Ao no Hako アオのハコ

2024 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.2 (92098)

Updated every Thursdays at 23:56 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis

Every morning, incoming first-year Taiki Inomata hurries to his high school gym in order to further refine his badminton skills. However, his true motivation stems from sharing the otherwise empty gym with second-year Chinatsu Kano, Taiki's crush and the star player of the girls' basketball team. Although Chinatsu seems unapproachable, Taiki gradually finds opportunities to get to know her little by little. Unbeknownst to Taiki, his tireless work ethic and admiration motivate Chinatsu to work harder and strive to achieve her greatest ambitions. When her family must suddenly move overseas for work, Chinatsu decides to remain in Japan and shoot for victory at the national level. With nowhere to stay, she is taken in by Taiki's mother, who is longtime friends with Chinatsu's own. Overwhelmed with the new reality of living alongside the girl he loves, Taiki resolves to join Chinatsu at the national level in his own sport—and grow closer to her in the process. Still, despite being good enough to catch his coach's eye, Taiki must fight an uphill battle to qualify for a spot on the starting team. Cheered on by both Chinatsu and gymnast Hina Chouno, his childhood friend, Taiki aims to make a name for himself among his powerful upperclassmen. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Kitou, Akari

Chiba, Shouya

Ueda, Reina

News

Reviews

youngkratos
04/21/2025, 02:59 AM
Blue Box is one of those rare anime that nails both the sports and romance sides without overdoing either. It’s got just the right amount of slow-burn tension and everyday sports grind to keep you hooked. The story isn’t super crazy or anything, it’s a high school setup, you kinda know where it’s going, but it still hits really well. The art fits the vibe, nothing crazy either but just very clean and beautiful to look at. Characters feel real. Taiki’s not some overpowered main dude, just a hard-working, awkward guy you end up rooting for, without being that overly awkward stereotype that can turn offsome western viewers. Both girls in the love triangle are great, and honestly, sometimes it’s hard to even pick a side. All the supporting characters are great too, felt real and contributing in some way. And by the way, the English DUB was solid. Overall very happy and left me sort of chasing that feeling for something similar. iykyk. If anybody knows an anime that hits this same sports/romance balance, please drop it in the comments!
Tuls
04/15/2025, 08:46 PM
There haven’t been many sports-romance anime in recent times, so the genre alone gives Blue Box an edge, but it ends up being an unfortunate case of mismanaged potential. It’s less of an issue of maturity but rather an overreliance on cliches and, ultimately, a genuine lack of ingenuity. The sports aspect is better not talked about, as there hardly is any, and the little that we do get is usually over before you blink twice. It shows promise during the beginning, and in a sense, it’s a positive that the show sets itself up nicely with its character motivations, showing how admiration can sometimestranslate to love. However, the problem lies in portraying the progression of Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship, given they share the same home; it’s way too sluggish, taking more liberties than it should, making them incredibly dull to watch together. One could argue this is due to the first season being Hina’s arc, but that’s a disingenuous excuse for Chinatsu being virtually the same as when the show started. I’m willing to give Kouji Miura the benefit of the doubt, as this is technically her first long-running work, and because there are some moments where her writing does pick up compared to the general trope-ridden romance setups and unamusing humor. In particular, I have to praise how she handles Hina’s character; it’s almost entirely because of how daringly she is written, possessing more nuance than most of the cast. We don’t see many characters take actions like she does in this genre, and it’s the reason why the love triangle has a capricious feel to it, disorienting Taiki’s view of friendship and love, as he’s on the receiving end for once. This is also why the rest of the show is so disappointing, as Miura can definitely write interesting characters if she moves past genre platitudes. It’d be nice to see more sports being shown as well rather than just short-lived scenes, as right now, the behavior disparities post-matches outcomes seem shoddily written as we simply didn’t have enough time to digest them. This is Blue Box’s greatest weakness, having the correct idea but shaky execution more often than not. It’s a missed opportunity, given how easy it is to contrast motivations between sports and romance settings, which adds more character depth. On the production end, the show looks decent, but it’s more focused on picking pleasant shots than having well-flowing animation. Blue Box still has potential, but its fulfillment depends on whether the writing can evolve to demonstrate more creativity.
sailorkugisaki
04/05/2025, 03:44 AM
As a manga reader, I can proudly and happily claim that this season of Blue Box has done the manga justice. Blue Box is a sweet romance anime which has a very respectful and adorable male lead. Taiki is always mindful of how things could affect other people and he does not want to put them in a delicate situation. Which is why Taiki does not want to confess his feelings to Chinatsu, who is now living with him and his parents as both her dad and mom moved out. He does not want her to feel uncomfortable as they share the same house. Blue Boxis also a sports anime; Taiki and Chinatsu will both influence each other to get better at their respective sports. Seeing Chinatsu being passionate and putting a lot of efforts in basketball will only make him want to surpass himself. We can truly see how their conversations are positively impacting their efforts. Moreover, even if there is romance, Taiki will not be completely absorbed by his feelings. He also loves badminton and will always focus on that even when he feels flustered. The sport he practices is important to him and I really like that he does not let outside forces destabilize him and the efforts he puts in. If anything, it only pushes him to get better. Blue Box is a romance anime about teenagers discovering and navigating through their feelings. It can get bittersweet at times but it is always perfectly done and the viewer will understand that the choices the characters made were the best ones as they always try being respectful and mindful of the others around them. All in all, with a stunning animation, I think Blue Box is the perfect anime to watch during Spring, with a sweet male lead and sweeter feelings between all the characters.
Dlan0r
04/01/2025, 09:56 AM
Blue box review—— Before I start this review is for both the anime and manga. IT’S SPOILER-FREE. Overview:- It been really a couple of years since last I read an ongoing manga it feels so good to be back. So basically blue box is a wholesome romonace story in a slice of life tune, a lot of people would say it’s a romcom but to me it just didn’t feel romcom a bit, like I said it’s more of slice of life, long running slice of life coupled with excellent romance and sometimes great sport scenes. Story:- There isn’t much to say about the story it’s not super unique ororiginal yet it hits hard. A love triangle story, which is something I don’t like because there is always in this type of story unnecessary and annoying drama. The love traingle characters are so good I don’t ever remember a story like this where I liked all of three characters(tho I’m absloutly from chi’s team). it felt much more realistic and grounded but in a good way except for sometimes which is fine and acutally fun, it’s a japanese media afterall. Characters:- Ah in this series characters are just so good, mature, and real. I love how they are just likeus, young naive people struggling and just living their lives without the usual nonsense drama. The best thing about characters in this series is acutally the relationships between them, they are treated in natural way, and mature it reminded me of days with the boys during secondory school which got me off guard, I really like this aspect about story and it just gets better as the series goes on, at first a I though it’s modern short series but turnded out it’s a long-running series and it fits it so well. The MC at the beginning looked like your average anime trope but he acutally changes, changes A LOT and through time he just become a favourite of mine he’s so good and the same goes for most characters I don’t even remmeber there is a chacarter I hate or annoyed me. Plot and pacing:- The plot and pacing are well-balanced, there is not much to say about plot and that what makes it great, a lot of people would say it’s about taiki and chi’s relationship which is right but it felt much more than this like a story of real people not fictional characters, and the same as plot goes for pacing that why I combined them in one pharagraph, it didn’t feel so fast nor too slow and sometimes it repeats itself, like summer festival, etc.. because it’s goes for about two years in story timeline(so far). Artstyle:- I’m very particular about artstyle, rarely I find something acceptable, let alone something of blue lock’s caliber it’s not just good it’s a FUCKING MASTERPIECE, characters are well drawn, manga panels are great, covers and illustrations are just peak I really like them. I don’t know if it’s just me but the artsyle reminds me of gosho aoyama’s, probably because of the weird long nosses, but blue box’s felt like in a more modern tune. Anime production, sound, and music:- Blue box manga was in my backlog for quite awhile and before knowing I found the anime announcement, I was really looking forward for it, and when I watched it surpraised me even though it looked great in the trailers but they did an excellent adaption. Voice acting is so good every character just have the right seiyuu, it boosted the experience greatly. Music I guess is average expect for openings, they are great but for some reason when I hear it always gives me a pain in my stomach. Sport I guess? I really didn’t give it that much of attention, I’m an old basketball fan but I guess I can’t watch it anymore. and for badominton, I never saw or played this sport until l watched blue box. Later as story progresses the story the sport elements serves the story well which I like because I didn’t really expected anything from it. Message and concept:- Is hardworking really worth it? What it feels to be gifted? Loneliness, how to manage your relationships, youth and etc… I know it sound cliché but it’s much better than what you think and the best thing they are not only just about taiki and chinatsu, these ideas are done across multiple characters and when it’s coming from such a young mangaka such as her it feels more relatable. conclusion:- I never cared about writing reviews, but when I read the manga this idea just struck me, I wanted to do it to show my admiration and respect of series and the mangaka, like in story taiki likes’s chinatsu because he admires her. In the end blue box isn’t flawless, most causal fans and people who know their way around japanese media will certanly like it, it’s a simple yet well-made story. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
TH_Boston
03/31/2025, 02:21 PM
Honestly, I really love the first like 1-10 episodes of this anime, the romance is very good, very sweet, the pacing is perfect, but I have a feeling that if this anime is really 24 episodes, and if it keeps the pacing at this speed, it might get boring and repetitive, which unfortunately, it turn out to be it, around like episode 10 to the end, it's repetitive, the pacing turns out to be too slow, in a span of 1 episode, almost nothing happen (if something happens, it's the same thing you get like 10 times already) The main problem of all the boringness ofthis anime is because the genre, the "sport anime" genre. I think the "sport" genre from anime is kinda bad, anime is meant to be for kids (yeah, I know that anime has some really wild story or blablabla, but in the big picture, it's still for kids or teenagers) so, the main idea of sport anime is like 'MC can't win this competitor, they need to stronger than that, and they trained, and win that competitor' and repeat that. That's why this anime is repetitive, I think the studio doesn't even care about the sports plot, I think they like the romance plot more (which me too), so, they don't put an effort to the sport plot, yeah, the animation is very good, but the story is just need a lot more effort. The main cast of this anime (Taiki and Chii) relationship is too slow. The first half of this anime develops the relationship at a perfect speed, but at that one point, the relationship just stops, and the other "main" character, Hina, is getting to the main story. To be honest, Hina's part is not as good as Chii's part. Chii's part is perfect if we don't count the stopped part, but Hina's part is weird; it feels like it was just randomly put in to make it harem for some reason. Sorry for my terrible English, but I use Grammarly to help me, so this is my best effort Thank you.
duskwoven
03/27/2025, 11:27 PM
Blue Box made me expect a cute and refreshing mix of sports and romance, but honestly, I feel like it didn’t fully deliver. Visually, the anime has that soft, almost watercolor-like aesthetic that fits the gentle and slow-burn nature of the story. The character designs are clean and expressive, and I do appreciate how much body language is used to convey emotions, small glances, hesitation, and little moments of closeness that feel natural. But when it comes to the sports aspect, I found the animation lacking energy. The matches looked nice, but they didn’t have that oomph or intensity that would make me feel invested.It’s like they were just there to set the scene rather than being a core part of the story. As for the romance, this is where I really started feeling the cracks. The story follows Taiki, a hardworking but not particularly exceptional badminton player, and Chinatsu, the cool and talented basketball ace he admires. I do like that Taiki isn’t just chasing Chinatsu, but also self-improvement, but at the same time, their dynamic felt underwhelming? The slow burn is nice in theory, but I kept waiting for some actual chemistry to spark between them, and it just never really hit the way I wanted it to. Chinatsu, while likable, sometimes felt too distant, and their interactions didn’t give me enough to root for them as a couple. The side characters had some good moments, but even they weren’t enough to make the romance feel more engaging. By the end, I wasn’t really dissatisfied, but I wasn’t fully satisfied either. The romance is barely there, the sports aspect is just okay, and while the story has some nice emotional beats, it feels like it’s missing something to truly make it stand out. Blue Box is subtle, and I get that’s its charm, but for me, it leaned too much into being too quiet and slow, making the romance and sports elements both feel a little hollow. TL;DR: Blue Box has a soft, slow-burn atmosphere with nice character growth, but it struggles to balance its sports and romance elements. The chemistry between Taiki and Chinatsu feels weak, and the sports scenes lack energy, making it a show that requires a lot of patience. It’s decent, but it never quite reaches its full potential. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day!
VinMur92
03/27/2025, 11:34 AM
I don't understand the beauty of it. Blue Box is a romantic/sports anime that deals with the adventures of Taiki, a boy who is part of the school's Badminton team and who falls in love with the Basketball player Chinatsu. The plot is that the latter finds herself living in our protagonist's house. Nothing else... One of the best aspects of the anime is undoubtedly the quality of the animations, which are fluid and well-finished in detail, making both the romantic and sports scenes enjoyable. The musical section is also well done, with a soundtrack that accompanies the emotions of the story without particularly standing out. Anotherpoint in its favor is the realism with which the sports environment is represented, avoiding exaggerations and maintaining a credible tone. However, the plot does not shine for originality and follows patterns already seen in many other works of the genre, without particular twists. The characters are also not very interesting and fail to leave a real impact. Furthermore, the pace of the narration is quite slow, especially in the central episodes, so much so that it makes you want to watch them at increased speed. Ok, it's a slice of life, but in many episodes almost nothing happens. Ultimately, Blue Box can be appreciated by lovers of light romantic stories, however, I wouldn't consider it a must-watch and I don't understand the hype that has pervaded it since before its release, probably the manga is better. Rating: 6.5, thanks to the technical quality, but if I were to base it only on the story, it would be a 4.
