Blue Spring Ride

Futaba Yoshioka thought school would be a clean break from an awkward childhood crush, until a sudden reunion forces her to revisit old feelings. Three years earlier Kou left town before she could tell him how she felt; now he’s back with a cooler demeanor and a different last name, Mabuchi. The show watches their slow reconnection in high school corridors, as misunderstandings, shifting friendships, and personal wounds surface. Scenes flip between light schoolroom banter and quieter moments where Futaba and Kou try to understand who they are after time apart, while friends around them change the shape of what romance and loyalty mean.

Released in 2014, Blue Spring Ride adapts Io Sakisaka’s popular shojo manga, with Tomoko Konparu involved in the adaptation. The anime features voices like Maaya Uchida as Futaba and Yuki Kaji as Kou.

As a shojo title it resonated widely, becoming a frequent recommendation among fans of romance anime. The characters and emotional beats show up often in fan art and cosplay, and online conversations about the series keep resurfacing whenever new readers discover the manga or rewatch the anime.

Viewers and many reviewers praised the series for its focus on teenage identity, second chances, and the awkward honesty of young relationships. It leans into realistic conversations about jealousy, grief, and learning to communicate, which helped it earn a strong fan score, reflected in an 8.5/10 vote average from 331 votes.

The show didn’t dominate major award seasons, but it has a lasting presence in the shojo community. Its mix of everyday school life with emotionally resonant character work keeps it in circulation at fan polls and recommendation lists, and it remains a go-to title for people looking for a romance that balances sweetness with real emotional stakes.