Romance Meets Sports: Shouya Chiba, Akari Kitou Bring Us Inside 'Ao no Hako'

With its down-to-earth yet charming cast, Ao no Hako (Blue Box) has continuously been a fan favorite in Weekly Shounen Jump since the serialization began. Combining romance and sports, a genre pairing not frequently seen in the West, the manga's main characters notably all play different sports within the same gymnasium, or "blue box." Following the success of the manga, an anime adaptation was announced.

Prior to the anime's broadcast this Fall, an official panel was hosted at Anime Expo in Los Angeles with special guests: voice actor Shouya Chiba, voice actress Akari Kitou, and the manga's editor Shu Murakoshi. During the convention, we had the opportunity to sit down with the three guests to discuss the highly-anticipated anime.


──What was everyone's first impression of the manga, Ao no Hako?

Chiba: I thought it was extremely interesting. The characterizations are very detailed, and yet there are parts with no exposition, so I thought, this is a manga which makes you feel good to pause and think, and I had the impression that I read it slowly and carefully.

Kitou: My first impression was that it was a shounen manga that felt like a shoujo manga. The art is drawn with a very delicate touch, which gives the feeling of a shoujo manga; and while it also focuses on romance, "trying your best at sports" is a core theme in the story, which is very typical of shounen manga. So I thought it was a really interesting and novel work.

Murakoshi: When the rough draft was first proposed, I also thought that it was a very fresh manga that had a sense of nostalgia in it somewhere.

An influential mangaka once said to me something along the lines of, "The subtle depiction of emotions is reminiscent of shoujo manga, but the direction, storytelling, and drawing skills are all the conventional approach of shounen manga. Since it's also of very high quality, it's a manga that takes the best of both worlds."



──Manga with sports and romance are not very common, and among them Ao no Hako stands out because all lead characters are involved in very different sports (badminton, basketball, rhythm gymnastics). Murakoshi-san, could you tell us a bit about how the story came to be?

Murakoshi: It began with Miura-sensei wanting to draw a romance manga set in school. Actually, this is a behind-the-scenes story, but there was an early rough draft where the heroine was a photographer in the photography club. However, rather than a one-sided love where the heroine says she likes him, Miura-sensei said that she wanted to depict a relationship of mutual respect, where the characters are facing the same direction and walking together.

Likewise, a person who is giving their best at something would be nice to have as an appealing character, and athletes or people who play sports are hard-working, respected individuals. Miura-sensei herself also has strong feelings of respect for athletes, so she decided it would be good to have all the characters play sports. In Japanese high schools, students from different sports often practice in the same space, so we thought why not set the story there, and this became the setting.

So, why badminton, basketball, and rhythmic gymnastics? To begin with, the characters' personalities came first. Actually, in the one-shot before the serialization, Taiki was a member of the volleyball club; however, since Taiki is a character who often has to face his own feelings, an individual sport seemed better. Miura-sensei herself plays badminton, so she can use that experience.

She wanted to portray Hina as a confident character who has gained self-confidence by working hard for herself, so Hina also has an individual sport. Do you know the Japanese manga Touch by Mitsuru Adachi? It's very famous in Japan, so when you think about a heroine who plays sports, the image that comes to mind is rhythmic gymnastics, and we adopted that.

Conversely, Chinatsu has a feeling like you can't readily tell what she's thinking, so a team sport where she worries about her teammates seemed better. The reason Chinatsu is in the basketball club is that when it comes to Japanese middle and high school students, we agreed girls' basketball teams are cute, since Miura-sensei and I had both had memories of a cute girl from our school days in common between us.

Thus, the sport was chosen accordingly for the character he wanted to portray.



──Chiba-san and Kitou-san, what do you think is the appeal of your respective characters? Please tell us what you kept in mind when recording.

Chiba: When I was reading the manga, I thought that Taiki was exactly the same as me, so I empathized with him. Points that he worries about or his feelings of being easily swayed by Chinatsu-senpai, I felt together with him while reading; so my first impression was that he was a wonderful protagonist that males can easily relate to while reading the story.

