01x01 - Awakening to the Joy of Painting

[bunniefuu]

AWAKENING TO THE JOY OF PAINTING

It's Japan's free kick.
A cross is delivered!

Yes!

-We scored a goal!
-Japan comes back!

We're going to the final!

What a wonderful shot!

RAMEN

Ramen after an all-nighter is the best.

-Totally.
-Totally.

That was the best goal ever.

-Yes.
-The final is next.

-That was awesome, right?
-Yes.

PABLO PICASSO EXHIBITION

"Picasso"?

I don't get what's so great about Picasso.

Even I could paint those.

So where are we going next?

Sumida's place?

Sure. Drink more.

Is Yatora coming?

He won't come.

It's a weekday.

He's an honor student.

Sorry for not hanging out.

You guys should also come to school,

or you'll fail the classes.

-Yeah, sure.
-Yeah, sure.

MIDTERM TEST REPORT CARD
NAME: YATORA YAGUCHI, RANK: 4

How did you get a rank like this? Yikes!

A punk like you playing all day long...

Are you a genius?

Is it that obvious?

Just kidding.

I'm actually a hard worker.

I heard that
the career planning survey is coming.

Two years before graduation.

I have literally no idea.

What about you, Yatora?

You've figured it out?

Yuka-chan!

Yuka-chan!

You don't have to run!

Yuka-chan, who?

Is that board a nurikabe?

Who knows?

"My Favorite Scenery."

Use two hours to paint this theme.

Okay. Start painting.

"My Favorite Scenery"?
Is this primary school?

Just paint whatever you want
and get the grades. It's not too bad.

Yatora, let me bum a cigarette.

My favorite scenery
is burying my face in my girl's boobs.

If you painted that,
the old lady would die of shock.

Boy! That sounds wonderful!

Very good choice!

Is your girl busty?

Hope you can capture
how big and soft they are in the painting.

And how they jiggle.

That old lady is crazy.

I'm home.

Welcome back, Yakkun.

Had fun at your friend's place?

Yes, it was fun.

So exhausted.

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION INFORMATION

It must be Mom.

To me, raising test scores

or building good relationships

is as satisfying as meeting a quota.

I put more effort than others into that.

And the efforts pay off.

SUMIDA: FINAL GAME AT EIGHT.
UTASHIMA: YES!

I'm not a genius.

ANCIENT VOCABULARY, ENGLISH VOCABULARY
TOKYO UNIVERSITY ENGLISH VOCABULARY

I feel empty receiving praise for that.

Why is everything

so meaningless?

Man, what a downer.

Damn.

A painting from the art club?

Wow.

Why does this person have green skin?

A goblin?

This person's skin

also looks slightly green.

Can you not touch it?

It's not dry yet.

Coming for the art club?

It's every Tuesday and Thursday.

Or are you

looking for this?

Thanks.

So you're a social smoker.

It's crumpled but still full.

If you don't like it,
just stop ruining your health for friends.

I get worried looking at you.

-Bye then.
-Hey, hold it.

I'm also worried about you, Ryuji,
seeing you dressing like this.

What?

Should you be so shameless
and talk down on me?

Ryuji.

Can you stop calling me by that name?

Oh, did I strike a nerve
when I called you a social smoker?

Pardon?

Sorry, I don't speak weirdo.
Speak Japanese, please?

You still have a pretty face.

So you joined the art club.
Are you aiming for art school?

Do you know how much the tuition fees are?

Medical, pharmaceutical, dental,
and art schools cost the most.

There's no promising future
after art school.

So you better use
that pretty face to hunt a rich partner.

Oh, my.

You sure know a lot, Yaguchi.

It's true.

Going to art school
can cost you a fortune.

But it's the private art schools
that are expensive.

The only public art school,
Tokyo University of the Arts,

has an annual tuition fee
of only about 500,000 yen.

I apologize for being rude
to one of the art club members.

I don't understand
how you can do what you want

without making a living from it.

I would rather choose
a safer and more ordinary path.

Well, actually,

almost all of the famous artists
were obsessed with money.

Picasso would paint portraits of
art dealers in their preferred style.

He was quite a businessman.

Oh, really?

Yaguchi, I think you're a little
too concerned about pleasing people.

What I want to know

is not the public value.

I want to know what's valuable to you.

I don't mind you sleeping in art class.

But you haven't started painting
your "My Favorite Scenery," right?

Please show me the scenery
you want to share with everyone.

Art is fun.

People who are true
to themselves make great art.

Art is a language without words.

I don't get it.

Last three minutes of the final game.

-I'm nervous.
-A penalty kick for Japan.

People who are true to themselves
can't survive in this society.

Doesn't she get it?

Art is just a bunch of freaks
playing with their talent.

She knows nothing about me.

This is my...

Yes!

Yes, it's my problem.

Then who

do these feelings belong to?

It's others' hard work.

Not yours.

Not mine either.

These feelings don't belong to me.

PABLO PICASSO EXHIBITION

MARCH 9 TO JUNE 10
MUNICIPAL ARTS HALL

Are you all right?

I'll get you some water.

Yatora, come help us.

Okay.

Up we go.

Hey.

Shibuya in the early morning

is quite nice, isn't it?

For real? It stinks of trash.

What's with you?

Trying to act like a poet? Yikes!

What am I doing?

Wow, it's heavy.

To the art room?

