Reviews

Blue Box, Vol. 1 by Kouji Miura

bookishpapercuts's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This was soooooo cute! I haven’t read a sports manga before, but I have watched Haikyu! and this book gave me similar vibes with an underdog pushing through to the top, except this series has a strong romance through line. I’ll definitely continue on with the series, and I think I especially liked it because like the FMC I too played basketball in high school, and I’ve also just gotten into playing badminton. Ugh this was just so fun!

dreaming_book_witch's review

3.0

This slice-of-life graphic novel is another Blue Hen Nomination for the library system I work for. Honestly, I thought that the story was a little bit slow, though it started off pretty strong. There is just so much miscommunication between the two protagonists in this one volume alone that I found myself getting pretty frustrated and fed up. It is a nice read, but personally, I just wished that the story had more substance to it. I will say though that I enjoyed seeing the personal growth when it came to their chosen sports throughout the volume. Overall, I'm giving this one 3 stars. I'm not sure if I will continue to read the other books or not. It would be interesting to see where the story goes.

princessmeg's review

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

octanexit's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

rorikae's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a great start to a fun series that mixes sports and romance. 
Taiki and Chinatsu often see each other early in the morning when they visit the gym to practice their respective sports. Chinatsu is a dedicated basketball player while Taiki plays badminton. He has been quietly admiring Chinatsu's commitment from afar and wants to talk more to her. When he hears that her family will be moving to a different country, he fears he has missed his shot but a surprise revelation provides him with even more opportunities to get to know her. 
This manga is so cute. Chinatsu and Taiki are instantly likable characters who are both genuine while having their respective flaws. The mix of pining with sports works really well and also provides the characters with something to bond over. This volume just starts to kick off the story and I'm excited to see how the plot progresses. 

itskathr's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

alexbthelibrarian's review

4.0

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I thought this was a cute read. It definitely follows Shojo tropes when someone's crush moves in with their family for an extended period of time unexpectedly. But it seems like the main characters are focused more on becoming better in their sport rather than trying to flirt with each other.

I like the plot. The idea that it involves Badminton was interesting. It was not something I would consider a competitive sport, but they make it sound competitive so maybe this is a cultural sport that is not as big in America. It is interesting how the characters talk about the sports and why they like either Basketball or Badminton.

I would probably read the second one to see how the story progresses. I always feel like it's hard to get hooked on a manga in the first volume.

genrejourneys's review

5.0

Rating: 5/5

A breath of fresh air! A balance between a budding romance (is there anything better then starting with our protagonist already imaging the joys of a domestic married life?) and two sports arcs. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

jkenna1990's review

5.0

This was a really great start to this series. We follow two kids, Taiki, who is a middle school senior, and Chinatsu who is a high schooler. Taiki is a badminton player and Chinatsu plays basketball. In this first volume, we see both of them trying to excel at their respective sport and cheering each other on. Things get a little complicated when Chinatsu's parents go overseas for work and she ends up living with Taiki and his family.

Overall, this was a great first volume and I can't wait to see where the series goes!