Blue Box? More like Blue-BALLED. I know that by now pretty much everyone should know not to expect anything much after an instance as the cliffhanger we just had in the previous episode. But I was thinking maybe like... SOMETHING, at least? Rather than just "oh you're cooling pad is coming off let me fix that for you bro". Just a small reward would've been nice especially for us anime-onlies who waited a week in anticipation. Expected, but still a disappointment nonetheless.
Also no way they cleaned that entire dirty pool AND had it filled in like what, a few hours? The sun was still high up, it wasn't like sun down or anything. Wow. These guys sure work fast I guess.
AAHHHHH TAIKI BRO. The second he grabs Chinatsu's arm I was like YES BRO DID SOMETHING HE'S ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING!!!! And then, something about buckets. Wtf man. Grow a pair. Could've been an amazing moment- I thought it WAS going to be an amazing moment too, this exact scene is shown for a brief second in the OP after all. But no, not meant to be. Sigh. Why is bro so scared all of a sudden, like not even wanting to walk together to the store because of, "space" or some BS? Did he think that arm-grab rattled her to the bone or something?? ugghghghhghgh.
They do talk on the way home from the store, and then a car comes up behind them that really heats things up (Taiki thinking to himself "oh I touched her without asking again" kinda pissed me off. Like the first time? Sure. This time, when he just saved her from becoming roadkill? Bro STFU). Turns out Chinatsu was indeed thinking about that moment on the bed, or at least since her friend mentioned a scenario like that, as specific as it was for the topic at hand. Maybe there's more to it, and maybe I'm interpreting it incorrectly, but Chinatsu was basically like "sorry mb I forget that I'm living in the same house as a boy, and that maybe I'm being a little bit too chill and laid back about it because I pretty much see you as just some little kid or whatever, sorry dude." Ok that's a bit much but for sure she did say that they should both forget about that day and that it won't happen again. To which the almighty Taiki responds, and these are the actual subtitles, not paraphrasing: "Did she just... draw a line between us?? ..... She told me to have lofty goals, but then and goes and puts distance between us." ... bruddah?
In another news, today I went to the grocery store, and there was a cookie. I really wanted that cookie. It was so close, it was within my reach. I just had to grab it and buy it. But for some reason unknown to the gods, I was too scared to take the cookie. Actually no- it was because I had absolutely no balls. Heck even the ball-less Okarun from dandandan had more balls than me. I stood there and stared at the cookie for hours, just admiring its beauty and creaming my pants every now and then when imagining what me and the cookie would do together. But then alas, the store manager told me it was time to leave; the store was closing. How DARE they keep me from my cookie. Those freaking MONSTERS, they will PAY. AUGGHHHGHHGGHGH
To those saying this episode was shown a bit from Chinatsu's perspective... was it really? Is Chinatsu being the sole main character in a scene enough to be called "from her perspective"? And iirc there's only one scene like that in the whole episode btw, where she's talking with her friend Nagisa or whatever her name is in the gym. But even in that scene we don't precisely know her thoughts- we're left to guess. Oh is is this a thinking-anime where it doesn't hold the audience's hand and actually respect our intelligence? Well uh, that could be up for debate sure but I'm 99% sure this is an anime where almost everything is displayed on a silver platter.
Yeah no. We're in Taiki's head as usual the whole episode (please get me out of here), and have no idea what exactly is going on inside Chinatsu's. All we know is what she said out loud to him, but not the intent behind it. We still have next to NO clue if she has any feelings for him whatsoever. The most educated guess we can make right now is that perhaps she thinks that Hina likes Taiki (which is true) and feels bad for pretty much getting in the way. Or maybe she does like him deep down and is trying to force those feelings even deeper by gaslighting herself into thinking that she does feel bad, all because she can't come to terms with being afraid of love. Idk man. She's cute and all yes, but right now she's just barely better than a blank slate of a character. Or maybe they're going for a more mysterious-type of character? Who knows.
At the very end of the episode, after Taiki says: "Anyway, let's go to practice", we cut to a close-up of Hina, and you are almost certain to know what she is thinking. Then a couple seconds later we cut to a close-up of Chinatsu, and I for one have NO FREAKING IDEA what's going inside that noggin. Lady Gaga's poker face can sit the fuck down. Can we like, get even some small hints about what she is thinking, like before the entire story is over? Imagine if the climax of it all is just the reveal of what was going inside Chinatsu's head this entire time. Oh so you WERE actually thinking about something other than basketball at that time! Nice!
And if I happened to miss said hints, mb. Was too busy cringing at every sentence going on inside Taiki's head. Yeah that pencil lead you picked up probably has more rigidity than whatever spine you have buddy
Chinatsu talking with Taiki's dad was the... one good part of this episode. Made me want to cry a little when the mom was saying how they have such an immense responsibility for the next two years of Chinatsu's life. W parents.
Anyway the criticisms are there but that's part of what makes watching this anime so enjoyable. Can't wait to watch the next episode. Maybe some misunderstandings, both from the characters' point of view and the audiences' will be cleared up. Maybe. |