Ao no Hako Episode 5 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Aquarium

Taiki beats Haryu's former junior doubles partner in the district singles, then loses the final to his clubmate Nishida and qualifies for the prefectural round as runner-up. On the aquarium outing that came with the win, Chinatsu seems unusually excited and keeps a photo of him, but her real purpose is to apologize for her careless remark about next year. Taiki gives her a sticker to send if living with his family ever bothers her, and she calls him a good housemate.

Back at school, Kyo asks what Taiki would do if Chinatsu liked him, and Hina is interviewed as an Inter-High athlete to watch. At a chiropractic clinic Hina runs into Chinatsu, tells her how Taiki once hurt his ankle saving her, and borrows her umbrella. Following Chinatsu to return a forgotten phone, Hina sees her walk into Taiki's house.

• Aquarium outing and apology

  Taiki, nervous about the outing, goes to the aquarium with Chinatsu, where she apologizes for her remark about his future chances; when he gives her a sticker to send if anything bothers her at home, she calls him a good housemate.

• Prefectural preparation and Hina's interview

  After winning his wager match and finishing runner-up to Nishida in the district singles, Taiki is reminded to focus on the prefectural qualifiers, where Sachikawa High School is the top rival, while Hina shrugs off her own pressure before a newspaper interview.

• Hina's umbrella and phone errand

  Hina runs into Chinatsu at the chiropractic clinic they both visit, tells her about Taiki's ankle injury from middle school, and borrows her umbrella. Following Chinatsu to return a forgotten phone, she sees Taiki welcome Chinatsu home.

Recent Timeline

• 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, but the loss left him frustrated and determined to train harder.

• Haryu reveals his girlfriend (Episode 3)

  Haryu received 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 had considered giving up before she confessed to him.

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

  Taiki, having shaken off his pre-tournament nerves, 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 Haryu agreed to ask her permission if the challenger beat Taiki in the following week's singles competition.

• 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.

• District singles final loss to Nishida (Episode 5)

  In the district singles Taiki beat Haryu's former junior doubles partner, securing the aquarium outing, then lost the final to Nishida, a second-year on his own club. As runner-up he still qualified for the prefectural qualifiers, and Nishida told him to keep working.

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 (Other, Affinity)

  Her friend's daughter, now living with the family

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

Haryu

Eimei High badminton team

Second-year ace of the Eimei badminton club and Taiki's doubles partner. The wager he set up ended when Taiki beat his former junior partner in the district singles, and he now heads into the prefectural qualifiers.

• Prefectural record

  Third place in the prefecture last year

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Doubles partner he trains hard; Taiki won the singles match the wager was staked on

• 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 partner who lost the wager match to Taiki

Haryu's former junior doubles partner

Haryu's former junior doubles partner, now playing for another school. He lost the district singles match staked on Chinatsu's contact information to Taiki, but they parted on good terms, promising a rematch at an Eimei practice match.

• Haryu (Colleague, Mixed)

  Former junior partner who set up the wager

• Taiki Inomata (Other, Affinity)

  Beat him in the district singles; they agreed to play again

Kyo Kasahara (Kyo)

Eimei High badminton team

Taiki's friend and badminton teammate who knows about the living arrangement. He explained the aquarium deal to Hina and asked Taiki what he would do if Chinatsu liked him back.

• Keeps the secret

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

• Taiki Inomata (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who set up his aquarium outing and asks about his feelings

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend to whom he explained the aquarium deal

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Neutral)

  Senpai he asked to take Taiki to the aquarium

Chinatsu Kano (Chinatsu)

Eimei High basketball team

Star of the Eimei basketball team, living with the Inomata family. At the aquarium she apologized for her careless "next year" remark and called Taiki a good housemate. At the chiropractic clinic she ran into Hina and lent her an umbrella, unaware Hina would follow her home with her forgotten phone.

