It was revealed on September 29th that the TV anime "Ao no Hako," based on the popular manga by Miura Koji currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), will be broadcast for two consecutive seasons. The anime will be broadcast on 28 TBS affiliated stations every Thursday at 11:56 pm starting October 3rd.
On the same day, Chiba Shoya, who plays Inomata Daiki, and Ueda Reina, who plays Shikano Chinatsu, appeared at two events. They offered prayers for the series' success at Kameido Katori Shrine (Koto Ward, Tokyo), known as the "god of sports promotion." Chiba commented, "It wasn't a 'prayer for a hit,' but a 'prayer for a big hit,' and I could feel the confidence in the work from the staff who made it. At this prayer ceremony, we prayed that the series would reach many people."
Ueda said, "I also felt the love and seriousness that all the staff put into the work. I hope that this feeling will reach the viewers as well. It is a work that we can deliver with confidence, so please watch it."
A preview screening limited to high school students of the same age as the characters of the work was held at Akiba Hall (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), and the first episode was screened. Chiba said, "I could feel that this work is loved by people close to the age of the characters. Even from us as adults, the emotional expression, direction, and development are very attractive and I love this work. It is a work that gives you positive and sparkling energy and gives you energy, so please look forward to it."
Ueda said, "I think that the brilliance of Daiki and the others has reached the current high school students. It is a work full of youth, and I hope that you can get a lot of power and energy from it. I think that there are some students who are taking exams, and I think that what they feel through this work will be conveyed to them as encouragement."
"Ao no Hako" is set at Sakae Mei High School, a powerhouse of sports throughout junior and senior high school, and is a youthful club love story in which Inomata Daiki, a member of the boys' badminton club, falls in love with Shikano Chinatsu, a senior member of the girls' basketball club. The story delicately depicts the earnestness of the life-sized characters as they devote themselves to club activities with their own feelings in mind, as well as the subtle emotions that occur when you fall in love with someone. The series began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in April 2021. Telecom Animation Film is producing the anime.
