REVIEW: ‘Blue Box’ Season 2 Episode 3 — “They’re One And The Same”

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3, “They’re One And The Same,” sees Chinatsu (Reina Ueda, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe) once more run into her old friend as the pair have a rough reunion and truths are laid out between them. However, what is truth, and what is their perception of it, takes center stage as they both learn that reality is not limited to what meets the eye. 

Before getting to its central confrontation, this episode finishes up Taiki’s (Shoya Chiba, Sentenced to be a Hero) previous meeting with Yumeka (Yoshino Aoyama, Cosmic Princess Kaguya). After the former basketball star slaps him for his presumptuous attitude toward her, the rest of the exchange is steeped in awkwardness. While Yumeka is out of line for striking him, Taiki can tell he may have been a bit sanctimonious in his approach to her. As the sting in his jaw subsides and the two part ways, he is left considering what he said and where Yumeka is coming from.

This exchange lays the perfect groundwork for Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3’s central moment. From Yumeka’s reaction, we can easily see that there is more going on than meets the eye. The new character’s pure anger is startling amid the series’ general chill.

Yumeka and Chinatsu saw each other as idols.

When Yumeka and Chinatsu meet later in the episode, as the latter passes by the dental clinic where the former works, the heat from the opening erupts to its fullest. As the former friends release the feelings they have held inside for so long, the clearest takeaway is that both of them have been harboring false assumptions about the other. 

While they played together, rather than seeing each other as full-fledged individuals, they came to view each other as idols. They inspired each other as they pushed forward in their pursuit of basketball. This led to very different outcomes, for an obvious reason. 

As Chinatsu gained on her goal of equaling her senpai, Yumeka saw herself as failing. Chinatsu had a tireless drive that never wavered, while Yumeka felt herself dragging further and further behind. As the natural talent that had made Yumeka a middle school star mattered less and less, she struggled to find the drive to work hard enough to keep propelling forward. 

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3 lets Yumeka speak her truth.

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3 expands on Yumeka’s frustration and lays bare the other major source of contention between the two: Why didn’t Yumeka tell Chinatsu why she was leaving? It turns out that when you are held up as someone’s inspiration, it’s really hard to show them your frailties.

As Yumeka unleashes her frustration like a dam finally breaking, Aoyama delivers her lines with incredible emotional weight. You feel how trapped Yumeka is in her own head, unable to disappoint her friend while still needing to follow her own path. Any villainy that may have been built around the character in her first appearances shatters here, as the pain in her voice resonates. 

Just as Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3 lets Yumeka speak her truth, Chinatsu gets to say her peace, too. She wasn’t the only one oversimplifying her friend’s life. Despite Yumeka’s perception of Chinatsu’s indomitable will, we learn that the young basketball star was shattered by the loss of her friend and inspiration. Some days, she doesn’t even want to get up early for practice. But she found someone else to help inspire her when she needs it: Taiki.

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3’s emotional focus covers a lot of ground.

Yumeka clearly sees how Taiki fits into Chinatsu’s life. While Yumeka saw “the boy” as a distraction for Chinatsu when she first met him, this opinion is quickly set right here. Taiki doesn’t detract from Chinatsu’s strength and focus; he replenishes it. His unwavering support and acceptance let her keep going. This makes a night out with him as helpful for pursuing her goals as any training session. 

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3’s emotional focus covers a lot of ground. By laying bare the tricks our perceptions play on our understanding of others’ complexities, it underscores the need to be open with each other, lest we lose people in the mire of misunderstanding.

Blue Box Season 2 Episode 3 is streaming now on Netflix.

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