Blue Giant is a jazz manga serialized in Big Comic, and is a seriously interesting work that has been highly praised for its music and passion. Jazz uses a variety of instruments, but the piano has a major presence among them. I would like to introduce the genius pianist "Sawabe Yukiki" who forms a band with the main character Miyamoto Dai, a tenor saxophonist in Blue Giant!
The meeting of "Sawabe Yukiki" and Miyamoto Dai
The first time Dai and Sawabe met was at a jazz bar "Take Two" that was introduced to them by the owner of the bar, which was their first visit. There was no live show at Take Two that day, so I was introduced to a bar that was doing live shows. There I saw the pianist "Sawabe Yukiki" who has an overwhelming presence.
The duo is formed!
Sawabe Yukiki is a genius pianist with a strong presence, but because of this he tends to look down on others. But Sawabe's passion and ambition for jazz is genuine, and when he hears Dai's saxophone, he is moved to tears. From then on, he decides to work with Dai.
Self-confident and condescending "Sawabe Yukiki"
Sawabe is a genius jazz pianist, and even at this young age, he has a presence that makes him stand out among those around him, but perhaps because of his talent, he is a self-confident and arrogant realist. He even says to Dai, "I don't work with bad pianists," "Talent is everything," and "I use useful people as stepping stones." He rises at an incredible speed thanks to his talent and drive, but his arrogance has also backfired...
Practice even while clashing! Practice!
The pairing of Dai and Sawabe also starts with some clashes. Sawabe, who is knowledgeable about techniques and theories, often criticizes Dai, but the two are also full of ambition, and they gradually show a well-coordinated play with each other, saying everything they want to say.
He's also very harsh on Tamada!
He had the attitude that he didn't need useless people, so when Dai brought in the complete amateur Tamada, he was against working with him. However, he recognized that Tamada was sticking up to the two of them despite the difference in ability that was so great that it was heartbreaking, and the three of them formed a jazz band called "JASS."
Sawabe Yukiki was born in Shinshu, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.
Sawabe looks like a handsome man who grew up in the city, but surprisingly, he is from Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Like Dai, he came to Tokyo from the countryside. He seems to be attending university, but he rarely shows up and is passionate about jazz. His parents run a piano school, and he has a long history of playing the piano, having started at the age of four. At that time, he was impressed by a girl two years older than him who was much better than him and seemed to enjoy playing the piano. He lost contact with her due to family circumstances, but later reunited with her.
Sawabe Yukiki's passion for jazz is unmatched by anyone.
Sawabe is a tall, handsome man who is popular with girls, and has an image of playing around, but in reality he is facing jazz with his whole life, and he works part-time every day and spends almost all of his salary on tickets to So Blue. Although he sometimes gives harsh opinions, he is trying to get closer to his ideal, and he is aiming to play jazz that takes the audience somewhere else, like the jazz giants who play jazz.
My goal is to perform at So Blue... but
Sawabe's immediate goal was to perform on the stage of So Blue, where only the best jazz players are allowed to perform. He consults with guitarist Kawakita, who introduces him to Taira, a sales representative for So Blue, but he is criticized for his arrogant attitude that skips that step, and is harshly told that he is a "semi-perfect player who can't even play solos that expose his insides." However, that was his true feelings, coming out of his high expectations of Sawabe and the others. However, this scolding becomes an opportunity for Sawabe to change his mindset and overcome his slump.
Sawabe Yukiki, an excellent composer as well
Not only a talented pianist, but also a talented composer, Sawabe creates songs that leave an impact worthy of "JASS". This is what led to songs such as "First Note" and "N.E.W." It seems that he is also considering working as a composer alongside his work as a jazz player.
Sawabe Yukiki takes to the stage at So Blue
Tamada, who was a complete beginner, also grew rapidly as he was pulled along by the other two, and the three members of JASS continued to make great strides. With everything going smoothly for JASS, they decided to work towards the goal of performing at So Blue, but at that moment Sawabe received a phone call. The call was from Taira of So Blue. The pianist of the jazz band that was coming to Japan had suddenly fallen ill and was unable to attend, and they had asked him to perform as a replacement staff member.
Sawabe becomes especially famous
Even though he is the worst at playing, Sawabe plays as if he is exposing his innermost organs, driving the audience wild and earning high praise from the jazz players he worked with on the day. The performance is also featured in a magazine. And as a result of that performance, it is decided that "JASS" will also perform on the So Blue stage.
An unexpected turn of events! "Sawabe Yukiki" rear-ended by a truck
Even though not everything was going well, the goal of performing at So Blue was realized. Just when the members were thinking that, Sawabe was hit by an out-of-control truck while working part-time as a traffic controller, and was seriously injured, with his arm crushed. It was a serious injury that could have ended his career as a musician.
Even so, Dai doesn't stop
Due to Sawabe's accident, the performance at So Blue takes a sudden turn. However, Dai feels that he can't stop here, so he and Tamada go to the So Blue performance together. The performance ends with a big impact in many ways.
JASS to Disband
Afterwards, Sawabe, who suffered a serious injury that put his career as a musician in jeopardy, proposed to the two of them that JASS be disbanded. This proposal was for Dai, who must not stop for even a second, and he left behind the words, "I'll heal you, so don't worry," and "Let's play again someday when I'm better."
Summary of Sawabe Yukiki
Sawabe has been like a partner since Dai came to Tokyo, and I think that Sawabe's presence, which influenced and competed with each other, is one of the most prominent characters in Blue Giant. In the world of J-Jazz, there are legendary players who died young in traffic accidents, but Sawabe is still alive and has not lost his passion. I can't wait for his reappearance in the future, and I think he was the best character who made an impact on the work.
