Blue Box Episode 4 Review: A New Challenger Emerges

Essential Points

Taiki encounters his new rival, Shoichiro, who also pursues Chinatsu, injecting excitement and tension into the story.
Episode 4 features intense sports sequences, showcasing the anime’s potential as a sports-themed show.
The episode concludes with the promise of a date for Taiki from Chinatsu, should he win, suggesting possible romantic growth.

Note: The following review contains spoilers for Blue Box, Episode 4, titled “If He Wins,”now showing on Netflix.

Episode Title	Blue Box, Episode 4 “If He Wins”
Production Studio	Telecom Animation Film
Broadcast Date	October 24, 2024

In Blue Box Episode 4, titled “If He Wins,”significant developments unfold. It commences with a time jump of one month since the last episode, during which Taiki begins to acclimate to Chinatsu’s presence. This installment strikes a pleasant chord with its mix of humor, conflict, and, for the first time, serious athletic action. The standout feature of this episode is the introduction of a new character vying for Chinatsu’s affection.

Visually, Blue Box remains as captivating as always, with beautifully crafted scenes highlighting each character’s charm. The sound design and voice performances are consistently good—while they might not break new ground, they’re certainly above average. The animation quality is undeniably where the show excels.

Taiki Encounters a New Suitor for Chinatsu

This Rival Is No False Alarm

After establishing in Episode 3 that Haryu is taken and views Chinatsu merely as a classmate and friend, just when Taiki seems poised to win her affection, a new competitor steps in: Shoichiro Kishi, Haryu’s former doubles partner who now plays for Shimotomi High. Shoichiro has harbored feelings for Chinatsu since their days on the court together, long before Taiki entered the picture.

The arrival of Shoichiro is significant, especially since Taiki has never truly faced a rivalry. While it’s been clear from the beginning that Chinatsu has many admirers, none of them have played important roles, leaving Taiki without meaningful interactions until now.

Shoichiro’s entry catalyzes the events that give the episode its title, “If He Wins.”Haryu made a wager with Shoichiro: if he can defeat Taiki in their singles match next week, Haryu will ask Chinatsu if he can share her number with Shoichiro.

During the highly anticipated match, Kyo informs Chinatsu about their bet, highlighting that unlike Shoichiro, Taiki won’t gain anything from a victory. He suggests that Chinatsu reward Taiki with a trip to the aquarium if he wins, to which Chinatsu agrees after some contemplation. The episode wraps up here, but with the next episode titled “Aquarium,”viewers can easily speculate on forthcoming events.

More Tension Arises

As if having a romantic rival isn’t enough, additional drama ensues when Chinatsu advises Taiki not to push himself too hard, pointing out that there’s always next year and beyond. While it may seem like a comforting message, Chinatsu is a year ahead, meaning she will graduate before Taiki finishes his second year. This thought unsettles Taiki, leading him to react angrily.

The year after? But that’s after you graduate… That’s unacceptable for me.

Feeling guilty, Chinatsu reflects on the situation, believing she may have come off as callous, unintentionally suggesting that losing is permissible. It’s refreshing to witness a shift in their relationship dynamic, generating anticipation for a resolution.

Taiki’s Initial Competitive Matches

Blue Box Starts to Embrace Its Sports Themes

Interestingly, Netflix categorizes Blue Box under both “sports”and “sports anime,”which reflects the direction it is gradually taking.

In Episode 4, the show truly delves into its sports aspect with Taiki and Shoichiro’s match. There are some engaging moments where Haryu critiques the match, elucidating each player’s strengths and weaknesses. While it doesn’t reach the depth seen in acclaimed shows like Haikyu!! or Kuroko’s Basketball, it does offer just enough to satisfy viewers anticipating a sports-focused narrative.

Curiously, the earlier doubles matches involving Taiki and Haryu felt rushed, lacking sufficient attention, and Taiki’s opponents didn’t even receive names, which feels peculiar for such pivotal moments in Taiki’s high school athletic journey.

It’s evident that while sports are a component, Blue Box prioritizes romance and slice-of-life themes, using sports as a narrative vehicle to propel character development.

Adorable Clothing Mix-Ups

Featuring Accidental Outfit Swaps and Six-Pack Abs

At the episode’s outset, a charming scene unfolds where Taiki and Chinatsu accidentally swap gym uniforms, leading to humorous antics—especially when Taiki spins a tale to Hina about having never washed his gym clothes since summer just to maintain the ruse. This was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining and inventive moments in Blue Box to date, and fans hope to see similar antics in future episodes.

Mid-episode, Taiki gets caught in a hilarious clothing mishap when Chinatsu points out that his shirt is inside out. Without a second thought, Taiki flips it over, forgetting Chinatsu’s presence, which results in an endearing moment as an embarrassed Chinatsu witnesses him inadvertently flaunt his toned abs.

Catch Blue Box streaming now on Netflix. Episode 5 is set to release on October 31, 2024, at 8:30 AM PT.

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