Blue Spring Ride, Tome 1

アオハライド [Ao Haru Ride] #1

by Io Sakisaka

À son entrée au lycée, Futaba s’est transformée. Douce et féminine au collège, elle devient plus énergique et garçon manqué. La jeune fille veut changer pour ne plus être mise à l’écart par ses camarades. Mais ses nouvelles amitiés sont artificielles et Futaba va bientôt remarquer les limites de son changement de personnalité… Un jeune homme va l’aider à prendre un nouveau départ. Ce garçon ressemble étrangement à son premier amour, serait-ce lui ?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Young Adult, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Comics

181 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 13, 2011

About the author

Io Sakisaka (咲坂伊緒) is a Japanese manga artist. She also designed the characters for the anime movie HAL. Her works are:

-Call My Name (2001)
-Watashi no Koibito (2002)
-Bye-Bye, Little (2002)
-Blue (2006)
-Mascara Blues (2007)
-Strobe Edge (2007)
-Ao Haru Ride (2011)
-Sono Omokage o Shitteru (2013) (oneshot)
-Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare (2015)
-Otome no Itari (2020) (oneshot)
-Sakura, Saku (2021)

Reviews

[Phoenix2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say that this is one of the best shoujo manga and they are right. At least so far it is very interesting, entertaining and cute. The love story is thrilling and the main character is actually very relatable, as she is an outcast in her school who tries to fit in by pretending to be someone other than her real self. Plus the mystery behind her love interest disappearance and reapearance is interesting (even though I watched the movie first so it won't be that big of a surprise for me : ( )

[The Artisan Geek]

8/8/20
Honestly? Had not expected myself to like this manga so much lmao - it was great, but also gave me tons of flashback from awkward moments in secondary school XD Full review to come in the next episode of Manga Review on my YouTube channel :)

You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website | The Storygraph

[Emma]

i loooooove this 🥺

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uh oh! This just might become my new obsession! Shout out to Futaba for doing the right thing even when it would cost her friendships. I love to see a main character start the process of their character growth so quickly. I own the entire series so I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series.

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡KOU DE MI VIDA Y DE MI CORAZÓN!

[Cam (Lana Belova) · Rating 5 out of 5]

8 January '23

I dearly love this manga and the anime adaptation! Io Sakisaka's Art is superb, I couldn't resist to re-read at least one volume, the story she's written and her amazing artwork are inspirational and make my heart sing :)

🌸🌿🌸
10 April '21
I was taken with the characters 𝐈𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚 had created! The thing that impressed me was the way she drew them - they felt like real people with their distinct traits that gave each character its personality. It seems like Io Sakisaka was born with sunbeamy images already forming in her head, and, as I think, she skillfully merged the elements of a graphic novel with elements of a realistic fiction. The theme of a beauty of life the 𝐀𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐮 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞 story certainly carries!
A spell of youth this awesome creator had certainly woven into the story! It felt like the sounds of laughter and dreams were living on the pages, making the world of this story very spring-like, unfolding itself withing the story and gently making its way to the hearts of the readers! Created by 𝐈𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚 characters surely stayed with me beyond the last page, because they are simply too endearing to go away :P
I actually watched the anime first and, since it's in an unfinished state for such a long time, I decided to give manga a try - and though I immensely love the anime I loved the graphic version even better!! :)
🌸🌿🌸

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I wanted to update this by adding some pics from the anime and live-action ;)



Yes it's a start of a great anime!! :)





The two cuties when they were small :)




Baby Kou ;)

It's impossible not to like these two.



Ultra cute+funny moments:









For this who don't know the manga properly let me start with the introductions. Meet first

1.Kou-Our male protagonist



2. Futaba-Our hilarious and ultra stupid female protagonist



3. Her friends
-makita



-Murao



-Kominato



Though he looks like this, you can't help but fall in love with him over the story. He's just to funny and cute and insightful :)


4. Rivals
-Narumi-Hate her -.- she didn't appear in the anime yet.

-Kikuchi-I don't really dislike him. I feel bad for him.



He has only made one embarrassing cameo in the anime yet :D



Let's move on to the live action now :)

Kou



He is sooooo perfect. I'm totally in love with him!!!

Futaba



She was ultra cute too. I loved them together.

Murao



Kominato



Makita



I only didn't like her casting.

