Ao no Hako

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]

Kano, Chinatsu Main

Ueda, Reina Japanese

Chouno, Hina Main

Kitou, Akari Japanese

Inomata, Taiki Main

Chiba, Shouya Japanese

Kasahara, Kyou Supporting

Kobayashi, Chiaki Japanese

Haryuu, Kengo Supporting

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Hyoudou, Shouta Supporting

Ono, Yuuki Japanese

Taiki's Father Supporting

Maeda, Hiroki Japanese

Inomata, Yukiko Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Kishi, Shouichirou Supporting

Kawanishi, Kengo Japanese

Yokoyama Supporting

Kikuchi, Hitoshi Producer

Tanaka, Junichirou Producer

Kishida, Takuma Producer

Inoue, Yuuji Producer

Reviews

Nov 16, 2024

finalegoist

Recommended

Preliminary (7/25 eps)

Blue Box is a masterpiece that perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet, fleeting nature of adolescence. The anime (or manga, for those yet to see an adaptation) offers a heartfelt mix of romance and sports, following the story of Taiki Inomata, a hardworking badminton player, and Chinatsu Kano, a basketball prodigy. Their relationship grows subtly, set against the backdrop of high school ambitions and struggles, creating a narrative that resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced—or wishes to relive—the joys and pains of teenage life.

What makes Blue Box exceptional is its quiet authenticity. It doesn’t rely on exaggerated drama or over-the-top tropes. Instead, it thrives on moments ... of vulnerability and connection: a glance in the gym, a shared walk home, or the mutual understanding of striving toward a dream. These moments are masterfully woven into the narrative, allowing viewers to reflect on their own youthful experiences, whether they be unspoken crushes, personal growth, or the balancing act of relationships and aspirations.

The art and direction elevate the story, with soft, expressive visuals that convey both the intensity of competition and the tender awkwardness of young love. The pacing is gentle yet deliberate, mirroring the ebb and flow of real life, making the emotional highs and lows all the more poignant.

For those yearning to relive their adolescence, Blue Box is a portal back to a time of quiet uncertainties and exhilarating possibilities. For others, it’s a window into what it feels like to navigate the complexities of love, friendship, and self-discovery during one’s formative years.

Verdict: Blue Box is a treasure trove of emotions—a testament to how the simplest of stories, when told with care and sincerity, can leave a profound and lasting impact. It’s a must-watch for fans of coming-of-age tales, sports, and tender, heartfelt storytelling.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Oct 31, 2024

ngabcde

Recommended

Preliminary (6/25 eps)

Before it had begun airing, Blue Box (or Ao No Hako) immediately caught my attention out of all the anime of the fall 2024 season. I love badminton and I love romance. From just the PV, it showed what the anime would be like. The animation, the ending (made by Eve, who requires no explanation) and opening theme, the art style, and really the overall vibe of the story were really well captured. Furthemore, the manga (which, keep in mind, I have no read), from what I understood, was also highly praised. So, when the actual show started airing on October 3rd, my expections were ... already set unrealistically high. I was not dissappointed. At all.

The first thing most people notice is the stunning art style and animation. From the studio behind Tower of God Season 1, Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro Season 1 and Orange (which are all solidly animated), there is no one who would think otherwise [of the animation]. Additionally, WIT Studio is on the project too, which, again, requires no explanation. The premise is also very interesting, but not unheard of. Personally, I am a sucker for premises that involve/revolve around a secret/secret identity. Works like Spy x Family, The Eminence in Shadow, Miraculous Ladybug, Spider-Man, and even Yamada-kun and the Seven Withces, just to name a few. I am not entirely sure the human psychological reason behind my excitement with knowning something in-verse characters don't, but that's that.

However, there is one major issue with the story, and that is the fact that it is too "RomCom-y"/generic. The protaganist, Taiki Inomata, is literally just a random boy picked off the streets of Japan. There is almost nothing special about him, expect for the fact that he is the main character. Yet, his childhood friend is a pro gymnast AND he is living with the most popular and strongest basketball player. And they both like him. This isn't necessarily, per se, a bad thing though, at least not right now, given that recently I've watched/read lots of anime/manga with a "winner" (as opposed to loser) MC.

That being said, Blue Box is somehow really enjoyable to watch, despite the aforementioned complaint. For some reason, it [cliche tropes] just does not bother me, like, at all. Maybe I'm hella biased or whatever, but yes, Blue Box is great, give it a chance.

Oh, and something else I forgot to mention was the characters (mainly the side characters) and pacing. So far, it's pretty much perfect. (All) characters have diverse personalities and they (SC) don't feel like like throw-aways. Although, (we are only 6 episodes in) there's been very minimal development so far. I do hope to see that change. Pacing's pretty good too so far, and overall it's pretty well-written for an anime/manga.

Enjoyment - 10/10
Story/plot/premise/pacing - 9/10
Characters - 8/10
Sound (sfx, ost, op/ed theme, voice acting (JP)) - 8/10
Visuals (art, animation) - 10/10
Atmosphere - 7/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Nov 16, 2024

Polvo_Aranha

Not Recommended

Preliminary (6/25 eps)

If you ask a AI "please make a romcom anime with sports setting", don't be surprised if the result is Blue Box. If you are a sports anime fan, forget about it, because it's almost non-existent here. Instead, we got a generic romantic comedy, that just follow the genre most popular tropes instead of doing something barely inspired or original. I am not joking, because I already predicted the plot of the first few episodes by just taking a look at episode 1. That is how cliche it is.

About the positive sides, Blue Box at least has a great animation, but it doesn't matter, because ... you can give a poop a top-tier animation and by the end of the day, it will still be poop. That is what Blue Box is, a great animation with no substance at all.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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