Blue Box (manga)

Lore & Background

Blue Box was originally a one-shot published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 3, 2020. It later began serialization in the same magazine from April 12, 2021, and is still ongoing as of 2025, with no confirmed end date. Shueisha collects its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first volume released on August 4, 2021. The manga has been licensed for simultaneous publication in North America by Viz Media on its Shonen Jump website, and Shueisha simulpublishes the series in English for free on the Manga Plus app and website. In February 2022, Viz Media announced a print license; 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. 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, but no director, animation studio, or release date has been officially confirmed as of 2025.

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 championships.

Reader's Guide

Blue Box is significant as a sports romance manga that ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 2021 to 2026, achieving over 10 million copies in circulation by May 2026. Its popularity was reflected in its nomination for the seventh Next Manga Award in the Best Print Manga category, where it placed eighth out of 50 nominees but won the Global Prize. The series also ranked fourth on the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2022. The manga received critical acclaim, with Comic Book Resources (CBR) noting its sentimental story about human connection and beautiful artwork that at times resembles a shōjo manga more than a typical shōnen. The anime adaptation, which aired from October 2024 to March 2025, was produced by TMS Entertainment and animated by Telecom Animation Film, with a second season animated by Electric Circus set to premiere in October 2026. The series' legacy lies in its blend of sports and romance, appealing to a broad audience and earning both commercial success and critical recognition.

Did You Know?

• The manga was originally a one-shot published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 3, 2020, before serialization began on April 12, 2021.
• By May 2026, the manga had over 10 million copies in circulation.
• The first volume had over 170,000 copies in circulation in less than a week after its release in August 2021.
• The series won the Global Prize at the seventh Next Manga Award in 2021.