Thoughts on the new badminton anime: Blue Box
If you want something motivational and uplifting, the badminton anime Blue Box is for
you. It fuses the sports and romance genre in an amazing way that, pun intended, marries the
two concepts perfectly. To explain the concept of the story as briefly as I possibly can, there is a
high school boy named Taiki who enjoys badminton, but his passion for his sport is outclassed
by Chinatsu's absolute devotion to basketball. Overtime, Taiki starts to come earlier and earlier
to practice just to see the girl play. However, since he barely knows Chinatsu, he is sure that he
will never have a romance or even friendship with her. However, when Chinatsu’s mother moves
away, Taiki’s mother, who is friends with Chinatsu’s mother, lets Chinatsu stay at their home.
This puts Taiki in an awkward position.
In the grand total of two episodes I have consumed of the show, the only two, by the
way, I found myself excited over what happens next. The pacing isn't annoyingly slow like other
romance anime and the sports aspect is light and comforting, similar to Haikyuu!!, a fan favorite.
It has romantic appeal, sports appeal, and, common in a lot of anime, it also causes you to want
to improve yourself, to go on the same journey as Taiki as he hones his skill and creates
relationships. It's a type of story I have never seen before and, usually, those are the best types
of stories. Not to mention that the animation in the show is nothing to scoff at. The detailed and
meticulous way that Chinatsu is animated in close-up shots really drives that warm yet distant
feeling that Taiki has. Taiki, though a blank slate for the beginning of this story, is charming and
relatable. Chinatsu is attractive and the story is written in a way to show how perfect she is,
being popular and talented. Mia, the gymnast that commonly “third wheels” Chinatsu and Taiki,
is lovable for being slightly annoying and funny. Her dynamic with Taiki and Kyo, a friend of
Taiki, is entertaining.
With the world of manga calming down with the end of Jujustu Kaisen and One Piece
coming to a close, anime like these have to take up the roles formerly held by anime like
Haikyuu!! and Kaguya-sama: Love is War. There is something here for everyone. That sort of
shounen glow is very apparent as well. The goal to be in the championships of their respective
sports can be compared to Luffy's goal to be king of the pirates or Naruto's goal to become
Hokage, just with more realistic pacing and ideas. You may feel worried to start this anime or flip
to the first page of the manga because it sounds very cluttered or maybe boring. However, it
isn't in the slightest. The sports-focused scenes always have that underlying theme of romance
and a shounen-like dedication. Many romance anime of the new generation are very gimmick-y,
for example, the insane and wordy titles trying to sell the 100 x-factors. Though I don't watch
those types of anime, I know they probably aren't terrible, but I'm not here to tell you that they
are or aren’t. The most important takeaway from this is the fresh, light badminton anime and
stunning and vibrant animation that new anime fans would love. The refreshingness of sports
anime mixed with the warm feeling associated with romance anime is just the right amount in
this story. I urge anyone who is a fan of slice of life, sports, or romance to give this new anime a
shot. Let’s hope it only gets better from here!
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