I won't try and sugarcoat to me what is the truth so I will get right into it (Also first review)
(This review contains spoilers for Blue Box)
Going into Blue Box, I was very excited. I heard good things all around from my friends and went into it with high hopes. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Blue Box is advertised as a fresh start to the high school romance department. A grounded romance with amazing visuals, slow but believable pacing, and a down-to-earth tone. While all of these are true, the characters are where this show shines. A considerate and humble first year named Taiki shares a gym and home with his crush Chinatsu, a very talented basketball player. Pretty simple, right? Nothing can go wrong, right?
Blue Box's romance itself is very... subtle. There's no over-the-top confessions or Sakura trees to blush under. The appeal of this anime is its way of subtly showing the audience what it's trying to convey. One of the major points of the show is training and effort in place of emotions, which on its own is fine. In this sense, the show is innovative and smart, capturing the real-life, day-to-day actions of a love triangle while creating an intimate — sometimes feeling as though private — atmosphere.
But there's two sides to every coin, and boy does the tails show on this one.
To say this plot is an emotional swamp is an understatement. Every conflict or plot point is spearheaded by miscommunication, with assumptions on the rear. Characters say just short of what's needed, every arc is hinged upon almost confessing before backing off. Conflicts are artificially made and drawn out for whatever reason the author decided, and everyone is incapable of trying to make progress with another.
While I can say that this is definitely a real thing in the average teenager's "love" life, it is by far drawn out and overplayed. The plot is constantly stalled, the moments with emotion are downplayed, and confusion is used to cover up their poor writing.
This leads us to the best character: Hina. Hina is a prodigy gymnast with incredible talent and a fun, teasing attitude. But Hina is more than a side character "childhood best friend" trope. She's a complete contrast force to Chinatsu and Taiki's lack of confrontation. Hina doesn't pull back her words, she doesn't hide her feelings, and she doesn't go out of her way to avoid the hard talks. Hina speaks with emotional maturity (AT TIMES) and is generally a likable character. In a show full of people not willing to make eye contact, Hina looks the nail in the eyes and hammers it. What the ultimate shame is though, is her character displays that this show could be a lot more, but whoever was behind it willingly chose not to. Even though you know she is going to lose, you cannot help but cheer for her. She is the complete opposite of Chinatsu. I cannot state this enough.
Chinatsu, Taiki's main love interest, is most likely the biggest contradiction in this show. At the surface, she's a kind, composed, and emotionally intelligent girl who works for her dreams. However, at the first sign of conflict or something of that nature, she runs away, not letting anything become personal. Even scenes that are on the surface meant to be plot-pushing confessions, like at the concert, are left incomplete. Blue Box frequently shows that she wants more with Taiki and has feelings for him, but then will do a 180 just enough to deny the confirmation. It's not that she (the character) has bad writing or is emotionally inept. It's the actual team of writers rendering her a detached mystery to Taiki.
Simply, all of these characters are undermined by the writing. This love triangle shouldn't exist. Taiki should've stopped yearning for Chinatsu the second she moved in (because that's really creepy) and shouldn't have led on Hina. Chinatsu should've backed off from the very start (AS SHE SAID SHE WOULD) and not gone after Taiki after she knew Hina was interested (which happened way before any progress happened between Chinatsu and Taiki). And Hina shouldn't have gone after Taiki because she knew the whole show (from the akinator Kyou, who I will not be getting into).
Overall, Blue Box has its pros and cons. Good animation, solid story, and decent characters. But it falls apart when put under a magnifying glass. If you like slow burns, this is your anime. If you like romcoms, just go watch Kaguya-Sama.
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