Best Manga Like Blue Box

Key Takeaways

• Sports romance manga like Blue Box explore themes of young love, ambition, and personal growth.
• Two on Ice and Baby Steps offer compelling stories of determination and self-discovery in sports.
• Suzuka, Touch, and H2 blend sports and romance to depict the journey of ambitious teenagers.

Kouji Miura’s Blue Box is one of those rare sports romance manga that finds the sweet spot between two genres to recount a story of young love and ambition. The series follows two enterprising teenagers who are driven to compete on the biggest stage while navigating the complex feelings blossoming between them. Although their pursuit of greatness and mutual sentiments bring them closer, the duo must deal with the intense demands of competitive sport and the challenges that come with it.

For those who love this story, these are the best sports manga like Blue Box. They explore similar themes and offer readers a captivating blend of personal growth, perseverance, and determination.

8 Two on Ice

The Inspiring Figure Skating Manga

• Release Date: September 25, 2023
• Author: Itsumo Elcke
• Genre(s): Sports, Drama

Hayuma Minekoshi’s accidental encounter with a mysterious girl in childhood inspires him to embrace the sport of figure skating, and in the following years, he gets good at it. When he eventually moves to Tokyo, he finally meets former prodigy Kisara Saotome. It turns out that she now plans to compete in pairs skating, and after recognizing Hayuma’s talent, she offers to team up with him.

Two on Ice recounts Minekoshi and Saotome’s heartwarming story as they push each other to become the best version of themselves. Blue Box fans who are looking for a sports manga that revolves around two ambitious teenagers will enjoy Itsumo Elcke’s work.

7 Baby Steps

An Exciting Sports Manga

• Release Date: October 7, 2007
• Author: Katsuki Hikaru
• Genre(s): Sports, Drama

Maruo Eiichirou is a brilliant first-year high school student who decides to join the tennis club after realizing that he needs to get fitter. But in a strange turn of events, he ends up getting obsessed with the sport and feels that he has found a new life purpose. Determined to improve his game, Maruo puts his academic discipline to use and works relentlessly.

Baby Steps is a compelling story of personal growth and ambition that highlights the power of determination, perseverance, and strategy, which fans of Blue Box will definitely appreciate.

6 Suzuka

Story of Love and Determination

• Release Date: February 18, 2004
• Author: Seo Kouji
• Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Sports

Yamato Akitsuki’s life takes an unexpected turn after he moves to Tokyo and crosses paths with the talented high jumper Suzuka Asahina. Infatuated by her grace and dedication, he joins the athletics team with the hope of impressing her. Although Yamato’s initial impressions have been lackluster, he soon discovers that he is a gifted athlete who can do well as a hundred-meter sprinter.

Like Taiki in Blue Box, Akitsuki finds purpose after being influenced by a girl who is incredible at sports. Both manga explore similar themes and offer a captivating story that balances the sports and romance genres.

5 Touch

A Coming-Of-Age Sports Comedy Series

• Release Date: August 5, 1981
• Author: Adachi Mitsuru
• Genre(s): Sports, Comedy, Romance

With over 100 million copies sold, Touch is arguably the best sports manga ever written. Like Blue Box, the series explores the intersection of romance, self-discovery, and sports to recount aheartwarming story of ambitious teenagers. Through its realistic and relatable characters, Touch beautifully captures the essence of growing up and chasing one’s dream while dealing with the complexities of adolescence.

4 18.44-

A Boys Love Manga That Focuses on Sports

• Release Date: May 20, 2022
• Author: Suika Momoka
• Genre(s): Boys Love, Sports

18.44- is one of those rare manga that perfectly balance the sports and romance genres, just like Blue Box. The series revolves around the romance between catcher Shoutarou and pitcher Yuudai, who are together aiming for the Koushien. With their life dreams on the line, the duo starts to feel the stress of performing in tense situations. As they embrace their flaws, Shoutarou and Yuudai’s romantic feelings and ambition clash, creating circumstances that test their bond and the commitment to their dreams.

3 Cross Game

A Heartwarming Story of Overcoming Loss and Finding Purpose

• Release Date: September 2, 2005
• Author: Adachi Mitsuru
• Genre(s): Romance, Sports, Comedy

Cross Game is a baseball manga that follows the life of Kou Kitamura as he falls in love with the sport and is eventually compelled to give it up following a tragic event. A few years after the incident, circumstances present another opportunity for Kou, who dares to embrace the sport with huge expectations on his shoulders.

Cross Game follows Kitamura’s transformative journey by addressing themes of perseverance, ambition, love, and loss. It is an ideal manga for Blue Box fans who wish to read a sports series that dares to go beyond the genre and explore the personal tragedies and triumphs of the characters.

2 Smash!

A Badminton-Focused Manga

• Release Date: July 19, 2006
• Author: Saki Kaori
• Genre(s): Drama, Sports, Romance

Shouta Azuma loves playing badminton for fun. Despite his childhood friend Miwa Okamato’s frequent attempts, he does not want to participate in it competitively. But when he sees Yuhi Kitou play for the first time on court, he is mesmerized by her grace. Enchanted by her beautiful playing style and with Anan Hashiba’s support, Azuma learns to appreciate the thrill of playing professionally and decides to step into the world of competitive badminton.

As Blue Box fans may have noticed, Azuma, like Taiki, develops a newfound respect and love for the sport influenced by a female figure in his life. Both manga focus primarily on badminton and revolve around characters who play the sport competitively to make a name for themselves.

1 H2

A Baseball Series That Focuses On The Challenging Life of a Sportsperson

• Release Date: July 29, 1992
• Author: Mitsuru Adachi
• Genre(s): Romance, Sports, Drama, Comedy

One of the best-selling manga of all time, Mitsuru Adachi’s H2 is a popular sports series that explores recurring themes like ambition, identity, overcoming setbacks, and self-discovery. Despite sports being its focus, the manga also explores romantic affairs between its characters.

H2 revolves primarily around Hiro, a talented baseball player who gives up the sport following an injury and moves to a new school. Desperate to move on, he joins the school’s soccer team when an incident pushes him to take up his favorite sport once again. The drama that unfolds captures Hiro’s transformative journey that rekindles his love for baseball.