Conceptual design on books is mainly on the front covers, it’s the first thing you see so it has to catch your eye and make you interested and want to read the book. Blue Lock is one of my favourite series and for good reasons. The conceptual design choices behind the front covers have been carefully thought out in a way to make the reader question and want to analyse it further with the use of hidden meanings in artwork and colour.
The examples above are just a select few that I think have great conceptual design. This is because the dynamic poses the characters are in capture a sense of their personality and intense emotions. The use of bold colours and striking designs help convey the high stakes of the story. Each cover features symbolism that ties into the characters or highlights what they’re best at, these are known in the story as “weapons”.
A hidden meaning in the art of the Blue Lock covers are the chains that the characters wear. They symbolise the pressure they carry becoming the world’s best which can represent the weight of expectations and competition. The chains also signify the connection between the players and the Blue “Lock” program itself, highlighting how they are bound by the intensity and desire to break free from limitations to achieve higher. The colours in the background also symbolise the “aura” each character possesses when they are playing their best in a match which further signifies a characters features. The conceptual thought gone into the covers are a great example that a simple cover can convey meaning and emotion. For example volume 3 shown above has the character kneeling down which highlights his leg which plays a big role in the character development and challenges they face in the story.
The Boruto manga has some of the best manga covers, however they are really inconsistent quality wise. This can be due to a number of reasons such as the focus of each volume changing and the plot of the story which influences the cover art. Another factor could be the balance between maintaining a recognisable style that ties all the volumes together while also trying to keep things fresh and engaging. Conceptually, the colour choices are random and show to have little meaning which can be quite confusing.
Even though the Boruto logo and art style is recognisable enough and is an established manga, I think the design choices weren’t the greatest on this cover in particular. This is because the logo is practically fully covered up making it almost unreadable. The white background makes the artwork stand out however including more background elements like other volumes could enhance the visual appeal. Additionally, a more cohesive colour palette could make it stand out more.
To “improve” the front cover I brought the logo in front of the characters as it improves the readability of the lettering. I didn’t change the colours or font of the title because I think it’s perfect as it is, the colours pop and the bold font matches the theme of the manga. The placement and plain background just made it look unfinished and unrecognisable. To add some conceptual meaning i added a purple box with the idea that the red and blue coloured clothes mixed together obviously makes purple. I think this addition makes it look more complete and gives meaning to the chosen colour palette. The box in the background is also similar to other volumes in the series, making it more realistic. I think this adds depth to the cover with the characters standing in front of the box while also standing behind the lettering.
Figure 1. Muneyuki, K. & Yusuke, N. (2022) Blue Lock 3. Kodansha USA Publishing. https://bluelock.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Lock_(Manga)?file=US_Volume_3.png [Accessed 3 Oct 2024]
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Figure 2. Muneyuki, K. & Yusuke, N. (2024) Blue Lock 12. Kodansha USA Publishing. https://bluelock.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Lock_(Manga)?file=US_Volume_12.png [Accessed 3 Oct 2024]
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Figure 3. Muneyuki, K & Yusuke, N. (2024) Blue Lock 16. Kodansha USA Publishing. https://bluelock.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Lock_(Manga)?file=US_Volume_16.png [Accessed 3 Oct 2024]
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Figure 4. Masashi, K. & Mikio, I. (2023) Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Vol 16 (Volume 16). VIZ Media LLC. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boruto-Naruto-Next-Generations-Vol/dp/1974734722 [Accessed 5 Oct 2024]