For example, there is a time when he high-fives Chinatsu-senpai, and from my perspective, that's the kind of big event where you can't help but think about it all day. That's why I thought "I totally get it" while reading, and "if I were to high-five a girl, I'd be excited all day." (everyone laughs)

But when I started acting, I realized he was completely different from me, and my impression changed. Taiki's straightforward and positive side is wonderful, but his monologues about himself are very sensitive, while at the same time, he can think attentively about other people. I thought this sense of balance is without a doubt this person's unique trait. However, trying to express that with your voice is difficult.

So I thought a lot about how to express Taiki's essence. When I was acting parts where he's sympathetic towards Chinatsu or worrying about how to do his best, I would sometimes get lost in how to express it or feel like there were too many options. At times like that, I realized I was saying it in a way that I thought would make Taiki look good, so I would think again "this behavior is for whose sake?" and the answer would simply come into view. Given that, I try to keep this in mind every time.

Kitou: Hina is a very bright and energetic girl, and while she's kind of been stuck together with Taiki, he's someone she's always gotten along with. She does rhythmic gymnastics, and as a kid who consistently achieves excellent results in rhythmic gymnastics, she's a very hardworking girl.

I think Hina's charming point, as expected, is that she's brimming with self-confidence. This is possible only because of her daily efforts. Even her competitiveness in rhythmic gymnastics seems to come from her confidence in her ability to work hard. I think this also might come out in her love life. Even if it's a love that has no chance of winning, it seems she is still able to try her best because she is a very hard worker and hates to lose.

The very straightforward part of her often feels similar to myself, so while acting, I perform while thinking about Hina's feelings as I feel them. Also, Hina is very cheerful, and when she speaks to Taiki, she talks rather playfully; but when doing rhythmic gymnastics or club activities, she has a very serious side. So I'm conscious about that contrast and make sure it comes out clearly.



──From your viewpoints, what kind of character is Chinatsu?

Chiba: Chinatsu is this work's focal point or heroine, and her beautiful appearance or good personality are parts of her that are well-known by everyone. But from Taiki's perspective, the fact that she's serious about competing in the Inter-High (Nationals) and becomes genuinely upset when they fail, this reckless side is what makes her a very attractive person.

Ueda-san plays the role in the anime, and parts that I couldn't have imagined while reading the manga are performed in what I think are unexpected and fascinating ways.

Kitou: Chinatsu gives the impression of a person who you don't know what she's thinking, but it's precisely because you don't know what she's thinking that you're drawn into her. She's a very intriguing character, and I think the part of her that catches your attention is what's charming about her.

Chiba: The type you'll definitely fall in love with, right? (everyone laughs)



──A common theme in anime is the importance of friends supporting each other. What is memorable about the relationship dynamics in Ao no Hako?

Chiba: I think what's good about Chinatsu and Taiki's relationship is, "We are both chasing our dreams."

In this work, I think genuine kindness is portrayed in the sense that kindness is not returned on the spot. It's not being given with a desire to receive thanks from that person; they realize later on, after time has passed, that words spoken with honesty became their encouragement. I think this is a good point.

In the opening scene, Taiki sees Chinatsu crying while practicing after losing the tournament, and seeing that side of Chinatsu, he falls in love. Time passes, and the words of encouragement Taiki gave to Chinatsu, over time, became the reason Chinatsu tries her best, meaning that the passage of time is really nice. I don't think there is another work that goes as in-depth into the moment-to-moments of uncalculated kindness, and that's memorable.



Kitou: For me, I think, "Isn't Kyou the one who understands everyone's feelings the best out of everyone?" What's more, how he provides support to everyone at the necessary timing is truly amazing. However, I wonder what makes him act like that, I think he's a character who is in a very strange position.

Murakoshi: When Taiki loses a tournament, falls ill with a fever and is bedridden, there is a scene where Chinatsu takes care of him. When she states that she doesn't want him to be afraid of having lofty goals, Taiki realizes once again that he likes the part of Chinatsu that says, "I can sympathize with others because I have experienced it myself."

