アオのハコ 8 [Ao no Hako 8]

アオのハコ [Ao no Hako] #8

by Kouji Miura, 三浦糀

急遽、クラスの劇で王子役の代演をする事になった大喜。緊張しながらも劇を進めていくが、想定外のアクシデントが発生し…!?　そんな波乱の文化祭も終わり、戻り出したそれぞれの日常。いつもの体育館に、新たな風が吹き始める!!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Sports, Comics, Graphic Novels, Slice Of Life, Japanese Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 2, 2022

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayame definitely is an interesting addition to the cast of characters. She sure seems messy and a little over the top, but I can't help but like her.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Festival fever continues to burn hot at the school and so does the possibility of everything going wrong for Chinatsu and Taiki. As mishap leads to mishap, it becomes clear that the only thing crueler than the capricious whims of fate might be a very skilled mangaka.

This volume roars back to form after a good but not perfect previous instalment with one that just absolutely fires on all cylinders. There is so much done well here that it’s positively overstuffed with hilarious and entertaining content.

After a couple of recent complaints in reviews of other manga about the omnipresence of manga tropes, it’s a hell of a relief to see that I don’t hate said tropes when the writing is strong. In fact, I would say this doesn’t so much lean on tropes as much as it embraces them wholesale.

That’s the only reason I can see why all sorts of hot nonsense (believable nonsense, mind) happens this time, yet it’s all amazing. The sheer number of calamities that decide to gum up the works is almost exhausting by the end. Except they’re all great, so they aren’t exhausting at all.

What looks like an old saw where Chinatsu says something at the concert she and Taiki attend together, but the music drowns it out, is only a mere appetizer for Taiki getting roped into his class play. Which itself takes a trope and then puts a trope on top of that trope, at which point it becomes basically hysterical.

And it just keeps going. By the time the volume wraps up, there’s a training camp coming that just happens to only involve the three sport teams our leads are on AND has a closing bonfire with a powerful dating legend. It’s wild how many beats it’s hitting while still being so, so good.

Part of that is down to the characters, who make this brilliantly goofy plot into an even more enjoyable mess because of how fun they all are to spend time with. Please stand for the usual moment where I mention that Hina is one of the best characters ever.

Oh, but she’s got competition, even in a volume that has some of her best lines to date. Chinatsu’s best friend has a little sister, Ayame, who is in the same grade as Hina and Taiki, and she doesn’t so much step onto the scene as she explodes onto it.

You might think that Ayame’s free-love string of boyfriends means trouble for Taiki, but so far it has been trouble of a far less typical romantic variety. Instead, Ayame’s relentless pursuit of her next boyfriend, whose identity is pretty funny, causes her to just manifest chaos everywhere she goes.

She’s incredibly amusing and very honest about herself and the story definitely makes fun of her but thankfully doesn’t go near slut-shaming. And Ayame is way better than that - I could see people finding her annoying, but she gave even more energy to something that was already brimming with it.

And in case I wasn’t clear on the big running device through this volume, it’s basically Taiki being dumped on by incredible amounts of bad luck. Even Chinatsu moving back in turns super awkward because of events earlier on.

I’m pretty sure I said in an earlier review that this was basically Saved By The Bell if it was actually good and there is a super fun vibe here that captures the awkward of high school and young love while also brandishing its tropes like a weapon.

The nice thing is, if you’ve seen this all before, well, it kind of knows that and weaponizes it with some comedic timing that’s deadly accurate. And if you’re new to this type of story, it’s still amazing and will feel fresh with great characters.

5 stars - right now, I think this might be the best volume of Blue Box we’ve seen and it doesn’t even really do much new. Instead it piles on the old so much that it becomes genuinely hilarious by the end. Loved it.

[siren ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS IS SO MESSY (living for it)

[Hoshi]

I love how they adapted so well the anime like it's literally the same page by page and even the drawings are so well adapted! I'm so excited to continue the story <3

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, another delightful volume of Blue Box! In this eighth installment, Taiki unexpectedly finds himself cast in a school play, leading to a rather close call with Hina. Meanwhile, Chinatsu's feelings for Taiki come into sharper focus, adding a sweet layer of emotional growth to the narrative.

