This development is primarily seen in the male protagonist Mabuchi Kou, a mysterious soft-spoken boy who moved away from his middle school due to unknown reasons. Now in high school, the main female protagonist Yoshioka Futaba, whom once liked Kou, meets him again and attempts to find out what caused him to become almost the antithesis to his former self in his personality and affinity to those around him. That's the main plot in a nutshell, and while yes, there is romance involved, it's not the anime's primary focus, particularly as by the end that story thread is left inconclusive. It is primarily focused on Kou's past and how he is a very damaged person incapable of opening up, and how he grows to become someone who can do so fearlessly through the help of Futaba. While this is the case, the anime is shown from her perspective and how she also deals with anxiety and doubt, particularly struggling to find friends she can truly bond with who understand her insecurities. This becomes a major theme in the show, particularly in the beginning, and interweaves with the show's main focus in a very satisfyingly elegant way. These two protagonists have brilliant chemistry and you can't help but root for them from the very beginning of the first episode. While Ao Haru Ride excels in what it wants to say and get across, it also has a very attractive but conventional shoujo artstyle and coloring along with a very good soundtrack that places similar musical motifs throughout effectively.
I find that the anime's main weakness is in that of the supporting cast. In fact, that name suits these relatively one-dimensional characters all-too-well; they are there only to support the main characters and not much else. While there are exceptions, most of them go through little character development over the course of the show and only appear when it is convenient for the plot. While not a large negative and pretty much a mainstay of most if not all anime and other general media, it can get distracting at times. Again, the way Ao Haru Ride handles them is nowhere near as bad as other anime, so I didn't find it to be something that brought it down as a whole. I would also find fault in the general creativity of the anime. If I had to describe it in one way, I'd say that Ao Haru Ride is the quintessential shoujo anime because it's a very generic depiction of what shoujo "should be" but done in an outstanding way. While other shoujo anime/manga like Orange have creative aspects to them, Ao Haru Ride doesn't and thus may deter certain viewers for being exactly "too generic".
I truly respect Ao Haru Ride, both the adaptation and the source material, for being very honest and mature work considering the genre it's placed under. It deals with some heavy topics such as depression, social anxiety, and how grief can make someone change themselves in a self-destructive way. However, it directly combats these darker themes with lighter ones such as forgiveness and acceptance, making it a perfect and rewarding blend of uplifting and serious. It can be deeply realistic and relatable at certain points to those who have experienced similar trauma to that of the characters, and that is to be commended. I can comfortably say that Ao Haru Ride is my favorite shoujo anime because of the beauty and elegance of its presentation, allowing one to feel and understand the guilt, trauma, and eventual absolution that its characters go through while providing a rewarding, respectful payoff.