Tharr
03/23/2025, 02:19 PM
*sigh* It finally ended. The last episodes were a total bore. What started like an interesting piece, slowly became something else. I don't why, but for the last months we got nothing but sh***y romances. Class daikirai, marriage, office, the ones with the travel agency.... They look so good on paper and then you watch it and you find out its not. Yes, I know its hard to get a new "the dangers in my heart", but c'mon! We don't need the same level (yes we do! shhhh), but at least try... *sigh* Anyway. From the start: the visuals are great. The designs, color palette, animationflow etc. All great. The audio: also good (more than decent). At times, the levels might've been a lil bit under, but generally the soundtrack was mostly ok. The VAs were good. The OP and ED were fine I guess. I don't really remember them. Mostly so for the 2nd half, but thats because of the story, I'd say. The production value seems high, the mixing was decent, the directing was good. The pacing is kinda all over the place (most of the times, seems to drag on for no legit reason), or maybe I'm wrong because I was annoyed. Yes, I am ff-ing all of this because those are not the issue. The story is meh. I can see what they were trying to do and I have nothing against it. But the plot is terrible. I don't know the sauce, I don't care about the sauce, but I will assume the sauce is the problem. Thats because the story has a feeling to it that goes from start to end, it doesn't feel like the studio went "You know what? Lets fk this up!". I also know that sometimes it is hard to adapt something thats written on paper, with no voice (other than those in your head) and you must give them life. Because what happens in one page doesn't need more than 5 seconds of visuals. And vice versa, sometimes "he is terrified for x" needs 2 minutes of visuals to make us realize as to why "he" is terrified. As I said, I get that, but I still think the author is the problem here. I don't know if he wanted to go this way, or maybe he never got an input for the anime's script (although most author have that when the OK is given), but the result remains the same. So. Highschool, all sports, romance, blah blah, all of that. They needed a place where all the "main" people could meet and interact, i get it. Then you bring in variables. Also good. And then you go for changing the main protagonists. Wait, what? Well, true, it never was about those two only, but thats what we were left to believe, by way of story construction. Thats why the second half of this anime is sht. More or less, dunno where it started and I won't rewatch. You wanna make it a triangle? Insert the 2nd girl first. Make it so that she's asking him out or something. That way people will feel for her. But no, we got something meh. We get to know him and the 1st girl. Good, now we can get giddy, expecting stuff, waiting to see how their relationship will evolve, how they will develop as characters. Because thats why we're here. At least I hope its "we", all of us, yes? And so we get what it looks like the start of something, then the "2nd half" (again, dunno exactly when) makes it all about focusing on the 2nd girl. Her feelings, her story, her anything. The first girl is not out, but you can feel the shift. "Bro, she has layers, see?" I don't care about her layers! Fk her layers! You gave us a ship, then you try to give us something new. No, ty! Or are you trying going for something NTR? Then add that tag, pls. I know drama is needed to make for a better story, but thats when is done correctly. Yes, I felt for her in the last episodes, but that was because of the visuals and VA acting, not because I was sad for her and I hoped she'll succeed :))) Also quickly, beside good old fashioned drama, we also get small misunderstandings, not having discussions like two normal human beings in a modern society. Especially from him. Some strong inner thoughts without a real reason behind those. Afraid and assuming. But I guess (or hope) thats intentional, made so by the author, to resemble a teen (a dumb one) and to help develop his character in the next season(s). Cheap tricks. Next, character development. Well, not really. We DO have some attempts, some monologues, but I think those have the opposite effect. "I know it is bad, but I'm gonna take advantage of our friendship and do it anyway" is good for character development but that also tells us that she is a sht person :)) And yes, I am talking mostly about her because frankly I don't remember much about the others. I do remember that most of the first episodes were about him and the 1st girl looking to eachother and giving short answers for the entirety of the scene, while some monologues run in the background. But I don't remember if he has a character development. Sorry, thats on me. In my defence, I forgot most of the show when the "2nd half" started and the story's quality dropped. I got sick and tired of seeing Hina's face all the time. So, an excellent artistic representation of a meh story. With cheap tricks for drama and misunderstandings. No return value. I mean, no matter how good the visuals are, trying to rewatching up to a point and then skip half a season, until the last 1-2 episodes seems redundant, don't you think? If it gets a second season I will keep watching, because now the story should get good. Plus, new pairs might become interesting to watch. At least I'm hoping "they" will become one :)) I'm giving it a 6 and mixed feelings. Like I said, no matter how nice it looks or sounds, if you make me skip half of season, because its boring or cringe, thats a no-no. But I'm sure lots of people will give it a high score and recommend it, so we'll get a new season, surely. Have a lovely evening!
JuSanyk
03/23/2025, 01:45 PM
First this season doesn't have a proper ending, so if you want to start watching it just now, I don't recommend it, it is not worth it. Otherwise it was all right, nothing special. 24 okay episodes with a 24th episode that could have been an end for season one, and then there was a filler 25th one where literally nothing happened. I am not gonna say it was bad, because I watched all episodes and kinda enjoyed it, and this is already something. My biggest complaint is honestly the ending. Based on the rhytm of this anime the end was right there in the25th and I don't see what on earth can be in this story and characters that deserves a whole second season. If the ending would have been there and we can get a second season with a fresh couple (which can be just as exciting although it is rarely a theme in romantic stuff) that's a different story, but this isn't the case here. TLDR.: Not recommended, wait for the second season and maybe then. We will see.
MarlsMarsBars
03/21/2025, 10:29 PM
The hotly anticipated sports romance anime, Blue Box, finally wrapped up its first season, and I’m… a bit conflicted, but not in a way you might think. Now I’m just gonna rip the band-aid off immediately, I like this anime and I’d recommend this to anyone if you’re in need of some non-action anime to watch. That said, I’m not really on the same hype train that everyone else is with this series. Before I get into my issues with this series, let’s get into the positives first. Blue Box is one of the few romance anime that I’ve seen with a love triangle that Iactually think works. In this anime, the love triangle is utilized to really highlight and drive home the emotional discrepancies between the three main characters: Taiki Inomata, Chinatsu Kano, and Hina Chouno. I like how Taiki is at the center of the triangle since he spends the most time with both Chinatsu and Hina. Instead of playing the safe route like other romance storylines with this particular trope, the anime actually has the childhood friends interact with one another, which in this case, further builds the dynamic between Taiki and Hina. If the story ever wanted to hit us hard emotionally with what happens later on, it wouldn’t have been as emotionally impactful if the childhood friends barely had scenes together, or verbally and lazily drilling into us the idea that Taiki and Hina have known each other for a very long time. There is also a good balance in screen time given between Taiki’s scenes with Chinatsu and Hina separately, however, I will later get into the dynamic between Inomata and Kano. I also liked the sports side of this series. Each main character is part of a different sports team in their high school, which I like because that not only sets the characters apart in that aspect, but also gives us different subplots to follow. Taiki excelling to be the best first year in the badminton team is a good motivational narrative set piece for his character to grow and eventually reach the same level of that his crush, Chinatsu, is at with basketball. While I might not be the biggest fan of sports stories in entertainment - even to the extent of a preference of watching actual sports over shows like this - I found quite a few of these subplots to be intense and something to come back every week for. I found myself invested in Inomata’s growth as a badminton player. That said, I found both Chinatsu and Hina’s perspectives on their own sporting adventures to be slightly lacking. We barely get a real deep dive into what these two characters do outside of surface level exposition; early on in the first half of the season, we are constantly reminded that both Kano and Chouno are top prodigies in basketball and rhythmic gymnastics respectively. However, outside of maybe one or two scenes where Chinatsu plays a basketball game, the show barely fleshes out their own individual growth as athletes to the same extent that Inomata receives. That said, whenever the show fully locks in to focusing on a sports tournament, or a character overcoming an athletic block that is stopping them from reaching the next level in their development, it’s handled really well. Blue Box works really well as a sports drama, and in my opinion, this is mainly the more consistent aspect of the writing, even if it’s far from perfect. While Blue Box might excel as a sports drama, this series is also a romance anime, and this is where my issues with this series begin. First off, I already explained the positives in the love triangle and how it doesn’t fall as flat as other anime that utilize this trope. However, the main couple of this series, Taiki Inomata and Chinatsu Kano, honestly don’t feel like a couple, at least for now. The reason why I say this is because their relationship doesn’t really give me any romantic vibes outside of Taiki having an insane crush on Chinatsu. These two characters initially meet when they run into each other all the time in early morning practice in their school gym, and Chinatsu eventually moves into Taiki’s place as a roommate. Inomata and Kano obviously share quite a few scenes together, however the romantic development between these two feels so stagnant in this season. The furthest their scenes take these two are either a cute moment where they root for each other in their respective sports teams, or Taiki constantly reminding viewers that he has a crush on Kano. Very rarely do we get scenes between these two characters that actually progresses their feelings towards one another. There are even moments where the show subtly gaslights us into believing that there was so much emotional development between the main couple, when there really wasn’t. During the second half of this season, Chinatsu very subtly admits that she is starting to develop feelings for Taiki, but I don’t really buy that because the majority of the second cour has her separated from Inomata due to her not staying at Taiki’s house for an extended period of time. Sure, they still see each other in school, but they are in different grades and in different sports clubs, so it’s not like they spend as much or even more time together to make that confession airtight. For most of the entire season, Chinatsu is primarily distant, and even at times cold, to Taiki. Sure, they hang out and live in the same house, but they honestly don’t even have a dynamic that in any way resembles what I would consider to be romantic. I’m not asking for these two to be lovey-dovey right away, but for a season that contains twenty-four episodes, I would’ve at least expected significant strides in the romance between the actual main couple that this series revolves around. Now, I don’t want to make it seem like this anime is a failure or anything. I still find Blue Box to be very entertaining, and I have no doubt that later seasons (if that actually happens) will inevitably develop the dynamic between Taiki and Chinatsu more. While that aspect is a drawback for me, it unfortunately is a massive drawback at least for this season since the entire plot revolves around the relationship between these two main characters. But again, there are plenty of things I liked about Blue Box. The animation is very crisp, the direction definitely puts Blue Box atop of other romance anime, and like I said, I find this series so far to be a pretty good sports drama. Even as a drama, I like some aspects about the narratives in this show, like the inclusion of Ayame Moriya. Sure, I find this character to be really annoying, but I like the role she serves in the story; a loose cannon whose naive views on relationships ultimately pushes Hina to fully pursue Taiki. All of this obviously leads to the emotional climax of the entire season, and the last set of episodes that lead up to the big moment, along with the penultimate episode of this season, also contain some great drama between the characters that actually has me excited for more. Hopefully, this does get a second season because I want to see actual story development in future installments in this series since this season has definitely left just a little bit to be desired. If Blue Box can finally lock in and actually progress Inomata and Kano’s relationship, then this series would be great all around. Hopefully that becomes true with more seasons.
Andrewapps
03/21/2025, 12:37 PM
Story: 5 Characters: 7 Animation: 8.5 Sound: 9 Enjoyment: 7 Overall: 7.3/10 Notes: It's crazy to say, but honestly... the worst parts of "Blue Box" are its main pairing, and the sports sub-plot. It's crazy, because one of Chinatsu and Taiki are almost always on screen, and the whole show uses the sports theme as a crutch to support itself/the romance. But genuinely, I feel that those two things are what is holding "Blue Box" back. Only one of the sports (badminton, basketball, or rhythmic gymnastics) should have been the focus (and I mean actually focused upon, not simply as part of the setting), and Hina, Kyou, Ayame and Kengo should havebeen the main characters. Chinatsu and the entire basketball team can be hard demoted to the background, and Taiki would be demoted to supporting cast, as Kyou's and Kengo's teammate. I genuinely think the show would have benefited greatly from such alterations, as the supporting cast really shines in "Blue Box", making Chinatsu and Taiki rough to watch as they bumble around "aimlessly" for 25 episodes. But if we aren't going to hard change anything about the show, then it needs more badminton, or hell ANY basketball, I'll even take some rhythmic gymnastics over, well... NOTHING. And obviously, the show desperately needs to develop Chinatsu and Taiki as characters, because frankly at this point Hina deserves better, making Taiki look bad for rejecting her and Chinatsu look bad for being Taiki's target of affection. Taiki is bland, and Chinatsu... Chinatsu is beyond bland. I will say, though... "Blue Box" is cute, sweet, and easy to digest, with some surprisingly real moments coming from the supporting cast + Hina. Even Taiki has a relatable moment or two, somehow, and it is moments like those that kept me invested in the show, even during its lulls. Frankly... at this stage, "Blue Box" is hard carried by the studio's great animation/decent directing, solid OPs/EDs, and superb VA casting. Without a high quality studio at the helm, this show is a 6/10, probably worse. To close things off: It's vanilla, it's slow-paced, the sports element hardly exists, the main pairing sucks, huge payout moments come up and then are backpedaled upon with 0 end result... but I still liked it, surprisingly. Not loved, but liked. If a S2 comes, I'll take it. If not... I won't lose any sleep over it.
