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アオのハコ [Ao no Hako] #3
Blue Box, Vol. 3
Taiki Inomata loves badminton but has a long way to go before he can reach nationals.
When Taiki sees upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out on the girls’ basketball team, he falls for her hard. After an unexpected turn of events brings the two closer together, sports might not be the first thing on their minds anymore!
At long last, the prefectural qualifiers for nationals begin! After his intense training with Haryu, Taiki will finally be put to the test in a grueling doubles match. Can Taiki take down opponents from the formidable Sajikawa High School? Or will his dreams of reaching nationals come crashing down around him?
When Taiki sees upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out on the girls’ basketball team, he falls for her hard. After an unexpected turn of events brings the two closer together, sports might not be the first thing on their minds anymore!
At long last, the prefectural qualifiers for nationals begin! After his intense training with Haryu, Taiki will finally be put to the test in a grueling doubles match. Can Taiki take down opponents from the formidable Sajikawa High School? Or will his dreams of reaching nationals come crashing down around him?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2022
26 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 27, 2023
This series just keeps getting better and better. I LOVE the characters, they are a heck of a lot more dedicated than I was when I was their age. I love their focus and their drive and Taiki's sincerely positive outlook and never giving up is practically the stuff of legends. He REALLY is that sincere and I am eating it up.
The love story arc is muted, but Hina has finally realized her feelings and isn't going to throw in the towel just yet. It did shake her with her gymnastics a bit, but she isn't the best at gymnastics for nothing, so after a few rocky days, she picked it right back up again.
It shows one that yes, your love life can be a mess and your feelings can be running riot, but that doesn't mean the rest of your life has to suffer. I really want Hina to succeed, and she is good enough that she most likely will.
Taiki, with all of his positivity and hard work, well...I don't think it looks good for him. Which is sad, BUT it is realistic, which this series seems to be embracing and I LOVE it. My pendulum might be swinging from magic, fantasy, OTT oblivious lovable characters to more quiet, staid, slices-of-realistic-life, This is a good series for that pendulum to swing to. Highly recommended!
5, sigh when is the next volume coming out again, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
The love story arc is muted, but Hina has finally realized her feelings and isn't going to throw in the towel just yet. It did shake her with her gymnastics a bit, but she isn't the best at gymnastics for nothing, so after a few rocky days, she picked it right back up again.
It shows one that yes, your love life can be a mess and your feelings can be running riot, but that doesn't mean the rest of your life has to suffer. I really want Hina to succeed, and she is good enough that she most likely will.
Taiki, with all of his positivity and hard work, well...I don't think it looks good for him. Which is sad, BUT it is realistic, which this series seems to be embracing and I LOVE it. My pendulum might be swinging from magic, fantasy, OTT oblivious lovable characters to more quiet, staid, slices-of-realistic-life, This is a good series for that pendulum to swing to. Highly recommended!
5, sigh when is the next volume coming out again, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2023
The Tournaments begin!
This focus is still very much on Taiki crushing on Chinatsu. However we get a lot of Hina this time around, and she's becoming a favorite of mine. Her determination but also love interest is really interesting way of thinking, and I feel for the girl. Then we have Taiki partner in the tournament, Haryu, and he's turning into another character I really like. Having multiple characters change into someone I'm interested is always a plus.
I just wish Taiki would be truthful to himself and ask out the lady. I hope it's not 20 more volumes of not going off his love! DO IT TAIKI!
This focus is still very much on Taiki crushing on Chinatsu. However we get a lot of Hina this time around, and she's becoming a favorite of mine. Her determination but also love interest is really interesting way of thinking, and I feel for the girl. Then we have Taiki partner in the tournament, Haryu, and he's turning into another character I really like. Having multiple characters change into someone I'm interested is always a plus.
I just wish Taiki would be truthful to himself and ask out the lady. I hope it's not 20 more volumes of not going off his love! DO IT TAIKI!
March 17, 2023
Everybody’s got their goals. Hina to win big at gymnastics, Chinatsu to win big at basketball, and Taiki to take it straight to nationals. But, between shifting goals, the reality of competition, and good old hormones, nothing’s as simple as just going out there and playing.