The series maintains its charmingly laid-back atmosphere, complemented by its consistently lovely artwork and cute humor. This volume remains an enjoyable read, easily earning a solid 4 out of 5

[Rafmuaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, Taiki went through a lot of crazy stuff and tough incidents in this volume. I was super anxious reading it. The only thing I was really hyped for was this new character, Ayame Moriya, showing up.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I don’t like where this is going

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The culmination of the Snow White play and new characters showing up.

[Professional Kermy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Box Volume 8 is an emotional rollercoaster, delivering a powerful continuation of Taiki’s journey, both in badminton and his relationship with Chinatsu. This volume delves even deeper into the challenges Taiki faces, both on and off the court, and his determination to push forward is inspiring. The intensity of his training and inner struggles is palpable, and it’s clear how much growth he’s experiencing as both an athlete and a person.

The dynamic between Taiki and Chinatsu continues to evolve in such a meaningful way. Their relationship is maturing into something that’s both supportive and heartwarming, but the personal growth they’re both going through feels just as significant. It’s amazing to see how their feelings develop alongside their individual pursuits and ambitions.

The pacing in Volume 8 is perfect, balancing emotional moments with action and character growth. The art continues to be stunning, capturing the characters’ emotions beautifully. By the end of this volume, I was left deeply moved and craving more. Blue Box continues to be an emotionally rich, motivating series that excels in its portrayal of both romance and personal development.

[Jennifer]

I’m not fond of the new girl, Ayame. IMO, meddling in the relationships of others is a pretty big taboo. Particularly as she doesn’t really know Hina or Taiki, it’s just her nosiness. That being said, she had an interesting point about it being more probable to fall for someone that likes you than getting someone you like to fall for you. That’s not to say that I agree with her approach, nor that I think that’s the best way to handle things, but there is merit to the concept of “just giving it a try.” However, when you have feelings involved, that’s not so easy. It really gets someone’s hopes up - so as long as she’s clear that it’s a trial, or they try dating a bit first, I can see that working. She’s on good terms with her exes, so I guess she’s handling things ok…(IMO that’s generally unrealistic though). Her reasons for breaking up are pretty lame, so I don’t think there’s a lot of point in agreeing to date, but oh well.

[Thursday,nightmare · Rating 4 out of 5]

งานโรงเรียนสุดแสนจะสนุกสนาน สำหรับกรรมการและตัวแทนห้องอย่างไทกิคุง ไทกิทำงานหัวหมุนในงานโรงเรียนและเข้าชมรมไม่ขาด พลังกายใจของเด็กม.ปลายปี 1 ช่างล้นเหลือ แต่จิตใจกลับว้าวุ่นเพราะสาวน่ารักเพื่อนสนิทอย่างฮินะจังมาสารภาพรัก และป้วนเปี้ยนไม่ห่าง เหตุไม่คาดฝันเกิดขึ้นในวันงาน วินาทีสุดท้าย เมื่อเจ้าชายที่ต้องเล่นละครกลับป่วยจากการกินอาหารในงานโรงเรียนจึงทำให้ไทกิคุงต้องขึ้นเล่นละครเวทีแทน และต้องมีซีนจูบกับฮินะจัง ลูกบอลกระดาษหล่นลงมาจังหวะนั้นพอดี!!! แต่ทั้งคู่ก็ไม่ได้จูบกัน พี่จินัตสึก็มาดูและตกใจไปเลย นำไปสู่ตัวเร่งความรู้สึก พี่จินัตสึสารภาพกับคาเรนว่ารุ่นพี่ชอบ“ไทกิคุง” !!!!! โอ๊ยยย จะบ้าตาย รอเล่ม 9 ไม่ไหววแล้วว มาเร็ววววว สนุก

[Valeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todo este volumen fue el entrenamiento conjunto y todos dándolo todo, pero ocurrieron dos cosas muy importantes. Primero, Taiki finalmente le respondió a Hina y, aunque era la respuesta que esperaba y quería, quedé destruida. Que a todo esto Taiki rey de la responsabilidad emocional, te quiero mucho. Y segundo, Taiki agarró vuelo e invitó a Chinatsu a una salida, aunque no cita propiamente tal, pero van a salir juntos solos otra vez. Mención honrosa a Ayame intentando subirle el ánimo a Hina y siendo buenas amigas la una con la otra.