kaori_miyama
03/21/2025, 11:22 AM
"Blue Box" was one of the most anticipated romance anime of 2024. With its Shonen Jump background and an already established fanbase, many expected it to be a unique mix of sports and romance. However, instead of being a balanced cocktail of both genres, the anime leans heavily on the romance aspect, with sports serving as more of a background theme. Despite this, Blue Box stands out due to its mature storytelling, well-developed characters, and an engaging love triangle that keeps viewers emotionally invested. The story follows Taiki Inomata, a hardworking and ambitious member of the badminton club who dreams of becoming an athlete onthe national level. However, unlike other sports anime protagonists who are already talented prodigies, Taiki is far from his goal. He is still struggling, still growing, and his journey is one of perseverance rather than natural genius The love triangle is the heart of the anime’s first season. Unlike typical romance anime where misunderstandings and indecisiveness drag things out, Blue Box takes a more realistic and mature approach. Taiki isn’t an oblivious protagonist—he knows who he loves and when the time comes, he clearly communicates his feelings, ultimately turning down one of the two girls in Episode 24. This resolution marks a shift in the story, leading many manga readers to joke that the “real Blue Box” starts now, as the focus on sports is expected to increase from this point forward. One of the strongest aspects of Blue Box is its character writing. The main trio of Taiki, Chinatsu, and Hina all feel like real people rather than typical anime archetypes. Taiki’s determination and hard work make him a compelling protagonist, especially since he isn’t overpowered or naturally gifted like many other anime protagonists. Chinatsu and Hina each have their own goals, struggles, and personal growth, making them feel independent rather than just existing for the sake of romance. Even the side characters are well-written and contribute meaningfully to the story. While the anime has some typical anime quirks, it remains more grounded and mature than most other romance anime, making it stand out in the genre. For those expecting a sports-focused anime, Blue Box might be a bit disappointing. While sports play a role in the story, they mainly serve as a backdrop for the characters’ emotional struggles and personal growth. The first season primarily focuses on the love triangle arc, so the sports aspect is not the main attraction. However, with the love triangle resolved, as a fan, I am hopeful that future seasons will bring more emphasis on the competitive side of badminton and other sports. Blue Box is a refreshing take on romance anime, blending sports themes with a mature and emotionally engaging love story. The well-developed characters, realistic romance, and satisfying character growth make it stand out in the genre. While it may not fully satisfy those looking for a true sports-romance hybrid, it offers a strong and compelling romance story that goes beyond the usual tropes. Pros: ✔ Well-written characters with meaningful development ✔ Mature and realistic love triangle resolution ✔ Strong emotional depth in relationships ✔ Great mix of romance and sports elements (even if romance is dominant) Cons: ✖ Sports aspect is more of a background theme than a main focus ✖ Some viewers might find the pacing slow 8/10 A must-watch for romance fans, but sports fans might need to wait for future seasons to see if it expands into a true sports-drama mix.
jmhj
03/21/2025, 10:09 AM
Blue Box isn’t breaking new ground—it’s a straightforward romance with a dash of sports thrown into the mix. But does its familiar setup make it any less impressive? Not in the slightest. This take on Kouji Miura’s well-loved Shounen Jump manga nails plenty of what made the original work shine. Romance adaptations often fall flat when compared to their origin, but Blue Box stands out as an exception. The animation pops with sharp, stunning visuals that bring every feeling and movement to life with real care and depth. Yuki Hayashi, as expected, delivers a knockout soundtrack that tugs at the heartstrings. The characters here feel genuine andrelatable, each one pulling their weight without any pointless padding. Main characters can sometimes drag a show like this down, but Taiki bucks that trend with solid growth that keeps you rooting for him. The anime sticks close to the manga’s big moments, handling them with smart direction that doesn’t miss a beat. On top of that, we’re treated to a generous 25 episodes of this high-quality production—a feast! Whether you’re a fan of the manga or coming in fresh, this is a romance I’d easily suggest to anyone. Can’t wait for season two! Plot: 7.5 Characters: 9 Animation: 9 Soundtrack: 9 Enjoyment: 9
Supersonic_Pain
03/21/2025, 09:51 AM
--- note: I consider this review to be incomplete without mentioning a certain plot point around Episode 14. I guess spoilers abound but I mean, I couldn't talk about one of the big 3 members of the cast without mentioning it --- A pretty paint-by-numbers shounen romance with a little sports (and I do mean A LITTLE) thrown in So, I watch the table of contents for Weekly Shounen Jump, right Analyze what's on the chopping block, new series to keep an eye on, etc. For a while, there hasn't been a big sports hit (despite manga I was quite fond of like Martial Master Asumi and Green GreenGreens) and one of the reasons that I've heard is that Blue Box might be the "sports" niche. I kind of accepted that when I wasn't reading it but watching the anime, if that's true, wow, it sure is a suck-ass niche. Watching Blue Box for the sports is like watching Bleach for the romance (no offense to Bleach). It's barely even there, more of a backdrop for the romance. You can tell the level of priority each character in the main triangle (more on that in a second) is given by how much attention their sport is given. Hina's rhythmic gymnastics might as well not even exist. Chinatsu's basketball is given a little more attention but that's just because there's one character who isn't Chinatsu that you can name from the basketball team. Taiki's badminton is easily given the most focus of the 3 but it's still a very, very mediocre adaptation of badminton. It never really connects to the romance side either. Like, Hina tweaks her ankle and Taiki carries her once. It technically sets the whole thing in motion because Taiki and Chinatsu are On That Grind together and see each other at practice. But you could easily rewrite this to not be about sports at all and make it about the drama club or the student council or professional Super Smash Bros. Why they didn't use this as an opportunity to introduce love rivals is beyond me. It'd be one thing if they didn't introduce love rivals at all, but they do and they just do not use the sports to their advantage. They kind of tease it with Haryu for about 0.2 seconds and they technically introduce some basketball guy for Chinatsu but they are absolutely 0 threat and are swiftly resolved. Idk if the editor is making the mangaka add all these rivals before wimping out but whoever is doing this, stop it. There's no real excitement to any of the games either. The badminton is really the only one that gets any extra amount of focus, there's like one basketball game and it's interlaced with whatever Taiki and Hina are doing at the time. But I never really got that impression compared to something like Eyeshield 21 or Blue Lock (which, granted, are both team sports, compared to badminton) that there was a lot of thought going on during the games, there's certainly a lot less animation compared to something like Blue Lock S1. They just kinda hit the shuttlecock around until someone wins and yeah, that sure is badminton, but you could try and make it a little more exciting. The stakes also don't feel as high because it has to share the spotlight with the romance. Going back to Blue Lock, if you lose, your dream's over. You might as well quit playing soccer if you are kicked out of Blue Lock. With Blue BOX, it doesn't really feel that urgent if Chinatsu blows out both her knees and has to retire because Taiki and Chinatsu can just have a happy life as salaryman and housewife or whatever. If the sports aren't good, how's the romance? Fwiw, the first few episodes, it was kind of nice. I was a few episodes behind (I think I was on Episode 8 by the end of 2024) but when I was making my anime of 2024 tier list, I gave Blue Box a prospective 9. I kind of liked it. And then, for some unknown reason, they go out of their way to make Hina a rival. It's like being handed an empty fishbowl and they're like "oh, but we'll fill it with cool rocks and nice water and some pretty fish" and like yeah, that's cool. We can work with that. And then they just drag you over to Xzibit's house and you're like "Bro, I don't even know who this guy is" and he's got some pimpin' fishtank, going basically from the floor to the ceiling, and there's some really awesome fish, maybe even some exotic fish, there's Bluetooth speakers playing Kendrick Lamar, tons of bass, and you're taken home and they're just like "oh yeah, we're gonna go to PetSmart tomorrow and get you a goldfish." Like why did you take me over to his house and show me this cool-ass fishtank only to slap us back to the fishbowl? To be less abstract, let's talk a bit about the characters. First, the MC, Taiki. He... he sure is. If you put in your average harem MC and added a dusting of sports anime MC, that's basically what you get. He's not perverted or anything, he's just kind of bland. Nothing wrong with some Raisin Bran but you basically get what you get with these MCs. Next, the love interest, Chinatsu. Someone in one of these topics during the show's run brought up Kana/Akane from Oshi no Ko and... yeah. I don't think Hina is as much of an asshole as Kana is (as much as I like Kana), Chinatsu is just Akane if Akane went to therapy. Actually, seeing Chinatsu makes me appreciate Akane more because the whole fishtank thing could easily be Kana vs. Akane too but at least Akane has something going on. Chinatsu is the ~mature~, ~~responsible~~, ~~~a little goofy~~~ (you know that meme where it's a woman in a grocery store with a bag on her head and she's throwing up double peace signs and they're like "she's so crazzzzzzzzzzzzzy, love her!"? That, basically.) one. I'm not going to say she's got no personality and apparently she develops in future seasons (which, I mean, I sure hope so) but the only thing they've done in 25 episodes is make me like her less. (also, she throws a spider without looking out of a second-story window and that's a red flag) She has to "grow" her love in a flowerpot (this time, the analogy is not mine, this is the show) and, like, great, but it also means you're watching a slow, paint-by-numbers, vanilla romance. That kind of shounen romance that ends with the confession and maybe holding hands. I did say it was a TRIANGLE though. They did not have to do Hina like this. So, when they introduce Hina, she's a bratty little gremlin and that is FINE. That is what she could have stayed as. Going back to Aka Akasaka's works, one of the best parts of Kaguya-sama is Chika Fujiwara. She's a girl. But she is just a force of nature, never getting involved in Kaguya and Miyuki's relationship. It allows people who like her to just like her. No waifu wars, no nothing, Chika is Chika is Chika. It allows Kaguya and Miyuki to develop without the threat of "yeah, but I like that person better" because both Chika and the other main character Yu Ishigami have no interest in Kaguya/Miyuki. And if they just stayed that path with Hina, she'd be a great character. She IS a great character... but then they make an unforced error and put her directly in the Taiki/Chinatsu path. And, like, she's only a little more of a threat than Haryu or Basketball Guy. I didn't want Hina/Taiki, there are so many characters she could have been with. Why didn't you put her with Kyo (oh, yeah, they're kind of teasing Kyo with this other girl, I don't like her, Kyo deserves better)? Why didn't you do what I said above and have her date one of Taiki's badminton rivals so at least there's SOME tension and bridge between the sports and romance? Hell, you don't have to have her date anyone at all, that's what Chika did. But, back to the fishtank thing, if you're going to show me a cool fishtank and then give me some hulking, lumbering, one giant eye Solomon Grundy-ass goldfish in a $5 plastic fishbowl, I mean... What did this plotline accomplish? It only makes Chinatsu look worse by adding a character who is clear and honest and forthcoming about her feelings. This show would be a lot better if the "Hina likes Taiki" plotline was never added. Did I like anything about this show? - It looks very nice. The artstyle is pleasant and there is some great lighting at times. - Hina's a cute, funny character. Admittedly, these are my biases showing through (for comparison, my favorite Rent-a-Girlfriend character is Ruka) but she carries the show for me. It's not awful but I also don't plan on coming back for S2 and it's kind of a disappointment considering how much I liked it at the beginning. It even ends on kind of a sour note, which only reinforces my decision. If you like your romance anime where Nice, Hardworking Guy meets Nice, Hardworking Girl and they Slowly Fall In Love, you will like this. If you are interested in the sports aspect... you probably won't like this. Kouji Miura, please let us see Chinatsu Ballin'
Dgd90
03/21/2025, 09:13 AM
MC is not very likeable, literally does not take a single meaningful action until the end. Paralyzed by decision the whole season, and an ultra passive wuss. He finally does something at least near the end but then the season ends on a garbage open ended note. Animation decent I enjoy the style. Plotlines just simmer and fail to develop. A lot of characters that are genuinely shallow and boring. The team manager she sucks lol, but at least they give her more character than like all the other side characters. I think you might like it but wait until season 2 comes out. Waitingfor this weekly pained me because very little happens in each episode
duckpoop
03/21/2025, 07:24 AM
I can only call this a nihilistic romance show. The author shows you a romantic situation that seems to be quite definitive, and then, she spends entire episodes arranging scenes suggesting that, even though the situation once looked hopeless, maybe... maybe, change is actually possible. That something new and beautiful will blossom. Then she shits on it. Nearly every episode has one or two rage-quit worthy scenes where you just want to abandon ship and jump into the ocean, yet those tiny embers of romantic intrigue prevent you from dropping it, keeping you curious about if the situation will change the next time. It doesn't - the showmethodically destroys hope. It's literally a textbook narcissistic relationship: small gestures of kindness that give you hope, which are then followed by a long duration of relentless abuse. Ao no Hako does not simply contain romantic bait and switch - it IS bait and switch. If I'm giving this a 4/10, 3 points of that are thanks to Hina. She exists independently from the author. There's a certain sadism in the production of this story. If you are the type willing to play the M to the author’s S, you'll love it. Otherwise, don’t bother. I certainly wouldn’t have if literally any other worthwhile romance existed right now.
ByLuckySM
03/21/2025, 01:26 AM