It is not exaggerating to suggest that every time Hina pops up, this manga gets roughly 30% better. As much as the Chinatsu and Taiki vibe is getting better and better, Hina is a catalyst of the first order. This is one of the rare times that I have really thought the rival brought something to the table (even if she should be wiping the floor with Chinatsu, but I can’t have everything).
The first section of this volume focuses on Hina’s lack thereof, as her recognition of those damned feelings of hers starts to first distract, then impact, when it comes to her rhythmic gymnastics work. As predicted, here we go…
Or do we? Maybe, just maybe, you can be a mess and still get the job done. I love how this all plays out and having Hina stay strong while being a lovesick mess is fantastic stuff. She’s ridiculously well-written for her role and shows that she’s not all talk.
It’s no great secret that the pressure on any competitive athlete is massive, but the expectations on Hina, who also has a famous father whose footsteps she’s following in, are crushing and she knows it. It’s what she does with that knowledge that makes this a treat to read.
After she gets a pep talk from Taiki, who clearly doesn’t know what he’s unleashing, things return to normal. Except for the edge on her interactions now - Hina knows what she’s doing. But… so does Chinatsu. Fried chicken has never been such a battleground.
Chinatsu gets a little more of a kick in the pants from the Hina situation, but she’s also got her own struggles with proving that all her practice wasn’t just for show and that she’s not just a wannabe. Which everybody knows, but doesn’t stop some opponents from dismissing her as nothing.
There’s just enough to keep the sports sections interesting, but not turn this into a full-on hardcore sports manga. It’s got a balance between the competitive trials of the leads along with their romantic struggles.
Taiki is heavily focused on winning, with his sights set on nationals, but he’s only barely won a match against his senpai in club and there’s always going to be a bigger fish. While the outcome isn’t terribly shocking, it really smacks the reality of the situation home for our boy.
Even his famous forward-facing can’t stay perfectly intact in the face of his dreams being crushed hard, but the way he recovers from it suggests big things in the future. And Taiki’s only kicked it into overdrive relatively recently - Hina and Chinatsu have been pushing for a lot longer to get where they are.
This is a well-written story and no mistake. I like the characters who aren’t Hina, Hina herself is one of my favourite characters in a long, long time, and it’s both charming and has a really good vibe. The premise was a hard swallow, but the results speak for themselves. The cohabitation situation even becomes a sticking point for poor Taiki as well and I love seeing it used for something other than shenanigans.
With a couple volumes down, the story really nails the dynamic between all these characters and having them not be love-centric every single moment like you’d see in a traditional shojo gives it a bit more realism that helps set it apart. It’s not hard to imagine this playing out in the real world at times and the slow burn between Chinatsu and Taiki is developing nicely.
4.5 stars - the Hina sections at the start are 5 stars all the way, the latter tournament stuff is good to great, around 4-4.5 stars depending on the moment. Rounded up because of the general quality on display here. And maybe also for the way it looks like it’s about to go for fan service and then smacks it down in amusing fashion.
It is not exaggerating to suggest that every time Hina pops up, this manga gets roughly 30% better. As much as the Chinatsu and Taiki vibe is getting better and better, Hina is a catalyst of the first order. This is one of the rare times that I have really thought the rival brought something to the table (even if she should be wiping the floor with Chinatsu, but I can’t have everything).
The first section of this volume focuses on Hina’s lack thereof, as her recognition of those damned feelings of hers starts to first distract, then impact, when it comes to her rhythmic gymnastics work. As predicted, here we go…
Or do we? Maybe, just maybe, you can be a mess and still get the job done. I love how this all plays out and having Hina stay strong while being a lovesick mess is fantastic stuff. She’s ridiculously well-written for her role and shows that she’s not all talk.
It’s no great secret that the pressure on any competitive athlete is massive, but the expectations on Hina, who also has a famous father whose footsteps she’s following in, are crushing and she knows it. It’s what she does with that knowledge that makes this a treat to read.
