Ao no Hako Episode 2 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

You Have to Go to Nationals

Taiki unexpectedly begins living with Chinatsu, which leaves him nervous around her. He resolves to reach nationals in his first year of high school to match her level, and Chinatsu encourages him. Hina grows suspicious of him and Chinatsu, and Taiki works hard to keep the secret. At the start of high school he aims to beat his senpai Haryu, and the episode ends with Hina seeing Chinatsu walking up with Haryu.

• Living with Chinatsu

  Taiki is caught off guard when Chinatsu unexpectedly starts living with him and his family. He feels nervous and unsure how to act around her, and she says she feels comfortable with his family because of him.

• Nationals ambition and Hina's suspicion

  Taiki sets his goal of reaching nationals in his first year of high school to match Chinatsu, and she offers him a wish ribbon. Hina suspects something happened between him and Chinatsu and hounds him, so he avoids answering and Chinatsu ignores him.

• Start of high school season

  Taiki starts his first high school year aiming to beat his senpai Haryu. Hina meets him on the way to an appointment, and the episode ends with Chinatsu and Haryu walking toward them.

Recent Timeline

• Mothers' basketball connection revealed (Episode 1)

  Taiki learns from his mom that she was a basketball teammate of Chinatsu's mom, revealing a past link between the two families.

• Chinatsu stays with Taiki's family (Episode 1)

  Chinatsu's family plans to move abroad for her father's job in March, but she will not go with them and will instead stay with Taiki's family.

Character Graph

Taiki's mom

Inomata family

Taiki's mother and a former basketball teammate of Chinatsu's mom. Since spring she has been looking after Chinatsu in the Inomata home.

• Taiki Inomata (Family, Affinity)

  Her son

Chinatsu Kano (Chinatsu)

Eimei High basketball team

Star of the Eimei basketball team who stayed in Japan alone to chase nationals. Since spring she has lived with the Inomata family, and she says Taiki's presence is what lets her feel at ease there.

• Basketball

  Practices early and late and still aims for nationals

• Living arrangement

  Lives with the Inomata family; she and Taiki keep it secret at school

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Junior who lives in the same house; she gave him a matching wish ribbon and told him to go to the Inter-High

• Taiki's mom (Other, Affinity)

  Her mother's former teammate, whose home she now lives in

• Hina Chono (Other, Neutral)

  Junior she spoke with for the first time; asked about a boyfriend, she said she is focused on her club

Haryu

Eimei High badminton team

Second-year on the Eimei badminton team who placed third in the prefecture last year. Taiki sees beating him as his first step toward the Inter-High.

• Prefectural record

  Third place in the prefecture last year

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Junior on the same club, who sees him as the wall he must get past

• Chinatsu Kano (Colleague, Neutral)

  Walks home with her at the end of the episode, catching Taiki and Hina's eye

Hina Chono (Hina)

Eimei High rhythmic gymnastics club

Taiki's close friend and a star rhythmic gymnast, hailed by her club as its hope. She suspects something between Taiki and Chinatsu and keeps pressing him, while strictly watching her calorie intake for her sport.

• Can't keep a secret

  Known for being unable to keep secrets, which is why Taiki hides the living arrangement from her

• Taiki Inomata (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who presses him about Chinatsu but also praises his effort

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who shares the group's support for Taiki

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Neutral)

  Senpai she spoke to for the first time, bluntly asking whether she has a boyfriend

Kyo Kasahara (Kyo)

Eimei High badminton team

Taiki's friend and badminton teammate. The only one at school who knows about the living arrangement, he warns Taiki to keep it secret given Chinatsu's popularity and hears his Inter-High goal.

• Keeps the secret

  Knows Chinatsu lives with Taiki and advises him to keep it quiet

• Taiki Inomata (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend and badminton teammate who knows his secret

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who shares the group's support for Taiki

Taiki Inomata (Taiki)

Eimei High badminton team

First-year badminton player at Eimei High who has a crush on Chinatsu. Now that she lives in his home, he has set himself the goal of reaching the Inter-High this summer so he can stand on her level.

• Badminton

  Likes badminton because he is solely responsible for whether he wins a match

• Current goal

  Reach the Inter-High in his first year; first he must beat Haryu

• Chinatsu Kano (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Senpai he loves, now living in his home; she gave him a matching wish ribbon

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he confides in about the living arrangement and his goal

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend he hides the living arrangement from because she can't keep secrets

• Haryu (Hierarchy, Mixed)

  Senpai he must beat to reach the Inter-High

Clue Board

• How Chinatsu knew Taiki's name (Episode 1)

  Chinatsu called Taiki by name, which surprised him. It was resolved: his mom had written his name on the scarf, so Chinatsu read it there.

• Chinatsu's reason for staying in Japan (Episode 1)

  Chinatsu's family is moving abroad for her father's job in March, but she stays in Japan and lives with Taiki's family; her mother and Taiki's mom were basketball teammates. She explained that she could not give up on reaching nationals after missing them in junior high, and credited Taiki for that decision.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–2

Taiki Inomata, a badminton player, is always beaten to the gym by basketball star Chinatsu Kano, and his bond with her grows after she moves in with his family. Caught off guard and nervous around her, he sets his sights on reaching nationals in his first year of high school to match her, and she encourages him. Hina grows suspicious of their closeness, and Taiki keeps the secret while aiming to beat his senpai Haryu.

Music Releases

• Same Blue (OP)
• Teenage Blue (ED)