It is decent shōjo. Its story captures the themes of romance, friendship, past trauma, and what it means to change while at the same time be true to yourself. It also brings out the best in shōjo from romance to drama to even comedy. The characters are also charming and likeable. The two main leads--Kou and Futaba in particular possess decent chemistry that doesn't have the negative implications Wolf Girl and Black Prince had. The friendships in the series is also heartwarming.
That being said, this is an incomplete story. To start, it doesn't cover the entire manga so the romantic chemistry between Futaba and Kou hasn't been officially resolved yet. I heard that the tension gets better in the manga, so it's a shame that there won't be any sequels anytime soon. That being said, the series still ends in a positive note so I guess that makes up for it.
The artwork and animation is well done. I love the way the former shifts to a more watercolor look for the flashbacks. The OST is great as well, I certainly love the OP and the other song used for the more emotional moments of the series.
Overall, Blue Spring Ride is an incomplete emotional roller coater that's definitely worth your time.