After she gets a pep talk from Taiki, who clearly doesn’t know what he’s unleashing, things return to normal. Except for the edge on her interactions now - Hina knows what she’s doing. But… so does Chinatsu. Fried chicken has never been such a battleground.
Chinatsu gets a little more of a kick in the pants from the Hina situation, but she’s also got her own struggles with proving that all her practice wasn’t just for show and that she’s not just a wannabe. Which everybody knows, but doesn’t stop some opponents from dismissing her as nothing.
There’s just enough to keep the sports sections interesting, but not turn this into a full-on hardcore sports manga. It’s got a balance between the competitive trials of the leads along with their romantic struggles.
Taiki is heavily focused on winning, with his sights set on nationals, but he’s only barely won a match against his senpai in club and there’s always going to be a bigger fish. While the outcome isn’t terribly shocking, it really smacks the reality of the situation home for our boy.
Even his famous forward-facing can’t stay perfectly intact in the face of his dreams being crushed hard, but the way he recovers from it suggests big things in the future. And Taiki’s only kicked it into overdrive relatively recently - Hina and Chinatsu have been pushing for a lot longer to get where they are.
This is a well-written story and no mistake. I like the characters who aren’t Hina, Hina herself is one of my favourite characters in a long, long time, and it’s both charming and has a really good vibe. The premise was a hard swallow, but the results speak for themselves. The cohabitation situation even becomes a sticking point for poor Taiki as well and I love seeing it used for something other than shenanigans.
With a couple volumes down, the story really nails the dynamic between all these characters and having them not be love-centric every single moment like you’d see in a traditional shojo gives it a bit more realism that helps set it apart. It’s not hard to imagine this playing out in the real world at times and the slow burn between Chinatsu and Taiki is developing nicely.
4.5 stars - the Hina sections at the start are 5 stars all the way, the latter tournament stuff is good to great, around 4-4.5 stars depending on the moment. Rounded up because of the general quality on display here. And maybe also for the way it looks like it’s about to go for fan service and then smacks it down in amusing fashion.
January 30, 2022
not the second female lead syndrome kicking in 🥲
October 17, 2023
This volume starts off with Hina trying to keep her emotions in check. The rest of the volume focuses on the prefectural qualifiers for nationals and Taiki's determination to do better.
June 18, 2024
This series is just so sweet!
It’s definitely getting more complicated, and I feel like a love triangle is starting to develop…
To be honest, this volume had a ton of sports related stuff, that after some time kind of confused me. It’s harder for me to get really into what’s actually happening because some scenes are pretty quick and change fast. But overall, very sweet characters! And I enjoy seeing Taiki change how people view him towards the end. Will definitely read the future volumes!
It’s definitely getting more complicated, and I feel like a love triangle is starting to develop…
To be honest, this volume had a ton of sports related stuff, that after some time kind of confused me. It’s harder for me to get really into what’s actually happening because some scenes are pretty quick and change fast. But overall, very sweet characters! And I enjoy seeing Taiki change how people view him towards the end. Will definitely read the future volumes!
December 22, 2023
3,5/5⭐️
Este tomo me ha gustado mucho más ya que ese personaje que pensé que se iba a entrometer entre los dos protagonistas, ha cambiado su actitud, pero, en este tipo de mangas no podemos fiarnos JAJAJA
Este tomo me ha gustado mucho más ya que ese personaje que pensé que se iba a entrometer entre los dos protagonistas, ha cambiado su actitud, pero, en este tipo de mangas no podemos fiarnos JAJAJA
April 18, 2024
I am loving it but pls don't hurt my babies
Read
August 8, 2024LEAN
Read
October 8, 2024狂虐青梅
小雛可憐哪
到目前為止都是套路大全
所以在紅什麼呢?
小雛可憐哪
到目前為止都是套路大全
所以在紅什麼呢?
November 27, 2024
Hina is such a great character.
