The romantic sports manga Blue Box has officially concluded its serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump, publishing its 250th and final chapter this week. Kōji Miura's series, which began as a one-shot before its April 2021 serialization, has been compiled into 26 volumes with two more slated to finish the story. Reader reception to the manga's conclusion has been largely positive, with many expressing satisfaction with the sense of closure provided.
The anime adaptation of Blue Box is scheduled to continue its run on October 4. The first season, which streamed on Netflix from October 2024 to March 2025, was praised for its consistent animation by Telecom Animation Films, effectively balancing the central romance and sports rivalries across its 25 episodes. The series focused on high school freshman Taiki Inomata's ambition to become a top badminton player while navigating his feelings for Chinatsu Kano, a basketball team star. The anime has adapted approximately the first 81 chapters, suggesting a significant number of episodes will be required to complete the source material.
A notable change for the upcoming second season is the animation studio. TMS recently absorbed Telecom Animation Film, leading to the creation of Electric Circus by former Telecom Animation Film staff. This new studio will be responsible for animating Blue Box's second season. Despite the studio change, several key staff members are returning, including Yuuko Kakihara for series composition and scripting, Miho Tanino as chief animation director and character designer, Yuuki Kawashita as director of photography, Takashi Oomama for music direction, Jin Aketagawa as sound director, and Narumi Konno as color designer. The primary directorial change sees Daisuke Sakou taking over from Yuuichirou Yano, with Yumika Okazaki as editor and Anri Ishida as the new art director. The production aims to maintain the quality established in the first season as the story progresses.