Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to "reset" her image & life as a new high school student. Because she's cute, she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a misunderstanding, she couldn't get her feeling across to the one boy she has ever liked, Tanaka-kun.
Now in high school, she is determined to be as unladylike as possible so that her friends won't be jealous of her. While living her life this way contentedly, she meets Tanaka-kun again, but he now goes under the name of Mabuchi Kou. He tells her that he felt the same way as she did when they were younger, but now things can never be the same again. Will Futaba be able to continue her love that never even started from three years ago?
[Edit]While watching Blue Spring Ride (jap. Ao Haru Ride), I felt taken back in the past. Naive, dreamy, desperate; the bittersweet taste of first love you never let go - this anime is the perfect depiction of teenage school romance. The main character, Futaba Yoshioka is deeply infatuated with a boy named Kou Mabuchi. They haven't seen each other for years and much has happened since then, as we later find out. Futaba keeps trying to reach Kou's feelings, who absolutely couldn't give fewer fucks.
The strongest point of Blue Spring Ride is its characters design. Something that often irks me about shows targeted at female audiences is the male representation. The guys are always a tad bit too polite and emotional - sometimes they're so empathetic it's like they're mind-readers. Worst yet, too often they lack any ruggedness or sexual drive. The guys in this anime, however, they feel like actual guys and it's awesome.
Blue Spring Ride dances between hopes and reality, at one point providing beautiful dreamlike situations, then slapping you with a reality-check. When it comes to feelings, the series delivers many heart-melting, romantic moments. There's also promise for great drama, but for some reason the author refuses to pull the trigger. A juicy love triangle develops midway, though its conclusion is less than you would expect. The dreamy atmosphere goes unbroken to the end and it's beautiful for what it is.
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