For me the movie was perfect. Compared to the other horrible live actions done, this was good fresh breath. It's true that they didn't stick to the original plot but I still liked it. It was cute and the acting was good. The two didn't have great chemistry but i think they showed enough chemistry to portray their characters. Kou and Futaba were really cute together. And Narumi was super annoying :D
Now some movie stills :) After that I will end this horrible review :D

Some iconic moments in the manga and live action and sometimes anime :)









Ok the last bit now. Behind the scene cute pics





Too bad he's married. If not they would make a great couple :(

















A comparison



The promotional poster



LUV THIS!!!!! ALL OF IT: MOVIE,MANGA,ANIME!!!!!!!

[Kate♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5stars

1 might seem harsh but I do rate manga a bit dif. And to me this manga just wasn’t good at all. I hated the art style, the plot was incredibly generic, the female character was generic and annoying, the love interest was awful, and I almost DNFed this even though it’s a 150 page manga. So to me this was pretty dang bad

[vin .ᐟ (hiatus)]

this story felt so bittersweet already ;__; i'm def invested

[Archit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first book. I have got a feeling that this manga is going to be the best shoujo manga I've ever read. I have also followed the tv series and watched the movie which are interesting.

[hanna ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

first manga ever i loved this so much <3

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

- just so cute!
- futaba and kou <3 <3 <3
- so proud of futaba for standing up for what's right.
- basically all the heart eyes

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, Reread* January 1, 2017

*Review based on the entire series (Volumes 1-13)




(Gif credits to wordstuck)

If I had to choose one word to describe this manga series, it would be the Japanese adjective, "懐かしい" (natsukashii). This term is difficult to translate into English accurately and completely, but it is often used to express a yearning for something, or a slightly nostalgic feeling of missing. As a non-native and amateur learning the foreign language for my own fun, how I've personally interpret natsukashii is the feeling you get when you're reminded of the past. And Blue Spring Ride made me feel just that.



The story begins with two middle schoolers, Futaba Yoshioka and Kou Tanaka, that like each other making plans to attend a festival together during their school break. However, misunderstandings arise after Futaba accidentally blurts that she hates boys because of their obnoxious behavior. Kou hears her exclamation, and doesn't meet up with Futaba the day of the event. Futaba believes that he stood her up for the outburst that he overheard, but really he couldn't make it because of family issues. So she decides to address this misunderstanding when they return to school. But on the day of the new semester, Futaba discovers that Kou has already transferred schools to another town. With a lot of loose ends left and the strength of first love, the two never forget each other in spite of the distance. And then years later, fate makes them enrolled in the same high school. Will they finally face each other after all this time? And will the attraction they shared from the past be rekindled?

Blue Spring Ride is far from a perfect or unique manga series amongst other existing shoujo titles. There are a myriad of ridiculous tropes, cliche scenes left and right, predictable plots, and a dreaded love polygon. Yet, despite the many problematic elements (and I guess against my better judgement) I couldn't bear to give this series a lower rating because I related to the characters and still managed to adore the story to bits.

Though a typical shoujo, I believe this one holds special, personal meaning because it reminded me of my time as a youthful teenager. As I read along Futaba and Kou's journey, I reminisced about high school and first crushes.

When our eyes met, we would definitely look away for a moment and then look at each other again.

I can't explain it, but although I'm in my early 20s now, I surprisingly felt a great connection towards the teenage cast and related to their struggles when I was their age. This manga made me feel waves of nostalgia for its quintessential portrayal of sweet, young love.



The romance also made my heart flutter. I've expressed this in my reviews before, but my absolute favorite romantic tropes are ones that begin as childhood friends. Kou and Futaba were never best friends but their current attraction stems from a shared history, which is close enough to the romance formula I'm partial to.

We can no longer go back though, I’m totally different from that person in the past, you too. That was just a brief reminiscing of our past, that’s all. 

However, the biggest reason why I'm downrating the manga in comparison to the anime, is because there is a crazy amount of back and forth between the main couple-especially in the second half of the manga. If you like the two characters enough (like I did), this may not bother you too bad and you'll be able to continue and finish. However, otherwise, I'd suggest just watching the short 12 episode anime where there aren't as many love entanglements and polygons involved. Plus, that adaptation is pretty much identical to the manga (as is, the live action version, in fact), but, of course, it doesn't complete the entire arc of the storyline. (The live action film does, however.)


