Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
The popular shojo manga series that was adapted into the Blue Spring Ride anime!

Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious until she met Kou Tanaka in junior high. But as soon as she realized she really liked him, he had already moved away because of family issues. Now, in high school, Kou has reappeared, but is he still the same boy she fell in love with?

Futaba Yoshioka has encountered her first love again in high school, but he seems different from the boy she once knew. She realizes her feelings for Kou are not because of who he was in the past but who he is now. When she discovers that her friend Yuri has a crush on him too, Futaba is unsure what to do.

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2011

87 people are currently reading
1652 people want to read

About the author

Io Sakisaka

91 books1,527 followers
Io Sakisaka (咲坂伊緒) is a Japanese manga artist. She also designed the characters for the anime movie HAL. Her works are:

-Call My Name (2001)
-Watashi no Koibito (2002)
-Bye-Bye, Little (2002)
-Blue (2006)
-Mascara Blues (2007)
-Strobe Edge (2007)
-Ao Haru Ride (2011)
-Sono Omokage o Shitteru (2013) (oneshot)
-Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare (2015)
-Otome no Itari (2020) (oneshot)
-Sakura, Saku (2021)

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
6,006 (52%)
4 stars
3,741 (32%)
3 stars
1,380 (12%)
2 stars
172 (1%)
1 star
53 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews
Profile Image for Archit.
826 reviews3,200 followers
March 20, 2018
Getting to see every character's perspective is a big treat. Ao Haru Ride is a school romance story of Fatuba and Kou. The creators of this series have made it look amazing so far.
Profile Image for Jasmine.
138 reviews836 followers
July 25, 2022
4.5⭐️ Review on IG: @xojazzle
Ok this was the best one yet! Futaba, yuri, murao = my fav girl gang trio 🫶they’re friendship is just unmatched. I wish I had girlfriends like this! I also just rlly loved the futaba and kou moments here. She finally realizes she likes him even though she’s been trying to convince herself it’s all in the past. I love how kou waits for her to walk home and just shows tht he rlly cares by protecting her from other guys and stuff. I also feel like kou likes her too but doesn’t wanna admit his feelings lol I feel like he was jealous and super flirty when they were studying bc he got in between futaba and kominato hahah then asked futaba to teach him. But yuri ruined the moment and I wanted to SCREAM lol anyways amazing content going to read vol 4 rn
Profile Image for Gina.
812 reviews28 followers
August 18, 2017
I didn't like it when Kou rubs off Futaba's make-up and tell her "it doesn't suit her" like Hell NO! He has no right to do that! She can wear make-up if she wants to. Other than that, I really enjoyed this volume. It was quite funny.
Profile Image for Kadi P.
878 reviews140 followers
August 3, 2021
Overall Manga Review:

Wonderful in some aspects but questionable in others, this was certainly an interesting manga.

One thing that was fantastically done in this manga series was the exploration and representation of grief and the long-lasting impact a parent’s death can have on a child.

The exploration of true friendships was also nicely done, especially with the protagonist letting go of her fake friends and making new friends with whom she went through hardships with but still came out well on the other side due to genuine communication and understanding between them all.

The romance was mostly cute and it certainly started off nicely but it got really murky and messy as it went on. The introduction of the second love interest threw a spanner in the works and to be honest, this was the one instance in which I rooted for the second love interest over the main love interest.

There were some problematic things in this manga that I really wish hadn’t been there.
1. The indecisiveness of the protagonist coupled with the irritatingly dumb decisions of the main love interest became a bit annoying, especially as the right-person, wrong-time scenarios kept cropping up so that the protagonist and main love interest went round in circles constantly.
2. The way the female rival love interest used her unfortunately sad situation to manipulate the main love interest into being with her even though she knew that he wanted to be with the protagonist was awful, exploitative and downright shady.
3. The protagonist made a good decision to move on from the main love interest when he chose to look after the rival love interest instead of being romantically with her. Yet those were all words and no action because the entire time she was with the second love interest she was pining for the main love interest. And it was made even more pitiful by the fact that she knew she didn’t love the second love interest but still insisted on being with him and hurt him by being overly enthusiastic in her actions but not really feeling anything towards him. She led him on and then dropped him like a stone the moment she could go running back to the main love interest after deluding herself that all the terrible decisions she had made and lies she’d told the second love interest were in his interest and only done with him in mind. In actuality, the protagonist acted in a way that was cruel and selfish.
4. The main love interest was sometimes mean too. He managed to make the protagonist cry on more than one occasion with his unnecessarily harsh words and worse, his borderline sexually abusive actions. The scene where he tried to scare her into protecting herself around guys by getting on top of her and pinning her to the ground was insane and the fact that all she did was cry was even more insane. She wasn’t mad at him at all afterwards even though he had severely abused his position as her friend. The lack of consequences for his actions just showed the kind of toxic love between the protagonist and the love interest that hurt themselves and everyone around them.

