10 best anime to watch if you like Blue Box

Blue Box anime has captured the hearts of anime fans with its endearing storyline about young romance and competitive high school sports. Centered around the blossoming relationship between awkward badminton player Taiki and friendly, goal-driven basketball ace Chinatsu, Blue Box excellently blends romantic tension and comedy with the drive to succeed in competitive sports.

Let’s explore ten anime like Blue Box, each offering its own sweet or comedic take on teenage crushes and team ambitions. Whether you’re looking for more awkward romantic moments, exciting gameplay, or inspiring personal growth, these shows deliver the goods.

Kimi ni Todoke, Suzuka, and 8 other anime for fans of Blue Box

1. Cross Game

For another poignant sports story tangled up in unrequited love, look no further than Cross Game. This baseball drama follows Kō Kitamura and the girl next door, Aoba Tsukishima, whose family runs a batting center.

After Aoba’s sister suddenly dies, Kō finds his own passion for baseball while carrying forward her dream of making it to Koshien Stadium. While they grow closer through their shared love for the game and mutual respect, their relationship develops more subtly against the backdrop of loss and ambition.

With gorgeous visuals and a nostalgic slice-of-life vibe, Cross Game hits all the right notes. You’ll root for the stubborn but sympathetic leads as they chase greatness on the field and growth in life.

2. Kimi ni Todoke

Kimi ni Todoke (Image via Production I.G)

Loner Sawako Kuronuma is as sweet as can be, but her resemblance to a ghostly film character has spooked her classmates. This leaves the earnest high school girl struggling to make friends, let alone communicate with her cherished crush.

That changes when the gregarious Shōta Kazehaya sees past the rumors to appreciate Sawako’s genuine good nature. As the popular boy demonstrates the friendship Sawako so desperately craves, an unlikely shojo romance begins to bloom between them.

Heartwarming, comedic, and bursting with pure-hearted high school bonding, Kimi ni Todoke captures many of Blue Box’s slice-of-life charms. It’s sure to satisfy viewers pining for more feel-good moments.

3. Run With the Wind

Run With the Wind (Image via Production I.G)

For exhilarating races and endearing underdog athletes who form found family bonds, Run With the Wind is a must-see.

When former elite runner Kakeru reluctantly moves into student housing, he discovers the residents share his roommate Haiji’s intense love of running. Before he knows what’s happening, Kakeru gets swept up in Haiji’s ambitious goal of competing in the Hakone Ekiden marathon.

Training montages and stirring competitions make this show a delight for any sports fan. Beyond the athletics, these college students from all walks of life make for entertaining, eclectic characters, though the college setting differs from Blue Box's high school focus.

4. Haikyuu!!

What could be more inspirational than an undersized volleyball player determined to stand atop the court alongside his idol? Blue Box viewers will find lots to love in this upbeat, character-driven sports story centering on Shoyo Hinata’s dream team.

Though Hinata barely measures up to the heights favored in elite volleyball, he joins Karasuno High, a team with a strong legacy, as they aim to return to their former glory. Through grueling practices and electrifying championships, bonds of team spirit and friendship fortify the squad.

Bursting with energy and some of the most thrilling matchplay sequences around, Haikyuu!! pairs nicely with Blue Box for a double dose of passion. As the characters grow and improve together, their story turns unexpectedly touching.

5. Your Lie in April

Your Lie in April (Image via A-1 Pictures)

For stirring personal growth wrapped up in performance pressures and teenage turmoil, don’t miss the beloved emotional drama Your Lie in April. Former piano prodigy Kousei Arima is stuck in an emotional rut, numb to the world ever since his demanding mother’s death.

Wild, free-spirited violinist Kaori Miyazono barges into his life, determined to drag the brooding boy back into music. As they begin performing together, Kaori’s zest for life inspires him. Though they come from different worlds, they begin to connect as they confront painful secrets from their pasts.