(Art by original mangaka, Io Sakisaka. Edits credits to mariconi.)

As for the two lead roles, individually...



Futaba, the female protagonist, really grew on me as the series progressed. I found her behavior at the start of the anime and manga series (after the succinct middle school arc) refreshing because she purposely acted ungirly. Her motives behind her unconventional actions are fueled by her lonely middle school years where all the girls shunned her because many boys had crushes on her. (Hmm, I guess this means that Blue Spring Ride is implicitly suggesting that girls are jealous creatures and feel threatened by other attractive girls.) So to have a better experience in high school Futaba decides to resort to this technique. She does eventually make girl friends, but not true ones. And Futaba soon begins to see the flaws in her approach with creating friendships.

You got lost in pursuing your goal? I guess you were working so hard, you lost sight of that goal.

More often than not, shoujo heroines can get on my nerves, but I never once felt annoyed with Futaba. She's rootable. And I love her evolvement with each chapter.

Sometimes people put up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

And her perceptive insight and caring nature-mostly when it came to her friends and Kou-were certainly her strengths.



Another character that significantly added to my fondness towards this series was Kou. Like Futaba, I fell head over heels for him and hard. Not going to lie, some of it probably had to do with his physical appearance and the way Io Sakisaka illustrated him, because I do have a thing for fictional males in anime/manga with dark hair. Not to mention, I may also be biased because the Japanese voice actor that plays his role in the anime is Yuki Kaji (aka the guy that also voices Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan ). But, aside from those facts, I also liked Kou's sensitivity and considerate disposition.

Despite the cruelty of his words there was something lonely in his expression.

Of the "indifferent and brooding" anime/manga guys, his personality is the most justified and understandable to me. After a loss in the family, Kou hasn't been the same happy, shy boy as the one Futaba first meets. The new Kou is certainly cold but he's not cruel. (Usually I find that's normally not the case. Most are not boyfriend material, and can be pushy, dangerous, and/or abusive. Re: Takumi in Nana , Naoki in  It Started With a Kiss , and Kyoya in Wolf Girl and Black Prince ) Also, everything he does is plain adorable. :')

If you still love her, I can't help that, but don't meddle with her half-heartedly. If you can surpress your feelings, then leave it.

Even though I really liked Kou and Futaba, my favorite character was actually Shuuko Murao. She's one of the less complex characters, but I loved all the cameos she made-from her initial stoic demeanor due to her skepticism towards having fun and becoming attached to the people her age (which isn't too far from the person I was when I started college) to her overall contribution towards the main couple's romance and story-all the same. Shuuko also exhibits considerable growth by the end of the series. And her playing hard to get with Aya Kominato is hilarious and just as sweet as the Kou and Futaba's relationship in its own way.

Speaking of Aya, no surprise, as a characteristic of most shoujos, this manga's comedy didn't disappoint and was marvelous. And I have to thank Aya for being the main perpetrator that caused all my laughter. Each volume never failed to include a lighthearted, funny scene.

And with the last character of the inner friends group, there's Yuri Makita. I found her the least likable because, unlike Futaba, she is the typical shoujo girl. (Also, it didn't help that I couldn't stand how high pitched her voice actress sounded for the anime.) However what I did like was how she was introduced into the storyline. With Yuri, in a way, Blue Spring Ride briefly tackles slut shaming (or I guess cute shaming?). Yuri doesn't dress provocatively but she's bullied for the way she presents herself "cutely," and is accused of trying to seek attention from guys because of it, which to me is equally as wrong as slutshaming if not similar.



However, aside from the two main roles, the supporting characters don't appear to possess nearly as much depth, which is a bummer, but there is at least some growth with each.

Books with strong themes of friendship are my weakness. And the friendship dynamics and chemistry in this were absolutely brilliant.



I was proud of Kou and Aya's growing camaraderie after Kou's walls were broken down.



And, needless to say, I adored the girl bonding.

There are things you can only achieve together. So that someday when you look back, the people you experienced it with will see it as a happy memory with the same warmth that you do.

After last year's string of mediocre high school reads, I thought I had surely outgrown books set in high school, but Blue Spring Ride made me reconsider this thought. Or maybe I just find high school traditions in Asia to be fascinating. Maybe that's it. Regardless, I liked that the story took place when the cast of characters were in high school and that readers don't follow their lives beyond that period.