And so, despite how cute this manga appeared at times, it grew harder and harder to ignore all that was wrong with it and all the blatant issues cast long shadows over the strengths of this manga.
Profile Image for Romie.
1,197 reviews7 followers
April 16, 2018
I think this volume is the one that made me laugh the most! I just had such a great time, every single character is a sweetheart!
Profile Image for Karoline.
416 reviews34 followers
August 13, 2016
-¿Que estas mirando?
-Nada. No estaba mirando.
-¿Haaaa? ¡Estabas mirando hace un momento! Feaaaa.
-Como te dije, no estaba mirando. Caaaaalvo.
-¡¡Yo no soy calvo!! ¡Melocotón es el único calvo! *dibujo del profesor*
-*melocoton coge el cuaderno de Kou*
JAJAJAJAJA.

Bueno, lo único que no me está gustando en eso de que a makita le guste kou, estoy como: osea no, búscate otro y deja que futaba tenga su oportunidad.
No quiero que surja nada entre Kou y Makita ¡No quiero!
Profile Image for Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎.
1,267 reviews187 followers
June 9, 2022
I have no good memories anymore about someone who abandoned me without telling me why. Yes, girl. I know the feeling.

Lol, Murao is savage on the extra chapter, I can't!! By the way, augh, I'm not really a fan of best friends sharing feelings for a guy, but I adore their friendships so much. And Kominato is friggin good guy!! He kind of reminds me of Suwa from Orenji!! Augh, I'm starting to feel the ache in my heart and tummy. Lol, maybe I'm hungry, but my I start getting stomache when I'm stressed—and damn do I feel uneasy already!
Profile Image for elle.
427 reviews20 followers
July 1, 2019
in this house we stan murao-san
Profile Image for Bianca .
386 reviews24 followers
March 3, 2021
i love how much this story makes me so happy.
Profile Image for daph pink ♡ .
1,301 reviews3,283 followers
May 22, 2025
Volume 3 deepens the emotional stakes as Futaba is forced to confront a truth she’d rather avoid: her best friend Yuri has fallen for Kou too. What follows is a tender, internal tug-of-war between loyalty and desire, painted with Io Sakisaka’s signature emotional subtlety.

The strength of this volume lies in its quiet honesty. There’s no melodrama—just awkward truths, hesitant confessions, and the real weight of choosing between friendship and first love. Sakisaka also begins to weave in more backstory, enriching Futaba’s emotional world and showing us why she’s so desperate not to repeat old mistakes.

Visually, the art continues to shine—clean lines, expressive faces, and those classic shoujo panel beats that say more than words ever could.

Volume 3 doesn’t offer big resolutions, but that’s the point. It’s about the slow, uncertain steps we take when we’re figuring out who we are—and who we want to be.
Profile Image for Jessi.
1,239 reviews42 followers
October 25, 2018
Im dritten Teil der Reihe geht es hauptsächlich um die Liebe, denn Youri ist in Kou verliebt, aber Futaba auch. Das hat man aber schon vorher gemerkt.

Wie hier damit umgegangen wird finde ich sehr erwachsen, auch wenn ich glaube, dass da sicher noch einige Probleme auftauchen werden. Youri und Futaba wollen immer noch Freunde bleiben, auch wenn eine von ihnen Kou bekommt. Aber auch Shou hat ein Geheimniss, dieses wird hier ebenfalls gelüftet. Die Idee von Shous geheimniss ist nicht sehr originell, aber ich bin gespannt, wie die Autorin dies umsetzen wird.

Alles in allem ein toller dritter Band.
Profile Image for Saraí Elvir.
339 reviews14 followers
November 30, 2020
Este tiene momentos adorables y divertidos.
Además Murao es genial!
Profile Image for Sara Alegría.
96 reviews2 followers
May 24, 2020
Omg that ending!!!!! I’m dying I need the next one
Profile Image for Pinky.
636 reviews662 followers
September 12, 2016
I'm very disappointed in myself, I still haven't finished Carry On and it's been a week already. I keep making excuses and avoiding it, and I don't know why. I want to read an actual novel again, but I keep stopping myself, and it's making me feel so frustrated. I keep picking up a new volume to read because I don't want to read Carry On just yet. I keep making excuses and I need to try and pick it up! What is wrong with me?