[Casey Halvorsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Edelweiss and Viz Media for this arc

3/5 stars

Mildish spoilers below

This volume was so slow it took me a few weeks to read, but that could just be bc I don't like Hina and now we have another character that is irritating to me, Ayame lol. Hina hoping that Taiki will suddenly start liking her back is really annoying to me. Either you like someone or you don't, and you can't force or manipulate someone into liking you, that's not healthy or truthful. Yes yes they're teenagers, but still. Hopefully the next will be better

[Rereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brings the Culture Festival Arc to an end, and what an ending it was! I love these characters so much as well as the mature and sensitive handling of their feelings as well as their situations. Ayame was introduced this volume and while her viewpoints on relationships can be a little suspect, she's a genuinely nice, caring, and supportive person. Also I love her design, she's so damn cute!

This was another great volume in this wonderful series. Looking forward to the training camp!

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been pretty smooth sailing so far with keeping the love triangle thing fresh and engaging, but for the past couple volumes I have wondered when the author would feel compelled to kick things up a notch, and if so, how? Turns out, with additional misunderstandings and miscommunications. Also there's a new character now.

Still weird that this runs in the same magazine as one piece and jjk.

[Frankie Frabizzio · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I’ve come to adore about this series is it’s grounded realism and heavy focus on character development and dynamics over plot progression, and this volume just felt too tropey and very contrived plot-wise in many ways to me, leaving things feeling a bit flat in comparison to the brilliance that is the rest of this series. It’s still as gorgeous as ever to look at and I love the main three characters dearly, so I hope things even out in the next volume.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

end of festival - so much tension, but not much movement....CHINATSU!! she is dragging her feet and honestly at this point I wouldn't mind taiki splitting his affection a bit and this becoming a legit love triangle (rather than hina being unfortunately in solid second place...or not even in the race). I love the addition of ayame though...she seems very chaotic good!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5
Another great volume of Blue Box! This volume digs in more to the romantic plots in this series and we also get introduced to a new character that is likely to cause some fun trouble. This volume also leaves off with a group trip that all of our main characters will be on and I'm anticipating that will add some tension and interesting moments in the coming volume.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's getting juicy!

This Manga has a way of making me really want to read the next one NOW, in a good way and in an agonizing way. Communication and the lack there of in a story is my least favorite trope, but it works really well in this case.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it wrong that I find Ayame the most real character ever in a romance manga? I half expected our triangle would become a love rhombus, but fortunately, things went in an entirely different (but not unpleasant) direction.

[Latifah S Ningrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entry of new characters in this manga makes the story more complex. despite the rumors circulating, I like Hina's friendship with Taiki. I'm starting to get really happy because Chinatsu is starting to let herself down and cheer up on Karen. I really like when Chinatsu started planting cacti.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

ch 62-70

[Ingrid Hernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3⭐ ¡Este manga no deja de mejorar, me está gustando muchísimo!

[Ampion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justice for Hina

[AB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate love triangles so much ugh
Can we just move on now!

[Mik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, Ayame me cae bien y está haciendo las cosas más entretenidas metiéndose en todo jajasjd

[Serena]

New girls are raining down from the sky and coming out from inside the walls and if this turns into a harem I'm tattooing chiinatsu on my forehead and saving her from the shit show

[Grace Arango · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mess never ends.

[autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the reference to the flower. i thought it was really cute :)

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish they would just tell each other already. 🙈 The introduction of new characters and the suspense of near mishaps is stressing me out.