Ao no Hako Episode 4 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

If He Wins

Taiki, a little over a month after Chinatsu moved into his home, finds that having someone he likes nearby makes his daily life more fulfilling. Before the district qualifiers he grows anxious, is reassured by Chinatsu and Haryu, and he and Haryu win their doubles. Haryu's former junior doubles partner then demands Chinatsu's contact information, and Haryu offers a wager on the following week's singles match against Taiki. Overhearing Chinatsu tell his mother that her remark about his remaining years came from her own anxiety, Taiki vows to win singles, and at the singles competition Chinatsu agrees to go to the aquarium with him if he wins.

• Pre-qualifier nerves and reassurance

  Haryu tells Taiki not to press himself too hard, and Taiki's nerves ease after Chinatsu's advice about relaxing and trusting his training.

• Doubles win and former partner's demand

  Taiki and Haryu win the doubles, then Haryu's former junior partner accuses him of breaking a promise about Chinatsu's contact information and proposes a singles challenge.

• Overheard regret and resolve

  Taiki overhears Chinatsu regret her remark about his remaining years, realizes he was upset by the school-year gap, and vows to win singles.

• Singles match and aquarium offer

  During Taiki's singles match, his friend reveals the wager and proposes an aquarium reward, and Chinatsu agrees to go if he wins.

Recent Timeline

• Mothers' past link and Chinatsu staying (Episode 1)

  Taiki learns from his mother that she was once a basketball teammate of Chinatsu's mother, revealing an earlier connection between the two families. Chinatsu's family plans to move abroad for her father's job in March, but she decides not to go and will stay with Taiki's family instead.

• Internal match loss to Haryu (Episode 3)

  Taiki fought back in the second half of his internal match against Haryu but lost, as Haryu controlled the pace throughout. He still earned a team place on the strength of his results, but the loss left him frustrated and determined to train harder.

• Haryu's girlfriend revealed (Episode 3)

  Haryu got a message from his girlfriend and told Taiki they had started dating the previous week. He had long liked her and admired her dedication to her childhood dream, and was about to give up on her when she confessed.

• Doubles qualifier win and contact-info wager (Episode 4)

  Taiki shook off his pre-tournament nerves and won the doubles qualifier with Haryu, though he recognized how much he had relied on Haryu's help. Haryu's former junior doubles partner demanded Chinatsu's contact information and agreed that if the challenger beat Taiki in next week's singles competition, Haryu would ask her permission to share it. Taiki resented being drawn into the wager.

• Aquarium outing pact with Chinatsu (Episode 4)

  Taiki's friend revealed the contact-information wager to Chinatsu and proposed an aquarium outing as Taiki's reward if he won. Chinatsu agreed to go with Taiki if he won the singles match.

Character Graph

Taiki's mom

Inomata family

Taiki's mother and a former basketball teammate of Chinatsu's mom, who has been looking after Chinatsu since spring. When Chinatsu confided that a remark to Taiki had come from her own anxiety, she told her not to worry.

• Taiki Inomata (Family, Affinity)

  Her son

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Affinity)

  Her friend's daughter, now living with the family; she listened to her worries

Hina Chono (Hina)

Eimei High rhythmic gymnastics club

Taiki's close friend and a promising rhythmic gymnast. She teases Taiki about embarrassing himself at the district qualifiers and still wonders what is going on between him and Chinatsu.

• 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 teases him before his tournament

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who shares the group's support for Taiki

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Neutral)

  Senpai she once asked about boyfriends

Haryu's girlfriend

Haryu's girlfriend, not named yet. She is working hard toward a childhood dream in something like show business, and she confessed to Haryu the previous week.

• Haryu (Other, Affinity)

  Boyfriend since last week, who had long liked her

Chinatsu Kano (Chinatsu)

Eimei High basketball team

Star of the Eimei basketball team, living with the Inomata family for a little over a month. Before Taiki's tournament she told him he had next year and the year after, then admitted to his mother that the words came from her own anxiety about having only one year left. When Kyo told her about the wager, she agreed to go to the aquarium with Taiki if he won his singles match.

• Basketball

  Practices early and late and still aims for nationals

• Living arrangement

  Has lived with the Inomata family for over a month; it is still a secret at school

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Junior she lives with; he kept watch while she changed on the rooftop, and she promised him an aquarium outing if he wins

• Taiki's mom (Other, Affinity)

  Her mother's former teammate, to whom she confided her worries

• Hina Chono (Other, Neutral)

  Junior who once asked her whether she had a boyfriend

• Haryu (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate who put her contact information up as a wager but will not share it if she objects

Haryu

Eimei High badminton team

Second-year ace of the Eimei badminton club and Taiki's doubles partner. After they got through their district doubles matches, he staked the contact information his former junior partner wanted on Taiki's singles match.

