Blue Box

Episode 25

Man, who would have thought that my primary reaction after finishing the Blue Box Season 1 finale would be, “Seriously, somebody get Ayame a spinoff and a boyfriend (or girlfriend) that she actually connects with ASAP!” This a complement to how surprisingly wonderful an addition to the cast Ayame has been since her introduction just a few weeks back, yes, but it is also a teensy indictment of the general lack of juice that Taiki and Chinatsu provide to their own story. More on that in a minute, though.

For now, though, I'd like to reflect on the parts of this finale that worked the best, which actually have nothing to do with either of Blue Box's ostensible main characters. Like I said before, Ayame is great, and her flustered reaction to Hina's absolute heartbreak over being rejected by Taiki is as entertaining to watch as it is heartwarming. If nothing else, I would have to give this episode points for the ridiculous sight gag of Ayame's needlessly large and diverse collection of tissue packets. I swear, it's like she spent the night before the trip trolling around Kamurocho and picking up random shinies off the ground.

Then there's Hina, who gets even more sympathy points this week for being just the biggest trooper in the face of the biggest emotional devastation she's probably ever experienced. The poor girl resorts to hiding her shame in an oversized mascot helmet, for goodness' sake. On the flipside, her arcade date with Ayame, where Hina ends up telling off one of her pal's old would-be boyfriends, is a lovely display of the girls' camaraderie and friendship. Now, I don't want to fall into the trap of diminishing valuable female friendships by insisting that they should just be gay and date each other, but…I mean, c'mon. They'd be the best couple in Blue Box, hands down.

As for our actual couple…well, I guess we can at least say that there has technically been some progress? Yes, you could easily argue that Taiki awkwardly asking Chinatsu out on a shopping trip that could easily be mistaken for a casual outing that isn't even romantic in nature is basically just the Aquarium Date Episode all over again, and…wait, I don't actually have a turnaround for that. It just feels like the Aquarium Date Episode all over again, except this time we don't even get to see the date. It's kind of anticlimactic, so far as season finale setups go.

To be clear, I'm not saying that I think Taiki and Chinatsu are themselves the core of the problem (though I'd be lying if I said that they'd had a lot of opportunities to demonstrate their most charming character traits, lately). Rather, I think we've just reached the point of diminishing returns on the “Hopelessly Pining” stage of their relationship. A single maybe-date that we don't even get to see isn't going to cut it anymore. I want the drama, the uncertainty, the potential, and all of the other ups and downs that will (hopefully) come from these kids being in an actual gosh-darned romantic relationship. Bring me the misunderstandings, the fights, the incredible breakthroughs, the intimacy - all of it. Anything, please, but more of this “Perhaps, someday, if I work really hard, I will have the courage to whisper some of my feelings into Chinatsu's ear from a few dozen feet away” schtick.

Granted, we did get an immediate confirmation of a new season coming up, so I think there's plenty of hope for Blue Box yet. It's got a great cast of characters, some of the best direction in the business, and more heart than it knows what to do with. I just pray that we get some meaningful developments going on here before Episode 50.

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Blue Box is currently streaming on Netflix.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.