Several noteworthy anime came out of the Spring 2023 season. There was something for everyone, whether that was an epic battle shonen, a wholesome romance, or a drama about the entertainment industry. There was even a music anime about violins, although it seems to have been overlooked by the majority of viewers.
Blue Orchestra hasn’t generated as much hype as its contemporaries. It’s a shame because this is a decent enough show, and anyone who watches it should enjoy it. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to stand out in a season of breakout successes and returning heavy-hitters. For this and a few other reasons, Blue Orchestra seems likely to vanish into obscurity.
Why Isn’t Blue Orchestra More Popular?
The anime follows the story of two high school violinists. The first one, Hajime Aono, was a talented violinist as a child, but after his parent’s divorce, he swore off the instrument. The other, Ritsuko Akine, is an amateur violinist outcast hoping to enroll in a school with an orchestra. The two end up in a reluctant student-teacher relationship, but they steadily learn more about themselves and each other. This series is a decent watch, but there are reasons for it to go unnoticed.
The biggest problem Blue Orchestra had was competition. This no-name shonen anime had to compete with several popular, returning anime; Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc, Dr. Stone: New World, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, The Ranking of Kings, 70x13p9″ title=”the ancient magus’ bride”>The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and Edens Zero all came back this same spring. Most people will have had their anime needs for at least three months by these series.
Even without those veteran anime, Blue Orchestra had to compete with all the other big anime to premiere this season. Series like Oshi no Ko, Hell’s Paradise, and Mashle all premiered this spring and went on to gather large followings. Between these meteoric newcomers and all the long-awaited returning series, most anime fans don’t have the time to get invested in an okay music drama.
Some people might be intrigued by the possible romantic element of this series, but that’s also outshone by other anime this season. There are series like My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia, The Dangers in My Heart, and Skip and Loafer. All of them have well-developed love stories as well as engaging overarching plots.
Additionally, anime watchers who tried to get into the anime mid-season might have failed to see the appeal. All they would find are high-schoolers animated with mediocre CGI and playing classical music heard that can be heard anywhere. There are some changes to the scores depending on who’s playing, but only those intimately familiar with music would recognize them. In other words, this series is not only drab but also esoteric.
Blue Orchestras Similarity to Your Lie in April
Blue Orchestra’s similarities to Your Lie In April also need due attention. Both series are music dramas set in high school. Both have former child prodigies as their main character. Both prodigies left the music world due to past trauma involving their parents. Both were pulled back into music by passionate violinist girls around their age. The stories branch out from here, but these similarities are all it takes. Anyone familiar with Your Lie In April will feel like they’ve already seen Blue Orchestra and lose interest.
It’s hard to say what future Blue Orchestra has as an anime. With any luck, the second season will air when the competition isn’t so fierce. Of course, that’s assuming this series was popular enough to earn a second season. This series is more likely to disappear from the anime community’s collective memory and become lost to time.