Which brings me onto the subject of the ideal ending. My opinions may differ from other Kou and Futaba shippers, but I appreciated that readers didn't get any confirmation if the characters got married or had kids. The ending suggested an open future, and that there's the possibility that what the characters feel or have changed into by the end aren't completely concrete for the rest of their lives. The manga has ended, but I don't think the characters will stop changing. I mean they're all still so young. And, realistically speaking, young love does not equate to eternal or everlasting love.


(Art by original mangaka, Io Sakisaka. Edits credits to fyshoujo.)

Lastly, don't even get me started on the glorious mixed media and watercolor artwork. The art within the manga itself was pretty good, but I loved the cover art for the volumes so, so much. (I'm seriously contemplating ordering Io Sakisaka's artbook for my upcoming birthday.)

To end this long review, the final verdict is that my enjoyment level while reading Blue Spring Ride was definitely 10/10 but the objective critic in me also acknowledges that this is probably a 6/10 at best. So with its evident flaws, I can't promise that Blue Spring Ride would fit everyone's taste, but I think for shoujo lovers this one will prove to be enjoyable if not great. And because I connected with the characters and storyline on a more personal level, I think this'll remain as one of my all time favorite series despite the somewhat low rating. Without a doubt, I have plans on purchasing the series once it becomes available in my country. And I certainly plan to give Strobe Edge, another series by the same mangaka, a try at some point in the near future.

---

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[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

It took me quite a while to finally pick up this series. I’ll admit—I was initially skeptical, assuming it would be yet another run-of-the-mill coming-of-age teen drama. And in some ways, it does follow familiar tropes. But what makes this manga stand out is not just the story, but the timing with which it arrived in my life. Right now, surrounded by warmth and love, this series felt like a breath of fresh air—simple, comforting, and surprisingly resonant.

The plot itself is straightforward, but it's the cast of characters that truly breathes life into the narrative. I’ve always had a soft spot for ensemble-driven teen dramas, and this one nails it. Each character is thoughtfully written, and it's their personalities, quirks, and evolving dynamics that add a lovely nuance to the storytelling.

Overall, this manga is a gentle, heartwarming read—sweet, sincere, and full of charm. It doesn't try too hard to impress, and that's precisely what makes it so endearing. I’m genuinely looking forward to diving into the next volume and seeing where the story takes me next.

[Glire · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Por qué no sabía de la existencia de este manga? Kou y Futaba me han enamorado. Una historia ligera sin ser superficial, con un buen grupo de personajes secundarios bien desarrollados y una historia de amor encantadora.

Gracias totales a Mariantonella por recomendarme esto, creo que gracias a ella me he vuelto adicta al shoujo :$ Se aceptan nuevas recomendaciones :P

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/a4XU75uG8Bw

"I learned that letting go is a strength in itself."

Ahh, I LOVED this first volume! There is something so special about Io Sakisaka's stories that really just let me relax and breathe in everything.

While I adored her series Strobe Edge, I have a feeling I am going to love Ao Haru Ride even more. The themes were deeper than I expected because with Strobe Edge, there was a focus on questioning what love is right from the beginning. Granted, we do see a very sweet prologue of sorts in this one that definitely is the beginning of a romance, but there was a change on the breeze and neither of these characters are the same as a result.

It actually made me sad how Yoshioka changed who she was years later so she could be accepted by the girls around her, BUT! I also deeply felt her words of how she truly believed her teachers when they said to be friends with everyone and questioning what do you do when things don't work out. Much of Yoshioka's struggles really jumped off the page and admired how even if she was afraid to be her real self, our hero came in and sort of flipped her world upside down so she COULD grow into her real self. Not that she NEEDS him to grow and change, but sometimes when we hear things from people we least expect to, it hits differently.

What he said didn't really "allow" her to "rest" in a world where he feels is fakeness. Yes, ultimately Yoshioka is the one who has to make the decisions if she will stay there and even when she realizes that he is to "blame" for certain events, she still knows its her own fault for not being real. So I DEEPLY appreciated the depth of Tanaka's character and how he exposed things that *needed* to be out in the open.

