Blue Period's Ryuji Ayukawa is one of anime’s most powerful queer icons

When it comes to Slice of Life, there are not many anime that can compete with Blue Period. Blue Period is an anime that defies conventions and ticks too many boxes. At its heart, it is a Slice of Life, but once it is viewed more deeply, the other layers of Blue Period become more apparent. Blue Period is Romance, Coming of Age, Queer Drama which handles every element well.

One of the reasons the series thrives is because of its characters. Blue Period’s characters are different from what is shown regularly in anime. There are instances where a motley crew of characters is assembled in an anime like One Piece, but it does not feel as grounded as Blue Period, where each character feels like an everyday man. No character captures Blue Period’s essence better than Ryuji Ayukawa, one of its main characters.

Ryuji Ayukawa is a close friend of the main character, Yatora Yaguchi, and their dynamic creates one of the story’s biggest draws. However, Ryuji still thrives as a solitary character, as they have standout traits. The most obvious being their androgyny and how genderfluid they are, just like JJK’s Kirara Hoshi. Despite that, Tsubusa Yamaguchi chooses to write Ryuji Ayukawa as a character who acknowledges society's backward views and still chooses to live above them.

Ryuji Ayukawa embracing their identity unashamedly, is why they are one of anime’s most powerful queer icons. Here are more reasons why.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers. The subject topic might be sensitive; viewer's discretion is advised.

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What makes Ryuji Ayukawa from Blue Period an amazing queer character

Ryuji presents a jovial front to everyone they meet (Image via Seven Arcs)

While being queer is a huge part of Ryuji Ayukawa’s character, their entire personality is not built around that fact. This is a breath of fresh air, as a lot of anime/manga world mostly use queer characters as a running joke. The most famous example is in One Piece and One Punch Man, where these characters are used as comic relief.

This is different in Blue Period, and from the first panel which Ryuji Ayukawa is shown, they are made to look very powerful. The next panels are filled with them standing up to Yatora Yaguchi; they are not afraid to let their voice be heard, and even when Yatora tries to poke at them, they remain composed.

Their art is also put as the main focus of the series, as it is not just a career choice, it is also a means of expression. Art is also the reason for their living. In a one-shot prequel of the series, a younger Ryuji Ayukawa plans their suicide, but art is what makes them stop. This moment is Ryuji’s turning point, as they are committed to embracing their identity.

A younger Ryuji as shown in the manga (Image via Kodansha)

Despite their commitment to living their best life, Ryuji Ayukawa is still plagued by various insecurities. Ryuji is not just queer in the sense that they like men and women, but he is very female presenting.

In a world filled with antiquated ideals of masculinity and gender, Ryuji struggles to find his place. For most of the series, they appear boisterous and live without a care, but the mask slips off from time to time.

Ryuji Ayukawa pines for romantic love frequently and is quite unsuccessful at their pursuits. Despite them claiming to be okay in their bodies, they can be seen at times tearing up at the sex that they were assigned at birth. They wonder if their romantic partners would treat them any differently if they were cis-women.

This constant internal and external battle against the world makes Ryuji an amazing artist and a phenomenal friend. They tell Yatora to follow their passion and do what makes them happy. They also accept that the world might never accept them, and they choose to go forward above all their worries.

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Final thoughts

Proper queer representation is Shonen and Seinen is too little, and most times handled poorly. Ryuji Ayukawa is one of anime’s most powerful queer icons because they are not caricature or over idealized. They are a person like any other, shaped by trauma, and filled with a yearning to overcome that trauma.

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