• Basketball

  Practices early and late and still aims for nationals

• Living arrangement

  Lives with the Inomata family and keeps it secret at school; Taiki gave her a sticker to send if anything bothers her

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Junior she lives with; she apologized at the aquarium, called him a good housemate, and kept the photo she took of him

• Taiki's mom (Other, Affinity)

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

• Hina Chono (Other, Affinity)

  Junior she met at the chiropractic clinic and lent her umbrella

• Haryu (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate

Hina Chono (Hina)

Eimei High rhythmic gymnastics club

Taiki's close friend and a rhythmic gymnast interviewed by a newspaper as an Inter-High athlete to watch. At the chiropractic clinic she met Chinatsu, told her how Taiki once sprained his ankle saving her on a school hike, and borrowed her umbrella. Following Chinatsu to return her forgotten phone, she saw her go into Taiki's house.

• Can't keep a secret

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

• Inter-High athlete to watch

  Interviewed by a newspaper as an Inter-High athlete to watch

• Taiki Inomata (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who sprained his ankle saving her in junior high; she talked him up to Chinatsu

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who shares the group's support for Taiki

• Chinatsu Kano (Other, Neutral)

  Senpai from the same chiropractic clinic; she borrowed her umbrella and saw her go into Taiki's house

Nishida

Eimei High badminton team

Second-year on the Eimei badminton club and one of the top players in his year. He beat Taiki in the district singles final, leaving him runner-up, and loftily told him to keep working before the prefectural qualifiers.

• Taiki Inomata (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Clubmate junior he beat in the district singles final

Taiki Inomata (Taiki)

Eimei High badminton team

First-year Eimei badminton player chasing the Inter-High. In the district singles he beat Haryu's former junior partner, then lost the final to Nishida and still qualified for the prefectural round as runner-up. After the aquarium outing with Chinatsu, he decides not to confess yet for fear of making her home uncomfortable.

• Badminton

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

• Current goal

  Reach the Inter-High; next come the prefectural qualifiers, where Sachikawa is the top power

• Chinatsu Kano (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Senpai he loves and lives with; he would date her if he could but is holding back his confession

• Kyo Kasahara (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who set up the aquarium outing

• Hina Chono (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend he once saved in junior high; he still hides the living arrangement from her

• Haryu (Hierarchy, Affinity)

  Senpai and doubles partner who trains him

• Nishida (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Clubmate senpai who beat him in the district singles final

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

  Opponent he beat in the district singles; they promised a rematch

Clue Board

• 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.

• Unfinished question to Hina (Episode 5)

  Chinatsu begins to ask Hina something and stops herself before explaining, leaving the question open.

Battle Record

Taiki beat Shoichiro Kishi, Haryu's former junior doubles partner, in the district singles, winning the wager match and the aquarium outing; he went on to lose the final to Nishida.

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 · Episodes 4–5

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: Taiki won, securing the aquarium outing

Aftermath

• Taiki and Kishi promised to play each other again
• Taiki then lost the district singles final to Nishida and qualified for the prefectural round as runner-up

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–5

Taiki Inomata, a first-year badminton player at Eimei, lives with his crush, basketball star Chinatsu Kano, who stayed in Japan to chase nationals; inspired, he aims for the Inter-High, and the two wear matching wish ribbons. He hides the arrangement from his close friend Hina.

After losing to his senpai Haryu in the internal matches, Taiki becomes Haryu's doubles partner. At the district qualifiers Haryu stakes Chinatsu's contact information on Taiki's singles match against his former junior doubles partner, and Chinatsu promises Taiki an aquarium trip if he wins.

Taiki wins that match, then loses the final to his clubmate Nishida, qualifying for the prefectural round as runner-up. At the aquarium Chinatsu apologizes for her careless remark about next year and calls him a good housemate. Meanwhile Hina runs into Chinatsu at a chiropractic clinic and, following her to return a forgotten phone, sees her walk into Taiki's house.

Music Releases

• Same Blue (OP)
• Teenage Blue (ED)