How to get the audience rooted for the third wheel

Key points

• Leveraging classic stereotypes can help increase character depth
• You need to clearly distinguish between the primary love interest and the third wheel
• Blue Box puts the third wheel in the spotlight for character development

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

Blue box is the gold standard when it comes to romance in the Fall 2024 anime lineup, and one of the highlights of the show is the character with a one-sided love for the protagonist, the third wheel: Hina Chono. That's right, not only is the dynamic between the main couple, Taiki and Chinatsu, interesting, but they also do a great job with the side characters and their feelings.

But what is it exactly? Blue box does it make you root for the second option? Especially when Hina had only recently entered the love triangle, as her feelings for Taiki had only started to surface towards the end of episode 5 “Aquarium”. Being able to flesh out her character and her true emotions and see her as a legitimate player Blue boxThe love game of in just a couple of episodes is an impressive feat. Don't be wrong though, many fans still prefer Chinatsu as Taiki's partner, but as Hina herself said, her charm hasn't even begun to peak.

All stereotypes done well

No shame in following the classics

What Blue box what she does to make Hina shine isn't necessarily unique and innovative; in fact, he is a character that uses some classic stereotypes and clichés. It's fine to use tried and tested methods to make the character stand out more with an unexpressed love for the protagonist, as long as they're done correctly. The simple fact that the affection of characters like Hina is one-sided gives them an added appeal to viewers. People love to cheer on underdog stereotypes, whether in physical combat, sports, or love. Additionally, it is easier to relate to someone who has a crush than to someone who has a crush on, making it easier to have feelings for Hina than for Chinatsu.

Another cliché for the main character's crush is to be his childhood friend, which is what Hina represents 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 trade off really well and provide some of the best comedic moments Blue box they actually come from their jokes.

If you are looking for other shows where the third side of the triangle is also done very well, you can try Toradora, Your lie in AprilAND Takt Op Destiny.

Have the main love interest clearly distinguishable from the third wheel

Different strokes for different people

Another way to make the third wheel stand out is to make it clear that his or her motivations, ideals, and mannerisms are all distinct from the main love interest. If they aren't different enough, audiences might see the third wheel as simply a cheap 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 do so in different ways. Chinatsu is an extremely hard-working guy, to the point that his work ethic in basketball can almost be seen as an obsession. He goes to school early just to get more practice and even refuses to move his family abroad, all so he can compete nationally in Japan. Hina, on the other hand, doesn't like to work hard. He also follows a strict diet because gaining even a little weight means he will have to do more training to shed the excess weight. Of course, she still puts in some effort because otherwise she wouldn't be as skilled at calisthenics, but Chinatsu is more of a workaholic who wants to do more training whenever she can, while Hina is willing to make sacrifices just to reduce the amount of effort that he must apply.

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

Personality-wise, Chinatsu appears more mature and honest with her emotions, while Hina is often seen as a carefree person who loves to playfully tease her friends but prefers to keep her deepest feelings and thoughts to herself.

Give the third wheel time to grow and shine

Giving Hina the spotlight for an entire episode is one of the highlights of Blue Box

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

And the fact is, Hina's time in the spotlight is far from over. If the anime were to follow the manga, which it has done so far, then Hina would have tons more opportunities to give Chinatsu fans a run for their money.

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