Ura Sunday title Ao no Orchestra — also known as Blue Orchestra — has an anime adaptation pending. Creator Makoto Akui shared the good news on Twitter. The studio that will animate the series has yet to be announced, but more news is on the way!
Other popular Ura Sunday series such as Kengen Ashura have become Netflix originals so there’s certainly the potential that this upcoming anime will be made available for worldwide audiences. Since the Crunchyroll merger, the Simulcast roster has grown so it’s possible that Ao no Orchestra will be available on Crunchyroll along with a subbed or potentially dubbed version. This is not a confirmation but merely speculation.
In celebration of the animation announcement, the MangaOne app has made 30 episodes free. Japanese readers who wish to catch up on the manga have the perfect opportunity to do so now. There’s been no official announcement of an English publication, but depending on the success of the anime, it’s possible that more fans will be able to enjoy the series worldwide.
What is the plot of Ao no Orchestra?
Hajime Aono has always loved music from a young age. But after dedicating much of his early life to studying violin, he’s all but given up on his dreams — delegating his musical gear to what he and his mother refer to as the ‘forbidden room’. Divorce hit Hajime’s family hard, and it has meant that the goal of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a professional musician has faded.
That is until he meets Ritsuko Akine. After a mishap in P.E. class, Hajime passes out and is sent to the infirmary where the distant sounds of a violin shake him awake. The two… don’t hit it off right away. But after their homeroom teacher makes a deal with the two of them — offering Hajime better grades and a free violin for Ritsuko — they reluctantly agree to work together.
With one party who refuses to play the violin again and another whose stubborn nature makes her difficult to work with, the teacher-student relationship between Hajime and Ritsuko is strained at first until they’re able to talk and better understand each other. Will Hajime be able to let go of the negative feelings associated with playing the violin? And will Ritsuko learn and improve under Hajime’s guidance? Wait for the upcoming anime to find out!
What is Ura Sunday and where can I read it?
Known for popular series such as Kengan Ashura and Magi: The Adventures of Sinbad in the past, Ura Sunday is an online comic site that started in 2012. Many of Ura Sunday’s series can also be found on the Japanese MangaOne app. But, unfortunately, finding a similar site/app that contains the same releases in English proves more difficult.
Currently, the site is serializing Kengan Omega — the sequel to Kengan Ashura — the manga adaptation of Persona 5, Ao no Orchestra, and more! But in order to read many series from an official source, fans will either need to know Japanese or wait for an English publication.
Fortunately for those who speak Japanese, the first ten volumes are available for purchase in both eBook and paperback formats. And it is possible to create another account on either iPhone or Android devices to download the Manga One app by setting the account’s region to Japan.
What are English-only readers to do if they still wish to check out Ao no Orchestra? Well, for now, there is no official way to read the manga in English. One benefit of the Ao no Orchestra anime becoming a Netflix original series — such as the recent Thermae Romae Novae adaptation — would be a translation into multiple languages. The only caveat of that would be Netflix’s less-than-stellar track record for art and animation. Nothing has been confirmed so fans will have to wait and see.