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Mar 20, 2025
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 wants
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to 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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 8, 2024
Steins;Gate: Aishin Meizu no Babel is an absolute hidden gem that caught me completely off guard in the best way possible.
What makes this manga stand out is its focus on Kurisu. Told from her perspective, it reveals layers of her character that the original series barely scratched. You get to see her relationships evolve, uncover her past, and sympathise with her on a deeper level. Honestly, it changed the way I see her as a character. And the best part? It's all canon.
This manga is a must-read if you're a Steins;Gate enjoyer. It may surprise you, as it did me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 15, 2024
I'm one of those rare people who watched the Shoushimin Series without having watched Hyouka. So, I came into the Shoushimin Series not knowing what to expect, and I'm happy with how it turned out. In short, Shoushimin Series is a show about "ordinary people" spending their days trying to do ordinary things while solving the small mysteries in everyday life. While it may not be a thrill ride from start to finish, it offers something gentle and charming in its own way.
The Shoushimin Series excels in balancing light detective elements with slice-of-life moments. I personally found this perfect to watch when winding down after
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a long day or right before going to sleep. The mysteries may be small, but they add a nice layer of intrigue without being too intense. Heck, they had a full 10-minute breakdown of how a guy makes his hot chocolate. And they somehow managed to keep it engaging the whole way through.
The art style and animation are visually beautiful, and the character designs and settings are perfect. As I previously stated, I haven't watched Hyouka, but I've heard that the art in Hyouka was also one of its strong points, and the Shoushimin Series follows this. One thing that stood out to me was the random changes of settings mid-conversation, which seemed to happen often. While I don't know if there was any deeper meaning behind it, it made the scenes more dynamic and fun to watch.
Another highlight is the opening and ending themes. The stunning music and visuals complement the show's overall tone. I especially love how they blended anime characters with real-life scenes and backgrounds in the ending theme.
The final episode of the Shoushimin Series left me with mixed feelings. Introducing two specific new characters left me a bit conflicted, although it was probably necessary for the main characters to develop. Although I am not entirely sold on this shift in tone, it definitely has me looking forward to season two, where I hope to see how these new dynamics unfold.
Overall, Shoushimin Series is a solid. While nothing blew me away or had me super hooked throughout the show, excluding the final episodes, it's an enjoyable watch that offers a nice mix of mystery, slice-of-life, and light drama. I can't justify giving it more than a 7/10 for these reasons, but I recommend it if you're looking for something relaxing yet engaging with a bit of unexpected drama.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 30, 2024
The skating isn't realistic at all. It feels like the studio didn't research skateboarding and the culture and created a story about what they thought skateboarders were like. The plot was lacklustre. The anime did nothing terrible, but it did nothing great either. The only decent things were the art and animation.
Nothing was interesting about the characters. The MC is the generic, overly energetic protagonist. The deuteragonist is the stereotypical emotionless and "cooler" character and probably the most interesting character in the show, which says a lot about the rest. And the villain is basically just Hisoka from Walmart. Also, this one's more of
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a personal preference, but as a Christian, I was not fond of the Adam and Eve comparisons in the later episodes. Even objectively, the Adam and Eve metaphors were pointless, didn't make much sense and failed to add extra substance to the characters and the overarching story.
If you were like me and wanted to watch this anime because you are into skateboarding, you should save your time and not watch it. If you wish to watch it for the story and don't care about how realistic the skateboarding is, it would probably be more bearable... but you should also save your time and find something with a more intriguing plot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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