Ao no Hako

Aired Date:2024-10-03

Status:FINISHED

Ratings:81/100

Genres:Romance, Slice of Life, Sports

Season:1

Total Episodes:25

Duration:24 min/ep

Studio:Shueisha

Source:MANGA

Format:ONA

Director:Yuuichirou Yano

Review:N/A/100

Watch Online: Twitter Official Site Netflix

Synopsis

Do these sports-crossed lovers have a chance? Taiki Inomata loves badminton, but he has a long way to go before he can reach nationals. When Taiki sees upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out on the girls’ basketball team, he falls for her hard. After an unexpected turn of events brings the two closer together, sports might not be the first thing on their minds anymore!(Source: TMS Anime) Note: The series streamed a week in advance on Netflix Japan starting with episode 2 released alongside episode 1.

Trailer

Characters

Taiki Inomata MAIN

Chinatsu Kano MAIN

Hina Chouno MAIN

Yukiko Inomata SUPPORTING

Taiki no Chichi SUPPORTING

Ichirou Kishishou SUPPORTING

Chinatsu no Haha SUPPORTING

Yuasa Kantoku SUPPORTING

Ayame Moriya SUPPORTING

Ryousuke Nishida SUPPORTING

“Blue Box” (Japanese: アオのハコ, Ao no Hako) is an anime series based on the manga written and illustrated by Kouji Miura. Here’s a concise overview:

Plot

The story follows Taiki Inomata, a third-year junior high student at Eimei Academy, a sports-focused school, where he’s an average member of the boys’ badminton team. He has a crush on Chinatsu Kano, a first-year senior high student and star of the girls’ basketball team. They train early each morning in the gym, but Taiki is initially too shy to connect. A twist of fate occurs when Chinatsu’s family must move overseas, and she ends up living with Taiki’s family due to their mothers’ friendship. As they navigate living together, Taiki aims to reach nationals in badminton to impress Chinatsu, while their relationship grows through sports and subtle, heartfelt moments.

Key Details

• Voice Cast:
• Taiki Inomata: Shoya Chiba
• Chinatsu Kano: Reina Ueda
• Additional voices include Akari Kitō (Hina Chono) and Chiaki Kobayashi (Kyo Kasahara)
• Theme Songs:
• First Cour:
  • Opening: “Same Blue” by Official Hige Dandism
  • Ending: “Teenage Blue” by Eve
• Second Cour:
  • Opening: “Saraba” by Macaroni Empitsu
  • Ending: “Contrast” by Tomoo
• Reception: Praised for its relatable characters, stunning animation, and a refreshing take on the love triangle, blending sports and romance. It won Best Romance at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2025.
• Season 2: Announced on March 27, 2025, with no specific release date yet.

Availability

• Streamed exclusively on Netflix, starting October 3, 2024 (October 4 in some regions due to time zones).
• The manga, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since April 2021, is available in English via Viz Media (print and digital) and Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.

Why Watch?

“Blue Box” stands out for its heartfelt storytelling, avoiding melodramatic excess, with fluid animation that makes both badminton and basketball scenes dynamic and emotional moments tender. The sensitive portrayal of a love triangle—between Taiki, Chinatsu, and friend Hina Chono—offers sincerity and restraint, making it a hit for fans of sports, romance, and coming-of-age stories.

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