The official X/Twitter account for the anime adaptation of Kōji Miura’s “Blue Box” (“Ao no Hako”) announced on Friday that the series will be returning for a second season. Alongside this announcement, the staff also released a new video and visual.
The first season’s 25th and final episode aired on television in Japan on Thursday.
The anime originally premiered on Japanese television on October 3, airing on TBS and 28 affiliated networks. It became available for streaming on Netflix in Japan on October 4, where new episodes were released weekly.
Additionally, more than 25 other streaming services in Japan made the series available after its television broadcasts. The first season aired continuously for two cours (quarters of a year), with the second cours premiering on Japanese television on January 2.
Macaroni Enpitsu performed the new opening theme song “Shikaraba” (“In That Case”), while TOMOO provided the new ending theme song “Contrast.”
The anime features a talented voice cast, including:
- Shōya Chiba as Taiki Inomata
- Reina Ueda as Chinatsu Kano
- Akari Kitō as Hina Chono
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Kyo Kasahara
- Yūma Uchida as Kengo Haryū
- Shōgo Sakata as Ryōsuke Nishida
- Anna Nagase as Nagisa Funami
- Asaki Yuikawa as Niina Shimazaki
- Yūki Ono as Shōta Hyōdō
- Kenshō Ono as Shūji Yusa
- Kana Ichinose as Ayame Moriya
- Yūki Kaji as Kazuma Matsuoka
Kōji Miura’s Blue Box
The series is directed by Yūichirō Yano, known for “Moyashimon” and “Lupin the Third: Part 5.” Yūko Kakihara, whose previous works include “Buddy Daddies,” “Cells at Work!,” and seasons 2-3 of “Chihayafuru,” oversaw the series scripts.
Character design was handled by Miho Tanino, recognized for “Tower of God” and “Blue Thermal.” The animation was produced by Telecom Animation Film, with UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS managing planning and production.
Official HiGE DANdism performed the first cours opening theme song, “Same Blue,” while Eve provided the ending theme, “Teenage Blue.”
Shueisha’s MANGA Plus service publishes the manga digitally in English and describes the story as follows:
“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!”
Originally, Miura introduced “Blue Box” as a one-shot manga in “Weekly Shonen Jump” in 2020. The manga began serialization in April 2021.
Shueisha released the 19th compiled book volume on March 4, while Viz Media published the 14th volume on the same date. The manga has surpassed 6.2 million copies in circulation.
