Blue Box

A second season animated by Electric Circus is set to premiere in October 2026.

• Portal — yes

• Type — tv series • Director — * Yūichirō Yano (S1 Season 1) • Daisuke Sakō (S2 Season 2) • Writer — Yūko Kakihara • Music — Takashi Ohmama • Studio — * Telecom Animation Film (animation) (S1 Season 1) • Electric Circus (animation) (S2 Season 2) • TMS Entertainment (production and planning) • Licensee — Netflix • Network — JNN (TBS) • First — October 3, 2024 • Episodes — 25 • Episode List — List of Blue Box episodes

• Type — manga • Author — Kouji Miura • Publisher — Shueisha • Imprint — Jump Comics • Magazine — Weekly Shōnen Jump • First — April 12, 2021 • Last — July 13, 2026 • Volumes — 26 • Volume List — List of Blue Box chapters

• Name — Blue Box • Ja Kanji — アオのハコ • Ja Romaji — Ao no Hako • Genre — * Romance • Sports

The series focuses on Taiki Inomata, a student at Eimei Junior and Senior High, an athletics-oriented school, where he is a member of the boys' badminton team and is considered simply average. Every morning, he trains to get better early in the gym, often at the same time and place as his upperclasswoman Chinatsu Kano, the star of the girls' basketball team. Taiki quickly develops a crush on her, but is initially too shy to speak to her despite their continual alone time together. His fortunes change, however, when Chinatsu moves in with Taiki's family after her parents leave Japan to work abroad. With Chinatsu now living with him, Taiki aims to slowly develop his relationship with her as they both strive to make it to the national championship with their respective teams.

• Taiki Inomata (猪股 大喜, Inomata Taiki): • An avid badminton player, Taiki strives to succeed despite setbacks. He greatly admires Chinatsu for her dedication to basketball and harbors a huge crush on her. While he is often awkward and emotional, his unwavering determination and sincerity slowly earns him respect from others. His goal is to reach the national championship, a dream he shares with Chinatsu in their respective sports. His mother was Chinatsu's mother's teammate and friend, hence the decision for Chinatsu to move in with Taiki. He is aware of Hina being in love with him, but doesn't reciprocate her feelings and rejects her, leading to the two drifting apart. He later starts a relationship with Chinatsu. • Chinatsu Kano (鹿野 千夏, Kano Chinatsu): • Chinatsu is the star player of the girls' basketball team. She is one grade above Taiki and is often the first person at practice. Once a terrible basketball player, her dedication has helped her grow into a strong player with hopes of making it into the national championships. She moves in with Taiki's family when her parents leave to work abroad, and she and Taiki slowly become friends supporting each other. She is oblivious to Taiki being in love with her, but she enjoys his company and cares for him deeply. She later becomes Taiki's girlfriend. The two continue their relationship even after she moves out of the Inomata household. • Hina Chōno (蝶野 雛, Chōno Hina): • Hina is Taiki's childhood friend who is on the rhythmic gymnastics team. She is quite theatrical and loves to tease Taiki. Although initially only seeing him as a close friend, she slowly realizes she has fallen in love with Taiki later on, despite encouraging him to go after Chinatsu. Taiki is completely oblivious to her feelings, and is often annoyed by her playful teasing, although he does genuinely care for her. She later confesses her feelings to Taiki, and becomes rivals with Chinatsu for his love, wanting him to be her boyfriend; however, Taiki rejects her, telling her that he doesn't reciprocate her feelings at all, which devastates her deeply. Following his rejection, she grows cold towards him and they drift apart from each other, before finally trying to repair their friendship despite still struggling with her feelings towards him. • Kyo Kasahara (笠原 匡, Kasahara Kyō): • Kyo is Taiki's best friend and fellow badminton player. Quiet and observant, he often understands more than anyone else. Though sarcastic, especially with Taiki, he is a genuinely caring and wise person. • Kengo Haryū (針生 健吾, Haryū Kengo): • Kengo is a skilled badminton player in Chinatsu's grade who ends up becoming a mentor and rival to Taiki. Though he is often hard on Taiki, he slowly grows to admire his tenacity and growing skill. • Ryōsuke Nishida (西田 諒介, Nishida Ryōsuke): • The captain of the badminton team. • Nagisa Funami (船見 渚, Funami Nagisa) • Anna Nagase • A member of the basketball team alongside Chinatsu. • Niina Shimazaki (島崎 にいな, Shimazaki Niina): • A member of the rhythmic gymnastics team alongside Hina. • Shoichiro Kishi (岸 祥一郎, Kishi Shōichirō): • Haryū's previous doubles match partner. • Shōta Hyōdō (兵藤 将太, Hyōdō Shōta) • Christian La Monte • A skilled badminton player from Sajikawa High who is the rival of Haryū due to having never beaten him in badminton matches. • Shūji Yusa (遊佐 柊仁, Yusa Shūji): • A skilled badminton player from Sajikawa High who is a teammate of Hyōdō despite appearing lethargic. • Karen Moriya (守屋 花恋, Moriya Karen): • Haryū's girlfriend and Ayame's older sister who is a childhood friend of him and Chinatsu. • Ayame Moriya (守屋 菖蒲, Moriya Ayame): • Karen's younger sister who is the team manager of the badminton team. She becomes a close friend of Hina following her being rejected by Taiki. • Kazuma Matsuoka (松岡 一馬, Matsuoka Kazuma): • A member of the boys' basketball team who returned to Japan from studying abroad in America. • Yumeka Kido (木戸 夢佳, Kido Yumeka) • Yoshino Aoyama • A former member of Chinatsu's basketball team.