So this is your painting?

Yes, but I'm still working on it.

Why is the left person green?

Oh, you have a good eye.

Classical technique.

If you mix a kind of red paint
called Vermilion

with Silver White

then paint it on Terre Verte,
the green paint,

those complementary colors
make the skin beautiful.

Really?

You are amazing.

So talented.

I'm not talented.

I just spend more time
thinking about art than others.

Also,

it's necessary to study methods
in order to make art.

So just brushing it off as "talent"

is like I haven't put any effort into it.

I'm sorry.

Don't be.

I'm sorry.

You were just complimenting me.

No, I understand.

Mori,

have you ever seen Shibuya
in the early morning?

It's Shibuya, but...

it's quiet and blue.

Blue...

Yes.

So blue!

Sorry.

I only go to Tokyu Hands in Shibuya.

But once,

a teacher told me,

"If it's blue to you,

then let it be blue,
whether it's an apple or a rabbit."

Until now, I've drawn blue things
with just one type of blue paint.

But then, I can only
thin the paint with water.

Maybe I should try
layering colors like her.

The boobs are done!

Fill the entire page first.

Then use a pencil to draw the buildings.

How can I recreate

that sluggish atmosphere?

With a silence.

An unfamiliar Shibuya.

Like the beginning of a new day

before falling asleep.

A blue world.

It stinks of trash.

Maybe it does.

The buildings weren't even blue.

However, I still like all of that.

To express that I like something

is scary.

Why didn't I paint this earlier?

Yatora's painting is so blue.

Is it the sky?

Is it the sea?

Yes.

This is beautiful.

Who painted this...

I take it back.

Someone praised your work.

You are talented.

That's Shibuya, right?

Perhaps it's early in the morning?

When we were about
to have ramen after an all-nighter?

Right! I can kind of see it.

The atmosphere was like that.

So that's how you see it, Yatora.

Yatora?

What?

Yatora, you're so cute.

At that moment,
for the first time in my life,

I had a real talk with others.

Listen, don't forget to
submit the survey tomorrow.

Did you hear me?

-Yes, sir.
-Yes, sir.

2ND YEAR
CAREER PLANNING SURVEY

Yatora, let's go.

It's Sumida's place again.

Yes, sure.

What?

YUKA: FREE AFTER SCHOOL, YATORA?
HOPE YOU CAN LEND A HAND

So you're the helper Yuka-chan mentioned.

Thanks, Yaguchi. I appreciate your help.

What is it?

Nothing.

Are you entering
a contest with that painting?

It's for MAU's
recommendation-based entrance exam.

MAU?

Musashino Art University.

I see.

Mori, what other schools
will you apply to?

Tokyo University of the Arts
and Tama Art University, I think.

I would be relieved to
get into MAU by recommendation.

Have you decided yet, Yuka-chan?

Not at all.

I went to many school festivals last year,

but I haven't even picked a program.

You need to decide as soon as possible.

Yes, I know.

Yaguchi.

Yes?

You made a good painting with ambition.

In order to make the blue deeper,

you used other cold colors
such as green and purple, right?

Yes, randomly.

You might have done it randomly,

but it's clear that you wanted to
express something in this painting

by choosing the colors
to make the blue more refreshing.

However, this painting
is not finished yet.

Just paint with us after the cleaning.

I won't.

I need to go home and study.

Being praised for my painting
did make me happy.

But...

Saito's being replaced.

What an unexpected move.

Certainly. He was
a highly anticipated player.

Listen, Yakkun.

We can't afford a private school.

Of course, I know that.

Doing this is just a waste of time.

It's a waste of time.

A waste of time!

Boy, you drew a lot.

Wow. Great.

Very good works.

Well, I was hoping you could give me
some advice on how to improve.

I felt like I could've drawn better.

Let's see.

For example, this classroom scene.

Instead of keeping everyone the same size,

drawing distant people smaller

can create a sense of depth.

Wow. That's sick!

This too. Just use this method.

You're right.

Still, you did a great job
in this scenery.

When you feel joy, excitement,
and passion while making art,

the viewer will also enjoy your work.

Well, we should get going.

-Saeki Sensei.
-Yes?

Why go to art school
if there's no guarantee

that you can make a living with it?

You can get a closer look at
the works and productions of your peers.

And they have
abundant resources and equipment.

More opportunities to
showcase your work to people.

And you can learn various techniques.

That doesn't mean you can't paint
without going to art school.

Many great artworks were made as a hobby.

However...

"Just leave your passion as a hobby."

That's something
an adult would say, I think.

Kids who don't try their best
are the ones who don't have passion.

Isn't it just natural to put everything
you have into pursuing your passion?

I...

To be honest, I'm feeling kind of torn.

I just don't have the confidence.

Do you think I could

get into an art school?

I don't know.

But when hard workers do things they like,

they're unstoppable.

I...

Tomorrow, I'll bring my club entry form.

You just can't wait, right?

I don't want to waste time once I decide.

My family can't afford a private school.
TUA's my only choice.

By the way, the painting department of TUA

has the lowest acceptance rate in Japan.

The acceptance rate
of new graduates is around 0,5%.

What?

Only about five new graduates can get in.
It's common to fail three or four times.

TUA is my only choice.

Damn, that's crazy.

But I've never felt so alive

until I made that blue painting.

I felt my heart start pounding just now.