This scene shows that not only good things are happening to the characters, but because they are seriously putting in their own efforts, they can understand how it feels when you try your best and fail. This is true for Taiki and for Hina also. It's because everyone is working hard at something, that they're able to say such carefully thought-out, straightforward words, and I think it's a beautiful relationship.



──Kitou-san, you mentioned Kyou's role in the story. Can you tell us a bit more about his character?

Kitou: Kyou is Taiki's closest guy friend. He's very observant of his surroundings, keeping an eye on Taiki's condition, or Hina's and Chinatsu's current situations, and occasionally giving advice. I think he's an important person.

Chiba: But, he has a pretty sharp tongue, right?

Kitou: Yes, he does!

Chiba: With a cool-headed air, he pokes you in your sore spot. Every time Taiki's like "ugh!" but still he tries his best not to give in.



──Chiba-san, could you also comment on the importance of Haryuu-senpai in the story?

Chiba: Kengo Haryuu is a badminton senpai, specifically a senpai in Taiki's club. He's very talented, the ace of the club, and even from a national perspective, a very strong player.

They're only one year apart in age, but Taiki sees him as a very mature person. The worries Taiki has about his club activities or love life, just by being one year older, he has this air about him that feels like "Oh, I've already solved that." He can seem difficult to approach at first, but he's a passionate person, so Taiki has a lot of trust in him.

Taiki's goal is to go to the Inter-High (Nationals), and Haryuu is a great player who has come close to that level, so he's constantly an inspiring presence.



──Do you have any memorable moments you can share from the recording sessions with the other cast and staff?

Chiba: A lasting impression from the recording would be that myself and Reina Ueda-san, who plays Chinatsu-senpai, didn't say a word to each other before starting, but then exchanged our thoughts for about 30 minutes after finishing. On that day, we were both wondering what the other would do, as if we were hiding our cards, so it gave the feeling like we were having a conversation through our characters. I haven't been on a set like that until now, so it felt like a challenge.

Among the cast members, we'll chat a little when we're amused, kind of like "Chinatsu's line would make you fall in love" or "Hina's cute, isn't she" or "Taiki here is such a hero."

Also, a senpai cast member who plays Yusa would have Ueda-san say some lines, and then be happy about it.

Murakoshi: What line would he ask for?

Chiba: <surname>-san, ippon! (everyone laughs)

Kitou: While recording, sometimes I would listen objectively and become worried, wondering, was Hina's line just now okay? Each time that happened, Chinatsu's actress Reina Ueda-san would always tell me, it was really good. And each time, I was relieved and could feel confidence that I did well.


──Please leave a final message for your overseas fans.

Kitou: At the panel, when the audience was told it would be ending soon, they responded with "ehhh," and I was surprised that it really is popular in America, too. Even in a place so far away, how much Japanese anime is loved really came through, and it filled me with so much happiness.

Ao no Hako's anime will be broadcasting soon, and I think everyone will be able to watch it. I think it's truly a wonderful anime, so please make sure to watch a lot of it, and I would be happy if you would recommend it to your friends.

Chiba: Being able to meet so many people in L.A. and personally experience how the wonderfulness of Ao no Hako has been conveyed across country borders makes me very happy.

Ao no Hako is a work that really values the "silent" moments, and every line of dialogue in the story is written with great care, so us too, each and every time we're voice recording, we're giving it our utmost best to express those feelings.

Possessing both the passion of shounen manga and the delicacy of others, I think it's the strongest work. Today, I discovered that so many people know about this work before the anime broadcast, so I thought, won't it be a massive hit once the anime starts? Please make sure to watch it.

---

Interview was conducted through an interpreter and has been edited for clarity.

Visit the Official Site: https://aonohako-anime.com/
Follow the Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/aonohako_PR/
Read Ao no Hako on MANGA Plus or VIZ Media: https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/titles/100157 , https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/blue-box

Ao no Hako Teaser Trailer