Ao Haru Ride

While most young girls make an effort to show off their feminine charms, Futaba Yoshioka deliberately behaves like she wants to repel anyone who might be attracted to her. Ostracized by her female classmates in middle school for being a little too popular with the boys, she desperately strives to avoid a similar situation in high school by being unnecessarily noisy and graceless.

Nevertheless, scattered among Futaba's unpleasant memories are the treasured moments with the boy she had a crush on, Kou Tanaka. Unfortunately, that spell abruptly ended on a sour note when he suddenly stopped attending school and never came back. When Futaba finds out that Kou has returned—with a different last name this time—she can already feel the butterflies in her stomach. However, Kou Mabuchi is not the warm boy that she remembers from her days in middle school; he is now taller, more charismatic and withdrawn—making him far less approachable.

Futaba believes that if she returns to her former self, Kou will begin to take notice of her again. But is she prepared to sacrifice her bubble of normalcy and risk losing her friends in the process?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Mabuchi, Kou Main

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Yoshioka, Futaba Main

Uchida, Maaya Japanese

Kikuchi, Touma Supporting

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu Japanese

Murao, Shuuko Supporting

Komatsu, Mikako Japanese

Tanaka, Youichi Supporting

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Kominato, Aya Supporting

KENN Japanese

Makita, Yuuri Supporting

Kayano, Ai Japanese

Uchimiya, Haruhiko Supporting

Akabane, Kenji Japanese

Tanaka, Father Supporting

Tanaka, Hideyuki Japanese

Naitou Supporting

Yamashita, Daiki Japanese

Oowada, Tomoyuki Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo Producer

Takei, Katsuhiro Producer

Kuroki, Rui Producer

Reviews

Mar 19, 2025

starcarver

Recommended

Blue Spring Ride is a shoujo romance that captures the bittersweet nature of love, self-growth, and second chances. As someone who deeply enjoys the genre, I found it to be a solid adaptation with an engaging emotional core. While it doesn't reinvent shoujo tropes, it executes them well, making it a worthwhile watch for fans of romance-driven stories.

Visually, the anime has a soft and warm color palette that fits the nostalgic and melancholic tone of the story. The character designs stay true to the manga, and while the animation itself isn't particularly groundbreaking, it’s clean and expressive enough to bring out the emotions of the ... characters. Certain moments like silent stares, fleeting touches, or small changes in expression are handled well, adding to the subtle emotional tension. However, there are times when the visual execution lacks the extra impact that could make certain key scenes more powerful.

The story revolves around Futaba and Kou, childhood acquaintances who reconnect in high school under different circumstances. The core of the plot is about how both characters navigate their past and present emotions, learning to deal with change and emotional wounds. The anime does a good job of portraying their slow-burn relationship, capturing the hesitation, misunderstandings, and unspoken feelings that come with young love. However, since the anime only adapts part of the manga, it feels more like an introduction rather than a full exploration of their journey. While it ends on a hopeful note, it lacks the full emotional payoff that the manga provides.

The pacing is generally steady, balancing romance, personal struggles, and character interactions well. Some episodes feel slower due to introspective moments, but given the nature of the story, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, viewers who prefer faster-moving romance stories might feel that certain developments take too long. Since the anime stops before the deeper conflicts are fully explored, it leaves some emotional threads unresolved, making the story feel incomplete. And considering how unlikely a second season is at this point, waiting for it would be a fruitless effort one might as well prepare for their journey to the afterlife first.

Character development is one of the anime’s stronger aspects. Futaba is a relatable protagonist who struggles with her identity, wanting to fit in while staying true to herself. Her growth throughout the series feels natural, and her determination to understand Kou adds depth to her character. Kou, on the other hand, is more reserved, dealing with personal grief that causes him to distance himself. His internal struggles are compelling, though the anime only scratches the surface of his emotional complexity. The side characters, while likable, don’t receive as much development, with some of their storylines feeling underexplored.

The worldbuilding is grounded in a realistic high school setting, with themes of friendship, change, and emotional healing woven throughout. While nothing about the setting itself is particularly unique, the way the characters interact with their environment feels natural and immersive. The story leans into the theme of how people change over time and how relationships require effort, making it feel more introspective than some other romance anime.

