Blue Box Episode 5: The plot thickens

Key Takeaways

• In episode 5, the sports scenes take a backseat to focus on the romance and drama aspects.
• Chinatsu and Taiki have a sweet aquarium date after receiving Chinatsu's unexpected confession.
• Hina's true feelings for Taiki are revealed, potentially complicating the main couple's dynamic.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Blue Box, Episode 5, “Aquarium,” now streaming on Netflix.

blue box Episode 5, “Aquarium,” picks up right where the last episode left off: a singles match between Taiki and Shoichiro. As a quick reminder of the dangers of the match, Shoichiro was fighting to get Chinatsu's phone number and Taiki won the aquarium date with Chinatsu. The only problem was that Tyki didn't even know that such a reward awaited him.

Fans who want to see more sports blue box Unfortunately, the sports aspect takes a step back in episode 5, which is a bit disappointing. But I think the romance and drama aspects are the best ever. They cheer you up by making it seem like Taiki and Chinatsu's relationship is finally going somewhere, and then suddenly knock you down in the final scene.

A long-awaited first date

I don't think either of them would call it that though.

The episode title is “Aquarium”, blue box Since it's a romance anime, there's no need to beat around the bush anymore. Yes, Taiki narrowly wins and ends up dating Chinatsu. Shoichiro tells Taiki to play with him again in the future before reluctantly leaving and disappears for the rest of the episode.

As promised, Chinatsu texts Taiki after the game and asks him to go to the aquarium. Kyo and Hina both saw the text and Hina continues to tease him about it. She said the two seemed happy, but it wasn't long before Hina's friend noticed that she looked embarrassed. Best hunch.

Taiki and Chinatsu have a great time at the aquarium, looking at all the animals on display, hugging the mascots, and taking pictures. It was great to see the two forming more of a bond outside of school and home, and honestly, it was a nice, wholesome representation of a first date. But Taiki continues to wonder why Chinatsu invited him there in the first place. Did he just want to go to the aquarium for fun, or was she sending him a signal?

Next time, I want to come as a couple. But I can't tell her how I feel yet. Nationals are still a long way off.

Chinatsu's 'Confession'

Towards the end of the date, fans received a double fake-out from Chinatsu who wanted to talk about something. At first, it seemed like he was confessing his love, but I thought it was because the next line was “I'm sorry.” It wasn't I'm interested in him.

In reality, that wasn't the case. Instead, Chinatsu apologized for what he said. blue box Episode 4, “If He Wins”. It was unfortunate that Chinatsu told Taiki that he only had to play badminton since he still had two more years left in high school.

The whole thing was resolved quickly enough, and Taichi reassured her that what she said didn't upset him and that he even appreciated hearing it from a different perspective. There's even a sweet moment when Taiki asks Chinatsu to signal if he wants to talk by sending a cute emoji of the aquarium penguin mascot. Now we feel much more comfortable and open when talking to each other. This is a big step forward.

Hina's true feelings are revealed

It's a good reveal even if you see it

There is good news and bad news for Shono Hina fans. The good news is that Episode 5 gets some much-needed screen time with Aymei High School's rhythmic gymnastics star. The bad news is that she discovered two things. Chinatsu and Taiki are living together and she may just be in love with Taiki.

As it's a common trope in romance, some viewers may have picked up on or suspected her true feelings early on, and the show dropped a few signs here and there. But whether you doubted it or not, it still hit like a truck as the reveal was beautifully executed.

The chain of events leading to the revelation begins when Hina runs into Chinatsu at a local clinic after completing a physical exam. Hina then talks about Taiki and what he did for her. Even though he acted as his wingman to get Chinatsu to like him, the way she talked about him made it sound like she loved him. Chinatsu noticed it too, but stopped mentioning it. The show really started to rely heavily on Hina's feelings for Taiki at this point.

As it starts to rain soon after, Chinatsu lends Hina his umbrella and they return to their respective homes. At least, that would have been the case if Chinatsu hadn't left her phone at the clinic. So Hina chases after Chinatsu to return the phone, but in the process, she sees Chinatsu entering the Inomata family. She quickly hid from sight while Taiki and Chinatsu chatted a bit by the doorway. Episode 5 ends with Hina huddled outside Taiki's house in the rain, confused and alone.

The ending of Episode 5 is the best closing shot the series has gotten so far. Chinatsu's promise to take Taiki to the aquarium was a bit of a cliffhanger, but nothing compared to this. As a potential third wheel, Shoichiro is no match for Hina, Taiki's childhood friend and a constant figure by his side throughout the show.

From the beginning of episode 5, I started rooting for Chinatsu and Taiki. This is your first date, after all. what's this blue box It led to everything. But the ending left everything falling apart, leaving some fans unsure whether the two should be the main couple.

Blue Box is now available to stream on Netflix. The release date for the next episode of Blue Box, Episode 6, is set for November 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM PT.