I just finished Blue Box, and I’ve got to get this off my chest. I love romance and school anime, but this one’s special, it grabbed me right away. The story feels so honest, the visuals are gorgeous, and the music fits every second perfectly. It’s real from the very first moment. No crazy drama or wild twists, just those quiet little things that make life what it is. It moves slow and easy, letting the characters’ relationships grow naturally. A quick smile, a bit of doubt, it’s all there, done so well you can’t help but feel it. Taiki and Hina’s inner thoughts are everything. You’reright inside their heads, hearing their fears and dreams. Taiki overthinking his flaws, Hina wondering about love, it hits you because it’s so true. The voices make it even better, every word feels heavy, like you’ve known them your whole life. The way they talk, or even just look at each other, is what makes it alive. Sometimes a pause or a glance says more than anything else. Those quiet moments carry so much, and the show trusts you to catch it. Every chat, every shy confession, every laugh, it’s real and messy, just like people are. The ending is beautiful, like a plane touching down nice and smooth. It doesn’t wrap up every little thing or go too big, it just lands right. Those last lines stick with you, leaving you full but still curious. For me, it was this calm, bittersweet feeling, exactly how it should end. The visuals and sound are killer too. The animation’s bright and sharp, with all those high school vibes pulling you in. Colors switch up, warm and happy one minute, soft and deep the next. The music’s perfect, tagging along to make every emotion bigger. It sucks you right in. Blue Box isn’t just an anime, it’s something you live through. It’s got heart and soul that set it apart from all the other romance and school stuff. It dragged me back to my own high school days, making me miss some things and rethink others. With a second season probably on the way, you’ve got to see it. If you want something that’ll get to you and stay with you, this is the one.
KohiChilly
03/20/2025, 04:54 PM
What do you think of when the word "youth" comes to mind? Do you think of spring and summer, the warm and bright seasons of the year? Or do you think about your own adolescence, whether that be a time in the past or as the time right now? Regardless of it may be, from childhood and teenage memories being positive or negative, to relationships made across years of school, and all the feelings experienced along the way, it's an undeniable part of adolescence as a time of discovery and adventure that in Japanese is known as "seishun" and is written as 青春 with thecharacters for blue and spring. No story embodies this better than Blue Box, a narrative about the vibrancy of youth that begins in the gym of Eimei High School at the turn of spring. That's where it all starts and that's what Blue Box means, the gym where youth lived and thrived. Blue Box is a coming-of-age romance sports story that depicts themes about the vibrancy of youth, ambition and determination along with angst in the things we deeply care for and the goals we set for ourselves, and a beautiful and somewhat bittersweet telling of life as the cast experience their own youth and all the joy, pain and change with each passing day. Even though the adaptation is mostly one to one with the manga, part of what makes an adaptation is how it brings a narrative to life and Blue Box on that front succeeds beyond expectation. From the beautifully drawn and almost shoujo-like art from the manga that's now brought to life through the anime, Blue Box is a grounded, mature and heartfelt narrative that acts as a reflection of adolescence but also a lesson towards the audience about the journey and complexities during the springtime of life. Taiki Inomata is introduced as a young and spirited man with a goal of reaching nationals. Whilst a fairly simple premise, many want to have the same kind of consistency and dedication that Taiki does for his passion towards badminton and determination in romance. Working towards your goals and aspirations is easier said than done after all, and Taiki is an admirable person in this feat in spite of his young age when the story begins. Having the motivation to not only keep going but improve at every step is difficult to maintain, and it's almost inspiring seeing Taiki improve his badminton from being average to being the best among the first-year players and continuing to go beyond that with his ethos, consistently growing and improving despite the challenges and setbacks ahead of him and being exactly what people should aspire to be. Though like any other teenager, he can be a mess when it comes to his emotions towards Chinatsu and that's perfectly normal for his age. Chinatsu is also like Taiki in the sense of sharing the same goal towards nationals and what makes Chinatsu captivating is her dynamic with Taiki, how the two are similar in their endeavors but also how they push each other forward in the process. It's because of Chinatsu that Taiki has a reason to strive to do his best and it's because of Taiki that Chinatsu continues to fight for the nationals. She's much more guarded compared to everyone else and that shows, yet she's carrying as much if not more ambition than Taiki but also far more weight on her shoulders since time is less on her side and she stayed in Japan for basketball given the nature and her own dedication towards it. She isn't any less compelling of a character and isn't boring or flat by any means, she's her own person with her own thoughts, feelings, and goals. She's less transparent and open about herself because that's the kind of person she is, people are complicated and you never truly know how people think or feel unless they tell you, and that's what Hina does. Hina is the lively and energetic girl among the three main protagonists. She's incredibly likeable and has this endearing relationship with Taiki at the start that has this balance of fun bickering and genuine trust for each other because that's the relationship they've had ever since they met all those years ago back in Junior High. While the events of the narrative lead to her becoming a love rival against Chinatsu, her relationship with Taiki changes and her feelings become increasingly transparent and direct and in a way, that's brave. Love is scary, blind and unpredictable and there's so many ways it can be perceived. Rejection is always a possibility and it hurts. There's reasons for that, it differs from situation to situation but it always and will never not hurt regardless of the case, yet Hina continues to press on because love is what drives her forward to pursue Taiki. It might be a little unhealthy or incredibly sweet depending on the person, but to not only have the courage to confess and continuously expressing your honest feelings is nothing short of incredible. That's how her relationship with Taiki changed, no one can blame Hina for how her feelings grew and changed and Taiki can't be blamed for how conflicted he became along with how he viewed the two girls. It's not an easy situation to be in even as ridiculous as it sounds because when it comes to love, relationships will change. It can be troublesome and a headache, but it can also become something more than that. Relationships are always tricky and difficult, that much is clear and obvious to everyone really. Relationships can change and grow for the better or turn sour and take a turn for the worse. Anything can happen in a relationship, and Blue Box has a clear emphasis on the delicacy and depth of this aspect of life. If relationships were to be described as an analogy, then it would be like a two-way street. It'd be ideal for both roads to be maintained and in good condition, but roads can deteriorate because of external factors or a lack of care and throughout the narrative of Blue Box, interpersonal relationships have been a focal point from the beginning yet none of these relationships have ever felt fake or unnatural. All of the interpersonal relationships and all of the characters carried this authentic, true feeling behind them as if they were real people. There's characters like Haryu that act as a mentor for Taiki, Karen who is Chinatsu's close friend, along with Kyo being the same for Taiki. This all culminates into a warm and colorful cast of characters that truly represent the color blue and that is one of the most important aspects in a narrative like Blue Box, one centered around maturity, realism and individual growth. As the narrative continues, there's always been this distinct feeling of liveliness and spiritless that emits from how these characters interact and how the soundtrack emphasizes that warm and bright emotion. It's a slow burn series, and time rewards as it builds gradually and slowly. Every episode is reminiscent of a day passing, seeing young people enjoying the time and the moment as life continues with this wide-ranging, vibrant soundtrack to accompany it. While the soundtrack is not the most pronounced or noticeable at times, it's an underappreciated aspect of the show. It has this beautiful range of melodies, as if it captures the essence of youth itself. It can be calming and soft, upbeat and comedically lighthearted, beautiful and emotional. Soundtracks like 恋色 or "Shade of Love", アオのハコ, and ありがとう or "Grateful" are some of the leading pieces and the work of composer Takashi Ohmama cannot be understated. It's a beautiful soundtrack, yet profoundly subtle like the fleeting time of youth. Granted, Blue Box is not perfect. Nothing is truly perfect, and imperfection has its own beauty and merits. Even so, there's very little that captures youth as well or as life-changing as Blue Box does. Let Blue Box be a reminder of time and youth, both past and present, time where one can learn and grow for the tomorrow that's ahead. That's how youth shapes lives as they move forward and head for the future, and that in itself shows just how invaluable and beautiful of of a time it is. Thank you for reading, and remember to live your best life.
FlowMAL
03/20/2025, 09:07 AM
Blue Box may not reinvent the romance genre, but it executes its ideas so well that it hardly matters. While the anime relies on familiar tropes, they're handled so naturally and genuinely that they feel fresh and enjoyable. The story isn't overly complex, but its simplicity is part of its charm, making it incredibly easy to love. At its core, Blue Box is a wholesome, well-crafted romance that understands its strengths and delivers them exceptionally well. The main defining aspect of Blue Box is that it blends romance with sports. Watching Taiki push himself to improve, not just for his own sake but because he wantsto stand alongside the person he admires, gives the story and its main goal more weight. That said, while sports play an essential role in shaping the characters' motivations, the story ultimately prioritizes romance. One of the standout aspects is the complete lack of fanservice, which is a refreshing choice for a high school romance anime. Many similar series rely on fanservice, particularly with high school characters, which can be off-putting for many. Blue Box, however, avoids cheap distractions and focuses on what actually matters: the characters and their relationships. As a result, every interaction feels so much more sincere. And, of course, I have to mention the soundtrack. OP 1 and ED 2, in particular, perfectly captured the emotion of the series and arcs for me. OP 1 ("Same Blue" by Official HIGE DANdism) always had me hyped for the episode. ED 2 ("Contrast" by TOMOO) paired an emotional song with beautiful visuals, hitting hard every time it started playing after a great episode. They're the kind of songs that stay with you even after the episode ends, making the story's moments just a little more impactful. If you're after something groundbreaking or genre-defining, Blue Box might not be the anime for you. But if you want a heartfelt romance with fantastic animation, a banger soundtrack and engaging drama, Blue Box is absolutely worth the watch. It's one of those rare anime that just feels right.
Marinate1016
03/20/2025, 09:05 AM
Blue box is one of the best recent jump projects. Not only is it a brilliant romance story, but it’s a great sports animanga too. It perfectly balances romantic development with the characters’ personal and athletic growth while never going too far in either direction. It’s such a fun and realistic watch. The characters behave like normal people, they communicate, they work through problems and most importantly, it shows young people at a critical juncture in their lives, trying to find their way in an increasingly complicated world. It also has the distinction of being one of the few shows with two genuine best girlswho I could not fault you for falling in love with. Both choices are well written, have their own advantages and depending on the week, you’ll find yourself going back and forth on who you like more. If you’re a fan of romance, sports or just want a somewhat realistic manga where the leads act like normal people, this is a no brainer. The show looks gorgeous and has an awesome cast. It’ll make you laugh, smile and cry, but it’s a great journey. What I love most about Blue Box is how it really strikes this great balance between showing Taiki chasing and achieving his athletic and personal goals. I have never seen an anime covering badminton before and my only exposure to the sport was through high school gym class. I found myself becoming very interested in the sport and I really like how the author breaks downs the rules, fundamentals and walks us through Taiki and the other characters’ approach to a match. Yea, you got that usual anime over dramatic inner monologue stuff, but for the most part it feels pretty realistic. Taiki doesn’t just instantly become the best badminton player around. He has raw talent, but it still needs refining and I found the way he bounced back from losses to be very motivating. All his wins feel earned because we see the hard work he puts in. I think with any sports anime, it’s very important to have the leads earn their way to the top, but also important to not drag things along too long. This author gets it and did a great job. On the Romantic front, this is exactly the sort of pace I like. Taiki likes Chinatsu from day 1, but it’s a combination of circumstances, his work ethic and his own courage that gradually brings them closer. I hate when characters get together too quickly so this sort of slow burn build up and the love triangle that develops just works for me. I am a sucker for tension and drama and this show has it in spades. Further to the love triangle point, I think this is one of the best ones I’ve seen. Like I said, you can’t go wrong with Hina or Chinatsu. One is the childhood friend who Taiki can be himself around and has always supported him, world class gymnast and one of the prettiest girls in town. The other is a future WNBA star, first to the gym last to leave, beauty and athleticism AND perhaps most importantly, someone who gives Taiki an ideal to strive towards. It’s one of those situations where no matter who wins, you’re gonna be sad for the loser and feel bad, but that’s how life goes. You don’t always get what you want and everyone can’t be happy. The show doesn’t rely on fan service or the overly cliche love triangle moments, instead it shows a teenage boy who has genuine reasons to like both girls go back and forth and really struggle internally to choose what’s best for him. It’s done in a very believable manner too. As someone who’s been in that position before, I really empathised with Taiki and I fully support his choice at the end. I am just really glad they showed how you can like two people at once for different sort of reasons and depending on the time/day, you can lean more in one direction or the other. Humans are selfish and we naturally want everything, it would be so easy to keep stringing people along because of the validation it gives you, but It wouldn’t be fair to others. Respect to Taiki for the way he owned the situation and handled things. The main trio are the big draw, but the side characters are great in this too. People like Kyo, Amane, Kengo etc., act as great mentors and guides for our leads, giving them encouragement and advice both as athletes and people. Often I find them saying the sort of things I would tell the leads if I were there next to them. It’s always good to have a voice of reason in the series and these characters help with that as well as being fun in their own right, especially Amane who came in the last few episodes and stole the show! Telecom were in their bag production wise. The show looks amazing. I have not read the manga, but from what I’ve seen, the art actually looks better than the manga designs. The animation is very fluid, backgrounds are so lush and detailed and voice acting is great! One of the best productions of the last year for sure. I could gush about this show all day. It was awful for my anxiety because I knew someone I cared about would end up getting hurt with a rejection at the end, but it’s just a testament to how well written the story is that I felt that attached to the characters. It’s one of the easiest and fastest 25 episode watches ever because of how well done each and every episode is. Do yourself a favour and watch it. Ao no Hako gets 10 out of 10.