I knew it would be far too early (and easy) if Taiki won but seeing him lose still hurt :'(
I knew it would be far too early (and easy) if Taiki won but seeing him lose still hurt :'(
August 25, 2025
I love Blue Box, but this volume was kinda sad. 🥹 First, Hina’s part really hit me—though I loved getting her POV. Then came Taiki’s two losses… I honestly thought Plot Armor would at least let him win the doubles match. It was heartbreaking, and I also felt really bad for Haryu—after his own loss, it seemed like he was completely alone, especially when he asked for Taiki. :(
On the brighter side, the new character Yusa seems really interesting, and I’m hoping we get to see more of him. In the first two volumes, Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship felt more like just a friendly connection, but this book finally made me start liking them together. Still… I’m Team Hina.
On the brighter side, the new character Yusa seems really interesting, and I’m hoping we get to see more of him. In the first two volumes, Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship felt more like just a friendly connection, but this book finally made me start liking them together. Still… I’m Team Hina.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
Still a fantastic read!! Love my teenaged drama comfort read
February 15, 2023
Thanks so much NetGalley and Viz Media for access to this arc!!
I once again devoured this manga. It just keeps getting better as the series progresses! I love the evolution of Taiki and Chinatsu's friendship (and maybe relationship one day!!!), and seeing the vulnerable side of Hina was very touching. I can't wait for the next one!
I once again devoured this manga. It just keeps getting better as the series progresses! I love the evolution of Taiki and Chinatsu's friendship (and maybe relationship one day!!!), and seeing the vulnerable side of Hina was very touching. I can't wait for the next one!
April 24, 2023
Blue Box volume 3 is all about their qualifiers to nationals. Taiki is linked up with Haryu for doubles and Chi and her team are pushing hard to make it through their tournament as well. What I love from this volume is the realistic side of this, Taiki ends up losing in doubles and singles after all the hard work he put in which I appreciate. Its not always fun when your main character just goes and beats every challenge right off the bat, its good to see that progression. Chi and her team end up advancing while he's left behind picking the pieces back up from his loss. Its nice seeing the comparison between the two leads, they both work hard at what they do, but sometimes in sports, the results won't reflect the effort. In the end however, they pick each other up and encourage each other to keep doing their best. Its truly a different type of love story out of manga, the sports are just the catalyst for these characters to interact with each other and I'm here for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2023
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4/5
Heyy! We’re getting somewhere!! This volume a lot of sport action, timeline moving forward, and romantic feeling.
Taiki’s character is a nice break from the usual female perspectives I read from. His depth of character isn’t something I personally see often. Also loving the sneak peaks into Chinatsu and Hina.
I’m glad I stick with this because I’m not thoroughly enjoying it. Especially with that ending? I’m very excited for more and can’t wait for volume 4.
4/5
Heyy! We’re getting somewhere!! This volume a lot of sport action, timeline moving forward, and romantic feeling.
Taiki’s character is a nice break from the usual female perspectives I read from. His depth of character isn’t something I personally see often. Also loving the sneak peaks into Chinatsu and Hina.
I’m glad I stick with this because I’m not thoroughly enjoying it. Especially with that ending? I’m very excited for more and can’t wait for volume 4.
June 6, 2023
Volume 3 added depth to this cast of characters. Enjoyed seeing more of them actually playing sports & all the anxieties that come with being a student athlete. Hope a relationship forms soon but feel like it’ll be a sloooooow burn, ha.
October 20, 2021
i adore the dynamic between hina and taiki so much 🤧
June 9, 2023
The transitions at the end were a little quick but I am still enjoying this story!
October 9, 2023
Such a solid series. The character work and relationship building here is really top notch.
January 24, 2024
This was such a great volume again and I loved it!
This one sees Taiki and Chinatsu growing more closer and I love how the tension between them grows and well you see the jacket incident which was fun and then the story with Hina concludes in the beginning of the volume and I love how this one shows how Hina is feeling and her friendship with Taiki and I just love both of these characters and Taiki being so awesome, not worrying about what others will think.. only thing that matters is the well being of his friend and its inspiring.
