Blue Spring Ride
Publication date 2011-02-01

Introduction

Ao Haru Ride (Japanese: アオハライド, Hepburn: Aoharaido; also titled Blue Spring Ride internationally) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka. It began serialization in the February 2011 issue of Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret and ended in February 2015.

Ao Haru Ride received several adaptations during its run. A novelization by Akiko Abe ran in Cobalt. In 2014, a limited edition drama CD adaptation was released to promote the then-upcoming anime television series by Production I.G, which aired in July 2014. A live-action film adaptation was later released in December 2014. A live-action television drama adaptation is set to premiere in Q4 2023.

Ao Haru Ride was critically acclaimed in Japan and was consistently named one of the best series of 2014 by several manga industry professionals. The series achieved popularity among readers who strongly identified with Futaba's personal growth. The series was also one of the best-selling manga in 2013 and 2014.

Story

Futaba Yoshioka is a 16-year-old high school student who attempts to fit in with her female friends by acting "unfeminine", due to a history of her female classmates ostracizing her out of jealousy. As a result, she feels her life is uninteresting. One day, she reunites with Kou Tanaka, her first love who had previously moved to Nagasaki in middle school. Kou, who now uses the surname "Mabuchi", has become a completely different person than she knew back then, as he is now cold and indifferent. When the new school year starts, Futaba decides to make a positive change for herself and volunteers to become the class representative. She is joined by Kou and her classmates, Yuri Makita, Shuko Murao, and Aya Kominato, who all form a bond together.

Futaba learns that Kou's mother had died after he moved away, and as she helps him with his grief, she falls in love with him again. However, just when Kou is about to move on from his past, Yui Narumi, his friend from Nagasaki, moves to his town, and he stays with her to help her through her father's death. When Futaba realizes she cannot change Kou, she decides to move on. When she begins a relationship with Toma Kikuchi, Kou realizes his relationship with Yui is holding him back and preventing him from accepting positive changes in his life. After he removes himself for good, he begins actively pursuing Futaba. Futaba's lingering feelings for him complicates her relationship with Toma, and they amicably break up.

During Christmas, Futaba agrees to meet Kou in the same place where they promised to meet years before until his transfer, but it is cut short when Kou is involved in a minor accident. At the hospital, Futaba and Kou admit to each other and declare they are in love. At the end of the series, the two, along with their friends, move on with their lives as they establish new relationships and accept new changes within each other. Kou changes his surname back to Tanaka, and Futaba believes that something interesting has finally started for her.

Units & Uniforms

アオハライド
2
Uniform List
アオハライド女子制服

アオハライド女子制服

アオハライド男子制服

アオハライド男子制服

Character List