Ao no Hako アオのハコ

2024 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.2 (92098)

Updated every Thursdays at 23:56 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Kitou, Akari

Chiba, Shouya

Ueda, Reina

News

Reviews

youngkratos
04/21/2025, 02:59 AM
Blue Box is one of those rare anime that nails both the sports and romance sides without overdoing either. It’s got just the right amount of slow-burn tension and everyday sports grind to keep you hooked. The story isn’t super crazy or anything, it’s a high school setup, you kinda know where it’s going, but it still hits really well. The art fits the vibe, nothing crazy either but just very clean and beautiful to look at. Characters feel real. Taiki’s not some overpowered main dude, just a hard-working, awkward guy you end up rooting for, without being that overly awkward stereotype that can turn offsome western viewers. Both girls in the love triangle are great, and honestly, sometimes it’s hard to even pick a side. All the supporting characters are great too, felt real and contributing in some way. And by the way, the English DUB was solid. Overall very happy and left me sort of chasing that feeling for something similar. iykyk. If anybody knows an anime that hits this same sports/romance balance, please drop it in the comments!
Tuls
04/15/2025, 08:46 PM
There haven’t been many sports-romance anime in recent times, so the genre alone gives Blue Box an edge, but it ends up being an unfortunate case of mismanaged potential. It’s less of an issue of maturity but rather an overreliance on cliches and, ultimately, a genuine lack of ingenuity. The sports aspect is better not talked about, as there hardly is any, and the little that we do get is usually over before you blink twice. It shows promise during the beginning, and in a sense, it’s a positive that the show sets itself up nicely with its character motivations, showing how admiration can sometimestranslate to love. However, the problem lies in portraying the progression of Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship, given they share the same home; it’s way too sluggish, taking more liberties than it should, making them incredibly dull to watch together. One could argue this is due to the first season being Hina’s arc, but that’s a disingenuous excuse for Chinatsu being virtually the same as when the show started. I’m willing to give Kouji Miura the benefit of the doubt, as this is technically her first long-running work, and because there are some moments where her writing does pick up compared to the general trope-ridden romance setups and unamusing humor. In particular, I have to praise how she handles Hina’s character; it’s almost entirely because of how daringly she is written, possessing more nuance than most of the cast. We don’t see many characters take actions like she does in this genre, and it’s the reason why the love triangle has a capricious feel to it, disorienting Taiki’s view of friendship and love, as he’s on the receiving end for once. This is also why the rest of the show is so disappointing, as Miura can definitely write interesting characters if she moves past genre platitudes. It’d be nice to see more sports being shown as well rather than just short-lived scenes, as right now, the behavior disparities post-matches outcomes seem shoddily written as we simply didn’t have enough time to digest them. This is Blue Box’s greatest weakness, having the correct idea but shaky execution more often than not. It’s a missed opportunity, given how easy it is to contrast motivations between sports and romance settings, which adds more character depth. On the production end, the show looks decent, but it’s more focused on picking pleasant shots than having well-flowing animation. Blue Box still has potential, but its fulfillment depends on whether the writing can evolve to demonstrate more creativity.
sailorkugisaki
04/05/2025, 03:44 AM
As a manga reader, I can proudly and happily claim that this season of Blue Box has done the manga justice. Blue Box is a sweet romance anime which has a very respectful and adorable male lead. Taiki is always mindful of how things could affect other people and he does not want to put them in a delicate situation. Which is why Taiki does not want to confess his feelings to Chinatsu, who is now living with him and his parents as both her dad and mom moved out. He does not want her to feel uncomfortable as they share the same house. Blue Boxis also a sports anime; Taiki and Chinatsu will both influence each other to get better at their respective sports. Seeing Chinatsu being passionate and putting a lot of efforts in basketball will only make him want to surpass himself. We can truly see how their conversations are positively impacting their efforts. Moreover, even if there is romance, Taiki will not be completely absorbed by his feelings. He also loves badminton and will always focus on that even when he feels flustered. The sport he practices is important to him and I really like that he does not let outside forces destabilize him and the efforts he puts in. If anything, it only pushes him to get better. Blue Box is a romance anime about teenagers discovering and navigating through their feelings. It can get bittersweet at times but it is always perfectly done and the viewer will understand that the choices the characters made were the best ones as they always try being respectful and mindful of the others around them. All in all, with a stunning animation, I think Blue Box is the perfect anime to watch during Spring, with a sweet male lead and sweeter feelings between all the characters.
Dlan0r
04/01/2025, 09:56 AM
Blue box review—— Before I start this review is for both the anime and manga. IT’S SPOILER-FREE. Overview:- It been really a couple of years since last I read an ongoing manga it feels so good to be back. So basically blue box is a wholesome romonace story in a slice of life tune, a lot of people would say it’s a romcom but to me it just didn’t feel romcom a bit, like I said it’s more of slice of life, long running slice of life coupled with excellent romance and sometimes great sport scenes. Story:- There isn’t much to say about the story it’s not super unique ororiginal yet it hits hard. A love triangle story, which is something I don’t like because there is always in this type of story unnecessary and annoying drama. The love traingle characters are so good I don’t ever remember a story like this where I liked all of three characters(tho I’m absloutly from chi’s team). it felt much more realistic and grounded but in a good way except for sometimes which is fine and acutally fun, it’s a japanese media afterall. Characters:- Ah in this series characters are just so good, mature, and real. I love how they are just likeus, young naive people struggling and just living their lives without the usual nonsense drama. The best thing about characters in this series is acutally the relationships between them, they are treated in natural way, and mature it reminded me of days with the boys during secondory school which got me off guard, I really like this aspect about story and it just gets better as the series goes on, at first a I though it’s modern short series but turnded out it’s a long-running series and it fits it so well. The MC at the beginning looked like your average anime trope but he acutally changes, changes A LOT and through time he just become a favourite of mine he’s so good and the same goes for most characters I don’t even remmeber there is a chacarter I hate or annoyed me. Plot and pacing:- The plot and pacing are well-balanced, there is not much to say about plot and that what makes it great, a lot of people would say it’s about taiki and chi’s relationship which is right but it felt much more than this like a story of real people not fictional characters, and the same as plot goes for pacing that why I combined them in one pharagraph, it didn’t feel so fast nor too slow and sometimes it repeats itself, like summer festival, etc.. because it’s goes for about two years in story timeline(so far). Artstyle:- I’m very particular about artstyle, rarely I find something acceptable, let alone something of blue lock’s caliber it’s not just good it’s a FUCKING MASTERPIECE, characters are well drawn, manga panels are great, covers and illustrations are just peak I really like them. I don’t know if it’s just me but the artsyle reminds me of gosho aoyama’s, probably because of the weird long nosses, but blue box’s felt like in a more modern tune. Anime production, sound, and music:- Blue box manga was in my backlog for quite awhile and before knowing I found the anime announcement, I was really looking forward for it, and when I watched it surpraised me even though it looked great in the trailers but they did an excellent adaption. Voice acting is so good every character just have the right seiyuu, it boosted the experience greatly. Music I guess is average expect for openings, they are great but for some reason when I hear it always gives me a pain in my stomach. Sport I guess? I really didn’t give it that much of attention, I’m an old basketball fan but I guess I can’t watch it anymore. and for badominton, I never saw or played this sport until l watched blue box. Later as story progresses the story the sport elements serves the story well which I like because I didn’t really expected anything from it. Message and concept:- Is hardworking really worth it? What it feels to be gifted? Loneliness, how to manage your relationships, youth and etc… I know it sound cliché but it’s much better than what you think and the best thing they are not only just about taiki and chinatsu, these ideas are done across multiple characters and when it’s coming from such a young mangaka such as her it feels more relatable. conclusion:- I never cared about writing reviews, but when I read the manga this idea just struck me, I wanted to do it to show my admiration and respect of series and the mangaka, like in story taiki likes’s chinatsu because he admires her. In the end blue box isn’t flawless, most causal fans and people who know their way around japanese media will certanly like it, it’s a simple yet well-made story. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
TH_Boston
03/31/2025, 02:21 PM
Honestly, I really love the first like 1-10 episodes of this anime, the romance is very good, very sweet, the pacing is perfect, but I have a feeling that if this anime is really 24 episodes, and if it keeps the pacing at this speed, it might get boring and repetitive, which unfortunately, it turn out to be it, around like episode 10 to the end, it's repetitive, the pacing turns out to be too slow, in a span of 1 episode, almost nothing happen (if something happens, it's the same thing you get like 10 times already) The main problem of all the boringness ofthis anime is because the genre, the "sport anime" genre. I think the "sport" genre from anime is kinda bad, anime is meant to be for kids (yeah, I know that anime has some really wild story or blablabla, but in the big picture, it's still for kids or teenagers) so, the main idea of sport anime is like 'MC can't win this competitor, they need to stronger than that, and they trained, and win that competitor' and repeat that. That's why this anime is repetitive, I think the studio doesn't even care about the sports plot, I think they like the romance plot more (which me too), so, they don't put an effort to the sport plot, yeah, the animation is very good, but the story is just need a lot more effort. The main cast of this anime (Taiki and Chii) relationship is too slow. The first half of this anime develops the relationship at a perfect speed, but at that one point, the relationship just stops, and the other "main" character, Hina, is getting to the main story. To be honest, Hina's part is not as good as Chii's part. Chii's part is perfect if we don't count the stopped part, but Hina's part is weird; it feels like it was just randomly put in to make it harem for some reason. Sorry for my terrible English, but I use Grammarly to help me, so this is my best effort Thank you.
duskwoven
03/27/2025, 11:27 PM
Blue Box made me expect a cute and refreshing mix of sports and romance, but honestly, I feel like it didn’t fully deliver. Visually, the anime has that soft, almost watercolor-like aesthetic that fits the gentle and slow-burn nature of the story. The character designs are clean and expressive, and I do appreciate how much body language is used to convey emotions, small glances, hesitation, and little moments of closeness that feel natural. But when it comes to the sports aspect, I found the animation lacking energy. The matches looked nice, but they didn’t have that oomph or intensity that would make me feel invested.It’s like they were just there to set the scene rather than being a core part of the story. As for the romance, this is where I really started feeling the cracks. The story follows Taiki, a hardworking but not particularly exceptional badminton player, and Chinatsu, the cool and talented basketball ace he admires. I do like that Taiki isn’t just chasing Chinatsu, but also self-improvement, but at the same time, their dynamic felt underwhelming? The slow burn is nice in theory, but I kept waiting for some actual chemistry to spark between them, and it just never really hit the way I wanted it to. Chinatsu, while likable, sometimes felt too distant, and their interactions didn’t give me enough to root for them as a couple. The side characters had some good moments, but even they weren’t enough to make the romance feel more engaging. By the end, I wasn’t really dissatisfied, but I wasn’t fully satisfied either. The romance is barely there, the sports aspect is just okay, and while the story has some nice emotional beats, it feels like it’s missing something to truly make it stand out. Blue Box is subtle, and I get that’s its charm, but for me, it leaned too much into being too quiet and slow, making the romance and sports elements both feel a little hollow. TL;DR: Blue Box has a soft, slow-burn atmosphere with nice character growth, but it struggles to balance its sports and romance elements. The chemistry between Taiki and Chinatsu feels weak, and the sports scenes lack energy, making it a show that requires a lot of patience. It’s decent, but it never quite reaches its full potential. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day!
VinMur92
03/27/2025, 11:34 AM
I don't understand the beauty of it. Blue Box is a romantic/sports anime that deals with the adventures of Taiki, a boy who is part of the school's Badminton team and who falls in love with the Basketball player Chinatsu. The plot is that the latter finds herself living in our protagonist's house. Nothing else... One of the best aspects of the anime is undoubtedly the quality of the animations, which are fluid and well-finished in detail, making both the romantic and sports scenes enjoyable. The musical section is also well done, with a soundtrack that accompanies the emotions of the story without particularly standing out. Anotherpoint in its favor is the realism with which the sports environment is represented, avoiding exaggerations and maintaining a credible tone. However, the plot does not shine for originality and follows patterns already seen in many other works of the genre, without particular twists. The characters are also not very interesting and fail to leave a real impact. Furthermore, the pace of the narration is quite slow, especially in the central episodes, so much so that it makes you want to watch them at increased speed. Ok, it's a slice of life, but in many episodes almost nothing happens. Ultimately, Blue Box can be appreciated by lovers of light romantic stories, however, I wouldn't consider it a must-watch and I don't understand the hype that has pervaded it since before its release, probably the manga is better. Rating: 6.5, thanks to the technical quality, but if I were to base it only on the story, it would be a 4.
Tharr
03/23/2025, 02:19 PM