And then the competition be it the doubles like the one vs Hyodo and Yusa from Sajikawa and we get a spotlight on them and how strong they are, and its a nice break from "the character excels" and these moments of failures are the ones that make you like the characters and this is another oen where we see how Taiki takes it in strides and works harder to be better.
His friend Kyo put it best "Picking himself up everytime he falls down is his greatest virtue" and that line is so inspiring and we can learn so much from it!
Plus there is a scene where people are bad mouthing Chinatsu and well Taiki is obviously there but its her reaction of taking it in and showing it on the field is such a great message to the readers that regardless of what anyone says, be confident in yourself and show them all what you are really capable of.. where it matters..
and clearly you can see this is one of those mangas where you learn so much besides following the characters and their journey and its so rare to find these awesome mangas and I feel blessed for having read it and I can't recommend it enough!!
This one sees Taiki and Chinatsu growing more closer and I love how the tension between them grows and well you see the jacket incident which was fun and then the story with Hina concludes in the beginning of the volume and I love how this one shows how Hina is feeling and her friendship with Taiki and I just love both of these characters and Taiki being so awesome, not worrying about what others will think.. only thing that matters is the well being of his friend and its inspiring.
And then the competition be it the doubles like the one vs Hyodo and Yusa from Sajikawa and we get a spotlight on them and how strong they are, and its a nice break from "the character excels" and these moments of failures are the ones that make you like the characters and this is another oen where we see how Taiki takes it in strides and works harder to be better.
His friend Kyo put it best "Picking himself up everytime he falls down is his greatest virtue" and that line is so inspiring and we can learn so much from it!
Plus there is a scene where people are bad mouthing Chinatsu and well Taiki is obviously there but its her reaction of taking it in and showing it on the field is such a great message to the readers that regardless of what anyone says, be confident in yourself and show them all what you are really capable of.. where it matters..
and clearly you can see this is one of those mangas where you learn so much besides following the characters and their journey and its so rare to find these awesome mangas and I feel blessed for having read it and I can't recommend it enough!!
July 6, 2024
Memutuskan utk drop series ini setelah berusaha meyakinkan diri sendiri utk baca dan lanjut koleksi dgn art nya yg ciamik. Apalagi animenya mau tayang. But sorry to say love triangle isn't my tea.
Udah tau sejak awal kalo Taiki pasti bakalan end up sama Chinatsu, mau sekeras apapun plotnya diputar. Secara story dan impresi awal, tbh menurutku lebih match sama Hina karena Chinatsu ini model2 cewek yg gak perlu berusaha keras buat cinta, nanti dia juga dapat dgn sendirinya. Dia sama sekali gak di kelihatin sisi rapuhnya, ataupun gmn perjuangannya utk bisa menang di interhigh. Hal yg bikin salut dr Chinatsu itu cuma dia berani memutuskan utk tinggal di Jp dan jauh dr ortunya di luar negeri hanya demi basket yg gatau dia sendiri sebetulnya passionate di situ atau enggak.
Tapi Hina beda. Hina malah justru di kelihatin struggle nya, gmn insecure nya dia kalo bb naik dikit ataupun cedera pasti akan mempengaruhi kondisinya sbg atlet senam ritmik. Juga gmn pandangan org2 yg selalu ngeliat dia karena bapaknya adlh atlet yg sama, bukan ngelihat dr Hina sendiri.
Taiki perjuangan dan chara developnya makin kesini makin bagus. Cuma kurangnya adlh dia terlalu buta dan bucin sama Chinatsu yg entahlah aku tak tahu, apakah dia menginginkan Taiki sebesar Taiki menginginkan dia. Rasanya kyk gak imbang. Taiki deserves more girl who capable with his effort, and I think Chinatsu aren't the one.
Awal mulanya pgn koleksi karena covernya yg cakep. Tp setelah liat edisi lokal yg begitulah, aku seolah terbuka sptnya pasar buku ini bukanlah untukku terlepas bisa koleksi versi impornya kalo mau.
So sorry.
