Ao no Orchestra

Ao no Orchestra (青のオーケストラ) is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Akui. It has been serialized on Shogakukan's online platforms Ura Sunday and MangaONE since April 2017. An anime television series adaptation produced by Nippon Animation aired from April to October 2023. A second season has been announced.

By December 2021, Ao no Orchestra had over 3.3 million copies in circulation. In 2023, the manga won the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category.

Plot
Hajime Aono, a boy who loved to play his violin and one who used to win many prizes in violin competitions, had greatly admired his father a professional violinist. After a bittersweet divorce of his parents, caused by headlines of his father's scandalous affair, Aono swears to never touch the violin again. In his last year of middle school, Aono comes across an aspiring violinist Ritsko Akine, who loves to play in the infirmary. After meeting a few times, and Aono showing interest in her 'horrible' playing skills, he is set up to teach her by a teacher. This teacher later pushes him to regain his talent by joining the orchestra club at a prestigious high school, which have won national competitions eight years in a row. Once persuaded, Aono and Akine manage to get accepted to this prestigious school after diligently studying. After his opening ceremony into high school where the orchestra club gave a performance, he has a look around the orchestra club along with Akine where he meets Nao Saeki, a violin genius who has achieved the top score in many competitions and was admitted to the school purely on musical talent. From there on, they compete in their violin skills within the orchestra club.

Characters

 * Hajime Aono (青野 一)
 * Hajime's violin performances are performed by Ryota Higashi.
 * Hajime's violin performances are performed by Ryota Higashi.


 * Ritsuko Akine (秋音 律子)
 * Ritsuko's violin performances are performed by Yurie Yamada.
 * Ritsuko's violin performances are performed by Yurie Yamada.


 * Nao Saeki (佐伯 直)
 * Nao's violin performances are performed by Takuto Owari.
 * Nao's violin performances are performed by Takuto Owari.


 * Haru Kozakura (小桜 ハル)
 * Haru's violin performances are performed by Kyoko Ogawa.
 * Haru's violin performances are performed by Kyoko Ogawa.


 * Ichirō Yamada (山田 一郎)
 * Ichirō's violin performances are performed by Harumi Sato.
 * Ichirō's violin performances are performed by Harumi Sato.


 * Shizuka Tachibana (立花 静)
 * Shizuka's violin performances are performed by Karen Kido.
 * Shizuka's violin performances are performed by Karen Kido.


 * Yō Hatori (羽鳥 葉)
 * Yō's violin performances are performed by Tomotaka Seki.
 * Yō's violin performances are performed by Tomotaka Seki.


 * Sō Harada (原田 蒼)
 * Sō's violin performances are performed by María Dueñas.
 * Sō's violin performances are performed by María Dueñas.


 * Ryūjin Aono (青野 龍仁)
 * Ryūjin's violin performances are performed by Hilary Hahn.
 * Ryūjin's violin performances are performed by Hilary Hahn.


 * Mari Tateishi (立石 真理)


 * Chika Yonezawa (米沢 千佳)


 * Osamu Shibata (柴田 修)


 * Hajime's mother (青野の母)


 * Takeda-sensei (武田先生)


 * Hiroaki Ayukawa (鮎川 広明)


 * Mizuki Machii (町井 美月)


 * Tsubasa Takahashi (高橋 翼)


 * Takami Kimura (木村 隆美)


 * Himeko Susono (裾野 姫子)


 * Kayo Takimoto (滝本 かよ)


 * Sanae Iida (飯田 早苗)


 * Tsutomu Kikuchi (菊池 努)

Manga
Written and illustrated by Makoto Akui, Ao no Orchestra started on Shogakukan's online platform MangaONE on April 25, 2017; it also started on Ura Sunday a week later on May 2. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on July 19, 2017. As of March 31, 2023, 11 volumes have been released.

Elex Media Komputindo has licensed the manga in Indonesia since 2019.

Anime
In April 2022, it was announced that the series would receive an anime television series adaptation. The series is produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Seiji Kishi, with scripts written by Yūko Kakihara, character designs handled by Kazuaki Morita, and violinist performances for the character Hajime Aono by Ryota Higashi. It aired from April 9 to October 8, 2023, on NHK Educational TV, with Plus Media Networks Asia handled Southeast Asia release for simulcast premiere on Aniplus Asia. The opening theme is "Cantabile" performed by Novelbright, while the ending theme is "Yūsari no Canon" (夕さりのカノン) performed by Yuika.

After the final episode of the first season, a second season was announced to be in production.

Other media
A promotional video featuring Star Wars musical theme "The Imperial March", composed by John Williams, and including illustrations from the manga, was uploaded by Deutsche Grammophon's YouTube channel on May 4, 2022, to celebrate Star Wars Day and Williams' 90th birthday.

Reception
By December 2021, the manga had over 3.3 million copies in circulation. In 2023, Ao no Orchestra won the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category, along with Call of the Night.