*sigh* It finally ended. The last episodes were a total bore. What started like an interesting piece, slowly became something else. I don't why, but for the last months we got nothing but sh***y romances. Class daikirai, marriage, office, the ones with the travel agency.... They look so good on paper and then you watch it and you find out its not. Yes, I know its hard to get a new "the dangers in my heart", but c'mon! We don't need the same level (yes we do! shhhh), but at least try... *sigh* Anyway. From the start: the visuals are great. The designs, color palette, animationflow etc. All great. The audio: also good (more than decent). At times, the levels might've been a lil bit under, but generally the soundtrack was mostly ok. The VAs were good. The OP and ED were fine I guess. I don't really remember them. Mostly so for the 2nd half, but thats because of the story, I'd say. The production value seems high, the mixing was decent, the directing was good. The pacing is kinda all over the place (most of the times, seems to drag on for no legit reason), or maybe I'm wrong because I was annoyed. Yes, I am ff-ing all of this because those are not the issue. The story is meh. I can see what they were trying to do and I have nothing against it. But the plot is terrible. I don't know the sauce, I don't care about the sauce, but I will assume the sauce is the problem. Thats because the story has a feeling to it that goes from start to end, it doesn't feel like the studio went "You know what? Lets fk this up!". I also know that sometimes it is hard to adapt something thats written on paper, with no voice (other than those in your head) and you must give them life. Because what happens in one page doesn't need more than 5 seconds of visuals. And vice versa, sometimes "he is terrified for x" needs 2 minutes of visuals to make us realize as to why "he" is terrified. As I said, I get that, but I still think the author is the problem here. I don't know if he wanted to go this way, or maybe he never got an input for the anime's script (although most author have that when the OK is given), but the result remains the same. So. Highschool, all sports, romance, blah blah, all of that. They needed a place where all the "main" people could meet and interact, i get it. Then you bring in variables. Also good. And then you go for changing the main protagonists. Wait, what? Well, true, it never was about those two only, but thats what we were left to believe, by way of story construction. Thats why the second half of this anime is sht. More or less, dunno where it started and I won't rewatch. You wanna make it a triangle? Insert the 2nd girl first. Make it so that she's asking him out or something. That way people will feel for her. But no, we got something meh. We get to know him and the 1st girl. Good, now we can get giddy, expecting stuff, waiting to see how their relationship will evolve, how they will develop as characters. Because thats why we're here. At least I hope its "we", all of us, yes? And so we get what it looks like the start of something, then the "2nd half" (again, dunno exactly when) makes it all about focusing on the 2nd girl. Her feelings, her story, her anything. The first girl is not out, but you can feel the shift. "Bro, she has layers, see?" I don't care about her layers! Fk her layers! You gave us a ship, then you try to give us something new. No, ty! Or are you trying going for something NTR? Then add that tag, pls. I know drama is needed to make for a better story, but thats when is done correctly. Yes, I felt for her in the last episodes, but that was because of the visuals and VA acting, not because I was sad for her and I hoped she'll succeed :))) Also quickly, beside good old fashioned drama, we also get small misunderstandings, not having discussions like two normal human beings in a modern society. Especially from him. Some strong inner thoughts without a real reason behind those. Afraid and assuming. But I guess (or hope) thats intentional, made so by the author, to resemble a teen (a dumb one) and to help develop his character in the next season(s). Cheap tricks. Next, character development. Well, not really. We DO have some attempts, some monologues, but I think those have the opposite effect. "I know it is bad, but I'm gonna take advantage of our friendship and do it anyway" is good for character development but that also tells us that she is a sht person :)) And yes, I am talking mostly about her because frankly I don't remember much about the others. I do remember that most of the first episodes were about him and the 1st girl looking to eachother and giving short answers for the entirety of the scene, while some monologues run in the background. But I don't remember if he has a character development. Sorry, thats on me. In my defence, I forgot most of the show when the "2nd half" started and the story's quality dropped. I got sick and tired of seeing Hina's face all the time. So, an excellent artistic representation of a meh story. With cheap tricks for drama and misunderstandings. No return value. I mean, no matter how good the visuals are, trying to rewatching up to a point and then skip half a season, until the last 1-2 episodes seems redundant, don't you think? If it gets a second season I will keep watching, because now the story should get good. Plus, new pairs might become interesting to watch. At least I'm hoping "they" will become one :)) I'm giving it a 6 and mixed feelings. Like I said, no matter how nice it looks or sounds, if you make me skip half of season, because its boring or cringe, thats a no-no. But I'm sure lots of people will give it a high score and recommend it, so we'll get a new season, surely. Have a lovely evening!
JuSanyk
03/23/2025, 01:45 PM
First this season doesn't have a proper ending, so if you want to start watching it just now, I don't recommend it, it is not worth it. Otherwise it was all right, nothing special. 24 okay episodes with a 24th episode that could have been an end for season one, and then there was a filler 25th one where literally nothing happened. I am not gonna say it was bad, because I watched all episodes and kinda enjoyed it, and this is already something. My biggest complaint is honestly the ending. Based on the rhytm of this anime the end was right there in the25th and I don't see what on earth can be in this story and characters that deserves a whole second season. If the ending would have been there and we can get a second season with a fresh couple (which can be just as exciting although it is rarely a theme in romantic stuff) that's a different story, but this isn't the case here. TLDR.: Not recommended, wait for the second season and maybe then. We will see.
MarlsMarsBars
03/21/2025, 10:29 PM
The hotly anticipated sports romance anime, Blue Box, finally wrapped up its first season, and I’m… a bit conflicted, but not in a way you might think. Now I’m just gonna rip the band-aid off immediately, I like this anime and I’d recommend this to anyone if you’re in need of some non-action anime to watch. That said, I’m not really on the same hype train that everyone else is with this series. Before I get into my issues with this series, let’s get into the positives first. Blue Box is one of the few romance anime that I’ve seen with a love triangle that Iactually think works. In this anime, the love triangle is utilized to really highlight and drive home the emotional discrepancies between the three main characters: Taiki Inomata, Chinatsu Kano, and Hina Chouno. I like how Taiki is at the center of the triangle since he spends the most time with both Chinatsu and Hina. Instead of playing the safe route like other romance storylines with this particular trope, the anime actually has the childhood friends interact with one another, which in this case, further builds the dynamic between Taiki and Hina. If the story ever wanted to hit us hard emotionally with what happens later on, it wouldn’t have been as emotionally impactful if the childhood friends barely had scenes together, or verbally and lazily drilling into us the idea that Taiki and Hina have known each other for a very long time. There is also a good balance in screen time given between Taiki’s scenes with Chinatsu and Hina separately, however, I will later get into the dynamic between Inomata and Kano. I also liked the sports side of this series. Each main character is part of a different sports team in their high school, which I like because that not only sets the characters apart in that aspect, but also gives us different subplots to follow. Taiki excelling to be the best first year in the badminton team is a good motivational narrative set piece for his character to grow and eventually reach the same level of that his crush, Chinatsu, is at with basketball. While I might not be the biggest fan of sports stories in entertainment - even to the extent of a preference of watching actual sports over shows like this - I found quite a few of these subplots to be intense and something to come back every week for. I found myself invested in Inomata’s growth as a badminton player. That said, I found both Chinatsu and Hina’s perspectives on their own sporting adventures to be slightly lacking. We barely get a real deep dive into what these two characters do outside of surface level exposition; early on in the first half of the season, we are constantly reminded that both Kano and Chouno are top prodigies in basketball and rhythmic gymnastics respectively. However, outside of maybe one or two scenes where Chinatsu plays a basketball game, the show barely fleshes out their own individual growth as athletes to the same extent that Inomata receives. That said, whenever the show fully locks in to focusing on a sports tournament, or a character overcoming an athletic block that is stopping them from reaching the next level in their development, it’s handled really well. Blue Box works really well as a sports drama, and in my opinion, this is mainly the more consistent aspect of the writing, even if it’s far from perfect. While Blue Box might excel as a sports drama, this series is also a romance anime, and this is where my issues with this series begin. First off, I already explained the positives in the love triangle and how it doesn’t fall as flat as other anime that utilize this trope. However, the main couple of this series, Taiki Inomata and Chinatsu Kano, honestly don’t feel like a couple, at least for now. The reason why I say this is because their relationship doesn’t really give me any romantic vibes outside of Taiki having an insane crush on Chinatsu. These two characters initially meet when they run into each other all the time in early morning practice in their school gym, and Chinatsu eventually moves into Taiki’s place as a roommate. Inomata and Kano obviously share quite a few scenes together, however the romantic development between these two feels so stagnant in this season. The furthest their scenes take these two are either a cute moment where they root for each other in their respective sports teams, or Taiki constantly reminding viewers that he has a crush on Kano. Very rarely do we get scenes between these two characters that actually progresses their feelings towards one another. There are even moments where the show subtly gaslights us into believing that there was so much emotional development between the main couple, when there really wasn’t. During the second half of this season, Chinatsu very subtly admits that she is starting to develop feelings for Taiki, but I don’t really buy that because the majority of the second cour has her separated from Inomata due to her not staying at Taiki’s house for an extended period of time. Sure, they still see each other in school, but they are in different grades and in different sports clubs, so it’s not like they spend as much or even more time together to make that confession airtight. For most of the entire season, Chinatsu is primarily distant, and even at times cold, to Taiki. Sure, they hang out and live in the same house, but they honestly don’t even have a dynamic that in any way resembles what I would consider to be romantic. I’m not asking for these two to be lovey-dovey right away, but for a season that contains twenty-four episodes, I would’ve at least expected significant strides in the romance between the actual main couple that this series revolves around. Now, I don’t want to make it seem like this anime is a failure or anything. I still find Blue Box to be very entertaining, and I have no doubt that later seasons (if that actually happens) will inevitably develop the dynamic between Taiki and Chinatsu more. While that aspect is a drawback for me, it unfortunately is a massive drawback at least for this season since the entire plot revolves around the relationship between these two main characters. But again, there are plenty of things I liked about Blue Box. The animation is very crisp, the direction definitely puts Blue Box atop of other romance anime, and like I said, I find this series so far to be a pretty good sports drama. Even as a drama, I like some aspects about the narratives in this show, like the inclusion of Ayame Moriya. Sure, I find this character to be really annoying, but I like the role she serves in the story; a loose cannon whose naive views on relationships ultimately pushes Hina to fully pursue Taiki. All of this obviously leads to the emotional climax of the entire season, and the last set of episodes that lead up to the big moment, along with the penultimate episode of this season, also contain some great drama between the characters that actually has me excited for more. Hopefully, this does get a second season because I want to see actual story development in future installments in this series since this season has definitely left just a little bit to be desired. If Blue Box can finally lock in and actually progress Inomata and Kano’s relationship, then this series would be great all around. Hopefully that becomes true with more seasons.
Andrewapps
03/21/2025, 12:37 PM
Story: 5 Characters: 7 Animation: 8.5 Sound: 9 Enjoyment: 7 Overall: 7.3/10 Notes: It's crazy to say, but honestly... the worst parts of "Blue Box" are its main pairing, and the sports sub-plot. It's crazy, because one of Chinatsu and Taiki are almost always on screen, and the whole show uses the sports theme as a crutch to support itself/the romance. But genuinely, I feel that those two things are what is holding "Blue Box" back. Only one of the sports (badminton, basketball, or rhythmic gymnastics) should have been the focus (and I mean actually focused upon, not simply as part of the setting), and Hina, Kyou, Ayame and Kengo should havebeen the main characters. Chinatsu and the entire basketball team can be hard demoted to the background, and Taiki would be demoted to supporting cast, as Kyou's and Kengo's teammate. I genuinely think the show would have benefited greatly from such alterations, as the supporting cast really shines in "Blue Box", making Chinatsu and Taiki rough to watch as they bumble around "aimlessly" for 25 episodes. But if we aren't going to hard change anything about the show, then it needs more badminton, or hell ANY basketball, I'll even take some rhythmic gymnastics over, well... NOTHING. And obviously, the show desperately needs to develop Chinatsu and Taiki as characters, because frankly at this point Hina deserves better, making Taiki look bad for rejecting her and Chinatsu look bad for being Taiki's target of affection. Taiki is bland, and Chinatsu... Chinatsu is beyond bland. I will say, though... "Blue Box" is cute, sweet, and easy to digest, with some surprisingly real moments coming from the supporting cast + Hina. Even Taiki has a relatable moment or two, somehow, and it is moments like those that kept me invested in the show, even during its lulls. Frankly... at this stage, "Blue Box" is hard carried by the studio's great animation/decent directing, solid OPs/EDs, and superb VA casting. Without a high quality studio at the helm, this show is a 6/10, probably worse. To close things off: It's vanilla, it's slow-paced, the sports element hardly exists, the main pairing sucks, huge payout moments come up and then are backpedaled upon with 0 end result... but I still liked it, surprisingly. Not loved, but liked. If a S2 comes, I'll take it. If not... I won't lose any sleep over it.
kaori_miyama
03/21/2025, 11:22 AM
