Blue period

"Art has changed the course of Yatora's once dull life, and now he's aiming for Japan's most competitive art school. With entrance exams a year away, he'll need to expand his limited eye for art, and quickly. He turns to new peers and the masters to envision pieces only he can produce, and soon dives into his first competition--the same one where his Art Club role model nearly scored last place. Among geniuses and lifelong art kids, does Yatora even...

"Yatora now has new materials in his tool box and a wider range of expression under his belt. But a week before the first exam, Ooba-sensei says he's missing a crucial edge. With so much at stake, Yatora's self-doubt brings him lower than ever before. Still, he has his fire, his resilience--and he might just get a lucky break, too." --back cover.

"Second Exam. A surprising setback before the second exam shakes Yatora up, but after everything he's been through, he must persevere. This time, the subject turns out to be something both new and familiar... But does an average guy like Yatora stand a chance against the geniuses and prodigies vying for a spot in the nation's most competitive art school?" --Cover page [4].

"After a disappointing first assignment, Yatora is encouraged by Maki and is determined to move forward. His next assignment is a scenery of Tokyo. As he takes on new materials and methods, he also becomes exposed to new ways of seeing the city he thought he knew so well. Can Yatora finally evolve beyond the 'exam art' that got him into art school . . . ?" --back cover.

"Yatora prepares for the first-year show, where he'll have to pass an open review from intimidating professors and celebrity guest lecturers. To make matters worse, the self-directed nature of the assignment is more stifling than freeing, and he's no longer sure: Does he even like art? Why did he ever start? An all-nighter in Shibuya may hold the answer, but Yatora's not with his usual boys..." --Provided by publisher.

"Yatora's back on campus for year two and suprises abound. He's greeted by an old friend and then gets bombarded with new friends, instructors, and assignments! But one day, when Yatora encounters an artists' commune, he begins to question if TUA is really the right place for him" --back cover

"Yatora studies hard and gets good grades, and he parties hard, staying out late drinking and watching soccer with his friends. He checks all the boxes he needs to be the perfect high school student. But it all starts to feel empty, and he begins to wonder what part of his life expresses who he is...or even if he has a unique voice at all. Then he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty...