Ao no Hako

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I created this account just to write this review so definitely try my hardest to write worthy of your time but will surely give a warning I kinda suck at writing reviews.

I've been into anime and manga for more than 7 years , and I think this one is easily one of the best oneshot I've ever read. The story isn't some sort of ultra unique or something but about a high school boy who falls in love with her senpai who just like our main guy came to practice sports early in the school.

Art : I really loved the artwork of this oneshot, character ... design are really good and it does makes me want to check out more of the mangaka's works. I'm for sure eager to see this one getting serialized, I hope it gets.

TL;DR : C'mon man, I don't think that was one hell of a long review, just give it a read, or you're here after reading the while thing then just ignore the first sentence of this paragraph. Feel dissatisfied by my review then just read the other one ( Est's ), it's far better than mine atleast that's what I think

Ao no Hako is honestly one of the best fits for a one-shot of any I've read. It's that kind of sweet, pure romance that would risk becoming stale in a serialised story. It's nothing too complex, but that's to its benefit considering the format, and it's well aware of genre conventions and when it's best to abandon or lean into them. It's surprisingly funny, but not so funny that it takes away from the sincerity of the characters' emotions (and, boy, these characters are nothing if not sincere), and it all feels about as natural as manga really can.

I really don't think I could ... ask for much more. This is one of the best one-shots out there. I'd highly recommend it as a quick pick-me-up.

Just as an aside, though: I also appreciate that the story focuses as much as it does on the characters genuinely getting to know each other. That's kinda the bedrock of any romance, and it's shocking how many series skip over it.

Ao no Hako is a sweet one-shot manga I wasn't sure about starting at first, but eventually, I decided to just go for it. And that was definitely worth it! I don't usually like romance manga, but this one was different, and I'll explain why.

Story: 8/10 - very good

The story is one of the reasons I liked this manga so much. It was fast-paced but cute at the same time. The characters were developed and the plot didn't seem too rushed, even though it's a one-shot. The plot is pretty simple: the main character is a boy named Taiki Inomata, ... who plays volleyball and is really passionate about it. He practices every day in the gym, alone except for one other person - a member of the girls' basketball team, Chinatsu Kano. They each practice on their own, but they still have small moments together and they get to know each other and start to fall in love. Sounds cute and a little cheesy, right? It might be, but it was executed wonderfully. I didn't feel like there was anything being forced onto me, as the reader, and everything flowed well. There was none of the typical shoujo drama, which I much appreciated, too.

Art: 8/10 - very good

There wasn't anything too unique about the art, but I like how it looked like a mix of the typical shoujo and shounen styles. There was none of the over-the-top glittery bubbles and flowers accompanied by huge, glowing eyes and blushing spasms that shoujo romance manga tend to have too much of, and there wasn't that overabundance of action lines like some shounen manga. The characters were drawn beautifully, too, and I appreciate how Chinatsu actually looked serious, capable, and dedicated, instead of the stereotypical "moe" anime girl. Taiki looked pretty typical, but with just the right amount of cuteness to make him attractive to Chinatsu. The mangaka definitely did a good job of designing these characters and drawing the scenes of their story.

Character: 10/10 - outstanding

I rarely give something a 10/10 rating for anything, but I think Ao no Hako’s characters deserved it. The manga only has two main characters, Taiki and Chinatsu, but they’re amazing and it’s easy to get attached to them and want to see their relationship develop more. First I want to talk about Taiki, and then I’ll discuss Chinatsu (who, by the way, is one of my favorite female manga characters ever now!).

OK, so - Taiki. He’s full of passion and energy, he’s loud, dedicated to volleyball, gets distracted easily by Chinatsu, and jumps to conclusions pretty fast (and they’re not always right). He’s persistent and determined, too, and he never quits at anything, be it volleyball or love. I really liked that he admired Chinatsu not just because she was pretty and kind, but because she was dedicated to her sport and practiced the hardest out of all the girls on her team. This shows that he’s not as simple-minded as he first appears, since he’s able to appreciate her for who she is, and not just her looks. He’s a pretty sweet guy, too.

Now, Chinatsu, the girl who broke the mold of delicate, love-obsessed girls who shed all their independence once the guy they like even so much as looks at them. This girl is NOTHING like them, and I love that! She’s dealt with lots of losses in her basketball career, but even when she’s crying after losing an important tournament, she still puts in the necessary hard work to practice her shots and become better and stronger - a form of character development typically reserved for shounen protagonists. Even during the development of her romance with Taiki, she never loses the independent, strong, resilient, determined, competitive, and driven personality that defines her character. She’s skilled in basketball, too, which makes her a great match for Taiki, the boy who loves volleyball. Chinatsu is written to be more than just a love interest, although this IS a romance manga; she’s her own great character and I LOVE her!

Basically, Ao no Hako has unique characters that actually seem like real people and are relatable and believable. This is a very character-driven story, after all, so they have to be good!

Enjoyment: 8/10 - very good

Ao no Hako was fun, cute, fluffy, but emotional, and it wasn’t just that. It made me really want to root for Taiki and Chinatsu not just in their developing relationship, but also in their sports. I wanted Chinatsu to win a basketball tournament and see that her work and tears paid off. I wanted Taiki to become a starter on the volleyball team and be able to finally show off his skills. I wanted them to be able to give each other a big, teary hug after it’s all over and be able to say that they were finally satisfied. That never happened, of course, since this is just a one-shot, but if it ever did continue, I’d be excited to read more!

Overall: 8/10 - very good

The score probably isn’t higher simply because I’m not a big fan of romance manga, but don’t get me wrong - I really liked this one! Everything about it is very good, so I definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a short but emotionally packed manga about two student-athletes who grow their love for each other as they grow their skills in their sports.