Anyway, this series is about a girl named Futaba who hates guys. She was isolated by her friends because she was cute and attractive to the people around her. Guys always flirt with her and she tried to avoid them. The only guy she ever liked was Kou, he had a high-pitched voice, shorter than the other guys in his grade and was less manly. Before Kou and Futaba could hang out, he disappeared from her life. A few years later, Futaba is going to high school and changes in order to make friends. She starts to eat more and act aggressive so that guys won't find her attractive. She never expects to run into her childhood crush, who has changed as much as she has.



This series is so much fun to read, it's really addicting. I finish a volume and immediately want to read the next volume. But I try to write a review before I start the next volume, in order to keep track of how I feel about this series. I love the characters, Futaba is great, she is easy going and open. She doesn't care about what people think about her now, and I am glad she changed. Ever since her and Kou ran into each other, they have impacted each other's lives. I just wish that Kou were more open and talked to Futaba about how he feels. I want him to explain himself and tell her why he disappeared. But I guess I have to be patient and wait until I am at that part of the series.



This series has a great balance of comedy and serious moments. Whenever there was a serious scene, the feels are deep, but then the comedic scenes make me laugh so hard. It's crazy that this series is going by so quickly, I feel like reading 5 volumes a day. I love the bonds between the characters and how intimate they are. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

It's a fun ride and I can't wait to continue, so I'll be off. I hope to read Carry On soon!
Profile Image for Thamy.
607 reviews30 followers
January 28, 2019
If you're wondering if the manga is worth it, YES! To be honest, I felt it was cute and well written from the start, but I couldn't see the reason for the hype. Now I'm done with the third volume, nothing that big has even happened and I'm eating my fingers, my hands, my arms to get to the fourth. This is one of the good, memorable shoujo mangas.

4.5!

Now this will have spoilers from the previous volumes, so refrain from reading further.

As I said above, this volume made me see the value of this manga. I'm so invested in Futaba and in learning how this couple will get together...! It's been a while since a shoujo made me feel this excited.

What I think was the best here are the interactions between Kou and Futaba. They're so cute, I can't not cheer for them. The main story is the anxiety Futaba's friend having feelings for Kou has caused in Futaba, so again we also have lots of friendship moments. So far, things seem to be going fine. Seems to, being the key word.

By the end of the main story, we also get a short one about Kou's brother and how his relationship with his student started. It's too short but definitely cute, don't miss it.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Profile Image for Flopi.
277 reviews10 followers
February 4, 2022
La dinámica que llevan Kou y Futaba es muy tierna. Son de esas amistades que conservan sus buenos momentos, que quieren crear nuevos, y que buscan ser algo más. Me agrada la química que veo en los protagonistas, y me da un poco de pena por Makita 😔
Profile Image for Jess | jadecanread.
1,263 reviews190 followers
November 13, 2024
Kou swiping off Futaba's lipstick is my Roman Empire.

The (subtle) signs being thrown left and right are making me yell. And then Shuko's bonus story? She's so bold, I love her haha.

Character relationship wise - I think this one was very accurate in its portrayal of the teenage experience. I know I've lost friendships over overlapping feelings so this was spot on lol.

RECAP: Yuri tells the girls she likes Kou and Futaba spends the next while trying to squash any feelings for Kou. She wants to preserve her friendship as much as possible. Then Kou and she stay back to write a retreat wrap up and when they're headed home, she tells herself if Kou stays on the train when she says she needs to double back for something, she'll drop her feelings, vs if he gets off the train to go with her, she'll embrace her feelings. Guess which one he does. He says her hair smells good, she starts putting effort in her appearance. She follows Kou one day when he goes to hang out with delinquents. She runs into a middle school friend who dropped her because she thought Futaba liked the same guy so the anxiety skyrockets. Futaba eventually tells the girls, Yuri is understanding, Shoko tells them about her feelings for Mr. Tanaka. Kou is failing classes so the friends force a study group at his place. End of volume with the bonus story of Shuko and Mr. Tanaka.
Profile Image for Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer.
1,512 reviews5 followers
March 31, 2019
description
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

In middle school Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious... except for Kou Tanaka. They agree to meet to go to a summer festival together but he never shows up. Fast forward to high school where she meets Tanaka again, but he's totally different and that even includes his name! Will they be able to rekindle what they had in the past?!

