On September 5, TBS hosted a conference in Tokyo to announce news about the upcoming Fall 2024 anime season.
Among the many anime set to premiere, the standout title is “Blue Box (Ao no Hako)”, adapted from the popular manga by Kouji Miura, which has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since April 2021.
The story follows Taiki Inomata, a high school boy who is deeply in love with Chinatsu Kano, a talented basketball player. The anime is scheduled to air weekly starting in October.
Shinya Watanabe, the director of TBS’s animation department, expressed confidence in the success of this anime, stating that it will be one of the most talked-about titles of the season.
“We are currently at a point where over 50 anime will be aired in a quarter, but ‘Blue Box’ will be one of the key highlights of this Fall 2024 season,” Watanabe remarked.
“Blue Box” is a coming-of-age story about love and sports, where characters experience genuine emotions while striving to achieve their personal dreams in athletics. This combination has resonated with audiences both young and old, and it promises to attract viewers who relate closely to the protagonists’ high school experiences.
One enthusiastic fan commented: “This could be a great animated series, but I wonder if it will successfully transition from manga to anime.” Comparisons have emerged with other recent Shonen Jump adaptations, where less popular series have also received animated versions, such as “Mashle: Magic and Muscles” and “Undead Unluck.”
TBS’s confidence in “Blue Box” reflects a growing interest in the anime market. Watanabe noted that the company is committed to investing more heavily in this type of content, especially as the rapidly developing anime landscape in Japan sees more than 50 new titles each season. While TBS may not always be recognized for its anime support, recent changes in the industry and the success of digital platforms have made traditional media outlets view anime as a compelling opportunity.