"Blue Box" was one of the most anticipated romance anime of 2024. With its Shonen Jump background and an already established fanbase, many expected it to be a unique mix of sports and romance. However, instead of being a balanced cocktail of both genres, the anime leans heavily on the romance aspect, with sports serving as more of a background theme. Despite this, Blue Box stands out due to its mature storytelling, well-developed characters, and an engaging love triangle that keeps viewers emotionally invested. The story follows Taiki Inomata, a hardworking and ambitious member of the badminton club who dreams of becoming an athlete onthe national level. However, unlike other sports anime protagonists who are already talented prodigies, Taiki is far from his goal. He is still struggling, still growing, and his journey is one of perseverance rather than natural genius The love triangle is the heart of the anime’s first season. Unlike typical romance anime where misunderstandings and indecisiveness drag things out, Blue Box takes a more realistic and mature approach. Taiki isn’t an oblivious protagonist—he knows who he loves and when the time comes, he clearly communicates his feelings, ultimately turning down one of the two girls in Episode 24. This resolution marks a shift in the story, leading many manga readers to joke that the “real Blue Box” starts now, as the focus on sports is expected to increase from this point forward. One of the strongest aspects of Blue Box is its character writing. The main trio of Taiki, Chinatsu, and Hina all feel like real people rather than typical anime archetypes. Taiki’s determination and hard work make him a compelling protagonist, especially since he isn’t overpowered or naturally gifted like many other anime protagonists. Chinatsu and Hina each have their own goals, struggles, and personal growth, making them feel independent rather than just existing for the sake of romance. Even the side characters are well-written and contribute meaningfully to the story. While the anime has some typical anime quirks, it remains more grounded and mature than most other romance anime, making it stand out in the genre. For those expecting a sports-focused anime, Blue Box might be a bit disappointing. While sports play a role in the story, they mainly serve as a backdrop for the characters’ emotional struggles and personal growth. The first season primarily focuses on the love triangle arc, so the sports aspect is not the main attraction. However, with the love triangle resolved, as a fan, I am hopeful that future seasons will bring more emphasis on the competitive side of badminton and other sports. Blue Box is a refreshing take on romance anime, blending sports themes with a mature and emotionally engaging love story. The well-developed characters, realistic romance, and satisfying character growth make it stand out in the genre. While it may not fully satisfy those looking for a true sports-romance hybrid, it offers a strong and compelling romance story that goes beyond the usual tropes. Pros: ✔ Well-written characters with meaningful development ✔ Mature and realistic love triangle resolution ✔ Strong emotional depth in relationships ✔ Great mix of romance and sports elements (even if romance is dominant) Cons: ✖ Sports aspect is more of a background theme than a main focus ✖ Some viewers might find the pacing slow 8/10 A must-watch for romance fans, but sports fans might need to wait for future seasons to see if it expands into a true sports-drama mix.
jmhj
03/21/2025, 10:09 AM
Blue Box isn’t breaking new ground—it’s a straightforward romance with a dash of sports thrown into the mix. But does its familiar setup make it any less impressive? Not in the slightest. This take on Kouji Miura’s well-loved Shounen Jump manga nails plenty of what made the original work shine. Romance adaptations often fall flat when compared to their origin, but Blue Box stands out as an exception. The animation pops with sharp, stunning visuals that bring every feeling and movement to life with real care and depth. Yuki Hayashi, as expected, delivers a knockout soundtrack that tugs at the heartstrings. The characters here feel genuine andrelatable, each one pulling their weight without any pointless padding. Main characters can sometimes drag a show like this down, but Taiki bucks that trend with solid growth that keeps you rooting for him. The anime sticks close to the manga’s big moments, handling them with smart direction that doesn’t miss a beat. On top of that, we’re treated to a generous 25 episodes of this high-quality production—a feast! Whether you’re a fan of the manga or coming in fresh, this is a romance I’d easily suggest to anyone. Can’t wait for season two! Plot: 7.5 Characters: 9 Animation: 9 Soundtrack: 9 Enjoyment: 9
Supersonic_Pain
03/21/2025, 09:51 AM
--- note: I consider this review to be incomplete without mentioning a certain plot point around Episode 14. I guess spoilers abound but I mean, I couldn't talk about one of the big 3 members of the cast without mentioning it --- A pretty paint-by-numbers shounen romance with a little sports (and I do mean A LITTLE) thrown in So, I watch the table of contents for Weekly Shounen Jump, right Analyze what's on the chopping block, new series to keep an eye on, etc. For a while, there hasn't been a big sports hit (despite manga I was quite fond of like Martial Master Asumi and Green GreenGreens) and one of the reasons that I've heard is that Blue Box might be the "sports" niche. I kind of accepted that when I wasn't reading it but watching the anime, if that's true, wow, it sure is a suck-ass niche. Watching Blue Box for the sports is like watching Bleach for the romance (no offense to Bleach). It's barely even there, more of a backdrop for the romance. You can tell the level of priority each character in the main triangle (more on that in a second) is given by how much attention their sport is given. Hina's rhythmic gymnastics might as well not even exist. Chinatsu's basketball is given a little more attention but that's just because there's one character who isn't Chinatsu that you can name from the basketball team. Taiki's badminton is easily given the most focus of the 3 but it's still a very, very mediocre adaptation of badminton. It never really connects to the romance side either. Like, Hina tweaks her ankle and Taiki carries her once. It technically sets the whole thing in motion because Taiki and Chinatsu are On That Grind together and see each other at practice. But you could easily rewrite this to not be about sports at all and make it about the drama club or the student council or professional Super Smash Bros. Why they didn't use this as an opportunity to introduce love rivals is beyond me. It'd be one thing if they didn't introduce love rivals at all, but they do and they just do not use the sports to their advantage. They kind of tease it with Haryu for about 0.2 seconds and they technically introduce some basketball guy for Chinatsu but they are absolutely 0 threat and are swiftly resolved. Idk if the editor is making the mangaka add all these rivals before wimping out but whoever is doing this, stop it. There's no real excitement to any of the games either. The badminton is really the only one that gets any extra amount of focus, there's like one basketball game and it's interlaced with whatever Taiki and Hina are doing at the time. But I never really got that impression compared to something like Eyeshield 21 or Blue Lock (which, granted, are both team sports, compared to badminton) that there was a lot of thought going on during the games, there's certainly a lot less animation compared to something like Blue Lock S1. They just kinda hit the shuttlecock around until someone wins and yeah, that sure is badminton, but you could try and make it a little more exciting. The stakes also don't feel as high because it has to share the spotlight with the romance. Going back to Blue Lock, if you lose, your dream's over. You might as well quit playing soccer if you are kicked out of Blue Lock. With Blue BOX, it doesn't really feel that urgent if Chinatsu blows out both her knees and has to retire because Taiki and Chinatsu can just have a happy life as salaryman and housewife or whatever. If the sports aren't good, how's the romance? Fwiw, the first few episodes, it was kind of nice. I was a few episodes behind (I think I was on Episode 8 by the end of 2024) but when I was making my anime of 2024 tier list, I gave Blue Box a prospective 9. I kind of liked it. And then, for some unknown reason, they go out of their way to make Hina a rival. It's like being handed an empty fishbowl and they're like "oh, but we'll fill it with cool rocks and nice water and some pretty fish" and like yeah, that's cool. We can work with that. And then they just drag you over to Xzibit's house and you're like "Bro, I don't even know who this guy is" and he's got some pimpin' fishtank, going basically from the floor to the ceiling, and there's some really awesome fish, maybe even some exotic fish, there's Bluetooth speakers playing Kendrick Lamar, tons of bass, and you're taken home and they're just like "oh yeah, we're gonna go to PetSmart tomorrow and get you a goldfish." Like why did you take me over to his house and show me this cool-ass fishtank only to slap us back to the fishbowl? To be less abstract, let's talk a bit about the characters. First, the MC, Taiki. He... he sure is. If you put in your average harem MC and added a dusting of sports anime MC, that's basically what you get. He's not perverted or anything, he's just kind of bland. Nothing wrong with some Raisin Bran but you basically get what you get with these MCs. Next, the love interest, Chinatsu. Someone in one of these topics during the show's run brought up Kana/Akane from Oshi no Ko and... yeah. I don't think Hina is as much of an asshole as Kana is (as much as I like Kana), Chinatsu is just Akane if Akane went to therapy. Actually, seeing Chinatsu makes me appreciate Akane more because the whole fishtank thing could easily be Kana vs. Akane too but at least Akane has something going on. Chinatsu is the ~mature~, ~~responsible~~, ~~~a little goofy~~~ (you know that meme where it's a woman in a grocery store with a bag on her head and she's throwing up double peace signs and they're like "she's so crazzzzzzzzzzzzzy, love her!"? That, basically.) one. I'm not going to say she's got no personality and apparently she develops in future seasons (which, I mean, I sure hope so) but the only thing they've done in 25 episodes is make me like her less. (also, she throws a spider without looking out of a second-story window and that's a red flag) She has to "grow" her love in a flowerpot (this time, the analogy is not mine, this is the show) and, like, great, but it also means you're watching a slow, paint-by-numbers, vanilla romance. That kind of shounen romance that ends with the confession and maybe holding hands. I did say it was a TRIANGLE though. They did not have to do Hina like this. So, when they introduce Hina, she's a bratty little gremlin and that is FINE. That is what she could have stayed as. Going back to Aka Akasaka's works, one of the best parts of Kaguya-sama is Chika Fujiwara. She's a girl. But she is just a force of nature, never getting involved in Kaguya and Miyuki's relationship. It allows people who like her to just like her. No waifu wars, no nothing, Chika is Chika is Chika. It allows Kaguya and Miyuki to develop without the threat of "yeah, but I like that person better" because both Chika and the other main character Yu Ishigami have no interest in Kaguya/Miyuki. And if they just stayed that path with Hina, she'd be a great character. She IS a great character... but then they make an unforced error and put her directly in the Taiki/Chinatsu path. And, like, she's only a little more of a threat than Haryu or Basketball Guy. I didn't want Hina/Taiki, there are so many characters she could have been with. Why didn't you put her with Kyo (oh, yeah, they're kind of teasing Kyo with this other girl, I don't like her, Kyo deserves better)? Why didn't you do what I said above and have her date one of Taiki's badminton rivals so at least there's SOME tension and bridge between the sports and romance? Hell, you don't have to have her date anyone at all, that's what Chika did. But, back to the fishtank thing, if you're going to show me a cool fishtank and then give me some hulking, lumbering, one giant eye Solomon Grundy-ass goldfish in a $5 plastic fishbowl, I mean... What did this plotline accomplish? It only makes Chinatsu look worse by adding a character who is clear and honest and forthcoming about her feelings. This show would be a lot better if the "Hina likes Taiki" plotline was never added. Did I like anything about this show? - It looks very nice. The artstyle is pleasant and there is some great lighting at times. - Hina's a cute, funny character. Admittedly, these are my biases showing through (for comparison, my favorite Rent-a-Girlfriend character is Ruka) but she carries the show for me. It's not awful but I also don't plan on coming back for S2 and it's kind of a disappointment considering how much I liked it at the beginning. It even ends on kind of a sour note, which only reinforces my decision. If you like your romance anime where Nice, Hardworking Guy meets Nice, Hardworking Girl and they Slowly Fall In Love, you will like this. If you are interested in the sports aspect... you probably won't like this. Kouji Miura, please let us see Chinatsu Ballin'
Dgd90
03/21/2025, 09:13 AM
MC is not very likeable, literally does not take a single meaningful action until the end. Paralyzed by decision the whole season, and an ultra passive wuss. He finally does something at least near the end but then the season ends on a garbage open ended note. Animation decent I enjoy the style. Plotlines just simmer and fail to develop. A lot of characters that are genuinely shallow and boring. The team manager she sucks lol, but at least they give her more character than like all the other side characters. I think you might like it but wait until season 2 comes out. Waitingfor this weekly pained me because very little happens in each episode
duckpoop
03/21/2025, 07:24 AM
I can only call this a nihilistic romance show. The author shows you a romantic situation that seems to be quite definitive, and then, she spends entire episodes arranging scenes suggesting that, even though the situation once looked hopeless, maybe... maybe, change is actually possible. That something new and beautiful will blossom. Then she shits on it. Nearly every episode has one or two rage-quit worthy scenes where you just want to abandon ship and jump into the ocean, yet those tiny embers of romantic intrigue prevent you from dropping it, keeping you curious about if the situation will change the next time. It doesn't - the showmethodically destroys hope. It's literally a textbook narcissistic relationship: small gestures of kindness that give you hope, which are then followed by a long duration of relentless abuse. Ao no Hako does not simply contain romantic bait and switch - it IS bait and switch. If I'm giving this a 4/10, 3 points of that are thanks to Hina. She exists independently from the author. There's a certain sadism in the production of this story. If you are the type willing to play the M to the author’s S, you'll love it. Otherwise, don’t bother. I certainly wouldn’t have if literally any other worthwhile romance existed right now.
ByLuckySM
03/21/2025, 01:26 AM
I just finished Blue Box, and I’ve got to get this off my chest. I love romance and school anime, but this one’s special, it grabbed me right away. The story feels so honest, the visuals are gorgeous, and the music fits every second perfectly. It’s real from the very first moment. No crazy drama or wild twists, just those quiet little things that make life what it is. It moves slow and easy, letting the characters’ relationships grow naturally. A quick smile, a bit of doubt, it’s all there, done so well you can’t help but feel it. Taiki and Hina’s inner thoughts are everything. You’reright inside their heads, hearing their fears and dreams. Taiki overthinking his flaws, Hina wondering about love, it hits you because it’s so true. The voices make it even better, every word feels heavy, like you’ve known them your whole life. The way they talk, or even just look at each other, is what makes it alive. Sometimes a pause or a glance says more than anything else. Those quiet moments carry so much, and the show trusts you to catch it. Every chat, every shy confession, every laugh, it’s real and messy, just like people are. The ending is beautiful, like a plane touching down nice and smooth. It doesn’t wrap up every little thing or go too big, it just lands right. Those last lines stick with you, leaving you full but still curious. For me, it was this calm, bittersweet feeling, exactly how it should end. The visuals and sound are killer too. The animation’s bright and sharp, with all those high school vibes pulling you in. Colors switch up, warm and happy one minute, soft and deep the next. The music’s perfect, tagging along to make every emotion bigger. It sucks you right in. Blue Box isn’t just an anime, it’s something you live through. It’s got heart and soul that set it apart from all the other romance and school stuff. It dragged me back to my own high school days, making me miss some things and rethink others. With a second season probably on the way, you’ve got to see it. If you want something that’ll get to you and stay with you, this is the one.