Ao Haru Ride vol 3 really brought the tension as Futuba realizes that she still likes Kou. Unfortunately her new friend whom she's just struggled to bond with likes him too (we learned this in the previous volume...) and really its not a shocker as girls have been going through this since forever. I really love how Futuba has to really think about what to do. Many times stories have girls picking the boy even unconsciously but Futuba realizes she messed up not saying something and works to rectify that.

Kou we learn has grown up quick. And he's not happy. We get a little behind the scenes with him in Ao Haru Ride vol 3 and I enjoyed that glimpse. Plus Futuba got to see that glimpse as well. And it perhaps backfired on him in that it made her feels pop even more! The three girls are actually starting to bond and I find I really care and hope they will weather this boy drama and stay friends no matter what. Kuminato is such a loose cannon but in a good way... he creates this unusual situation and it leaves up on tenderhooks!

Futuba is so refreshing! I really love the struggle we see as she tries to find herself... that of course happens through trial and error. Boys and friends are all a part of that process and I'm really liking the kind of girl Futuba is working to become. The kind of friend who is honest even if that means risking breaking a friendship. The best think about Ao Haru Ride vol 3 is the funny! Io Sakisaka totally brought it to this volume... it makes you giggle and squeal!

And a lot of that squealing and giggling is due to the art. Sooooo many neat frames!! I've always likes the cover of this series but actually in Ao Haru Ride vol 3 the interior art beat out the cover this time... We are really seeing the characters personalities pop and I know we are in for a ton more heartache and happiness. I love that contrast that is so clear in the art... we have super serious moments that touch your heart and we have such funny scenes... keep this up and this will be a really winning series!

Ao Haru Ride vol 3 really upped the exceptions I have for this series, I want this little group to gel and have some really great moments in their life! Ao Haru Ride is a fun slice of life story about a girl in high school who is trying to have the best experience she can... And we get to be along for the ride!


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.


This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

______________________
You can find this manga review and many others on my book blog every Monday @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews at the bottom of the page.

Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,966 reviews306 followers
December 16, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/a4XU75uG8Bw

"Before you run off…shouldn't you try to find yourself as you are now? How is widening your search going to help? You may end up even more lost."

Another fantastic volume!

I deeply enjoy these characters and adore Futaba's character because of how important her friendship is with Yuri. Her struggles and her chickening out and even her feelings for Kou and how she wants to love him her amazing to see on page! I continue to deeply deeply deeply enjoy her story and seeing how she changes. Her old friend was so right in saying that she has changed and was SO proud of Futaba saying she would take it as a compliment because I feel it IS one. Keep growing, Futaba, keep growing!

I also love the close friendship between Futaba, Yuri, and Murao are starting to have. I LOVEEEE there honesty among each other SO much and get almost just as excited to see them having "girl time" as much as I do when I see a romantic scene between Kou and Futaba!

And speaking of, I *definitely* feel Kou is showing he has feelings for Futaba! It's extremely subtle, but it's there and totally here for it! (I feel this time I'm genuinely not reading TOO much into it! LOL!)

Kou seemed more…likable(?) this volume? I liked him last volume, but he seems less reserved and got to see a few more peeks into his heart which I appreciated.

That ending though! Not quite as much as a cliffhanger as last volume, but gah! Something DEFINITELY happened!!
Profile Image for Aparna.
175 reviews1 follower
Read
March 16, 2024
“I think I like Mabuchi.” I know it’s an overused trope but I will never hate the “my best friend likes the same guy I do putting me in uncomfortable but wacky situations” trope.

I love Futaba’s and Kou’s dynamic so much! How they aren’t afraid to play around with each other and have fun in front of everyone else (poor Yuri).

I haven’t mentioned Kominato yet. He’s very funny. I love easy going characters like him.

“If Kou stays on the train I’ll stop falling in love with him. If he gets off, I’ll continue.” AND THEN HE GETS OFF. HOW DO YOU NOT EXPECT ME TO LOVE THEM AND THIS STORY.

The great thing about Ao Haru Ride is that when Futaba realises she likes Kou, she tells her friend Yuri. It doesn’t get postponed for drama but she tells her and it’s so refreshing to see! So many stories will delay this inevitable conversation until it’s so ridiculous, ruining the story.
798 reviews123 followers
Read
January 10, 2020
I just love the way Io Sakisaka deftly handles what is usually contrived: miscommunication causes disruption, but not by being forced aside again and again. The characters actually talk to one another and face their feelings in interesting ways. This is the sign of good writing.
Profile Image for Sophi.
189 reviews10 followers
May 31, 2021
Ammmm HOLA? ALGUIEN ME EXPLICA COMO ES QUE ESTE MANGA ESTUVO TAN BUENO? El DRAMA. DIOS. lo ame completamente, todos los momentos entre la prota y tamaka me enamoraron.
Profile Image for liv_melodi.
154 reviews4 followers
August 18, 2023
Ścieżki młodości 3 ๑

Co zrobić, gdy najdroższa przyjaciółka zakocha się w chłopaku, którego również darzysz uczuciem?

