Blue Spring Ride
Blue Spring Ride
Now Showing

Blue Spring Ride

8.4
Yr 2014
Rt 23m
Status Ended
Animation Comedy Drama
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Series Brief

Overview

At the end of her first year of high school, Futaba Yoshioka suddenly has a chance encounter with her first love, Kou Tanaka. Three years ago, he transferred schools before she was able to say how she felt about him. After meeting each other again, Futaba realizes that he has gone through many changes. He acts more cool and even had his last name changed to Mabuchi. Gradually the two rekindle their love while piecing together what had happened in the time that they were apart.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 65 /100

Critical reception for Blue Spring Ride is mixed, characterized by a divide between fans of the genre and those seeking a faster narrative pace. Enthusiasts describe the show as a sincere dramatic romance that successfully captures the emotional complexities of young love, despite its limited scope.

Conversely, some viewers find the pacing to be an issue, noting that the 12-episode series lacks significant plot progression. Comparisons to the original source material are frequent, with some critics feeling the anime omits important character development and relationship subplots present in the manga.

“I would describe this as a dramatic romance anime, but not necessarily a romantic comedy.”

“In 12 episodes nothing major happens.”

“Of course manga and anime was better. So much more in detail.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Rakuten Viki
US • CA
Why fans love it

Blue Spring Ride frames the typical high school romance through the lens of lingering, unresolved history. By reuniting characters who were separated by a sudden departure years prior, the series moves beyond the standard school life setup. It focuses on the friction between who these teenagers were in the past and the guarded, often colder versions of themselves they present in the present.

The series anchors its emotional stakes in the central mystery of how the characters changed during their time apart. Maaya Uchida provides a grounded performance that captures the tension of navigating a love triangle while trying to uncover hidden truths about a former flame. It is a show about the uneven nature of growing up and the effort required to bridge the gap left by missing years.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 32
Regulars 3
Longest run 11 eps
Maaya Uchida
Maaya Uchida
as Futaba Yoshioka (voice)
Yuki Kaji
Yuki Kaji
as Kou Mabuchi (voice)
Ai Kayano
Ai Kayano
as Yuuri Makita (voice)
KENN
KENN
as Aya Kominato (voice)
Mikako Komatsu
Mikako Komatsu
as Shuuko Murao (voice)
Daisuke Hirakawa
Daisuke Hirakawa
as Youichi Tanaka (voice)
Umeka Shouji
Umeka Shouji
as Female Teacher (voice)
1 episode
Tomohisa Aso
Tomohisa Aso
as Teacher (voice)
3 episodes
Show 24 more
Tetsuo Sakaguchi as Peach-sensei (voice) 1 episode Naomi Shindo as Young Youichi (voice) 1 episode Takuya Kirimoto as Doctor (voice) 1 episode Hideyuki Tanaka as Kou's Father (voice) 1 episode Ryoko Shiraishi as Chie (voice) 4 episodes Hiroko Ushida as Old lady (voice) 1 episode Kimiko Saito as Old lady (voice) 1 episode Kouji Kawakami as Schoolboy (voice) 1 episode Marina Inoue as Asumi (voice) 4 episodes Sohta Arai as Homeroom Teacher (voice) 6 episodes Haruka Chisuga as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Sarah Emi Bridcutt as Schoolgirl (voice) 3 episodes Naomi Ohzora as Schoolgirl (voice) 4 episodes Ryohei Arai as Schoolboy (voice) 2 episodes Shintaro Ogawa as Schoolboy (voice) 8 episodes Haruka Terui as Schoolgirl (voice) 5 episodes Yusuke Handa as Schoolboy (voice) 11 episodes Daiki Yamashita as Naitou (voice) 4 episodes Yui Makino as Yumi (voice) 2 episodes Koutaro Nishiyama as Middle school boy (voice) 2 episodes Yuuta Kasuya as Middle school boy (voice) 3 episodes Aya Hisakawa as Kou's mother (voice) 2 episodes Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Touma Kikuchi (voice) 2 episodes Kenji Akabane as Uchimiya (voice) 1 episode
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Blue Spring Ride overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

love triangle friendship high school romance slice of life unrequited love school based on manga nostalgic school life transfer student shoujo anime japanese high school high school romance sentimental romantic
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
July 08, 2014
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
23 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
347