On September 5, TBS held a conference in Tokyo to announce the news for the upcoming fall 2024 period. Among the most notable titles is “Blue Box (Ao no Hako),” an adaptation of the popular manga by Kouji Miura, published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since April 2021. The story follows Taiki Inomata, a young boy on the badminton team at the prestigious Eimei Academy, who falls in love with Chinatsu Kano, a talented basketball player. The anime is scheduled to air on Thursdays starting next October.
Shinya Watanabe, director of TBS's animation department, expressed confidence in the series' success, stating that it will be one of the most talked-about titles of the season.We are in a time when more than 50 animes are broadcast in a single quarter, but 'Blue Box' will be one of the key works of this Fall-2024“Watanabe said. Production will be handled by Telecom Animation Film, known for its involvement in high-profile projects, though some fans have expressed doubts about whether the studio will be able to capture the spirit of the manga.
“Blue Box” is a youth story of love and sports, where the characters show their most sincere emotions while fighting for their sporting and personal dreams. This combination has resonated with both young people and adults reminiscing about their school life, which could broaden the anime's target audience. Watanabe stressed that while the manga has a young fan base, the anime will also appeal to those who were once high school students and will be able to relate to the protagonists.
The online community has expressed mixed opinions on the adaptation. Some fans welcome the decision to bring “Blue Box” to anime, while others believe its story would be better suited to a live-action drama. One popular comment noted: “This could have been a good drama, but I don't know if it will work as an anime.” A comparison has also arisen with other recent Shonen Jump adaptations, where Even less popular series have received animated versions, such as “Mashle: Magic and Muscles” and “Undead Unluck.”
TBS’s confidence in “Blue Box” is a reflection of its renewed interest in the anime market. Watanabe said the network has decided to invest more heavily in this type of content, adapting to a rapidly growing market in Japan, where each season exceeds 50 productions. While TBS has not always been known for its support of anime, recent changes in the industry and the success of streaming platforms have made traditional networks view anime as an attractive opportunity.
However, some fans still remember times when networks prioritized sporting events over anime, delaying the airing of episodes or even canceling finals. Although TBS appears to be taking a more proactive stance, it remains to be seen whether “Blue Box” will live up to expectations and stand out in a season filled with strong competitors, such as “Dandadan“, “Trillion Game“, among others that will be broadcast on the same television station.
Fountain: Yahoo! News Japan