Udah tau sejak awal kalo Taiki pasti bakalan end up sama Chinatsu, mau sekeras apapun plotnya diputar. Secara story dan impresi awal, tbh menurutku lebih match sama Hina karena Chinatsu ini model2 cewek yg gak perlu berusaha keras buat cinta, nanti dia juga dapat dgn sendirinya. Dia sama sekali gak di kelihatin sisi rapuhnya, ataupun gmn perjuangannya utk bisa menang di interhigh. Hal yg bikin salut dr Chinatsu itu cuma dia berani memutuskan utk tinggal di Jp dan jauh dr ortunya di luar negeri hanya demi basket yg gatau dia sendiri sebetulnya passionate di situ atau enggak.
Tapi Hina beda. Hina malah justru di kelihatin struggle nya, gmn insecure nya dia kalo bb naik dikit ataupun cedera pasti akan mempengaruhi kondisinya sbg atlet senam ritmik. Juga gmn pandangan org2 yg selalu ngeliat dia karena bapaknya adlh atlet yg sama, bukan ngelihat dr Hina sendiri.
Taiki perjuangan dan chara developnya makin kesini makin bagus. Cuma kurangnya adlh dia terlalu buta dan bucin sama Chinatsu yg entahlah aku tak tahu, apakah dia menginginkan Taiki sebesar Taiki menginginkan dia. Rasanya kyk gak imbang. Taiki deserves more girl who capable with his effort, and I think Chinatsu aren't the one.
Awal mulanya pgn koleksi karena covernya yg cakep. Tp setelah liat edisi lokal yg begitulah, aku seolah terbuka sptnya pasar buku ini bukanlah untukku terlepas bisa koleksi versi impornya kalo mau.
So sorry.
March 6, 2025
POPKULTUROWY KOCIOŁEK: Fabuła „Niebieskiego pudełka” opiera się na dosyć prostym założeniu: dwójka nastolatków, uprawiających różne sporty, mieszka pod jednym dachem i mierzy się z wyzwaniami związanymi z licealnym życiem, sportem i rosnącymi coraz silniejszymi uczuciami. Jest jednak coś, co wyróżnia tę mangę z grona licznej konkurencji i jest to sposób, w jaki autorka prowadzi narrację. Miura zręcznie balansuje między komedią, romansem i dramatem, tworząc opowieść, która jest lekka, ale na swój sposób angażująca.
Dużym i mocno zauważalnym atutem tytułu, na pewno są jego bohaterowie. Taiki i Chinatsu to postacie z którymi łatwo będzie mógł się utożsamić nastoletni czytelnik.
Taiki to nastolatek, który zmaga się z niepewnością i brakiem pewności siebie, ale jednocześnie jest pracowity i oddany swojej pasji. Chinatsu z kolei to utalentowana sportsmenka, która mimo swojej popularności jest skromna i sympatyczna.
Całkiem nieźle wypadają również inne postacie, które poznajemy w miarę czytania tytułu. Większość z pojawiających się bohaterów, jest dość wyrazista i wnosi coś nowego do historii, nigdy jednak nie przyćmiewają oni głównej dwójki, będąc dla nich dobrym i zróżnicowanym tłem....
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/sport...
Dużym i mocno zauważalnym atutem tytułu, na pewno są jego bohaterowie. Taiki i Chinatsu to postacie z którymi łatwo będzie mógł się utożsamić nastoletni czytelnik.
Taiki to nastolatek, który zmaga się z niepewnością i brakiem pewności siebie, ale jednocześnie jest pracowity i oddany swojej pasji. Chinatsu z kolei to utalentowana sportsmenka, która mimo swojej popularności jest skromna i sympatyczna.
Całkiem nieźle wypadają również inne postacie, które poznajemy w miarę czytania tytułu. Większość z pojawiających się bohaterów, jest dość wyrazista i wnosi coś nowego do historii, nigdy jednak nie przyćmiewają oni głównej dwójki, będąc dla nich dobrym i zróżnicowanym tłem....
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/sport...