Takie pytanie zostaje zadane przez Futabe Yoshioke po otrzymaniu wiadomości od Yuuri, która zdradza jej swoje zauroczenie do Kou.

Problem niestety tkwi w tym, że Futaba nadal nie umie zapomnieć o dawnym Tanakim i teraz martwi się, że wyznanie prawdy pogorszy relacje z nową przyjaciółką.
Czy główna bohaterka będzie na tyle wyrozumiała, by sobie odpuścić?

Miłość od pierwszego wejrzenia...coś takiego w ogóle istnieje?
Okazuje się że tak.

Podczas wycieczki terenowej, Kou pomaga Yuuri przejść przez rzekę i dziewczyna zakochuje się w nim po uszy.
Nie ma problemu z okazywaniem uczuć, chociaż Yioshioka próbuje ją przekonać, by tego nie robiła.
Relacja przyjaciółek zmienia się diametralnie.
Widać, że obie zaczynają minimalnie rywalizować o chłopaka, ale nie jest to walka typu "kto pierwszy, ten lepszy" i autorka w tym przypadku miło mnie zaskoczyła.

Wcale nie wątpię, że zabrzmi to absurdalnie, ale osobiście nie przepadam za postaciami, które mają duże oczy.
Wyjątkiem, w którym przymykam oko na ten fakt jest właśnie seria „Ścieżki młodości”.
Autorka ma dość wyjątkowy styl rysowania oczu, który bez zaprzeczenia mnie przekonał.
W spojrzeniu bohaterów możemy doszukać się głębi - łatwo można wywnioskować, czego oczekują, co chcą powiedzieć oraz przekazać.

Fragmenty, w których Futaba oraz Mabuchi spoglądają sobie prosto w oczy są moimi ulubionymi momentami w całej serii.

W dodatku pt. „Przyciąganie gwiazd” poznałam bliżej jedną z moich ulubionych bohaterek.
Shuko Murao to świetnie wykreowana postać i lubię ją chyba pod każdym względem.

W poprzedniej recenzji wspominałam o jej problemach miłosnych, ale nie chciałam pisać o osobie, którą kocha, więc jeśli nadal wolicie tego nie widzieć, to nie czytajcie poniższego tekstu.

Nastolatka bowiem zauroczona jest
w starszym bracie Kou.

Yōichi jest miłym, pomocny oraz odpowiedzialnym nauczycielem, którego każdy uczeń lubi (oczywiście poza Ayą Kominato).
Mężczyzna od dłuższego czasu zauważył nietypowe zachowanie swojej uczennicy, ale próbuje trzymać ją na odpowiedni dystans, ponieważ wie, że nie mógłby z nią być.
Uśmiałam się przy jego reakcji, gdy Shuko oddaje mu "wypełnioną" ankietę.

Oby było więcej takich dodatków o postaciach ze strony Io Sakisake!
Profile Image for Ana Encinas.
378 reviews67 followers
June 2, 2019
Aoha ride, tomo 3 por Io Sakisaka. Seguimos con la historia de Futaba y Kou, que poco a poco van sucediendo cosas más interesantes. En esta continuación, nuestra protagonista se entera de que su mejor amiga está enamorada del mismo chico que ella, por lo que será un gran problema y deberá decidir si decírselo y perder su amistad por ello, o enterrar sus sentimientos para siempre. La trama sigue en la línea de los dos anteriores, con muchos momentos cómicos entre sus protagonistas, además de nuevas incorporaciones al pequeño grupo que crean. Me ha entretenido, pero sobretodo me ha dejado con ganas de mucho más.
Profile Image for Julie.
2,622 reviews197 followers
January 13, 2020
Shoko is so bold lmao! I'm not a huge fan of the whole two friends liking the same boy thing, which is what this volume is really focused on. The more I read the more I feel like I've read this series before.
Profile Image for d★.
331 reviews14 followers
November 21, 2023
futaba y kou son demasiado tiernos aún cuando ni se dan cuenta de lo notorio que son sus sentimientos LOS AMO TANTO; y creo que de momento me agrada más shuuko que yuuri pero recién es el vol 3, tengo fe
Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.