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The Blue Box anime production committee has dropped a brand new visual. While little else has been revealed, this is no doubt exciting for fans of the romantic comedy manga. Published in Shonen Jump since 2021, the manga has fostered fans for both its romantic and sports-based scenarios.
The story is simple enough: high school student Taiki Inomata is a member of his school’s badminton team and has a crush on Chinatsu Kano, an upperclassman and member of the women's basketball team. However, when her parents leave the country to work abroad, she ends up living with Taiki’s family, putting the boy closer to his crush than ever.
Blue Box anime likely coming in 2024
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The anime was first confirmed in Shonen Jump this past week. While little else of the anime has been revealed besides a key visual, a release date sometime in 2024 seems likely. It will likely not be in the winter or spring season, as even the studio behind the Blue Box anime has yet to be revealed, but as preparations are underway, a summer or fall release seems likely.
There’s plenty of ground for the anime to cover, as the series has been ongoing for two years and has been compiled in twelve volumes. Given that a twelve-episode season can cover up to three or four volumes, there’s little worry of it catching up to the manga, even if it is a twenty-four-episode season with a cour.
Possible studios behind it include Production I.G., best known for their work on Haikyuu! and Kuroko no Basket. Given their experience in sports anime, especially ball-based sports, it seems like a good fit. Another good studio would be Madhouse, the minds behind Hajime no Ippo and Chihayafuru. Until further reveals are seen, though, this is all pure speculation.
Blue Box anime summary
Blue Box is a romantic comedy and sports series. The synopsis, via Shueisha’s Manga Plus, reads,
"Taiki Inomata is on the boys' badminton team at sports powerhouse Eimei Junior and Senior High. He's in love with basketball player Chinatsu Kano, the older girl he trains alongside every morning in the gym. One Spring day, their relationship takes a sharp turn ... And thus begins this brand-new series of love, sports and youth!"
The Blue Box anime adaptation will be another addition to a strong 2024 anime releases. With highly anticipated series like Solo Leveling and Tales of Wedding Rings earlier in the year, Blue Box will provide good support for the later seasons of next year. Anime fans will no doubt be looking forward to seeing Kento Miura’s romcom sports manga adapted to animation.