Masterful classical performances and an achingly romantic atmosphere demonstrate why this musical slice-of-life frequently tops ‘best anime’ lists. Emotionally charged with bittersweet resonances, its leads face pressures familiar to Blue Box devotees.

6. Tsuredure Children

Tsuredure Children (Image via Studio Gokumi)

Craving more awkward confessions, fumbled attempts at connection, and endearingly dense characters? Settle in for twelve episodes, each capturing multiple adorable segments about the exhilaration of first loves.

Unlike many high school anime limited to a single central couple, Tsuredure Children opts for energetic brevity as it hops between multiple pairs of would-be sweethearts. Despite wildly different personalities, they all fumble their way toward mutual crushes, often without even realizing it.

This fast-paced approach spotlights diverse romantic troubles through humorous misunderstandings familiar to Blue Box. Balancing slapstick comedy with sincere moments of connection, it’s bound to entertain devotees of innocent crushes.

7. ReLIFE

What if you could literally relive high school with a chance to make different choices? That’s the premise of ReLIFE when down-on-his-luck Arata signs up for a strange pharmaceutical trial, transforming him into a teenager again. Arata hopes using this opportunity for a ‘redo’ will help him finally pursue a meaningful career.

But he didn’t count on charming classmate Chizuru disrupting his plans to keep a low profile. As their bond develops, Arata realizes that connections matter more than arbitrary success, but his real age remains a significant obstacle.

Blending sci-fi with school hijinks for a thought-provoking twist, ReLIFE pairs well with Blue Box for viewers hooked on teen drama. It spices classic tropes of friendship, romance, and self-worth with an element of second chances.

8. Horimiya

Horimiya subverts assumptions about social hierarchies and identity by contrasting Hori's and Miyamura’s school and home personas. To classmates, Hori seems like a prim academic overachiever without time for anything but studying.

Meanwhile, disheveled loner Miyamura gets written off as an intimidating otaku. But in truth, Hori is a doting big sister at home, while Miyamura hides his alternative appearance – with tattoos and piercings – behind a modest personality after school.

As this mismatched pair bond over their secret sides, an adorable high school romance begins to blossom. Horimiya neatly balances cozy fluff with laughs at their expense – perfect for Blue Box fans craving more couples connecting across social lines.

9. Suzuka

Hotheaded high jumper Suzuka catches kindhearted Yamato’s eye, but he quickly realizes winning her affection will be an uphill battle on par with her track and field dedication. Yamato joins his school’s ordinary track team just for a shot to interact with the fiercely competitive girl he admires from afar.

However, as he develops his passion for the sport, Suzuka initially keeps her distance, though she eventually opens up as she grows closer to Yamato. As the leads circle each other, Yamato gradually breaks through Suzuka’s defenses.

If you wish the sporty side of Blue Box dug deeper into competitions or training, you’ll appreciate Suzuka’s detailed attention to athletics. Beyond fun races, its leads showcase relatable teen troubles, getting emotionally close to crushes.

10. Ao Haru Ride

This romantic drama explores second chances when former middle school sweethearts Futaba and Kō cross paths in high school, but now the spark between them feels drastically different.

Once inseparable friends on the cusp of first love, time and traumatic bullying drove them apart. With emotional baggage still lingering years later, Futaba strives to reconcile the boy she once knew with the aloof Kō who resurfaced. But reconciling their fractured bond will prove an uphill battle.

Angsty, atmospheric, and layered with complex character development, Ao Haru Ride distinguishes itself from fluffier romance anime. Viewers drawn into Blue Box by the central duo’s chemistry and history will find this a compelling, evocative watch.

Final thoughts

Whether your favorite element of beloved manga-turned-anime Blue Box is its endearing character dynamics, pining crushes, comedic misunderstandings, or sports storylines, there’s an anime out there to satisfy your cravings.

As highlighted through these ten excellent recommendations spanning romance, comedy, drama, music, and beyond, viewers hankering for more of Blue Box’s magic have fantastic options waiting to charm them.