Summary
- Taiki’s rejection of Hina in Blue Box is brutally direct and heartbreakingly executed.
- The rejection sets up an intriguing future for the series regarding Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship.
- Hina finds an unexpected friend in Ayame after the rejection, softening the emotional blow for viewers.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Blue Box, Episode 25, “Even So”, now streaming on Netflix.
Blue Box season 1 just ended, and it was one of the most heartbreaking endings in a romance anime in recent memory, which is exceptionally rare, especially for such a fun and upbeat show. Well, technically, it ended with Taiki and Chinatsu going on their second date, so if you’ve been shipping them this whole season, the ending might not be as bad for you. But for a lot of people, even some of those who prefer Chinatsu to Hina, the scene where Taiki officially rejects Hina is just soul-shattering. It’s possibly right up there with the Subaru and Rem rejection scene from Re:Zero in terms of how heartbreaking it is.
Just in case you need a quick refresher, Hina Chono is Taiki Inomata’s childhood friend who started developing feelings towards him near the beginning of Blue Box. Contrary to the anime trope of never confessing your feelings right away, Hina confessed almost immediately, even though she knew Taiki was in love with another girl, Chinatsu Kano. However, because Hina knew Taiki would be conflicted about her confession, she told him it was alright if he didn’t give her an answer right away. It took about half a season, but Taiki finally made up his mind and gave Hina an answer. Cue the tears.
Related
Eren Jaeger VA Joins The Cast of Blue Box
Yuki Kaji joins the cast of the currently airing sports romance, Blue Box.
The Impact of Taiki and Hina’s Rejection Scene
The Directness of It Is Refreshing for an Anime
Taiki gave Hina the cold, hard truth in Blue Box episode 24, “A Roller Coaster”, during the training camp bonfire. The two of them had gotten some alone time courtesy of Ayame Moriya, who expected Taiki to finally say yes to Hina’s confession. Instead, he steeled his nerves and decided to tell Hina he wouldn’t and couldn’t reciprocate her feelings for him.
Despite being incredibly depressing, the scene was just amazingly executed. It was also really refreshing because you don’t often get a straight-up rejection scene in an anime, and certainly not in the first season. Usually, the main character would keep indecisively going back and forth between their love interests, or they’d just pick one without giving the other some proper closure. Sometimes, they’d keep it vague for multiple seasons before finally coming up with a conclusion, but not with Blue Box. The directness, the background music that started playing (Shade of Love by Takashi Ohmama), the beautiful visuals, and the agony behind Hina and Taiki’s voices make this one of the best rejection scenes ever. Or one of the worst; depends on how you look at it, really.
“Even though I like her (Chinatsu), I feel ashamed for still being drawn to you. I think my indecisiveness is only hurting you Hina. So let me draw the line here.” – Taiki to Hina
Additionally, the rejection being so cut and dry makes the series’ future very interesting. Now that Taiki has shut down any possibility of him and Hina ending up together, does that mean Blue Box season 2 is going to just be about Taiki and Chinatsu dating? Obviously, it can’t be that easy. Nothing ever is in a good, compelling anime, which is why you just can’t help but wonder what season 2 has in store. Only time will tell, as Blue Box season 2 has already been announced by the official Blue Box X account. However, there’s no release date yet.
Related
10 Best Romance Sports Anime Like Blue Box
Anime fans who enjoy Blue Box’s well-balanced storytelling that amalgamates the sports and romance genes will likely enjoy these shows, too.
Ayame and Hina’s Friendship
The Girl Who’s Never Loved and the Girl Who Loved Too Much
One unexpected outcome of Taiki rejecting Hina is that she became close friends with Ayame. In Blue Box episode 25, “Even So”, Ayame tries to cheer Hina up by spending the day with her in an arcade. That entire sequence was heartwarming, and it softened the blow a little; not only for Hina, but for any viewers who wanted her to end up with Taiki. It’s great timing that Ayame entered the show when she did because otherwise, Hina would’ve been all alone after Taiki dumped her.
The Ending Theme Hurts Even Worse Now
Ninjas Cutting Onions Everywhere
Blue Box‘s second ending theme, Contrast by Tomoo, was already bracing fans for the inevitable ever since it first appeared in episode 13. Contrast is about unrequited love, and the visuals in the ending credits were all focused on Hina, unlike every other opening and ending theme so far, which featured the three main characters. The lyrics are all about the love of your life being so close yet so far; about Hina’s feelings for Taiki, making her happy, but also sad and lonely.
Contrast is also the only opening or ending theme with a melancholy, almost sad vibe. All the other songs were either super positive or energetic since Blue Box is partially about sports too. The writing was on the wall, but watching the ending credits on the last two episodes of the season just made it hurt much more.
Related
Blue Box Manga Gets A Massive Sales Boost Due To The Anime
Blue Box’s anime is currently ongoing. It helped the manga tremendously.
Blue Box is now available to stream on Netflix. Blue Box season 2 has been announced but has no release date set yet.