Written and illustrated by Kouji Miura, Blue Box was originally a one-shot that was published in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 3, 2020. It was later serialized in the same magazine from April 12, 2021, to July 13, 2026. Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on August 4, 2021. As of July 3, 2026, 26 volumes have been released. Blue Box has been licensed for simultaneous publication in North America as it is released in Japan, with its chapters being digitally launched by Viz Media on its Shonen Jump website. Shueisha also simulpublishes the series in English for free on the Manga Plus app and website. In February 2022, Viz Media announced that they had licensed the series in print format; the first volume was released on November 1 of the same year. The manga is also licensed in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo.

An anime television series adaptation was announced in November 2023. Planned and produced by TMS Entertainment, it is animated by Telecom Animation Film and directed by Yūichirō Yano, with Yūko Kakihara handling series composition and Miho Tanino designing the characters. The series aired for two consecutive cours from October 3, 2024, to March 27, 2025, on TBS and its affiliates. For the first cours, the opening theme is "Same Blue" by Official Hige Dandism, and the ending theme is "Teenage Blue" (ティーンエイジブルー) by Eve; for the second cours, the opening theme is "Saraba" (然らば) by Macaroni Empitsu, and the ending theme is "Contrast" (コントラスト) by Tomoo. Netflix licensed the series and is streaming it worldwide. A second season was announced immediately following the airing of the finale episode of the first season, with Daisuke Sakō taking over as director and animated by Electric Circus. It is set to premiere on TBS on October 4, 2026. The opening theme is "Anata no Hana no Iro" (あなたの花の色) by Aiko, and the ending theme is "Blue In" by Elsewhere Kikou.

In August 2021, the first volume of the manga had over 170,000 copies in circulation in less than a week after its release. By October 2025, the manga had over 9 million copies in circulation; by May 2026, the manga had over 10 million copies in circulation. In June 2021, Blue Box was nominated for the seventh Next Manga Award in the Best Print Manga category; it placed eighth out of 50 nominees, but won the Global Prize. The series ranked fourth on the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2022.

Blue Box received critical acclaim. Anthony Gramuglia of Comic Book Resources (CBR) stated, "Blue Box is a sentimental story about human connection. It's beautifully drawn, at times resembling a manga more than a typical. If Blue Box continues, it will likely become an earnest, sincere entry in Shōnen Jumps romantic catalog". Timothy Donohoo of CBR compared Blue Box to Kenta Shinohara's Witch Watch and Shigure Tokita's Don't Blush, Sekime-san! due to both series having concepts and romantic aspects similar to Blue Boxs.

• Year — Award — Category — Recipient — Result — Ref. References • 2025 — Reiwa Anisong Awards — Artist Song Award — "Same Blue" by Official Hige Dandism • D-Anime Store Awards — Heart-Pounding Anime — Blue Box • 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards — Best Romance • Japan Expo Awards — Daruma for Best Anime • Daruma for Best Romance Anime • Daruma for Best Slice of Anime • Daruma for Best Opening — "Same Blue" by Official Hige Dandism • 20th AnimaniA Awards — Best TV Series: Online — Blue Box • Best Anime Song — "Same Blue" by Official Hige Dandism • 2026 — 12th Anime Trending Awards — Anime of the Year — Blue Box • Girl of the Year — Chinatsu Kano • Couple or Ship of the Year — Taiki and Chinatsu • Supporting Boy of the Year — Kyo Kasahara • Best in Adapted Screenplay — Blue Box • Best in Character Design • Best in Sceneries and Visuals • Opening Theme Song of the Year — "Same Blue" by Official Hige Dandism • Ending Theme Song of the Year — "Teenage Blue" by Eve • Drama Anime of the Year — Blue Box • Romance Anime of the Year • Sports Anime of the Year • Best Voice Acting Performance - Female — Akari Kitō as Hina Chōno • 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards — Best Drama — Blue Box • Best Romance • Best Slice of Life