REVIEW: ‘Blue Box’ Season 1 Crafts Something Special

Blue Box Season 1 (Ao no Hako), produced by Telecom Animation Film, follows first-year high schooler Taiki Inomata (Shoya Chiba, Platinum End) as he pursues athletic success at badminton and the affection of fellow school athlete Chinatsu Kano (Reina Ueda, My Happy Marriage). Things quickly become more complicated, though, when Chinatsu moves into Taiki’s home so she can continue to play basketball at their school, putting friendship, love, and athletic pursuits onto a collision course.

There is no shortage of elements to praise with the first season of this anime. However, the biggest one is how the show presents Taiki’s affection for Chinatsu. Rather than simply have Taiki swooning over the prettiest girl in school, Taiki’s interest in Chinatsu stems from how the older student inspires him. Both ardent athletes arrive at school early to practice before the day begins. Seeing Chinatsu there every morning pushes him to keep going, wanting to be like her. Even when Chinatsu is faced with setbacks that would discourage others, she is relentless in the pursuit of her goals.

What makes the inspirational element of Blue Box Season 1‘s core plot even better is when Taiki learns that the inspiration is mutual. Just as Taiki has come to chase after her achievements, so too does Chinatsu find strength in his enduring drive. That they both share similar passions and mutual admiration for the other instills the fact that what is growing between them is far more than just a high school crush.

The strength of the affection that develops within the characters is further reinforced by the gorgeous visual design of the series. Lighting and animation always deliver the characters’ feelings with surprising power. Whenever Taiki looks at Chinatsu, and we see the young girl bathed in warm light, with her hair lightly caught in a breeze, it feels painfully obvious just how deep Taiki’s feelings for her run are that he cannot help but see her in such an angelic light.

The pace at which the series explores the couple’s budding feelings is excellently handled. This first twelve-episode run gets the duo off the ground and headed towards each other while still leaving plenty of travel left to go. Blue Box Season 1 is careful not to rush the pair, choosing to let the relationship develop at what feels like a natural pace. This pacing is also helped by the other focus of the series – sports.

Blue Box Season 1 balances love and sports

Despite the love story between Taiki and Chinatsu standing at the heart of the series, Blue Box Season 1 spends a significant amount of time exploring the trials and tribulations of its young athletes as they strive to be the best in their sports. The passion and desire to excel are delivered with abundant force without taking the push to be the best to an unhealthy level. Characters are always looking out for each other, making sure that they are taking care of themselves. This keeps the ambition of its high school cast from degenerating into unhealthy obsession.

Just as Blue Box Season 1 brings its romance to life with excellent visual enhancements, so too does it bring its sports sequences to a similar life. The speed and motion of athletes as they drive across basketball courts or return serve across the net drive home the exertion and effort each sport demands. The fluidness of every motion, from the wrinkling of cloth in the wind to a diving play, brings all the energy of the sports to the forefront and enhances the drama of completion.

While the animation spares no effort to depict the hard work of its athletes, the series never loses track of where its focus is. Sporting events are important moments in the show, but they are also short. No long, drawn-out tournament stories, Blue Box Season 1 dives into the moment, delivers what it needs to, and then comes back to its characters.

This allows the story to convey the importance of each sports event to the viewer through how the outcome impacts the characters. Sometimes, the emotional impact is straightforward; other times, things can get complicated. When one player succeeds, and another fails, the feelings of joy and envy that can bubble up are allowed to coexist, giving the characters even more depth.

The final element that gives the athletic events weight within the series’ narrative is that failure is a real possibility. No character ever feels like they have plot armor on when they take the court. Setbacks are used elegantly to provide learning moments, give characters the chance to support each other, or build up future triumphs. Losing sucks, but it’s not the end of the story.

Failure is always looming in Blue Box Season 1

The other pillar that Blue Box Season 1 rests on is the supporting cast that it develops. From friends who share in the starring duo’s ambition to rivals who challenge them, every character that the series introduced feels real and has a meaningful place in the story. None more so than Taiki’s friend Hina (Akari Kitô, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl’s Story).

Hina is a long-time friend of Taiki, who is the star of the school’s rhythmic gymnastics team. Initially, she is a playful prodder, someone who is always poking Taiki to do his best while always making just a bit of fun at his expense. As she learns about Taiki’s feelings for Chinatsu, she tries to aid in his pursuits, even as her feelings begin to come through.

The complexity that the show breathes into Hina is so well done that there are times when she completely steals the show. How she strives to get Taiki’s attention while still trying to respect his feelings for Chinatsu makes her an extremely empathetic character. She wants him to want her, but she is unwilling to hurt their friendship in the pursuit of her goal.

Blue Box Season 1 brings every strand of its plot together to craft something special. Its use of the twin pursuits of love and sports to enhance each other brings an amazing story to life. Populated with wonderful characters who demand you root for them, the show’s narrative will live on in the audience’s hearts long after the final credits roll.

Combined with a visual presentation that brings the softness of love and the intensity of sports to life, Blue Box Season 1 offers a near-flawless story for fans of high school romances.

Blue Box Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.