It's interesting because while I think someone could say Tanaka is cold, I don't feel he is. I feel there is a lot of hurt underneath his persona and that he does care for our main girl. (I know I'm definitely looking forward to them being in a relationship! LOL!) I found my heart was heavy for him many times throughout while reading and wish all the happiness for him.

Like when I first started Strobe Edge, I was deeply surprised how much I enjoyed this volume. I loved the characters, the art style, and the story itself. I truly can't wait to keep reading more volumes and seeing this story unfold! I know it's going to be an amazing one!!

[court ౨ৎ librarycutie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was sooo cute!!! 🥰

[clauu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You learn what you didn't know. I learned that letting go is a strength in itself."

Comfort romance manga

[Evelyn Swift (Featherbrained Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be a review for the entire series *5 stars!

Volume 1 - 3 / Read 22nd November: Oh Kou...

Volume 4 / Read 22nd December: Yuri is so sweet and I love the quote about Kou: "He acts tough like he doesn't care...but Kou has a weakness...he's always gentle in the end." I also love how we find out Shuko Murao is a scorpio...so typical haha

When Kou opens his heart a bit to Yoshioka Futaba and Tanaka cries when they all eat dinner together…ah my heart! <3

And then when Kou goes to defend Futaba's honour when she speaks privately to the blonde haired kid (can't remember his name rn)..my heart can't take the cuteness!

Volume 5 / Read 30th December: Oooh new guy on the scene, Toma! I actually like him, he seems really sweet and very much into Fubata. Although, of course I want Fubata and Kou to end up together. I just hope everyone gets what they want...it was interesting seeing Kou act jealous with Fubata but then not properly act on it *argg

Yuri is such a great friend, although I hope she gets to find a love of her own. Right now I love how amazing of a friend she is, how encouraging of Yuri she is, but she doesn't seem to have a personality beyond this and I'd love to see her character development a lot more (like what we saw in the first volume!)

Every volume always has at least one really cute and/or endearing scene and for me seeing Kou and his new cat was adorable. Also, the relationship between Kou and Kominato is so sweet. I love Kominato so much, he's such a great friend and I really hope Murao sees what a great guy he is. I'd love to see more scenes with him!

Volume 6 / Read 2nd January: Dun dun dun...we meet the new girl Yui Narumi and FUBATA AND KOU KISS!. And I have to say...I feel really bad for Narumi and I think the author might want us to dislike her, but I'm definitely mad at Kou for leading her on and treating Fubata the way he has after they kiss! He admits he knows how Narumi feels but still gives her all of his time? That would be so confusing, not only to Narumi, but poor Fubata has to see this!

As you can see above ^ I wrote how I wanted to see more Kominato and my wish was granted!! When Kominato told Murao to wait for him to become a better person before he truly asks her out, I died! So romantic.... I love how open and honest Kominato is. I think he's such a great match for Murao, since she's quite mature and serious.

Volume 7 - 8: What a cliffhanger in Volume 7! I also was so happy to see Mauro and Tanaka get their messiness out of the way.

Volume 9: Toma he finally confesses and directly asks Fubata to go out with him with a kiss at the end! Eek, so cute!. Kou is being an idiot as usual...when Mauro sees Kou and feels a bit bad for him, I did too but then she says "it's Mabuchi's fault for dragging his feet. You reap with you sow" and I agree. He could've sorted all of this out last summer with Fubata if he had been true with his feelings.

Volume 10: Oh I feel so much for Toma! He has such an endearing quality. Fubata seems really happy with him but then there are little moments that make me think otherwise...and I'm starting to feel sad for Kou. Not sure how everyone can get a happy ending here 😓

Aside from Yuri, who seems so adorably happy in her new relationship! I'm so glad she's found someone and is happy, she totally deserves it.

Volume 11: This starts off with Mauro and Kominato, as well as Kou and Fubata spending time together. When Kou kisses Fubata on the head when she falls alseep on the bus my heart broke. He obviously still has feelings for her!. It got so intense between Kou and Toma at the end of Chapter 41!

ugh Narumi...I thought we did away with her in Volume 8.

Volume 12: We start with Kou pushing Fubata...he wants to win her heart! And predictably, but exactly what I wanted...Kou and Fubata finally confess their feelings and kiss again! I do feel bad for Toma though...I'm curious what the next volume will be about!

The scene where Uchimiya hugs Yuri and tells her "Am I doing a good enough job of being your boyfriend? You know how much I care about you, right?" I dieddd. Yuri deserves the best!

