Netflix has become a major player in the anime world, with hits like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Beastars, and The Seven Deadly Sins. Now, it’s taking the manga world by storm too.
One of its newest anime series has led to huge sales for its manga, so much so that the first volume has sold out, and all volumes are being reprinted.
What Is Blue Box?
Blue Box is a unique anime that mixes two sports: basketball and badminton. Unlike most sports anime, which focus on one sport, Blue Box highlights high schoolers Taiki Inomata and Chinatsu Kano, who play badminton and basketball.
They motivate each other to improve and reach their goals. The manga, created by Kouji Miura, first debuted in 2021 and continues to release new chapters.
Why Is Blue Box So Popular?
The success of Blue Box isn’t just about the anime. The show has boosted sales for the manga, leading to a big announcement: All volumes of Blue Box (from 1 to 18) will be reprinted. The manga’s total circulation has exceeded 7 million copies, thanks to the anime’s popularity.
Here’s what the Blue Box team had to say about it:
“A huge reprint has been decided! JC has decided to reprint all volumes of Blue Box (volumes one to eighteen) that have already been published. Total circulation has exceeded 7 million copies. Thank you for your support.”
The Creator’s Unexpected Journey
What’s surprising about Blue Box is that its creator, Kouji Miura, knew very little about sports when he started the project.
In a recent interview, Miura explained that he didn’t have personal experience with basketball or badminton. He often asked people who played the sports about different situations to make the story more realistic.
Miura also shared why he chose to focus on high school students rather than professional athletes. “Since it is a story about high school students, we felt it might be better not to make them seem too professional.
We had it in mind that it might be better to make the anime based on the experiences that normal people had in high school and add a little extra to that.”
What’s Next for Blue Box?
Currently, Blue Box is airing its second cours (part) of the first season, but a second season has not been confirmed yet.
With the anime’s success and the manga’s rising popularity, it seems likely that Blue Box will continue to grow and make an impact on both the anime and manga scenes.
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