February 27, 2024
First of all, it's one of the cutest covers ever. Second of all, I love that my son loves this manga. Third, I love that I love this manga with the stick-to-itness of the characters-- Taiki plays badminton, Chinatsu plays basketball, and Hina, Taiki's girl friend does gymnastics. It actually begins to Hina's gymnastics before moving in to Taiki's training for nationals, and rolls into Chinatsu's tournament.
The reality is that you can work your butt off and still not get the win, but the win isn't always the most important element and that's what he keeps in check even when he wants to win. He fights for it and does everything he can to surround himself with that positivity like visiting a shrine.
And there's Chinatsu rooting him on as she does her own thing. The story that includes friendships, sports, and relationships (SO MANY adorable feelings all bundled together) that it's easy to love.
... My favorite interaction was his do-over in his head about approaching Chinatsu to help her with her bags- the "are you going my way" goofiness was so endearing.
The reality is that you can work your butt off and still not get the win, but the win isn't always the most important element and that's what he keeps in check even when he wants to win. He fights for it and does everything he can to surround himself with that positivity like visiting a shrine.
And there's Chinatsu rooting him on as she does her own thing. The story that includes friendships, sports, and relationships (SO MANY adorable feelings all bundled together) that it's easy to love.
... My favorite interaction was his do-over in his head about approaching Chinatsu to help her with her bags- the "are you going my way" goofiness was so endearing.
May 6, 2023
ugh!!! so damn good!! I love so much about this series so far and it continues to be such an engaging, compelling read.
- taiki's improvements feel so realistic...it's definitely noticeable, but it's not like he's suddenly amazing and able to just beat everyone or climb to second/first. it's a slow journey and so heart-wrenching, since he's so dang earnest and optimistic!!
- hina is such an amazing character. I absolutely love every chapter she's in...I think she adds such a great layer to the story, and that's not something I usually say. the second FL/ML and 'love triangles' are usually not my thing at all. I think it helps that hina is so dang sweet and wants taiki to be happy, she tries hard to make sure his relationship with chinatsu progresses.
- that last panel with chinatsu taking care of taiki...UGH!!!! also their radio calisthenics were so adorable!! I love them!!!
- taiki's improvements feel so realistic...it's definitely noticeable, but it's not like he's suddenly amazing and able to just beat everyone or climb to second/first. it's a slow journey and so heart-wrenching, since he's so dang earnest and optimistic!!
- hina is such an amazing character. I absolutely love every chapter she's in...I think she adds such a great layer to the story, and that's not something I usually say. the second FL/ML and 'love triangles' are usually not my thing at all. I think it helps that hina is so dang sweet and wants taiki to be happy, she tries hard to make sure his relationship with chinatsu progresses.
- that last panel with chinatsu taking care of taiki...UGH!!!! also their radio calisthenics were so adorable!! I love them!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2025
Blue Box Volume 3 perfectly blends sweet romance with sports-driven motivation. The relationship between Taiki and Chinatsu continues to develop in such a natural, wholesome way—it’s quiet but emotionally impactful. Every small moment between them feels meaningful, and it’s so easy to root for their bond to grow.
At the same time, the sports side of the story stays strong. Taiki’s determination to improve in badminton is inspiring, and the balance between chasing personal goals and navigating young love is what makes this manga so unique.
This volume had me smiling one moment and holding my breath the next. The pacing was perfect, the characters continue to grow, and I loved every second of it. It ended way too fast, and I’m already eager for the next chapter of their journey. Blue Box keeps getting better with every volume!
At the same time, the sports side of the story stays strong. Taiki’s determination to improve in badminton is inspiring, and the balance between chasing personal goals and navigating young love is what makes this manga so unique.
This volume had me smiling one moment and holding my breath the next. The pacing was perfect, the characters continue to grow, and I loved every second of it. It ended way too fast, and I’m already eager for the next chapter of their journey. Blue Box keeps getting better with every volume!
February 27, 2025
El campeonato nacional se acerca y los chicos están dando todo de sí para clasificar. Sin embargo, no hay que olvidar que, a pesar de su dedicación y esfuerzo, siguen siendo adolescentes comunes con sentimientos y emociones que se entrelazan.
