REVIEW: ‘Blue Box’ Episode 12 — “Girls…”

Blue Box Episode 12, “Girls…”, features the fireworks festival as Taiki (Shoya Chiba) and Hina (Akari Kitô, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl’s Story) attempt to enjoy their time together. However, struggles with nerves and unexpected run-ins keep the night from going quite as Hina had hoped. Events at the festival will also leave Chinatsu (Reina Ueda) wondering what Taiki’s feelings are as the season comes to a close.

Rather than start Blue Box Episode 12 with Taiki and Hina, the narrative begins with Chinatsu as she and her friends enjoy the sights and sounds of the festival. As they drift between the food stalls, planning what they want to pick up, the group notices Taiki and Hina in the crowd. Chinatsu’s friends comment on how pretty Hina looks in her pink yukata. Chinatsu is less dazzled by the sight as her reaction is less upbeat. Having been told previously that Taiki was attending the festival in a group, seeing him alone with Hina forces Chinatsu to draw some unfortunate conclusions.

Its final shot makes Blue Box Episode 12‘s opening so striking. As her friends chatter about the duo as they pass by, the camera pans up Chinatsu’s body. The tension in her frame is obvious, and the small gap in her mouth belies a hurt within her. The final perfect element here is when the shot ends. Just as Chinatsu’s eye begins to peek into the frame, the moment cuts off, leaving the moment feeling unfulfilled. This lack of closure to the moment is an excellent hook to begin the episode. The viewer is left wanting confirmation of what Chinatsu is feeling. And the eyes are the windows to the soul, after all.

Blue Box Episode 12 then follows Taiki and Hina through the festival.

Having obtained her wish to be alone with Taiki, Hina struggles to use the opportunity. Her nerves kick in, and she doesn’t want to spoil the moment. But the silence that grows from her indecision is palpable. Her discomfort eventually leads her to break away to get some snacks while Taiki stakes out a spot for the duo to watch the fireworks.

When Hina catches up with Taiki, they settle in to watch the show. As they get comfortable, Taiki notices Hina’s struggles with a pestering mosquito and offers her a hand treating an annoying bug bite. As he applies some ointment to the back of her neck, he observes a few hairs have slipped free from the twin buns Hina put her hair in.

This notice of Hina’s imperfection leads to Taiki’s fantastic observation in Blue Box Episode 12. Rather than simply seeing the errant strands as a fault, their presence makes him realize that Hina probably did her hair herself. The twin braids that lead into the two hair buns must’ve been challenging, causing Taiki to recognize her hard work. As is always the case, he finds her determination to make herself up how she wants impressive, prompting him to comment on how cute she looks.

After a brief moment of suspicion, thinking Taiki was making fun of her, Hina happily accepts the compliment. The moment is soon broken, though, as the fireworks begin and the duo are awash in the display’s bright lights and soft colors playing out.

Unsurprisingly, Blue Box Episode 12 depiction of the fireworks delivers the soft, visual splendor that has been one of the hallmarks of the series.

The bursting colors illuminate and bathe the characters in their changing colors, creating a moment that feels like nothing short of pure magic.

As the display reaches its halfway point in Blue Box Episode 12, an announcement informs the crowd that there will be a twenty-minute break. Taiki takes the opportunity to step away for a moment. As he moves through the crowd, he soon comes across Chinatsu, aiding a lost child. Despite Chinatsu being more than capable of helping the girl to the main tent for assistance, Taiki cannot walk away from the situation and volunteers to aid in the search for the girl’s mom. This soon finds the trio walking through the festival with the young girl holding each of their hands, creating the image of a family.

Taiki and Chinatsu know how the moment must look to those passing by. Before things become too awkward for the duo, they stumble across Chinatsu’s friend Karen. The outgoing girl quickly livens the situation up, inadvertently drawing attention away from the previous growing awkwardness. When she is introduced to Taiki, she brightens even further. Having heard about the young man from Chinatsu and her boyfriend, Haryu, she is thrilled to meet him finally. Her enthusiasm leads to a moment of suspicion on Taiki’s part, as he assumes Haryu has been talking about him to her.

Karen’s introduction into the moment keeps Blue Box Episode 12 from becoming awkward.

Her presence brings a welcome burst of energy to Blue Box Episode 12, and the big sister vibes she brings in her relationship with Chinatsu create a charming presence in the moment. The visuals also take a moment to flex their design work as the character is dressed to the nines. Wearing a gorgeous deep purple yukata adorned with bright flowers and elegantly braided hair, the girl would own any space she walked into.

Once the trio reach the main tent, they quickly find the child’s panicked mother. Before they part ways, though, the young girl gives Chinatsu a hair clasp to wear since she doesn’t have a yukata. Adorned with an excited-looking magical girl, the clasp is a bit ridiculous, but Chinatsu nevertheless appreciated the girl’s thoughtfulness.

The pair chatter as Taiki and Chinatsu head back to their groups. While Taiki wants to tell his friend that she looks pretty, he fears that he will end their moment if he does, creating an awkward moment. The pair splits up as the fireworks begin again to find their groups. While all is well with Taiki when he returns to Hina, Chinatsu’s friends observe that she looks sad when she rejoins them in Blue Box Episode 12.

With the fireworks behind them, Blue Box Episode 12 spends its last minutes showing its cast continuing to work hard at training for their various athletic pursuits. The summer heat rises, and the gym becomes unbearably hot, prompting Chinatsu to offer to open the windows. As she heads towards her objective, she finds Taiki asleep beneath one.

Blue Box Episode 12’s final moments feature Chinatsu speaking to the sleeping Taiki, asking why he told her he was going to the festival with a group only when he was there with Hina. She is visibly upset that she was deceived, as she assumes Taiki is seeing Hina. Ueda fantastically delivers this moment of hurt, bringing the girl’s pain to life with her whisper-soft words. The audience’s knowledge that no deficit was intended makes it all the more painful.

Blue Box Episode 12 wraps up season one with a wonderful mix of heartfelt moments, visual splendor, and emotional nuance. What will come next for Taiki, Chinatsu, and the rest of their friends at Eimei Private High School is a question that is sure to keep fans eager for season two.

Blue Box Episode 12 is streaming now on Netflix.