Every time I come across the Japanese school festival in manga or anime I'm in awe, because what do you mean these students organize events like this all by themselves? A café? A play? A concert? Would have been literally impossible at my school.
Even though sport plays a part in this Series..this Volume seemed like a Badminton focused Manga. the Culture Festival brings more chances for Chinatsu and Taiki to grow more comfortable with each other.
School festival time really means everybody is burning the candle at both ends. Hina is investing herself in the school play, Taiki leans into helping her, and Chinatsu might see some action of her own. Oh, there’s also sports stuff.
A very solid instalment of the little romance manga that shows up in Jump! for some reason. It isn’t quite the exemplar it has been, but that’s down to a very specific choice that I respect more than I necessarily like.
Basically, a huge chunk of the middle here is taken up with Taiki’s badminton-as-therapy match against the guy who took him down last time. It’s a real showpiece of a thing, the action is conveyed in spectacular style, but it encompasses so much that it really slows things down for something moving so fast.
Everything else is at or around its usual standards - Hina is obviously now totally on the back foot when it comes to Taiki, but that’s a mere setback to her unending confidence and she keeps trying real hard. She’d have won that matchup twice over anywhere but this manga.
Hina’s got a ton to do this volume between the play and her attempts at launching an attack on Taiki, but it’s admittedly not the best she’s ever been. Some of it comes pretty close, however, like her ridiculous sidle over to watch Taiki’s game.
She and Chinatsu are both courtside for Taiki’s big game, speaking of, and for all my slight meh about the game, they do a great job showing both the game and the mental battles of the leads simultaneously. These three are all circling one another in various states and it does this a bit better than the traditional love triangle.
Chinatsu said before that she could go at her own pace, but it’s also becoming pretty clear that that only works if nobody else is after Taiki. Seeing Hina on the move, plus intuiting pretty handily that kiss shenanigans are afoot, pushes her into action. Not decisive action, but more than her norm.
I like that she isn’t just content to let herself be walked over and the way all the characters play off one another in different ways is a real key to what makes this a good series. Their interactions always feel a cut above.
As a minor annoyance, after promising to not jam Chinatsu in a maid uniform, you had best believe that the story does it anyway. I wasn’t especially in love with that whole choice, honestly, but the maid uniform is only trumped by the swimsuit in manga ubiquity, so what can one do?
Our minor characters are as good as usual, lots of fun to be had there, especially when Chinatsu’s friend figures out her secret and basically berates her for having anything to do with the entire initial premise of the manga. This is a welcome poke at its own tropes.
It’s pretty solid overall, but I expect excellence from Blue Box and when it doesn’t come quite to the level I’m used to I do feel like I get let down a bit more than I would otherwise.
4 stars - good, great even, but not the immaculate shonen manga exemplar that it has been for a while now.
4.25/5 Another great volume. In this volume, the festival preparation really ramps up as well as the actual start of the festival. This presents some great moments between Taiki and Chinatsu. There is also a great moment after Taiki has a moment of important victory in his badminton practice. I appreciate the interplay between the romance elements and the sports elements. It's clear how much these characters care not only about each other but also about their respective sport.
OH MY GOD!! I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE WHAT I JUST READ!
I can really relate to Taiki's situation during his match against Yusa from Sajikawa, where at first, he felt like his performance wasn't improving, unlike his other friends. But unexpectedly, Taiki managed to win the match against Yusa (even though it was mainly because of adrenaline). You can clearly see how Taiki's character development shown to the readers is truly impressive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4.5 stars, this was not quite as brilliant as the previous volume, but still so good. And, the male lead is getting a bit of validation for all his hard work and dedication. The art is so great, too.
Blue Box Volume 7 is another brilliant addition to the series, pushing the story to even greater emotional depths. Taiki’s journey in both badminton and his evolving relationship with Chinatsu feels more intense and rewarding than ever. His growth as an athlete is highlighted by new challenges that keep readers on the edge of their seats, and the personal stakes are higher, making every moment feel earned.
The bond between Taiki and Chinatsu deepens in a way that is both tender and impactful. The way they communicate and support each other while navigating their respective goals is truly beautiful, and their interactions continue to feel real and grounded. It’s clear that their connection is more than just romantic—it’s about mutual respect and understanding.
This volume excels in balancing emotional beats with character development, and the pacing is spot on. The art is as expressive as ever, perfectly capturing the highs and lows of Taiki’s journey. By the end of Volume 7, I was left eagerly anticipating the next volume. Blue Box continues to be an emotionally charged, inspiring, and deeply relatable series that leaves a lasting impact with every page.