Volume 13: THE END. I don't want it to end! 😭😭😭

I'm so happy Mauro and Kominato finally confessed and are going out! They seem so suited to each other <3

This is one of the best shoujo I've ever read!

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another series that I have already watched the anime for and was disappointed with the ending. I feel like when it comes to anime, they end it so fast and the ending doesn't resolve all of the problems in the plot. I am hoping to learn more about the characters and how their futures turn out. This series has been getting a lot of good reviews and I loved the anime. This volume was amazing, and I can't wait to catch up to where I was. I started reading Carry On, but I got distracted with this.



Futaba was a cute girl who hates guys because they made it difficult for her to make friends. Since she was a cute girl, she got a lot of attention from the guys in her grade, which makes it difficult for her to make friends. But then she met Kou, the guy who was different, who was less manly and more gentle. He had a soft voice and was shorter than the rest of the guys in his grade. That was what made Futaba fall for him, but he moved away before anything could ever happen. A few years later, Futaba is tired of having less friends and decides to start eating more, acting vicious in order for the boys to think that she isn't attractive. This helps her make more friends and she is happy with her life, even if she doesn't have great friends. But she never expects to run into her childhood crush who has changed just like her.



Kou is a character who is really mysterious, we only know about his past. He has changed so much from his old self, as did Futaba. Both of them moved onto their lives, but ever since Futaba saw Kou, she wants to understand him more. She wants to know why he moved suddenly, and why they never had a chance. They feel this sort of attraction towards each other, but are refusing to face it. Kou is honest and is much more harsh than how he was in the past. He believes that his past self no longer exists and everyone has to move on. Futaba is friends with people who don't care about her. The only person who was ready to tell her that they weren't real friends was Kou.

Their relationship is strong and I ship them so much. They are probably the first couple that I shipped from the very beginning of the series. Watching the anime and reading the manga, I feel the same way about these two. They have great personalities and need to open up with each other. I love the pacing of this series, it's super fast.

I can't wait to read more of this series and hope that I can get over my reading slump of actual novels.

I'll be off to read something, hopefully finish Carry On by tomorrow.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haber, veamos, ¿fue un error ver el anime antes de leer el manga? Creo que no. Siempre es un placer ver a Kou.



Normalmente, no soy de leer o ver animes con temática exclusivamente romántica y colegial, pero Ao Haru Ride será una en mi lista de excepciones, porque 1. nuestros protagonistas tienen carácter, no son copia de otros personajes que vi/leí en animes/mangas 2. la historia podría parecer cliché por las familiares situaciones que encontramos en estos cuatro capítulos, pero Io Sakisaka sabe cómo agregarle su respectiva magia que en este caso es la añoranza hacia el pasado que no regresará... ¿o quizá sí? Apuesto todo el dinero que tengo (que en estos momentos es poco, pero me vale) para asegurarles que sufriré con esta especial pareja: Kou y Futaba ♥



¡Ha por el siguiente manga!

[Adiba (mankind hater) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anime has been on my watchlist for ages but I guess we're reading manga first 💁🏻‍♀️🎀
Also this manga is giving cozy vibes max 😭🤚🏻like it's genuinely made to be read at this time of the year!! ❄️🧣📚
Can't wait to read this and watch the anime ASAP !!
(Fyi I've my internals and exams in like two weeks and here I am starting this new manga even tho I've been telling myself to stop reading for a while since a month 💀💀💀 but that's prolly never gonna happen)
Also I'M DONE WITH MY GOODREADS GOALS YAYAYAYYYY!!!!!
But most prolly I'll be ending my year with a horrible book I've to read all thanks to my uni 😀🔪 (this was not on my 2024 list 😭😭 chat why me?!!🤚🏻😭)

Also sorry for all the unrelated things I wrote in the reviews but I'm yapper online kinda person so you gotta bear what you gotta bear 😭🤚🏻

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is gonna make me suffer.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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In middle school Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious... except for Kou Tanaka. They agree to meet to go to a summer festival together but he never shows up. Fast forward to high school where she meets Tanaka again, but he's totally different and that even includes his name! Will they be able to rekindle what they had in the past?!

I was excited to see a new shoujo romance being released by VIZ Media... I found Takane & Hana the same way and have fallen in love with that series! I had no idea what to expect and it was fun to just dive in with Ao Haru Ride vol 1 ...

