This part of Blue Box is quite challenging for me, albeit in different ways than it was with the manga. I do know more or less where the story is headed, so for better or worse at least I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (though sometimes that light is an oncoming train). But I was suffering more or less on my own the first time, not sharing my thoughts every week with a world full of fans who think Hina can do no wrong. That’s kind of a no-win situation.

So the question of whether Hina is being laudably assertive or selfish is open to interpretation, I guess. I’ll grant that if Chinatsu is erring, it’s on the side of passivity. That’s certainly not the case with Hina, and some folks clearly prefer that approach. There’s an element of desperation in  this for her, I don’t think even most partisans would deny that. The issue is what that desperation is driving her to do. That copier drive-by is clearly an attempt at pre-emptive sabotage, that seems self-evident to me. But some don’t see it that way. Eye of the beholder and all that I suppose.

One thing for sure – Hina knows that if Taiki and Chinatsu ever get past the police tape stage and actually start dating, her task will get a whole lot harder. The news that Chinatsu is temporarily not at the Inomata house clearly emboldens Hina – she practically lights up when Chinatsu tells her that her grandfather is in the hospital. This is her best shot, and she knows it. As for Taiki, he’s generally a mass of confusion. He doesn’t know how to move forward with the girl he’s in love with, and despite no encouragement from him his osananajimi keeps piling on the pressure to do so with her. Not to mention the feelings of helplessness at not taking the leap forward in badminton that he expects of himself.

The news that a practice match with Sajikawa has been arranged cranks those self-doubts up to eleven. That means a rematch with Yusa, at whose hands the defeat Taiki suffered still plagues him. Taiki’s improvement is plain to everyone on the team, but he refuses to give himself any credit for it. And when he squares off against Haryuu the old habits creep back in, with disastrous results. Chinatsu tries to cajole Haryuu into giving Taiki some of the “hydration” he clearly needs, and Haryuu almost talks himself into it. But that’s just not the sort of sempai he is – he’s not cut out for mentorship. And lest we forget, as long as Haryuu is still in high school Taiki is a rival as well as a teammate.

Two interesting peer meetings happen here. During her exchange with Haryuu he compliments Chinatsu as being quite stoic, and she notes that Taiki is too because he’s always there beside her first thing in the morning. Haryuu observes that Taiki is not so much stoic but committed. When Chi asks the difference he says “you’re a sadist and he’s a masochist”. Meanwhile Hina and Taiki have a very charged encounter when he volunteers to help her with the class play, which involves a kiss. Whatever Hina’s intentions are the result of the exchange is that he winds up even more uncertain and frustrated, which even without getting the kiss I think Hina would call a win.

As tropey as some of this triangle stuff is (a lot tropey), I think on the whole this is a pretty realistic portrayal of how confusing and frustrating first romances are. Nobody really know what the hell they’re doing, and that gives an outsized advantage to those whose temperament drives them to plow forward and carpe the diem.  Absent experience people rely on instinct, and everyone’s instinct tells them something different where relationships are concerned. When you think about it that way, it’s really sort of miraculous that anyone ever gets together at all…