haruko Kumota and has been serialised in English by Kodansha Comics USA as “Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju”.
Synopsis:
The story begins with Yotarou, an ex-yakuza member who gets his inspiration to perform on the stage of rakugo (the traditional art of storytelling) by watching the performance of famous rakugo master, Yakumo Yuurakutei, during his imprisonment.
After being released from prison, he becomes Yakumo’s apprentice and meets other performers and great storytelling artists.
This anime series is comparable to the blue period as Yotarou from Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu and Yatora from Blue Period.
Both the characters are somewhat outsiders who exist without any awareness of the other realm, but later they aspire to be like them and draw everyone’s attention with their skills.
Where to watch: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu anime is available on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video worldwide.
9. Smile Down The Runway
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, DRAMA, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 12
- AIRED ON: JANUARY 11, 2020 – MARCH 28, 2020
Smile Down The Runway, or Runway de Waratte is animated by studio Ezola and based on a fashion shounen manga of the same name, which Kotoba Inoya authors.
Synopsis:
The plot revolves around two main characters, Chiyuki Fujito, who desires to participate in Paris Fashion Week and represent her father’s modeling agency, and Ikuto Tsumura, who is talented in designing clothes.
Nonetheless, both the characters experience bad luck until they are brought together by fate and their faint dreams are rekindled. Eventually, they make their name in the fashion industry.
Since the main characters in this anime series are high schoolers who encounter challenges that prevent them from achieving their goals, it is highly comparable to Blue Period.
Also, their rivals serve as a source of inspiration for them to further their improvement.
Where to watch: Smile Down the Runway is available on Funimation, Hulu and Netflix in most parts of the world. You can also buy or rent it on Amazon Prime Video.
10. Shirobako
- GENRE: DRAMA, COMEDY, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 24 + 2 (OVA)
- AIRED ON: OCTOBER 9, 2014 – MARCH 26, 2015
Shirobako is an anime under P.A. Works, adapted from the manga titled “Shirobako: Kaminoyama Koukou Animation Doukoukai“. It also has a light novel, “Shirobako Introduction“, adapted from the manga.
“Shirobako” (white boxes in English) refers to recordings delivered to the production team before release. Earlier, those recordings were distributed enclosed in white boxes and hence still called “white boxes”.
Synopsis:
The story is based on the five best friends- Aoi Miyamori, Ema Yasuhara, Shizuka Sakaki, Midori Imai, and Misa Toudou, who establish an animation club together and hope to work on their anime professionally one day.
Years later, Aoi and Ema have succeeded in getting work for Musashino Animation, Aoi as a production assistant and Ema as an animator in the production company, while the other three girls-Shizuka, Midori, and Misa, are having a hard time but are still working as a voice actress, writer, and 3D graphics artist respectively.
Soon they will discover that despite having many setbacks, success is still possible with persistence and dedication.
Both the Shirobako and Blue Period impart considerable technical knowledge regarding the process of creating art and how talent can be acquired by tough grind as both hard work and success go hand in hand.
Where to watch: Shirobako is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix in several countries. In the U.S., you can also watch it on HIDIVE, VRV, and AppleTV.
11. Kono Oto Tomare!
- GENRE: SHOUNEN, DRAMA, ROMANCE, SLICE OF LIFE
- NO. OF EPISODES: 13 (SEASON 1) + 13 (SEASON 2)
- AIRED ON: APRIL 7, 2019 – June 30, 2019 (SEASON 1)
Kono Oto Tomare! (Stop This Sound) or Kono Oto Tomare!: Sound of Life is an anime adaption of the manga of the same title, illustrated and authored by Amyu. The anime series is produced by Platinum Vision.
The anime’s art style is quite detailed and pleasing to the eye. Not to mention, the opening and ending song fits wonderfully with the series’ tone.
Synopsis:
Chika Kudou is a cool, high school delinquent boy who applies to a koto (a traditional Japanese musical instrument) club to understand the meaning behind his late grandfather’s words but gets rejected by the Takezou Kurata, the club’s president and senior member of the club.
However, Takezou agrees to let him join with his friends after observing Chika’s dedication and excitement. In the end, they hope to play at the national competition together.
The series does an outstanding job of character development for all of the club’s members, much like blue period anime. Their efforts to shed their old selves and form fresh connections has portrayed relatively well.
Where to watch: The series is available on Netflix and Hulu in the US. Crunchyroll, Animax Mongolia, and Funimation provide Kono Oto Tomare in multiple countries.
OTHER ANIME LIKE BLUE PERIOD
There are multiple anime with a similar theme like Blue Period and deserve to be mentioned. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy watching all of them.
- Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
- This Art Club Has a Problem!
- Sketchbook: Full Color’s
- Let’s Make a Mug Too
- Barakamon