This book made me feel bad for Chono once again, but it was cute to see her and Taiki's interaction over the practice for the play. It just made me wish even more that Taik and Chono would end up togetherrrr! But sadly, she's not the main female lead and that poor girl won't get her chance to shine or to be Taiki in the end. That scene was DEFINITELY a highlight for me. I still ship Chono X Taiki wayyyyyyyyyyyy more than Chinatsu and Taiki.
The sports part of the manga is one of the main parts and honestly, it's nice to read but I'm not too too into it and read it more as a romance. HOWEVER, this volume made me feel so proud and happy for Taiki and how far he's come as a Badminton player! He finally beat one of the most challenging opponents for him, even if just by a hair.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Taiki and Chinatsu athletic and romantic endeavors will always warm my heart and remind me of what it was like being a teenager! This volume didn't progress the storyline too much, but I still loved Taikis win!! Go Taiki!!! :D the translation seemed to be a bit off though, so hopefully it will be fixed before publication. A lot of thought boxes and sentences just seemed to stop in the middle of a quote or statement, particularly between chapters. And the image quality on this volume was unfortunately quite poor, which I don't recall seeing in past volumes. Hopefully this will also be fixed before publication!
These volumes keep getting better and better! We see Taiki playing against Yusa in a practice match and he wins, it’s amazing to see all his effort pay off, even if it’s a practice match! We also see Taiki and Hina in the school play, now Taiki has to play the prince! And when a confetti ball falls from the sky, they almost kiss when Taiki protects Hina from it. I love to see that Chinatsu is very interested in Taiki and wants to spend time with him, she invited him to listen to a band during the school festival and they had a great time! Will this make their feelings grow? I’m excited to read the next volume
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Taiki beats Yusa! Although given that Yusa goes on to beat Haryu after that, he clearly has more stamina. I was not all that happy with the match being overlaid with all his romantic woes.
I don’t love the romantic triangle, but they are all handling it very well and being very mature. It is clear that Kyo has feelings for rhythmic gymnastics girl, and I’m hoping they eventually pair off if he has the guts to confess to her. And now here we are at the school festival, a perfect trope for moving relationships forward.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
In the adorable seventh volume, Taiki and Chinatsu are working hard on their respective sports to the point that Taiki isn't even hydrating properly, so Chinatsu helps him out. And then they both find themselves skipping out on a cultural festival to continue to up their game.
When will they admit they love each other and start dating already? I love their adorable connection and the Hina interruptions because she has already admitted to Taiki that she likes him.
It's a fantastic mix of sports and sports psychology as well as romance and friendship.
Según yo termina con el capítulo 70, me tuvo preocupada este volumen porque nos introdujeron a un personaje nuevo (la hermana de la amiga de Chinatsu) y todo el rato se veía como un tercer interés amoroso?? Pero era todo un engaño, estaba echándole el ojo al cabro seco del otro colegio xd Taiki sigue ganando confianza en el badminton y me encanta. Y no puedo no mencionar a Chinatsu regando el cactus y su simbolismo con sus sentimientos ahfkafkljd
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
School festivals always play the same in these romcoms, but still cute. I really enjoyed some parts, especially where Hina tries her best to seduce Taiki. It's nice to see a girl in a romance try her best and be openly about it. Chinatsu is great, but at the same time frustrating, but I know she trying to balance her feelings with her dreams, and it's not easy. Overall good volume leading to maybe a little sneaky away and kissey next volume?
Exhilarating. We get to see a follow-up against the dude that Taiki lost to in the prefectural tournament from a while back. It's nice to see our main character slowly improving, still facing his cowardice They're also gearing up for the performance of Snow White at their school festival in the next issue 🙌
The middle chapters encompassing Taiki vs Yusa round two are phenomenal! As Taiki starts on the road to a more assured, confident badminton player, his forays into romance become more vexing. The weight of Hina’s confession and frustrated flirtations expose some faults in his love game with Chinatsu. Good stuff!
I love this series. It's one of the most wholesome Manga I've ever read: it's just two people who inspire each other to get better at the sport they're passionate about.
I like how in this manga the cultural festival portion and the sports competition portion are all just right. I felt excited watching Chinatsu and Hina, and felt tense and exciting when I saw the Taiki vs Yusa match.
Ehhh, como que cada vez me van importando menos los personajes. Seguro es problema mío, pero como que siento que le falta algo a la historia y no sabría decir qué...
taiki wins a match, attends the cultural festival, and has a DATE with chinatsu at the end?!?!!? what a volume!! but the scenes with hina made my heart ache....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The sports, the action, the intensity, UGH so fun! I will literally never get enough of this series and I need the next volume immediately, that is all.