I really liked Futaba, right off. She is an uncertain girl in the middle school arc, put off by all the attention she gets from boys at a time she isn't really interested in them yet. Then in high school she's made some deliberate choices so that she can be different from that middle school version of herself. I could really relate to this choice... and I enjoyed how the return of Tanaka totally shook her decision! Not that boys should change us but when we feel a connection we should consider their POV... Right now Tanaka is a bit of a mystery! I don't mind that at all because I'm in the story just as much for Futaba and the growth of her friendships...

Since I had no idea what this would turn out to be at first I was a little stumped because everything was happening so fast... in the middle school arc. I think it reflected really well what we think love is and yet it also made the loss of that first love experience quite poignant! I really appreciated that as I became quite caught wanting Futaba to get somewhere with the high school Tanaka!!

And what a crazy yet not totally unexpectedly different boy he turned out to be... We learn why Tanaka disappeared suddenly which I really appreciated because it gave us a sort of ending to the volume... while also opening this entire can of worms (yuck?!) for us to enjoy in the coming volumes. The new Tanaka isn't afraid to voice his opinions to Futuba, the shine has worn off his first love and I really liked that. Futuba isn't really in a happy place so much as in a "I'm surviving high school and it isn't too bad" sort of place. Even though HS is a passing phase I do think it should be a time that is upbeat and enjoyed and that is what Tanaka pushes Futuba to consider!

While I ADORE the cover art of this volume (this clean, focused character art is some of my favorite kind of manga cover art!) the internal art is more of a background-less talking faces sort of comic. It has really stellar character designs... I can keep characters separate and recognize them from plot interactions and Tanaka is particularly dreamy!! BUT there aren't many, if any locations. While this is a little annoying I was still totally sucked into the characters and they came off the page with the snarky things that Tanaka said and how Futuba questioned her choices!

Ao Haru Ride is a new series that I am so very excited that I got to pick up! Io Sakisaka is a mangaka who really hooks us with a female character that we want to follow BECAUSE of her female friendships and individual growth besides her potential love affair with the mysterious Tanaka... I look forward to checking out volume 2!!


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.


This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

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[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augh, I can't even believe myself. I'm here!! I just can't sleep without reading anything so I guess I'm checking this series again. Dang, it's only volume 1 but I can already feel the life being squeezed out of my heart—and it freaking hurts.

I adored Kou back in my teenage years, yes, because I was attracted to tall guys with miserable pasts. Aoharaido was my introduction to shoujo manga back in the day.

I was a fan of girl comics and mostly read Winx club issues that my father brought home for me every other month, until I saw the anime adaptation of this series on Hero TV, and yea, I was hooked and a few years after I looked it up online and devoured it and was so proud that finished everything before season 2 came (I thought it was coming) and it became my damned anthem of the heart in junior high and I literally chased a tall guy with miserable family history because mostly he reminded me of Kou, and yes, how dumb of me to even do that. I still hate the flashbacks whenever they come unannounced! I'd be like Futaba waving her chopsticks to erase what she's thinking, lol! Btw, he chose the other girl and dumped me, but the girl loved the drama and won't stop talking to me about the guy and it was my miserable months, crying while folding clothes, crying while screaming to rock music, with burning anger for their insensitivity. Like, can you just let a defeated girl cry in silence? Live her alone, don't contact her any more if you didn't choose her. Let her move on. What can I say in defense of this silly story though? I was young and full of energy and I gotta burn it—I ended up burning this series though in the end. I was just so full of hate. I bet the energy I had was immediately converted to hatred lol. It did fuel me for days on end.

But, it's been a long time and I don't even feel any hate about the past that I guess it's now safe to revisit this because I actually kind of missed this after reading My Little Monster. Such a sweet trip down shoujo memory lane. Lol, I'm still half mad at Kou though, and irritated at Futaba (yea, maybe because I see my old self in her). He keeps on overstepping his bounds. He declares he's different, he's troubled, he's not interested (anymore), but came waltzing in teasing Futaba the next moment. Too many mixed signals—like that sick boy of mine (bleugh). Oh, I guess I still have lingering feelings of hatred and disgust towards him. I guess, my book is still burning. Hmm, yea whatever, I'll still read it anyway.

