“There is someone that I want to meet first thing every morning.”

The blend of romance and sports isn’t unprecedented in anime, by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s relatively rare to have a balanced approach where both genres are at the forefront. Blue Box handles that balancing act deftly, while adding an additional complication that I don’t think I’ve seen before. It appears to be highlighting two very different sports. I don’t know how effectively the show will keep all these plates spinning, but based on this first episode, it might be glorious to behold. It may not be a perfect episode, but it comes surprisingly close.

If Dandadan is the brash, experimental action series of the season, then Blue Box is the calm, collected title that has been subtler but no less daring with its narrative twists. It’s too early to go picking my favorite of the season, but I’d be shocked if Blue Box doesn’t become a strong contender.

The show follows Taiki Inomata, who is a member of the badminton team. He has developed a significant crush on his upperclassman, Chinatsu Kano, who is a member of the basketball team. Given both his and the school’s idolization of her, it’s difficult for him to approach her. However, they both arrive at the gym early each morning to practice, and from there a connection begins to blossom. I don’t really like providing any more details than that, as I feel I’d be robbing potential audiences of the opportunity to experience it for themselves.

Chinatsu and Taiki have great chemistry. Taiki is the point-of-view character, and we don’t see anything in this first episode that he isn’t directly privy to. As a result, Chinatsu comes across as a little idealized, but as the episode continues, we begin to see the character beneath the crush. Her light teasing of him does a good job of cutting through his nervousness, and the interactions feel impressively genuine… for the most part. If I have a single issue with this first episode, it would be a plot twist at the end, which feels both predictable and contrived. It isn’t a huge issue, but it puts a damper on what is otherwise a near-perfect first episode. 

If you’d asked me to guess which studios were responsible for the production of this show, I wouldn’t have guessed Telecom Animation Film or TMS Entertainment. I’ve encountered Telecom Animation Film in the past, but with mixed to middling results. They were the studio that adapted the first seasons of Tower of God and Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro. For all my complaints about those series, none of them were due to their production. While it might fall slightly short of what Madhouse or Bones would turn in, the quality is nothing to sneeze at. The movement and details are great, and I’m eager to see more.

This reminds me of all the ways Baby Steps delighted me. That blend of competition and romance is a lot of fun, but whereas Baby Steps remained a niche title (which was sadly canceled before it could wrap up), I think Blue Box has the potential to be more of a crossover hit. It is currently available to stream on Netflix, and everyone should check this out. Between this and Dandadan, it seems like Shonen Jump will be dominating the middle of the week moving forward, and I am delighted.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I think the “twist” at the end of the episode would have worked better for me if it hadn’t been treated as a twist. There is a clear sense that the only reason for that approach was so Taiki could be blindsided, but there were ways to do that without it feeling artificial.
• I’m curious what the balance will be between badminton, basketball, and romance. In this episode, romance was clearly at the front and center, but sports series often seek to establish their characters before diving into the sports themselves, so this may not be representative of the balance moving forward.
• I wonder if I’m looking down on badminton. I was startled to realize this was the 3rd series I’d done a first impressions for that featured the sport, following Hanebado! and Love All Play. This struck me as odd, and I can only presume it’s because I didn’t view badminton as a serious sport, or at least viewed it as a niche one.
• You know between Blue Period, Blue Eye Samurai, and Blue Box, I’m starting to wonder if there is a theme to Netflix’s better animated series.

If Dandadan felt like it was designed specifically not to appeal to me, but did anyway, then Blue Box is the show that feels determined to appeal to me, and hit its mark like a sniper. Outside of its stilted final gag, the show was perfect. I wish I could give it that perfect score, but the last moments felt like a misstep in an otherwise impeccably plotted and paced premiere.

Score: 4.5/5