How to make the audience root for the third round

Key things

• Using classic stereotypes can help add depth to a character
• A clear distinction between the main love interest and the third wheel is a must
• Blue Box gives the third round attention for character development

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Blue Box Episode 6, “Wish Me Luck,” now streaming on Netflix.

Blue box is the target when it comes to romance in the fall 2024 anime lineup, and one of the highlights of the series is a character with a one-sided love for the main character, the third round: Hina Chono. That's right, not only is the dynamic between the main couple Taiki and Chinatsu interesting, but they also handle the secondary characters and their feelings very well.

But what exactly is it? Blue box does it make you a fan for the second option? Especially since Hina has only recently entered into a love triangle, as her feelings for Taiki didn't begin to show until the end of episode 5 “Aquarium”. Being able to fully develop her character and true emotions and have her be seen as a legitimate player Blue boxPlaying love in just a few episodes is an impressive feat. Make no mistake though, many fans still favor Chinatsu as Taiki's partner, but as Hina herself said, her charm hasn't even begun to peak yet.

All stereotypes done right

There's no shame in going with the classics

What Blue box for Hina to shine is not necessarily unique and groundbreaking; in fact, he is a character that uses some classic stereotypes and tropes. It's perfectly fine to use best practices to make a character with an unspoken crush on the main character stand out more, as long as they're done right. The mere fact that the affections of characters like Hina are one-sided gives them a special appeal to the audience. People love rooting for underdog stereotypes, whether in physical combat, sports, or love. Also, it's easier to relate to someone who's in love than someone who's crushed, so it's easier to feel for Hina than Chinatsu.

Another common trope for the protagonist's crush is being their childhood friend, which Hina is to Taiki. Being old friends gives them an already established history and good chemistry, which is on full display in the show. Hina and Taiki bounce off each other really well and have some of the best comedic moments Blue box they actually come from their teasing.

If you're looking for more shows where the third side of the triangle is also done really well, you might want to check this out Toradora, Your lie in Apriland Tactic Op Destiny.

Have a main love interest clearly distinguishable from the third round

Different moves for different people

Another way to make the third round stand out is to make it clear that her motivations, ideals, and ways are different from the main love interest. If they're not different enough, viewers may see the third round as a budget version of the main love interest, and that's not good.

Although both Chinatsu and Hina strive to be the best in their respective sports, they go about it in different ways. Chinatsu is an extremely hard-working type to the point where her basketball work ethic can almost be considered an obsession. She goes to school early just to get more exercise and even refuses to move abroad with her family to compete at the national level in Japan. On the other hand, Hina doesn't really like to work hard. She even follows a strict diet because if she gains even a little weight, she will have to work out more to work off the extra weight. It's obvious that she still puts in some work because she wouldn't be as good at rhythmic gymnastics otherwise, but Chinatsu is more of a workaholic who craves more training whenever she can, while Hina is willing to make sacrifices just to reduce the amount of practice. the effort they have to make.

I'm not good at hard work, so if I can stand it, I should.

Personality-wise, Chinatsu comes across as more mature and honest in her emotions, while Hina is often seen as a happy-go-lucky person who likes to playfully tease her friends but prefers to keep her deeper feelings and thoughts to herself.

Give the third round time to grow and shine

One of the highlights of Blue Box is giving Hina the spotlight for an entire episode

One of the most important things to make a childhood friend stand out more is to make it seem like they have a real chance against the protagonist's main love interest. Give them time to flesh out their character more and let the audience see what exactly fills that character. For Hina Chono, that time came early Blue boxepisode 6, “Wish Me Luck” because 90% of the episode was seen from her perspective. By the end of the episode, fans have a much better understanding of who he is and how he views the people around him.

And the thing is, Hina's time in the limelight is far from over. If the anime followed the manga, which it has so far, then Hina would have plenty of opportunities to give Chinatsu fans a run for their money.

Blue Box is now available to stream on Netflix. The release date for Blue Box Episode 7 is set for November 14, 2024 at 8:30 AM PT.