GKIDS has revealed that the Blue Giant anime movie, an adaptation of the jazz manga by Shinichi Ishizuka, will be screened in North American theaters on October 8 and 9. A subtitled official trailer has been released as well.
Blue Giant is produced by NUT and has Yuzuru Tachikawa (Mob Psycho 100 III chief director, Mob Pyscho 100 and Mob Pyscho 100 II director) in the director’s seat. NUMBER 8 is credited with the script while pianist Hiromi Uehara composed the music.
Other staff include:
• Character designer and chef animation director: Yuuichi Takahashi (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-)
• Main animator: Toshiyuki Komaru (Parasyte sub-character designer)
• Main animator: Takao Maki (Kageki Shoujo co-sub character designer)
• Art director: Satoru Hirayanagi (Immoral Guild)
• Color designer: Yoshinori Horikawa (Back Arrow)
• Compositing director: Kasumi Tougou (Burn the Witch)
• 3DCGI director: Masato Takahashi (Pompo the Cinephile)
• Live performance director: Hiromatsu Shuu (Chainsaw Man Ending 5 director et al)
• Live performance director: Satoshi Kimura (Deca-Dence opening director)
• Live performance director: Kiyoshi Hirose (Inu-Oh editor)
• Live performance director: Tachikawa
Meanwhile, the cast includes Yuuki Yamada as Dai Miyamoto, Shoutarou Mamiya as Yukinori Sawabe, and Amane Okayama as Junji Tamada.
The Shogakukan-published manga ran from 2013 to 2016 in Big Comic. It was later followed by Blue Giant Supreme in 2016, Blue Giant Explorer in 2020, and Blue Giant Momentum in July 2023. Since the ninth tankoubon volume of Blue Giant Supreme, NUMBER 8 has been credited as story director.
Seven Seas Entertainment describes the original Blue Giant manga as:
Dai lived a normal high school life in Sendai: a city of hot summer days and rainy nights. Between basketball, part time jobs, and an uncertain future, something was missing. And that thing was music. With his days in senior year running out, Dai swears a heartfelt vow: “I’m gonna be the best jazz player in the world.”
But what do you need to be the best? Talent? Effort? A lucky break? Or maybe just a deep, pure love for music, and too much stubbornness to know when to quit.
Winner of The Shogakukan Manga Award and the Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prize for Manga!
Source: GKIDS FILMS YouTube channel