The soundtrack complements the soft and emotional tone of the series. The opening song, Sekai wa Koi ni Ochiteiru, is beautifully fitting, capturing the heart-fluttering and melancholic aspects of the story. The background music is subtle but effective, adding warmth to romantic moments and weight to emotional ones. While it doesn’t stand out as much as soundtracks in more dramatic anime, it does what it needs to do without feeling intrusive.

As a shoujo anime, Blue Spring Ride executes its genre well, delivering heartfelt romance, personal struggles, and moments of longing that feel genuine. However, because the anime doesn’t cover the full story, it lacks a true conclusion. While the emotional buildup is well done, the resolution isn’t fully satisfying, making it feel more like a setup for the rest of the story rather than a complete experience.

The moral message of the anime leans in a positive direction, emphasizing self-acceptance, communication, and the importance of facing one’s emotions rather than running from them. It doesn’t feel forced or out of place, and the lessons learned by the characters feel natural. However, since the anime leaves many aspects unresolved, some viewers might feel that the message isn’t as impactful as it could have been if the full story had been adapted.

In summary, Blue Spring Ride is a heartfelt romance anime that successfully captures the complexities of young love and personal growth. While it doesn’t reach the full depth of its source material, it still delivers an emotionally engaging experience. I personally enjoyed it, and it holds a special place for me as the anime that made me fall in love with the shoujo genre. However, for those who want the complete experience, I’d highly recommend reading the manga to fully appreciate the story’s depth and conclusion, because waiting for a second season is simply not an option at this point.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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May 30, 2024

LevixAckerman

Mixed Feelings

*Title: Ao Haru Ride

*Story

- Who doesn't know the feeling of first love between two people? That's what *Ao Haru Ride* is about. Kou Mabuchi and Futaba Yoshioka were in love as children but never acted on it because Kou changed schools, and they hadn't seen each other since. In high school, they meet again and are initially unsure if they still have feelings for each other. If you like the story so far, you might want to give the anime a chance.

*Characters
- Kou Mabuchi and Futaba Yoshioka are the main characters.

- Kou Mabuchi: He always seems calm, composed, sad, and as if ... he's not really present. The fact that this all stems from his troubled past makes it at least believable. He has trouble opening up to others and prefers to be alone rather than letting people in. The problem is that there is no character development for him because this continues until the end of the series. Here and there, he talks about his feelings or shows compassion, but nowhere near enough to see any real change.

- Futaba Yoshiko: She is almost the complete opposite of Kou. She is cheerful, shows emotions, radiates warmth, thinks about her friends, and is my favorite character in this series. She can be stubborn and a bit of a hothead, but without intending to hurt others. Her character develops nicely until the end, very beautiful!

- Side Characters: Somehow, I didn't like them much. Whether it was Yuuri, who tried to compete with Futaba, or Shuuko, who was just there to make the group look bigger. Aya is also just a plot device to change Kou. The only one I liked was Kou's older brother, Youichi.

*Music
- There were a few nice songs here and there. The opening and ending were also okay.

*Animation and Character Design
- It fit the anime, and I liked it. Only Yuuri's bangs looked strange.

*Conclusion
For people who want to watch a romance anime, I'm not sure if this one is for them. It was rather one-sided love with hardly any romance. There were some moments of getting closer, but that was it. Moreover, the ending was quite disappointing. As is often the case with many animes, it was completely open and leaves you hanging, wondering if anything will ever happen between Kou and Futaba. You can certainly watch this anime, but you shouldn't go in with too many expectations.

Rating (7/10)

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Aug 11, 2024

thysupremefriend

Not Recommended

Funny

I wish I knew what I was getting into before I started this anime. This anime is shoujo in the shallowest way possible.

Do not watch if you dislike when the male lead shows interest in another woman.
Do not watch if you dislike an annoying female side character that is interested in the male love interest and tries to sabotage the relationship between him and the female lead.
Do not watch if you want a happy (romantic) ending.
Do not watch if you enjoy closure.

The fact that this anime is considered shoujo is baffling. Do women enjoy love triangles centered around the male lead as opposed ... to the female lead? This anime only appeals to women who like drama. Framing interactions between the male lead and female side character as romantic made this anime unbearable to watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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