Me parece interesante cómo Chinatsu y Hina parecen sentir celos por Taiki, pero ninguna quiere admitir sus verdaderos sentimientos. Por otro lado, me gusta cómo se apoyan mutuamente para perseguir sus sueños y objetivos.
Hasta ahora, este manga deportivo me ha parecido muy bueno, con una mezcla perfecta de acción, emoción y desarrollo de personajes. Estoy ansioso por ver cómo continúa la historia y cómo se desarrollan las relaciones entre los personajes.
Me parece interesante cómo Chinatsu y Hina parecen sentir celos por Taiki, pero ninguna quiere admitir sus verdaderos sentimientos. Por otro lado, me gusta cómo se apoyan mutuamente para perseguir sus sueños y objetivos.
Hasta ahora, este manga deportivo me ha parecido muy bueno, con una mezcla perfecta de acción, emoción y desarrollo de personajes. Estoy ansioso por ver cómo continúa la historia y cómo se desarrollan las relaciones entre los personajes.
December 24, 2021
Thank you, Miura, for kicking me as hard as you could in the feels. Just what I needed.
But seriously, damn that hurt so much. Taiki is such a positive, caring, and hardworking character that you want to see succeed, but obviously things don't work out. And seeing Hina struggle so much made my heart hurt, why does Miura have to hurt me so?! I just want my babies to be happy and succeed, is that too much to ask for?! IS IT?!?!
Okay, I went off the rails a little bit, but this was a seriously emotional volume. I'm really loving this series and am looking forward to the trials and tribulations of this sporty cast.
But seriously, damn that hurt so much. Taiki is such a positive, caring, and hardworking character that you want to see succeed, but obviously things don't work out. And seeing Hina struggle so much made my heart hurt, why does Miura have to hurt me so?! I just want my babies to be happy and succeed, is that too much to ask for?! IS IT?!?!
Okay, I went off the rails a little bit, but this was a seriously emotional volume. I'm really loving this series and am looking forward to the trials and tribulations of this sporty cast.
March 31, 2023
I get that this series likely introduced the rival lover character to ensure the signature longevity of Jump series but I do wish things could have remained focused on just the main two. That being said, I also think the gymnast girl should be the main character so I don't know what I want.
Anyway, continues to be one of my fave current Jump titles. It's nice to read a sports-centric manga that doesn't get bogged down by explaining the rules of the game. Like in Kuroko's Basketball, if someone shoots a fadeaway jumper, Kagami is gonna be talking about it for the next 3 chapters. In this they just swing their badminton rackets for a bit.
Anyway, continues to be one of my fave current Jump titles. It's nice to read a sports-centric manga that doesn't get bogged down by explaining the rules of the game. Like in Kuroko's Basketball, if someone shoots a fadeaway jumper, Kagami is gonna be talking about it for the next 3 chapters. In this they just swing their badminton rackets for a bit.
February 7, 2024
I keep getting more and more excited about this manga, I love the characters, they all have their goals and dreams and sometimes it’s hard to not reach them when you’re certain you will do it.
We know that Hina likes Taiki, even if she doesn’t want to accept it, every time she thinks about Taiki and Chinatsu it hurts her.
I like how they didn’t give Taiki a win immediately, he needs to keep working on himself and train more, we now know that Keigo is a friend, but also a rival in badminton.
Chinatsu is going to nationals, and Taiki is happy for her, but he’s also sad that he wasn’t able to go. It’s great seeing how Taiki supports Chinatsu and how their friendship is progressing.
We know that Hina likes Taiki, even if she doesn’t want to accept it, every time she thinks about Taiki and Chinatsu it hurts her.
I like how they didn’t give Taiki a win immediately, he needs to keep working on himself and train more, we now know that Keigo is a friend, but also a rival in badminton.
Chinatsu is going to nationals, and Taiki is happy for her, but he’s also sad that he wasn’t able to go. It’s great seeing how Taiki supports Chinatsu and how their friendship is progressing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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