KohiChilly
03/20/2025, 04:54 PM
What do you think of when the word "youth" comes to mind? Do you think of spring and summer, the warm and bright seasons of the year? Or do you think about your own adolescence, whether that be a time in the past or as the time right now? Regardless of it may be, from childhood and teenage memories being positive or negative, to relationships made across years of school, and all the feelings experienced along the way, it's an undeniable part of adolescence as a time of discovery and adventure that in Japanese is known as "seishun" and is written as 青春 with thecharacters for blue and spring. No story embodies this better than Blue Box, a narrative about the vibrancy of youth that begins in the gym of Eimei High School at the turn of spring. That's where it all starts and that's what Blue Box means, the gym where youth lived and thrived. Blue Box is a coming-of-age romance sports story that depicts themes about the vibrancy of youth, ambition and determination along with angst in the things we deeply care for and the goals we set for ourselves, and a beautiful and somewhat bittersweet telling of life as the cast experience their own youth and all the joy, pain and change with each passing day. Even though the adaptation is mostly one to one with the manga, part of what makes an adaptation is how it brings a narrative to life and Blue Box on that front succeeds beyond expectation. From the beautifully drawn and almost shoujo-like art from the manga that's now brought to life through the anime, Blue Box is a grounded, mature and heartfelt narrative that acts as a reflection of adolescence but also a lesson towards the audience about the journey and complexities during the springtime of life. Taiki Inomata is introduced as a young and spirited man with a goal of reaching nationals. Whilst a fairly simple premise, many want to have the same kind of consistency and dedication that Taiki does for his passion towards badminton and determination in romance. Working towards your goals and aspirations is easier said than done after all, and Taiki is an admirable person in this feat in spite of his young age when the story begins. Having the motivation to not only keep going but improve at every step is difficult to maintain, and it's almost inspiring seeing Taiki improve his badminton from being average to being the best among the first-year players and continuing to go beyond that with his ethos, consistently growing and improving despite the challenges and setbacks ahead of him and being exactly what people should aspire to be. Though like any other teenager, he can be a mess when it comes to his emotions towards Chinatsu and that's perfectly normal for his age. Chinatsu is also like Taiki in the sense of sharing the same goal towards nationals and what makes Chinatsu captivating is her dynamic with Taiki, how the two are similar in their endeavors but also how they push each other forward in the process. It's because of Chinatsu that Taiki has a reason to strive to do his best and it's because of Taiki that Chinatsu continues to fight for the nationals. She's much more guarded compared to everyone else and that shows, yet she's carrying as much if not more ambition than Taiki but also far more weight on her shoulders since time is less on her side and she stayed in Japan for basketball given the nature and her own dedication towards it. She isn't any less compelling of a character and isn't boring or flat by any means, she's her own person with her own thoughts, feelings, and goals. She's less transparent and open about herself because that's the kind of person she is, people are complicated and you never truly know how people think or feel unless they tell you, and that's what Hina does. Hina is the lively and energetic girl among the three main protagonists. She's incredibly likeable and has this endearing relationship with Taiki at the start that has this balance of fun bickering and genuine trust for each other because that's the relationship they've had ever since they met all those years ago back in Junior High. While the events of the narrative lead to her becoming a love rival against Chinatsu, her relationship with Taiki changes and her feelings become increasingly transparent and direct and in a way, that's brave. Love is scary, blind and unpredictable and there's so many ways it can be perceived. Rejection is always a possibility and it hurts. There's reasons for that, it differs from situation to situation but it always and will never not hurt regardless of the case, yet Hina continues to press on because love is what drives her forward to pursue Taiki. It might be a little unhealthy or incredibly sweet depending on the person, but to not only have the courage to confess and continuously expressing your honest feelings is nothing short of incredible. That's how her relationship with Taiki changed, no one can blame Hina for how her feelings grew and changed and Taiki can't be blamed for how conflicted he became along with how he viewed the two girls. It's not an easy situation to be in even as ridiculous as it sounds because when it comes to love, relationships will change. It can be troublesome and a headache, but it can also become something more than that. Relationships are always tricky and difficult, that much is clear and obvious to everyone really. Relationships can change and grow for the better or turn sour and take a turn for the worse. Anything can happen in a relationship, and Blue Box has a clear emphasis on the delicacy and depth of this aspect of life. If relationships were to be described as an analogy, then it would be like a two-way street. It'd be ideal for both roads to be maintained and in good condition, but roads can deteriorate because of external factors or a lack of care and throughout the narrative of Blue Box, interpersonal relationships have been a focal point from the beginning yet none of these relationships have ever felt fake or unnatural. All of the interpersonal relationships and all of the characters carried this authentic, true feeling behind them as if they were real people. There's characters like Haryu that act as a mentor for Taiki, Karen who is Chinatsu's close friend, along with Kyo being the same for Taiki. This all culminates into a warm and colorful cast of characters that truly represent the color blue and that is one of the most important aspects in a narrative like Blue Box, one centered around maturity, realism and individual growth. As the narrative continues, there's always been this distinct feeling of liveliness and spiritless that emits from how these characters interact and how the soundtrack emphasizes that warm and bright emotion. It's a slow burn series, and time rewards as it builds gradually and slowly. Every episode is reminiscent of a day passing, seeing young people enjoying the time and the moment as life continues with this wide-ranging, vibrant soundtrack to accompany it. While the soundtrack is not the most pronounced or noticeable at times, it's an underappreciated aspect of the show. It has this beautiful range of melodies, as if it captures the essence of youth itself. It can be calming and soft, upbeat and comedically lighthearted, beautiful and emotional. Soundtracks like 恋色 or "Shade of Love", アオのハコ, and ありがとう or "Grateful" are some of the leading pieces and the work of composer Takashi Ohmama cannot be understated. It's a beautiful soundtrack, yet profoundly subtle like the fleeting time of youth. Granted, Blue Box is not perfect. Nothing is truly perfect, and imperfection has its own beauty and merits. Even so, there's very little that captures youth as well or as life-changing as Blue Box does. Let Blue Box be a reminder of time and youth, both past and present, time where one can learn and grow for the tomorrow that's ahead. That's how youth shapes lives as they move forward and head for the future, and that in itself shows just how invaluable and beautiful of of a time it is. Thank you for reading, and remember to live your best life.
FlowMAL
03/20/2025, 09:07 AM
Blue Box may not reinvent the romance genre, but it executes its ideas so well that it hardly matters. While the anime relies on familiar tropes, they're handled so naturally and genuinely that they feel fresh and enjoyable. The story isn't overly complex, but its simplicity is part of its charm, making it incredibly easy to love. At its core, Blue Box is a wholesome, well-crafted romance that understands its strengths and delivers them exceptionally well. The main defining aspect of Blue Box is that it blends romance with sports. Watching Taiki push himself to improve, not just for his own sake but because he wantsto stand alongside the person he admires, gives the story and its main goal more weight. That said, while sports play an essential role in shaping the characters' motivations, the story ultimately prioritizes romance. One of the standout aspects is the complete lack of fanservice, which is a refreshing choice for a high school romance anime. Many similar series rely on fanservice, particularly with high school characters, which can be off-putting for many. Blue Box, however, avoids cheap distractions and focuses on what actually matters: the characters and their relationships. As a result, every interaction feels so much more sincere. And, of course, I have to mention the soundtrack. OP 1 and ED 2, in particular, perfectly captured the emotion of the series and arcs for me. OP 1 ("Same Blue" by Official HIGE DANdism) always had me hyped for the episode. ED 2 ("Contrast" by TOMOO) paired an emotional song with beautiful visuals, hitting hard every time it started playing after a great episode. They're the kind of songs that stay with you even after the episode ends, making the story's moments just a little more impactful. If you're after something groundbreaking or genre-defining, Blue Box might not be the anime for you. But if you want a heartfelt romance with fantastic animation, a banger soundtrack and engaging drama, Blue Box is absolutely worth the watch. It's one of those rare anime that just feels right.
Marinate1016
03/20/2025, 09:05 AM
Blue box is one of the best recent jump projects. Not only is it a brilliant romance story, but it’s a great sports animanga too. It perfectly balances romantic development with the characters’ personal and athletic growth while never going too far in either direction. It’s such a fun and realistic watch. The characters behave like normal people, they communicate, they work through problems and most importantly, it shows young people at a critical juncture in their lives, trying to find their way in an increasingly complicated world. It also has the distinction of being one of the few shows with two genuine best girlswho I could not fault you for falling in love with. Both choices are well written, have their own advantages and depending on the week, you’ll find yourself going back and forth on who you like more. If you’re a fan of romance, sports or just want a somewhat realistic manga where the leads act like normal people, this is a no brainer. The show looks gorgeous and has an awesome cast. It’ll make you laugh, smile and cry, but it’s a great journey. What I love most about Blue Box is how it really strikes this great balance between showing Taiki chasing and achieving his athletic and personal goals. I have never seen an anime covering badminton before and my only exposure to the sport was through high school gym class. I found myself becoming very interested in the sport and I really like how the author breaks downs the rules, fundamentals and walks us through Taiki and the other characters’ approach to a match. Yea, you got that usual anime over dramatic inner monologue stuff, but for the most part it feels pretty realistic. Taiki doesn’t just instantly become the best badminton player around. He has raw talent, but it still needs refining and I found the way he bounced back from losses to be very motivating. All his wins feel earned because we see the hard work he puts in. I think with any sports anime, it’s very important to have the leads earn their way to the top, but also important to not drag things along too long. This author gets it and did a great job. On the Romantic front, this is exactly the sort of pace I like. Taiki likes Chinatsu from day 1, but it’s a combination of circumstances, his work ethic and his own courage that gradually brings them closer. I hate when characters get together too quickly so this sort of slow burn build up and the love triangle that develops just works for me. I am a sucker for tension and drama and this show has it in spades. Further to the love triangle point, I think this is one of the best ones I’ve seen. Like I said, you can’t go wrong with Hina or Chinatsu. One is the childhood friend who Taiki can be himself around and has always supported him, world class gymnast and one of the prettiest girls in town. The other is a future WNBA star, first to the gym last to leave, beauty and athleticism AND perhaps most importantly, someone who gives Taiki an ideal to strive towards. It’s one of those situations where no matter who wins, you’re gonna be sad for the loser and feel bad, but that’s how life goes. You don’t always get what you want and everyone can’t be happy. The show doesn’t rely on fan service or the overly cliche love triangle moments, instead it shows a teenage boy who has genuine reasons to like both girls go back and forth and really struggle internally to choose what’s best for him. It’s done in a very believable manner too. As someone who’s been in that position before, I really empathised with Taiki and I fully support his choice at the end. I am just really glad they showed how you can like two people at once for different sort of reasons and depending on the time/day, you can lean more in one direction or the other. Humans are selfish and we naturally want everything, it would be so easy to keep stringing people along because of the validation it gives you, but It wouldn’t be fair to others. Respect to Taiki for the way he owned the situation and handled things. The main trio are the big draw, but the side characters are great in this too. People like Kyo, Amane, Kengo etc., act as great mentors and guides for our leads, giving them encouragement and advice both as athletes and people. Often I find them saying the sort of things I would tell the leads if I were there next to them. It’s always good to have a voice of reason in the series and these characters help with that as well as being fun in their own right, especially Amane who came in the last few episodes and stole the show! Telecom were in their bag production wise. The show looks amazing. I have not read the manga, but from what I’ve seen, the art actually looks better than the manga designs. The animation is very fluid, backgrounds are so lush and detailed and voice acting is great! One of the best productions of the last year for sure. I could gush about this show all day. It was awful for my anxiety because I knew someone I cared about would end up getting hurt with a rejection at the end, but it’s just a testament to how well written the story is that I felt that attached to the characters. It’s one of the easiest and fastest 25 episode watches ever because of how well done each and every episode is. Do yourself a favour and watch it. Ao no Hako gets 10 out of 10.

Ao no Hako アオのハコ

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Ao no Hako アオのハコ

Second Season of 'Ao no Hako' Announced

Romance Meets Sports: Shouya Chiba, Akari Kitou Bring Us Inside 'Ao no Hako'

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

Additional 'Ao no Hako' Cast Members Announced

'Ao no Hako' Reveals Additional Staff, Theme Songs, First Promo

'Ao no Hako' Unveils Main Staff, Supporting Cast, Second Teaser Promo, Fall 2024 Premiere

'Ao no Hako' Reveals Additional Cast, Studio, Teaser Promo

Manga 'Ao no Hako' Gets TV Anime