REVIEW: ‘Blue Box’ Episode 2 — “You Have To Go To Nationals”

With the surprise twist that Chinatsu (Reina Ueda) will be staying at Taiki’s (Shoya Chiba) house ending the last episode, Blue Box Episode 2, “You Have To Go To Nationals” sees the young man strive to adapt to the object of his affection living under the same roof as him. As one would expect, miscommunication and awkwardness ensue.

Opening this episode is a playful sequence in which we see Taiki’s full reaction to Chinatsu’s moving in. The writing and visuals blend a generous amount of humor into Taiki’s emotional rollercoaster of excitement and panic. Despite wildly exaggerated visuals, the core feelings on display feel authentic to what a young person in this situation would be feeling.

Taiki’s frantic evaluation of the situation is cut short by Chinatsu’s appearance as she relays a message from Taiki’s mom. Thrown off guard by her appearance, Taiki takes refuge behind the latest issue of Jump Weekly. This leads to Chinatsu eagerly approaching, excited to see the issue she hasn’t gotten to read yet. After a little stammering, Taiki offers to lend it to her.

Taiki’s moment of generosity prompts a heartfelt admission from Chinatsu. While she has met Taiki’s parents before, they are largely strangers to her. She confesses her nervousness about living in this strange home but also acknowledges something that makes adapting much easier. The fact that there is a friendly person she knows who encourages her at morning practice and lets her borrow the new Jump issue she missed is a huge relief to her.

The gentle tone of this confession is perfect. Chiba delivers Chinatsu’s feelings softly enough so the audience cannot help but focus in to catch it, while not being so quiet as to make them miss out on the feelings that reside within her words. The gentle tone also belies a shy side of the young girl, one that can be missed when we see her on the basketball court.

From here, Blue Box Episode 2  jumps back to school as Taiki continues his training. While he is initially brimming over his good fortune, his friend Kyo (Chiaki Kobayashi, A Condition Called Love) makes a pointed observation concerning his new living arrangement. Chinatsu has a lot of fans around the school. Things could get dicey for him if they learned about her living with Taiki. Anger and jealousy are powerful emotions which could draw out the ire of a substantial portion of the student body. This would undoubtedly prove disruptive for both his and Chinatsu’s training. With this in mind, Taiki resolves to keep the new arrangement a secret.

The other takeaway from this conversation ties into this episode’s title. Taiki decides that if he wants to be deserving of asking Chinatsu out, he has to make it to nationals. While this concept is eye-rolling, athletic performance does not affect one’s worthiness to be in a relationship. It gives Taiki a renewed sense of purpose as he has a long way to go if he wants to make his dream a reality.

From the gym, Blue Box Episode 2 follows Taiki home as he continues to train. While taking a break, he reviews some footage of himself playing he had a friend record for him. When Chinatsu happens to pass by, she inquires about what he’s watching. Learning that it is footage of himself, she eagerly wants to watch it. Taiki is initially embarrassed by the request but acquiesces when she mentions that she frequently watches him at the gym away.

Their viewing of the video together delivers an excellent moment of role reversal for the two athletes. While Taiki is generally mesmerized by the other’s accomplishments, Chinatsu is not shy about praising Taiki’s athleticism. When Taki accidentally lets it slip that he is trying to make nationals this year, Chinatsu excitedly encourages him, gifting him a good luck bracelet she made. While fastening it around his ankle for him, Chinatsu reveals that they have a matching set, as she wears one herself. This moment is incredibly sweet, as Chinatsu returns the support and encouragement that Taiki gave her in the last episode.

The ramifications of hiding his new living arrangement with Chinatsu are the spoke that the rest of Blue Box Episode 2‘s narrative turns on. When Taiki acts to keep Chinatsu from spilling the beans about her living with him in front of Hina (Akari Kitô, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl’s Story), he quickly moves to redirect the moment, keeping Hina in the dark. As one may expect, this attempt to diffuse the moment sees Chinatsu withdraw from Taiki as the two interact with their classmates. Taiki becomes worried that Chinatsu has misread his intentions.

Taiki’s concern over what to do next could’ve been handled wildly comedically, reflecting his earlier panic at the start of the episode. While a little humor is slipped into his worries, the narrative allows the situation to bear some genuine weight rather than be played purely for laughs. When Taiki finally gets to speak with Chinatsu in person to explain himself, the moment is perfectly delivered thanks to sweet voice work and spot-on writing.

It turns out that Chinatsu did misread the situation. But rather than think Taiki didn’t want people to know they were friends, she thought his motivations stemmed from Hina’s presence. She assumed he was sweet on the other girl and didn’t want her to read into their situation. So, rather than acting out of hurt feelings, Chinatsu tried to be Taiki’s wingman by giving him space. This focus on Taiki once more emphasizes how sweet and considerate Chinatsu is.

While her intentions in Blue Box Episode 2 are in the right place, her misreading of the moment, coupled with Taiki’s relief that she isn’t upset with him, causes the young man to burst into laughter, breaking the tension he has been carrying around up to this point. Telecom Animation Film’s skillful animation further enhances the depth brought to this moment. The lighting is perfect, and how naturally Taiki’s body relaxes as he trembles with laughter makes the young man’s joy over the resolution to the situation nothing short of infectious.

In the final stretch of Blue Box Episode 2, Taiki bumps into Hina on his way home from school. The two end up walking together, giving the series its first solid chance to develop where the duo stands with each other. While both seem fond of the other, it feels like the series is trying to establish a solid friendship between them and nothing more. Hina speaks of how proud she is of Taiki for approaching Chinatsu and encourages him to pursue her.

This moment is nice as it expands Hina beyond someone who pops in to heckle Taiki. I also like how it imprints her support for him into her character. If the show eventually evolves into a romantic triangle between her, Taiki, and Chinatsu, this scene at least makes me hopeful that it won’t be cringy and petty. The way Hina is presented here makes it feel like doing anything underhanded or vindictive to curry favor with Taiki would be out of the question.

Blue Box Episode 2 delivers more skillful writing, nuanced emotion, and authentic exploration of the complexities of love in high school. With each scene together, Taiki and Chinatsu meld into an ever-stronger pair of dual protagonists that viewers should find no problem rooting for in every endeavor they pursue, romantic or athletic.

Blue Box Episode 2 is streaming now on Netflix.