• Prefectural record

  Third place in the prefecture last year

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Doubles partner he has trained hard and fully expects to win

• Haryu's girlfriend (Other, Affinity)

  Girlfriend since last week; she confessed just as he was about to give up on her

• Chinatsu Kano (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate he calls "Chii"; he will not share her contact information if she does not want him to

• Haryu's former junior doubles partner (Colleague, Mixed)

  Former junior doubles partner who calls him a cheat for never introducing Chinatsu

Haryu's former junior doubles partner

Haryu's former junior doubles partner, now playing for another school, loud on court but cool-headed. Ever since meeting Chinatsu at Eimei's school festival last year he has pestered Haryu for her contact information, so Haryu agreed to ask her if he beats Taiki in the following week's district singles.

• Haryu (Colleague, Mixed)

  Former junior partner he accuses of breaking a promise

• Taiki Inomata (Other, Neutral)

  Opponent in the singles match staked on Chinatsu's contact information

Kyo Kasahara (Kyo)

Eimei High badminton team

Taiki's friend and badminton teammate who knows about the living arrangement. At Taiki's singles match he told Chinatsu about the wager and asked her to take Taiki to the aquarium if he wins, as a reward for his hard work.

• Keeps the secret

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

• Taiki Inomata (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who believes his efforts deserve a reward

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who shares the group's support for Taiki

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Neutral)

  Senpai he asked to take Taiki to the aquarium if he wins

Taiki Inomata (Taiki)

Eimei High badminton team

First-year Eimei badminton player chasing the Inter-High, now living with Chinatsu for a little over a month. He got through the district doubles with Haryu, and after overhearing that Chinatsu's "next year" remark came from her own anxiety, he vowed to win his singles match against Haryu's former junior partner.

• Badminton

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

• Current goal

  Reach the Inter-High in his first year

• Chinatsu Kano (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Senpai he loves and lives with; he feels she does not yet see him as a man

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who knows his secret and arranged the aquarium reward

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend he still hides the living arrangement from

• Haryu (Hierarchy, Mixed)

  Doubles partner who carried him in the doubles but dragged him into a wager over Chinatsu's contact information

• Haryu's former junior doubles partner (Other, Neutral)

  Opponent in the singles match staked on Chinatsu's contact information

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.

• Unclear romantic feelings (Episode 4)

  Taiki suspects Chinatsu does not see him romantically because she changed clothes with him nearby, a doubt not yet answered.

Battle Record

Taiki's singles match against Shoichiro Kishi, Haryu's former junior doubles partner, a challenge tied to a wager over Chinatsu's contact information, is underway at the end of the episode.

Taiki vs Haryu internal badminton match

Club internal badminton match · Episode 3

Location: Eimei High School gym

Trigger: Internal club matches leading to team selection

Taiki vs Haryu

• Taiki — singles player: Taiki Inomata
• Haryu — singles player: Haryu

Outcome: Haryu won; Taiki fought back from 4-11 at the second-game interval but lost that game 15-21.

Aftermath

• Despite the loss, Taiki's record looked good enough to make the roster.
• Taiki remained frustrated that Haryu had dictated the pace throughout the match.
• Taiki was then paired with Haryu in doubles.

Taiki vs Kishi singles match

District singles competition · Episode 4– (Ongoing)

Location: District qualifier venue (next to Kita High School)

Trigger: Haryu staked Chinatsu's contact information on the match: if his former junior doubles partner Kishi beat Taiki, Haryu would ask her permission to share it

Taiki vs Kishi

• Taiki — singles player: Taiki Inomata
• Kishi — singles player: Shoichiro Kishi

Outcome: Undecided; the match was still underway at the end of the episode

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–4

Taiki Inomata, a first-year badminton player at Eimei, has loved basketball star Chinatsu Kano since seeing her keep practising after missing nationals. When her family moves abroad, Chinatsu stays in Japan to chase nationals and moves in with Taiki's family, so Taiki sets his own goal of reaching the Inter-High in his first year, and she gives him a matching wish ribbon. He keeps the arrangement secret from his close friend Hina, who cannot keep secrets.

After losing to his senpai Haryu in the internal matches, Taiki becomes Haryu's doubles partner and learns Haryu already has a girlfriend. At the district qualifiers the pair get through the doubles, and Haryu stakes Chinatsu's contact information on Taiki's singles match against his former junior doubles partner. Chinatsu admits to Taiki's mother that her "you have next year" remark came from her own anxiety, and when Kyo tells her about the wager, she agrees to take Taiki to the aquarium if he wins.

Music Releases

• Same Blue (OP)
• Teenage Blue (ED)