On September 5, TBS held a conference in Tokyo to announce news for the upcoming fall of 2024. Among the most notable titles is “Blue Box (Ao no Hako)”, an adaptation of the popular manga by Kouji Miura, published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since April 2021. The story follows Taiki Inomata, a young man on the badminton team at the prestigious Eimei Academy, who falls in love with Chinatsu Kano, a talented basketball player. The anime is scheduled to air on Thursdays starting next October.

Shinya Watanabe, director of TBS's animation department, expressed confidence in the series' success, stating that it will be one of the most talked-about titles of the season. "We are in a time when more than 50 animes are broadcast in a single quarter, but 'Blue Box' will be one of the key works of this fall 2024“Watanabe commented. The production will be handled by Telecom Animation Film, known for its involvement in notable projects, although some fans have expressed doubts whether the studio will be able to capture the spirit of the manga.

“Blue Box” is a youth story of love and sport, where the characters show their most sincere emotions while fighting for their sporting and personal dreams. This combination resonated with both young people and adults who remember their school life, which could broaden the anime's target audience. Watanabe stressed that while the manga has a young fan base, the anime will also appeal to those who were once high school students and will be able to relate to the protagonists.

The online community expressed divided opinions about the adaptation. Some fans welcome the decision to bring “Blue Box” to an anime, while others believe its story would be better suited for a live-action drama. One popular comment noted: “It could have been a good drama, but I don't know if it will work as an anime.” . A comparison also emerged with other recent Shonen Jump adaptations, where Even less popular series received their animated versions, such as “Mashle: Magic and Muscles” and “Undead Unluck”.

TBS's confidence in "Blue Box" is a reflection of its renewed interest in the anime market. Watanabe commented that the broadcaster decided to invest more heavily in this type of content, adapting to a market that is growing rapidly in Japan, where each season exceeds 50 productions. While TBS hasn't always been known for its support of anime, recent changes in the industry and the success of streaming platforms have led traditional networks to see anime as an attractive opportunity.

However, some fans still remember times when broadcasters prioritized sporting events over anime, delaying the broadcast of episodes or even canceling finales. While TBS appears to be taking a more proactive stance, it remains to be seen whether “Blue Box” will live up to expectations and stand out in a season packed with strong competitors, such as “Dandadan“,“Trillion Game“, among others that will be broadcast by the same television channel.

Source: Yahoo! News Japan