Lol, btw, I just realized I sounded like Saki sensei's notes on the next volume about her love life bleugh

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very easy to get behind on manga titles since Borders went out of business, and this one went under my radar for quite some time. The anime Blu-Rays went on sale at a site I've been going pretty wild on since pandemic isolation started (I confess), and since I prefer to read the original story before watching the anime, when possible, I ordered the first one or two volumes of the manga, as well.

What a wonderful discovery!

Now, before I start, this is a pretty conventional story. Our main character, Futaba, has her first crush on a boy named Tanaka in junior high. She waits to meet him for their first casual date at a festival, and he never shows up. Turns out he had to move suddenly and couldn't tell her.

Next we're in the first year of high school, and Futaba meets a couple of people, a young teacher and a boy her age, both of whom look very similar to the long-lost Tanaka. The younger one doesn't act like Tanaka though. Sweetness has transformed to bluntness. He tells her her two classmate friends are fake, throwing her life into a loop.

There's something about the storytelling here that's so good, though, that makes me feel like I'm living the life of a character much younger than I am, without questioning or disliking the idea. The facial expressions are great, and the things that Futaba learns about dealing with the various little trials of high school life are dealt with in a sympathetic, not over-obvious way. I laugh when Mabuchi (a.k.a. Tanaka) teases Futaba, and sympathize deeply with her when she cries.

This one's drama is subtle, and I'm not sure how well it could be conveyed in anime without making the conventional nature of the story really obvious. This book showed me again why I love shojo manga, and I'm anxious to follow up with the rest of these, especially since all the volumes have been available in English for a few months.

If you have any recommendations for recent shojo manga, tell me in the comments. I'd love to see some newer stories!

[Kadi P · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Pre-reading thoughts included below.*

Aside from all the romance which seemed sort of rushed, the exploration of the difficulties of friendships was spot on. The representation of what it’s like to have fake friends was so accurate it was almost as though I was seeing something of myself in the protagonist when she finally came to the realisation that she’d rather be true to herself than appease her fake friends.

I really loved how this vol didn’t skimp on the hard-hitting moments, it wasn’t at all what I expected it to start like.

The art was pretty standard manga art, although I have to say I’m not a fan of the overly large eyes and no nose style. It’s very distinct (I could easily recognise art from this manga anywhere) but I would have preferred it if everyone’s eyes were a little smaller with hints of noses at least. That’s just me being picky. After all, the storyline and character progression more than made up for such a small artistic preference like that.

Pre-reading thoughts: (23rd July 2021)
The anime adaptation of this manga does not have a dub and I only watch dubs. Please my fellow weebs, do not kill me over my heinous preference of dubbing over subbing😂
So, I thought I’d make do with reading the manga instead. Most manga are better than their anime adaptations anyway!

[Caahpinotti ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's a Japanese adjective used when something evokes a fond memory from your past called “懐かしい” (natsukashii), and this is exactly how i'd describe the feeling of reading ao Haru ride; it takes you back to that one moment of your life when everything was sweet and amazing, personified in a single person, who came back rushing into your life, without warning and way different than they were, saying that everything changed and, if you don't keep up the pace, you will be the one left behind.
ao haru Ride is a story about self-discovery and accepting the changes that time always brings along with it - for better or for worse.

[Zahraa زهراء · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a senior student, I'm very interested in educational systems and school lives in foreign countries. I'm clearly realizing that young adults books which are usually take places in schools is a useful way to learn more about school life -and in details that may not be found on Google.
As expected, this manga was useful for me to take a good look to how Japanese school life looks like.

This manga take the reader into an interesting journey through memories and emotions. Yoshioka the weak and lively girl and her beautiful adventures with her friends .Kuo whose mother had died and he suffered a lot . Morao who had fallen in love with her teacher.

The graphics are charmy .The smiling faces are my favorite!

It's wonderful what friendship could do .Being and enjoy with a group of trusted people is a big blessing.

After reading, I guess you will get such message:

               WE ARE YOUTH .LET'S HAVE FUN AS MUCH AS WE CAN ...

[kavya (warner’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. favourite. series. ever. But why would u do this to me. Why take my guts and turn them inside out. U OWE ME AN OCEAN OF MY TEARS (I literally wrote a letter to this book in my diary abt the impact it had on my life 😭 idk it just happened)